RATS

• cruelty free labels

  unregulated labeling implies that only the final product was not tested on animals
• what are animals use in biomedical research?

  • vaccine development
  • antibiotics
  • surgical procedures
  • blood transfusions
  • insulin
  • organ transplants
  • pharmaceutical development
• IACUC

  Institutional animal care and use committee
• What does IACUC do?

  -ensure that animal research programs are in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, polices, and guidelines

  -review and approve animal use protocols
• How often does IACUC physically inspect facilities?

  twice yearly
• Replacement

  replace animals with non-animal methods
• Reduction

  reduce the number of animals used
• refinement

  refine procedures, environment, enrichment, etc
• Class A dealers

  purpose bred for research
• Class B dealers

  randomly sourced (NIH wont fund)
• Who pays for biomedical research?

  NIH, NSF, and PHS (federal government)
• AALAS

  American association for laboratory animal science
• what does AALAS do?

  -advance responsible laboratory animal care

  -national and local branches

  -promote education, outreach, hosts a national meeting, provides technician certification
• ALAT

  Assistant laboratory animal technician
• LAT

  laboratory animal technician
• LATg

  laboratory animal technologist
• LAMA

  laboratory animal management association
• what does LAMA do?

  -enhances the quality of management and care of laboratory animals throughout the world
• ASLAP

  American society of laboratory animal practitioners
• what does ASLAP do?

  -for veterinarians in the field to exchange ideas, experiences, and knowledge

  -recognized by the AVMA

  -affiliated with AALAS
• ACLAM

  american college of laboratory animal medicine
• what does ACLAM do?

  -provides certification exam for laboratory animal veterinarians

  -specialty board recognized by the AVMA
• NABR

  national association for biomedical research
• what is NABR?

  a nonprofit organization that advocates for sound public policy in support of ethical and essential animal use
• FBR

  foundation for biomedical research
• What is FBR?

  -part of NABR

  -focus on the public outreach
• ILAR

  Insititute for laboratory research
• What is ILAR?

  advisory for federal government, the research community, science educators, students, and the public
• What was the name of the group that improved care of lab animals?

  animal care panel (ACP)
• What is the most common species of rat used in research?

  Rattus norvegicus

  AKA Norway rat/brown rat
• What species of rat is not commonly used in research?

  Rattus rattus

  AKA black rat/house rat/ship rat
• What are some reasons we use rats in research?

  • short lifespan
  • large litter size
  • short gestation
  • ease of maintenance
  • genetic sequence similar to humans
• Thigmotaxic


  want to be on the edge of the cage, not the middle
• dental formula of rats

  2(I 1/1, C 0/0, P 0/0, M 3/3)
• what tooth in rats are continuously growing

  incisors
• rat lungs

  -one left lung

  -four small right lungs
• GI system

  -stomach has two compartments (nonglandular forestomach and glandular corpus)

  -large cecum

  -no gallbladder

  -no tonsils
• Harderian gland


  large lacrimal structure behind the eye
• what does the harderian gland do?

  secretes red pigmented porphyrin in tears

  (red tears or chromodacyorrhea)
• room temperature for rats

  68-79 degrees Fahrenheit