Laboratory animal technicians. Their role in stress reduction and human-companion animal bonding

The culture of care to enhance laboratory animal personnel well-being: a scoping review

There has been intense focus on improving the quality of animal research in recent times. An emerging concept of a 'culture of care' has been proposed as another important pillar to enhance scientific quality, with staff well-being being a critical aspect. Professionals working with research animals can face moral and psychological burdens and are at risk of experiencing work-related stress. However, data on the global prevalence of stress in this population is limited. Equally, it is not clear how these stresses manifest, and what impact they might have on an individual's workplace performance and research quality. The purpose of this review was to identify work-related stress, its prevalence, and map evidence on strategies to mitigate stresses. We also set out to identify studies assessing the association between work-related stress and research quality. A systematic search was conducted across four databases, in addition to hand searching relevant references. We included peer-reviewed publications describing work-related stress, culture of care and laboratory animal professionals. A total of 49 publications were included for data mapping. Compassion fatigue was the most frequently described work-related stress, and its prevalence across Europe and North America is likely to be widespread. Multiple strategies to mitigate compassion fatigue and work-related stress were put forward, however, limited empirical evidence was available to assess success. Moreover, no studies reported empirical data linking work-related stress with research quality, despite several publications stating the case. Further population-specific research and measured assessments are urgently needed to deliver culture of care programmes to improve human well-being, animal welfare and research quality.

Laboratory environment and bio-medical experience: the impact of administration technique on the quality of immune-behavior data results in stress experience

Introduction: Often in an experiment, the control group and the intact group are not identified because most scientists neglect the fact that the sets of manipulation as technical administrations may be considered as an undesirable stress on the clarity of the data obtained from a scientific research specifically if it focuses on studying the effects of stress.

Methods: This study was conducted in two parts using 40 male Wistar rats. The first part aimed to treat a group of rats by repeated injections i.p route (1 mL/kg) of placebo or NaCl (0.9%) and the other by direct oral administration of NaCl (0.9%). Both groups spent 1 h of jet air stress with stressed group. Our objective was to consider the effects that these manipulations would have on the validity of behavioral results (the elevated plus maze test, the open field, the light/dark box test) and immune data (immune cell count) during this stress experience. The second part was devoted to the measurement of ACTH, IL6, and CRP in these experimental groups.

Results: Unlike oral administration, repeated intra-peritoneal injections cause a significant increase of plasma obtained levels of the adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the C-reactive protein (CRP) using injections of placebo: NaCl 0.9% (1 mL/kg) and it may have side effect on significant immune and behavioral alterations data quality induced by 1 h of air jet in the animal’s cage identified by the leukocyte formula and behavioral tests.

Conclusion: In an experimental protocol conducted on animal models, it is essential to opt for painless techniques such as oral administration instead of painful injections to avoid confusion at the behavioral and immunological results from biomedical experiments specifically one that focuses on the stress study.

Training laboratory primates – benefits and techniques

Abstract. This review discusses the benefits of training in the effective management of laboratory-housed nonhuman primates, including improved welfare, facilitated husbandry, improved quality of data, and human–animal relationships. Training implies that the animals cooperate in aspects of their own care and is a type of enrichment. Some refined ways of using negative reinforcement are discussed, as well as management perspectives on laboratory primate training. Several approaches to dealing with fear are described: systematic desensitization/counterconditioning (SD/CC) versus combined reinforcement training (NPRT). In addition, a detailed shaping plan covering target training, useful when e.g. moving, weighing, or stationing animals, is presented.

Habituation of hissing by Madagascar hissing cockroaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa): evidence of discrimination between humans?

Anecdotal reports suggest that insects can be "tamed" with frequent human contact. In the present experiment, repeated handling of Madagascar hissing cockroaches by the same person resulted in habituation of the hissing response in ten of 12 subjects. These subjects were then handled by a novel person in order to determine whether habituation might be specific to a particular human. Four of ten "habituated" subjects immediately began to hiss in the presence of the novel handler, but again ceased hissing when contact with the familiar person was reestablished. Our results suggest that in some cases "taming" may be person-specific, rather than a generalized response to humans. These preliminary findings are the first evidence of discrimination between humans by an insect species, although comparable results are well documented in mammals and birds.

Teaching from the Heart

In many countries, training for individuals working with research animals has been mandated for more than 30 years. Required training topics include methods for the proper handling of animals, anaesthesia, surgery, euthanasia, non-surgical procedures (e.g. injections, oral dosing, blood collection), and recognition of animal illness and pain. During training sessions, the instructor, as a role model, should encourage an attitude of respect and kindness toward the animals. By honouring and modelling these values, instructors can expect minimal distress for the laboratory animals during procedures, prompt reporting of unexpected adverse consequences in animals to the veterinarian and the animal care committee, and a strong interest in considering alternatives.

Prediction and preparation: Pavlovian implications of research animals discriminating among humans

A growing body of evidence suggests that animals of various species can discriminate among the humans with whom they have regular contact. This discriminative ability has considerable implications for research. Because animal life is hedonistic, there is a strong incentive for animal subjects to predict the events that bring them pleasure and pain. Many research settings attempt to deliver hedonic stimuli under strictly regulated conditions without formal warning. Nevertheless, the possibility remains that the presence of a particular human may signal delivery of an important event, thus allowing the animal to prepare for its occurrence. In Pavlovian terms, humans become walking conditioned stimuli, eliciting measurable conditioned responses from animal subjects. These preparatory responses may take behavioral, physiological, and/or motivational forms and modulate the effects of the variables under study. The discussion addresses practical implications of knowing that discrimination among humans by animal subjects may affect one's research agenda.

Ethical aspects of relationships between humans and research animals

People who work in biomedical and behavioral research settings sometimes form strong relationships with individual laboratory animals. Ethnographic studies indicate that it is common for these individuals to transform some animals from experimental subject to pet. Although theories of ethics that emphasize impartiality and justice have little to say about the moral implications of human-research animal bonds, caring-based ethical systems acknowledge the moral consequences and resulting psychological burdens of these relationships. Typically, albeit not always, animal care staff are more likely than researchers to experience the moral ambivalence associated with human-laboratory animal bonds. These bonds can result in conflict between technicians and investigators. Several ways that research institutions can help individuals cope with the ethical consequences of relationships with research animals include supporting the development of human-animal relationships in laboratories, giving animal care personnel an ethical voice through involvement in the institutional animal care and use committee decision process, publicly acknowledging the emotional and moral costs of human-laboratory animal relationships, and educating animal care staff about the purpose and possible benefits of research projects.

An additional "R": remembering the animals

Relationships inevitably develop between humans and animals, regardless of the function or use of the animal partners. The need to recognize the existence of these human-animal bonds, as well as acknowledge the use of the animals, is widespread. Religious memorial services for animals in certain areas of the world provide an historical basis for such acknowledgment activities. The diversity of sacred and secular approaches to memorializing or acknowledging animals is illustrated by representative examples of such events. The need to establish such events, particularly in academic and research settings, is emphasized. The pros and cons of developing and establishing acknowledgment activities in addition to the benefits of implementing such events are discussed.