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Pain Alleviation in Laboratory Animals Methods commonly used for perioperative pain-relief
by Outi Vainio, Carmela Hellsten, and Hanna-Marja Voipio

Min resa för Lars Wass-stipendiet 2001

A rat model for the immune response to the intrauterine administration of BCG
by M. Kanter, M. Yoruk, A. Koc, I. Meral & H.H. Timurkan

This study was designed to investigate the changes in the numbers of lymphocytes, macrophages and plasma cells in the uterus and ileocecal lymph nodes of rats exposed to the intrauterine administration of Bacillus-Calmette Guérin (BCG). Thirty female Wistar Albino rats, age 6 months and weighing between 200-250 g, were assigned to the two experimental groups BCG treated and controls (n=15). The intrauterine BCG injections were made using laparatomy in the diestrous cycle under Rompun and Ketalar anesthesia. 0.1 ml BCG were injected for each into cornu uteri while the control group received 0.1 ml sterile saline in the same place. Two weeks later, the rats in both groups were anesthetized with ether and decapitated. Uterus and ileocecal lymph nodes were processed to determine alpha-naphthyl acid esterase (ANAE) - positive T lymphocytes and macrophages. The plasma cells were stained with the methyl green-pyronin method. It was found that the numbers of lymphocytes, macrophages and plasma cells on the uterus increased (P<0.01) in BCG treated rats. In addition, the number of these cells also increased in the ileocecal lymph nodes indicating the presence of an immune response to the intrauterine BCG administration. It is concluded that although the rat was chosen as a model and BCG was given by the process of laparatomy in this study, intracervical administration of BCG in the uterus should be studied clinically in cases of immune deficiency disorders related to the uterus, such as endometritis, myometritis, pyometra, endometriosis, infertility and implantation problems of domestic animals, to see if there is an increase in the immune response.

Welfare evaluation of genetically modified mice - An inventory study of reports to the Danish Animal Experiments Inspectorate
by Rikke Thon, Jesper Lassen, Axel Kornerup Hansen, Inger Marie Jegstrup & Merel Ritskes-Hoitinga

The present paper is an inventory study of the reports from 1998 regarding genetically modified animals to The Animal Experiments Inspectorate in Denmark.
The results focus on three areas: percentage of strains experiencing discomfort, percentage of increased mortality, disease incidence and susceptibility to disease, and percentage for which special care was provided. 36% of the strains were reported as experiencing discomfort with 21% experiencing minor discomfort and 15% severe discomfort. In addition 30% of the strains were reported to suffer increases in mortality, disease incidence and susceptibility to disease. The most frequently mentioned conditions being increased mortality, decreased fertility and diabetes. Special care with regard to animal welfare was provided in 34% of the cases. Euthanasia as a humane endpoint, protection against infection and heterozygous breeding were the most frequently mentioned actions.
Systematic information about the welfare of genetically modified animals is limited and the need for this through proper characterization is discussed.
The Danish form from The Animal Experiments Inspectorate is discussed and compared to other welfare evaluation forms/protocols and improvements are suggested.

Frame Reduction Committee Symposium: Reduction - Current Status and Future Prospects

Meet Professor Vera Baumans

The B&K Universal Group Limited Travel Fellowship Award. Report From The 52nd AALAS Meeting in Baltimore, 2001

Index to Scandinavian Journal of Laboratory Animal Science 2001, vol. 28

Meetings