Issues In Animal Research Research Articles

Systematic heterogenisation to improve reproducibility in animal studies.

A recent study published in PLOS Biology investigated whether the systematic use of multiple experimenters boosts the reproducibility of behavioural assays in mice. These findings open up prospects for solutions to reproducibility issues in animal research.

Researchers' attitudes to the 3Rs-An upturned hierarchy?

Animal use in biomedical research is generally justified by its potential benefits to the health of humans, or other animals, or the environment. However, ethical acceptability also requires scientists to limit harm to animals in their research. Training in laboratory animal science (LAS) helps scientists to do this by promoting best practice and the 3Rs. This study evaluated scientists’ awareness and application of the 3Rs, and their approach to other ethical issues in animal research. It was based on an online survey of participants in LAS courses held in eight venues in four European countries: Portugal (Porto, Braga), Germany (Munich, Heidelberg), Switzerland (Basel, Lausanne, Zurich), and Denmark (Copenhagen). The survey questions were designed to assess general attitudes to animal use in biomedical research, Replacement alternatives, Reduction and Refinement conflicts, and harm-benefit analysis. The survey was conducted twice: immediately before the course (‘BC’, N = 310) and as a follow-up six months after the course (‘AC’, N = 127). While courses do appear to raise awareness of the 3Rs, they had no measurable effect on the existing low level of belief that animal experimentation can be fully replaced by non-animal methods. Most researchers acknowledged ethical issues with their work and reported that they discussed these with their peers. The level of an animal’s welfare, and especially the prevention of pain, was regarded as the most pressing ethical issue, and as more important than the number of animals used or the use of animals as such. Refinement was considered more feasible than Replacement, as well as more urgent, and was also favoured over Reduction. Respondents in the survey reversed the ‘hierarchy’ of the 3Rs proposed by their architects, Russell and Burch, prioritizing Refinement over Reduction, and Reduction over Replacement. This ordering may conflict with the expectations of the public and regulators.

Translating the impact of exercise on cognition: Methodological issues in animal research

Physical exercise and fitness have been proposed as potential factors that promote healthy cognitive aging. Some of the support for this hypothesis has come from animal research. Animal studies are also used to propose the physiological mechanisms underlying the cognitive performance improvement associated with exercise. In the present review and meta-analysis, we discuss several methodological problems that limit the contribution of animal studies to the understanding of the putative effects of exercise on cognitive aging. We suggest that the most likely measure to equate exercise intensity in rodent and humans may be oxygen consumption (VO2) because observed values are surprisingly similar in young and older rodents and humans. For practical reasons, several animal studies use young rodents kept in social isolation. We show that social isolation is associated with an enhanced impact of exercise on cognitive performance but not on some physiological measures thought to mediate the effect of exercise. Surprisingly, two months or more of exercise intervention appeared to be ineffective to promote cognitive performance compared to shorter durations. We argue that impact of exercise in socially isolated animals is explained by an alleviation of environmental impoverishment as much as an effect of physical exercise. It is possible that the introduction of exercise in rodents is partly mediated by environmental changes. It may explain why larger effects are observed for the shorter durations of exercise while much smaller effects are found after longer periods of exercise.

Current ethical issues in animal research

Current ethical issues in animal research

Putting the horse before Descartes: my life's work on behalf of animals

Preface Prologue: The Beginning 1. Life in New York 2. Coming to CSU: The Start of My Animal Career 3. Veterinary Medicine 4. Ethics, Veterinary Medical Ethics, and Emerging Animal Ethics 5. The New Social Ethic for Animals: A Philosophical Approach to Animal Ethics 6. Companion Animals and Animal Advocates 7. Creating Law for Animal Research 8. The Deeper Meaning of the Laws 9. A Philosopher Looks at Scientific Ideology 10. Ideology and Consciousness 11. Ethical Issues in Animal Research and the Research-Animal Laws: Successes and Inadequacies 12. Pain and Ideology 13. Biotechnology 14. Animal Agriculture: Cowboys and Husbandry 15. Industrial Agriculture 16. Changing Industrial Agriculture 17. Odds, Beginnings, and Ends Acknowledgments References Index

Animal ethics in SIRS research

It is well recognized that animals play a vital role and are indispensable to scientific and medical research. Over the years, a number of non-animal procedures have been developed. However, despite all the advances in science, as yet, no system has been evolved which can completely replace a living system to conduct basic research. There is still a need to test food, drugs, medical devices, treatment regimes etc. on some animals before they can be tested and used (if found suitable) in human beings. Even the most sophisticated technology models have failed to mimic completely the complex cellular interactions occurring in a living system. The search for a complete alternative to animal research is still on and in the mean time we can all help play our part by conducting animal research in a humane and responsible fashion. This chapter discusses the ethical issues in animal research highlighting the need to use animals conscientiously.

Standing Up for Science.Tom Holder

Animal research has been a divisive issue for many years, however much of the problem lies with a general mistrust of science by the public. This mistrust itself reflects the average person's lack of understanding about how science works and the animal research issue is no exception. Many people are unable to see the connection between the animal experiments and the huge array of medical drugs that most people take for granted. If we are to convince people to support scientific activities such as animal research then we need to be more active in explaining how it affects the lives and welfare of the public. In order to improve public understanding on this issue we need those who are involved to speak up and become advocates for science. From the scientists doing the research to the animal care technicians whose sole priority is the welfare of the animals, we need people in the industry to explain the unspun truth of what goes on in research facilities and why it's so important to all of us. Speaking of Research engages the scientific community in order to assist them in explaining animal research. The focus on "science for the non-scientist" aims to help researchers to find the best way to present the issue to those who may not find themselves directly immersed in it in everyday life. The public in Britain has united behind medical research and beaten animal rights extremism. If the US is to do the same then its scientists must stand up and publicly defend their research.

Animal Care Courses: Helping Fulfill the Mandate of Animal Care Committees in Canada

Animal Care Committees (ACCs) at Canadian universities and research centers operate under the aegis of the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) and its guidelines for the humane care and treatment of animals in teaching, research, and testing. All Canadian universities have at least one active committee. The committees are expected to assume an educative role beyond the provision of information concerning housing, maintenance, and appropriate conditions for the treatment of animals in research. This includes critical examination of the serious ethical issues involved in animal research within the context of the principles and practices endorsed by the CCAC. One-day animal care courses provided by ACCs at three Canadian universities are described. Comparisons are made between the content and structure of curricula and the ways these relate to the teaching and research mandate in each institution, focusing particularly on the teaching of ethics in each course. The implications for heightening awareness of ethical issues in animal research and improving the effectiveness of these courses are discussed.

Ethical Issues in Animal Research

Ethical Issues in Animal Research

More on Animal Research Issue

More on Animal Research Issue

Your daughter or your dog? A feminist assessment of the animal research issue.

I bring several ecofeminist critiques of deep ecology to bear on mainstream animal rights theories, especially on the rights and utilitarian treatments of the animal research issue. Throughout, I show how animal rights issues are feminist issues and clarify the relationship between ecofeminism and animal rights.

The Animal Research Issue

Journal Article The Animal Research Issue Get access RON ALLISON RON ALLISON 3107 Bedford Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11210 Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Volume 81, Issue 17, 6 September 1989, Page 1332, https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/81.17.1332 Published: 06 September 1989

Philosophical and practical issues in animal research involving pain and stress.

Philosophical and practical issues in animal research involving pain and stress.