Laboratory Animal Science

1. Laboratory Animal Science Alternatives

2. EC Directive 86/609 • Article 23 (1 ) of the EC directive 86/609 requires that ' The commission and Member states should encourage research into the development and validation of alternative techniques which could provide the same level of information as that obtained in experiments using animals , but which involve fewer animals or which entail less painful procedures and shall take such steps as they consider appropriate to encourage researchin this field. The commission shall monitor trends in experimental methods. ';

3. Reasons for using Alternatives • Scientific Better reproducability Cheaper Quicker • Ethical \ Legal Duty of Care and trust

4. 3 R’SRussell &BurchThe Principles of Humane Experimental Technique Reduction Refinement Replacement

5. Reduction • UK usage dropped by 40% in 10 years • Ireland 1984; 36,000 1992; 22,000 • Ireland 1994 ; 42,000 1995: 52,606 (9,820 fish) Stricter controls and reporting • Fewer animals in Better planned experiments, Reduced undergraduate teaching, by use of replacements

6. Irish Animal Use Numbers Year. Tot. Mice Rats GPigs Rabbits Fish Frogs 86 = 31315 18647 6694 367 976 0 10 87 = 32666 5657 7120 335 2521 250 10 88 = 32896 21832 4767 521 1444 0 538 89 = 32155 19348 6273 557 1469 110 0 90 = 35413 23470 5391 617 1901 900 0 91 =25199 17550 3053 423 1112 0 4 92 =22469 15736 2559 464 1586 150 0 93 = 42244 20427 127121812 2050 62 11 94 = 48803 18535 134561400 1945 9076 0 95 =56606 21963 16637 2665 2484 9820 0

7. Refinement • No’s Used in specific experiments • Use of Humane end points • Modern analgesics and Anaesthetics • Use of cell lines derived from animals

8. Replacement • In-vitro cell lines Bacterial mutagenicity tests Ames test • Irritancy tests EYTEX, LAL, Neutral Red Marker • Validation • Computers • Databases • Teaching videos, models etc

9. Future • Basic Research • Safety testing • Teaching