Atla Altern Lab Anim
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Atla Altern Lab Anim · Apr 2005
ReviewAnaesthesia and post-operative analgesia following experimental surgery in laboratory rodents: are we making progress?
Current attitudes to the use of animals in biomedical research require that any pain or distress should be minimised. This can often be achieved by the use of appropriate anaesthetic and analgesic regimens. There, is however, little information on the peri-operative regimens used. ⋯ Although the use of analgesics has increased over the past ten years, the overall level of post-operative pain relief for laboratory rodents is still low. Anaesthetic methodology changed markedly between the two time-periods sampled. Notably, there was an increase in the use of isoflurane and of injectable anaesthetic combinations such as ketamine/xylazine, whereas the use of ether and methoxyflurane decreased.
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Atla Altern Lab Anim · Dec 2004
Animals and alternatives: societal expectations and scientific need.
As Russell and Burch suggested more than 40 years ago, the most humane science is the best science. The path ahead is clear: pain and distress must be eliminated in animal experiments or reduced to an absolute minimum, and, as scientists, we must use the most humane approaches in our research. To accomplish the best science, we must train those who come after us in the principles and practice of humane science.
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Atla Altern Lab Anim · Nov 2004
ReviewExpanding the three Rs to meet new challenges in humane animal experimentation.
The Three Rs are the main principles used by Animal Ethics Committees in the governance of animal experimentation, but they appear not to cover some ethical issues that arise today. These include: a) claims that certain species should be exempted on principle from harmful research; b) increased emphasis on enhancing quality of life of research animals; c) research involving genetically modified (GM) animals; and d) animals bred as models of disease. In some cases, the Three Rs can be extended to cover these developments. ⋯ Certain levels of harm, or numbers and use of certain species, may be unacceptable, regardless of potential benefits. This can be addressed by supplementing the utilitarian basis of the Three Rs with principles based on deontological and relational ethics. The Three Rs remain very useful, but they require thoughtful interpretation and expansion in order for Animal Ethics Committees to address the full range of issues in animal-based research.
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Laboratory training models are essential for developing and refining surgical skills, especially in microsurgery. A perfect training model is the one that can provide the same situation during surgery, in the same anatomy; the closer to live surgery the model is, the greater the benefit. The lack of an accurate vascular model has sometimes necessitated the use of live models when bleeding, and vascular liquid filling is desired for optional learning. ⋯ It is an excellent alternative model and can be applied to the whole cadaver or to a particular cadaveric specimen (head, arm, leg) or to an isolated organ. It is distinctive and of a great practical value for training in a wide range of surgical procedures, Utilising this technique could forever eliminate the use of live anaesthetised animals for surgical training. The model and device are patent pending application no. 10/339,053.