Use of nonaversive handling and training procedures for laboratory mice and rats: Attitudes of American and Canadian laboratory animal professionals

The Elephant in the Room: Recognition and Documentation of Personnel Practices That Confound Reproducibility

The ability to apply findings from animal studies efficiently and effectively is predicated on an understanding of biology and pathobiology, how that biology relates to the human systems being modeled, and how the studies are conducted and reported. This overview discusses various factors in research within the animal environment (referred to as extrinsic factors) that the NIH now expects to be documented to foster replicability in science and expand interpretations of study outcomes. Specifically, an important extrinsic factor in research with animals is that of individual personnel who perform handling practices, participate in research interactions, and share an overall presence in the housing facility with animals, all of which can confound reproducibility efforts in biomedical science. An improved understanding of the influences and behaviors of animal research personnel on animal responses is critical with regard to research results and the interpretation of data collected from animal models of biomedical disease.

Embracing ethical research: Implementing the 3R principles into fracture healing research for sustainable scientific progress

As scientific advancements continue to reshape the world, it becomes increasingly crucial to uphold ethical standards and minimize the potentially adverse impact of research activities. In this context, the implementation of the 3R principles-Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement-has emerged as a prominent framework for promoting ethical research practices in the use of animals. This article aims to explore recent advances in integrating the 3R principles into fracture healing research, highlighting their potential to enhance animal welfare, scientific validity, and societal trust. The review focuses on in vitro, in silico, ex vivo, and refined in vivo methods, which have the potential to replace, reduce, and refine animal experiments in musculoskeletal, bone, and fracture healing research. Here, we review material that was presented at the workshop "Implementing 3R Principles into Fracture Healing Research" at the 2023 Orthopedic Research Society (ORS) Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas.

An investigation of the perceptions of laboratory animal welfare issues among undergraduate and graduate veterinary students in southeastern China

Animal experiments have played a significant role in advancing scientific knowledge and enhancing people's quality of life. In order to better understand the opinions and knowledge of veterinary students in the domain of laboratory animal welfare and to explore and advance the teaching methods used in animal ethics education, a questionnaire was designed and used to conduct a survey among undergraduate and postgraduate students majoring in veterinary medicine. The survey encompassed various topics, such as students' level of knowledge about animal welfare, their perspectives on laboratory animals, their proficiency with animal experiments, and their opinions on teaching methods and content. The respondents were a total of 150 undergraduate students and 148 graduate students. The survey results indicated that most students expressed a strong sense of responsibility for the safeguarding of the welfare of experimental animals. However, there were a few students who lacked compassion for animals. Additionally, there was a general lack of basic theoretical knowledge of animal ethics and an inadequate grasp of experimental techniques among current students. Furthermore, most of the participants expressed a strong sense of responsibility to advocate for animal welfare. Although a substantial number of students were unaware of the existence of agencies for the supervision of work involving laboratory animals, they supported teaching and supervision in the domain of animal welfare and were open to various teaching methods and topics of content. In conclusion, targeted training and education regarding laboratory animal welfare and ethics should be conducted in the future to address the specific needs of students. This study provides a foundation for future animal welfare education and will help to improve the professional skills and humanistic qualities of veterinary students.

Being friendly: paced mating for the study of physiological, behavioral, and neuroplastic changes induced by sexual behavior in females

Paced mating in rats is an experimental condition that allows the evaluation of sexual behavior in a way that closely resembles what occurs in seminatural and natural conditions enabling the female to control the rate of the sexual interaction. In conventional non-paced mating tests, females cannot escape from male approaches, which may lead to an unrewarding overstimulation. Paced mating is an alternative laboratory procedure that improves animal welfare and has a higher ethological relevance. The use of this procedure contributed to the identification of physiological and behavioral factors that favor reproduction. Paced mating includes motivational and behavioral components differentiating quantitative and qualitative characteristics that are critical for the induction of the rewarding properties of mating. These positive consequences ensure that the behavior will be repeated, favoring the species' survival. Sexual reward is an immediate consequence of paced mating, mediated mainly by the endogenous opioid system. Paced mating also induces long-lasting neuroplastic changes, including gene expression, synthesis of proteins, and neurogenesis in sex-relevant brain areas. The interest in paced mating is growing since the complexity of its elements and consequences at different levels in a laboratory setting resembles what occurs in natural conditions. In this review, we analyze the classic studies and recent publications demonstrating the advantages of using paced mating to evaluate different aspects of sexual behavior in females.

Benchmarking Enrichment Efforts in the US & Canada Across Species and Enrichment Categories

Enrichment is important for animal welfare and data quality. Provision of enrichment opportunities varies between species and enrichment category. However, data benchmarking these differences does not exist. Our objective was to characterize enrichment provision and associated factors across species in the US and Canada. Personnel who work with research animals (n = 1098) in the US and Canada voluntarily responded to online promotions and completed a survey about enrichment used for the species they worked with most, their control of and wish for more enrichment, stress or pain in the animals they worked the most with, and demographics. All participants (except those working with rats) received the same questionnaire regardless of species to allow objectivity, as the effects of many enrichment items on some species have not yet been determined. The questionnaire asked about enrichments that were beneficial to at least one species. The provision of enrichment was allocated into 2 outcome variables: diversity and frequency per enrichment category. Results showed a significant interaction between enrichment category and species. Generally, physical, nutritional, and sensory enrichments were provided less often than social enrichment. In addition, nonhuman primates received more diverse and more frequent enrichment than did other species (twice as much as rats and mice). Enrichment was provided less frequently by personnel who wished they could do more than the status quo. Both enrichment frequency and diversity were higher in respondents from Canada, those who had more control over provision, and those who had been in the field longer. While our results cannot be used to determine the quality of enrichment provided to various species, they do provide information on current enrichment practices in the US and Canada and identify differences in implementation by species and enrichment category. The data also indicate provision of enrichment is influenced by factors such as country and individual control over enrichment. This information can also be used to identify areas for greater enrichment efforts for some species (for example, rats and mice) and categories, with the ultimate goal of improving animal welfare.

Using Stakeholder Focus Groups to Refine the Care of Pigs Used in Research

Research organizations should be proactive in regularly evaluating and refining their animal care and use programs in order to advance animal welfare and minimize distress. Pigs are often used in research, but few empirical studies have examined optimal husbandry and research use practices for pigs in a research environment. We developed the Pig Welfare Working Group (PWWG) to address the need for more formal guidelines on the management and use of pigs in research. The PWWG was a stakeholder focus group whose goal was to identify challenges and opportunities relevant to improving animal welfare through collaboration, knowledge sharing, and inclusive decision-making. Through consensus building, the PWWG developed 12 recommendations for behavioral management, housing, research procedures, transportation, and rehoming programs. The recommendations were rolled out across the contract research organization, business units, sites, and countries. Follow up will be conducted regularly to assess welfare, monitor progress toward implementing the recommendations, and recognize and reward participants making changes at their site.