Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
www.rspca.org.uksciencegroupresearchanimalsSciencegroupreviewof201219RodentwelfareTheRSPCAandtheUniversitiesFederationforAnimalWelfareUFAWjointlyholdanannualrodentwelfaremeeting1todiscusscurrent3Rsresearchanddisseminateinformationonthepracticalimplementationofthe3Rswithrespecttorodentuse.Over120delegatesattendedthe2012meetingincludinganimaltechnologistsresearchersandveterinariansfromawiderangeofscientificestablishmentswithinindustryandacademia.wayofassessingsubtlesignsofsufferingsothatstudiescanbeendedearlierandcanalsoprovidemoremeaningfuloutcomemeasureswhenpotentialnewanalgesicsarebeingevaluated.ThedayendedwithafocusonreducingsufferinginsevereprocedureswithanoutlineoftheRSPCAinitiativetoreduceseveresufferingandpracticalexamplesofrefinementsforSOD-1miceageneticallyalteredstrainusedtostudyneurodegenerativedisease.ThereportfromthemeetingwillbepublishedinthejournalAnimalTechnologyandWelfareduring2013.FOOTNOTE1FormoreinformationabouttheRSPCAUFAWRodentWelfareGroupandforfreetodownloadreportsfrompastmeetingsseewww.rspca.org.uksciencegroupresearchanimalsimplementing3rsrodentwelfaregroupThemeetingaddressedarangeoftopicswithamainfocusonrefinementandreduction.AguestspeakerfromauniversityinSantiagogavedelegatesanoverviewoftheregulatoryframeworkforanimaluseinChileexplaininghowresearchersandanimaltechnologistsareworkingtowardsbetterstandardsofanimalwelfareregulationandethicalreview.Otherpresentationsincludedreducingstressduringbloodsamplinginratsthewelfareimpactofdifferentidentificationmethodssuchasmicrochipsandearnotchinginmiceandimplementingbothrefinementandreductioninmonoclonalantibodygenerationusingrodents.Anotherspeakerexplainedhowlong-termstudiesandresearchintodiseasesofageingsuchasosteoporosiscanoftenextendtothefulllifespanofamouse.Agedmicehavespecialneedsandanappropriatelytailoredapproachtoassessingtheirhealthandwelfareisessentialtoensureagoodstandardofcare.Thereiscurrentlymuchdiscussionofthevalidityofsomeareasofanimaluseandthiswasalsoaddressedatthemeeting.Forexamplemiceareroutinelyusede.g.insafetytestsatsixtoeightweeksoldbuttheresultingdatamaybedifferentResourcesWealsoprovideanddisseminatekeyresourcesonanimalwelfarethe3Rsandethicalreview.InonesuchinitiativetheRSPCAisworkingwiththeUKsNC3Rs2andtheChineseAssociationforLaboratoryAnimalSciencestodevelopaChineselanguageversionoftheProcedureswithCarewebsite3whichwillprovidepracticalexamplesforrefiningexperimentaltechniquesinordertoreduceanimalsufferingandimprovewelfare.FOOTNOTESANDREFERENCES1Formoreinformationaboutthisaspectofourworkseewww.rspca.org.uksciencegroupresearchanimalswhatwedoworkinginternationally2TheNationalCentrefortheReplacementRefinementandReductionofAnimalsinResearchUKwww.nc3rs.org.uk3www.procedureswithcare.org.ukfromthatobtainedwhentheanimalsarefullymatureatthreemonthswhichcouldleadtopotentiallymisleadingresults.Themeetingdiscussedhowtakingaccountofanimalbiologyandbehaviourcanleadtobenefitsforbothanimalwelfareandscience.Onespeakerexplainedhownewapproachestorodentstudiesofneuropathicpaininvolveassessingpainusingbehaviouralindicatorsofanxietyandotherbehavioursthatareimportanttotheanimalssuchasburrowing.ThisisabetterTheconferencewhichwasheldinYangzhouattractedhundredsofdelegatesfromacrossChina.lInNovembertheRSPCAsinternationalandresearchanimalsdepartmentsinconjunctionwiththeUniversityofBelgradeorganisedanddeliveredatwo-dayworkshoponlaboratoryanimalwelfareethicsandlegislation.Over100peopleattendedincludingthoseusingandcaringforlaboratoryanimalsandmembersofethicscommitteesacrossSerbiaCroatiaandMacedonia.RSPCAstaffandinvitedexpertspresentedkeyinformationontheaspectsofthenewEuropeanDirectiveanddemonstratedanddiscussedhowthevariousrequirementsofthislegislationmightbestbemetinpractice.