Use of score sheets for welfare assessment of transgenic mice

2001 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. van der Meer ◽  
A. Rolls ◽  
V. Baumans ◽  
B. Olivier ◽  
L. F. M. van Zutphen
Keyword(s):  
Early Detection ◽  
Transgenic Mice ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Transgenic Animal ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Careful Monitoring ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Daily Care ◽  
Routine Monitoring ◽  
Transgenic Lines

The use of transgenic mice has increased dramatically in recent years and continues to increase further. However, because transgenesis may alter a balanced genotype and produce unpredictable effects, careful monitoring of health and welfare of the transgenic animal is advised. The present study assessed the feasibility of the use of score sheets for monitoring transgenic mice, as part of daily routine, in a transgenic unit. The score sheets used were based on parameters which are sensitive and easy to determine. The score sheets were used by two animal technicians and a thorough evaluation showed that the score sheets, as described in this paper, are useful for routine monitoring in a transgenic unit and may result in the early detection of animal welfare problems. However, notwithstanding the limited number of parameters included and the restricted age-span covered by the screening, the monitoring system was considered to be time consuming. Large-scale implementation of such a scoring system during the first weeks of life would increase daily care time by at least 15-20 min for an average litter of 4-6 pups. Nevertheless, the use of score sheets seems to be a prerequisite for monitoring the animal's welfare in the course of producing transgenic lines.

Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological Applications of Transgenic Technology

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 4145-4153
Author(s):  
D Samba Reddy ◽  
Tina Reddy
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Genetic Diseases ◽  
Transgenic Animals ◽  
Transgenic Animal ◽  
Pharmaceutical Products ◽  
Conditional Knockout ◽  
Knock Out ◽  
Transgenic Lines ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Or Genes

A transgenic animal is a genetically modified species in which researchers have modified an existing gene or genes by genetic engineering techniques. Genetic modification involves the mutation, insertion, or deletion of genes. Mouse is the most widely used mammalian species for creating transgenic lines. There are two types of transgenic animals: (i) gene deleted (“knock-out”) and (ii) gene overexpressed (“knock-in”). The loss or gain of gene activity often causes changes in a mouse's phenotype, which includes appearance, behavior and other observable characteristics. Knockout mice are key animal models for studying the role of genes which have been sequenced but whose functions have not been determined.  They include constitutive knockouts (gene deleted since birth) and conditional knockout (gene turned off later after birth).  The first knockout mouse was created in 1989 by Mario Capecchi, Martin Evans, and Oliver Smithies, for which they were awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.  Transgenic mouse models have revolutionized the biomedical research and provided a power tool for understanding health and disease. Transgenic animals have been created for bulk production of biotechnology and pharmaceutical products.  In 2009, the FDA approved the first human biological drug ATryn, an anticoagulant extracted from the transgenic goat's milk. The recently discovered CRISPER gene editing technology is providing new frontiers in correcting abnormal genes and hopefully provide cures for genetic diseases in the future.    

scholarly journals Assessing dairy cow welfare during the grazing and housing periods on spring-calving, pasture-based dairy farms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin E Crossley ◽  
Eddie A M Bokkers ◽  
Natasha Browne ◽  
Katie Sugrue ◽  
Emer Kennedy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cow ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Nasal Discharge ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Welfare Indicators ◽  
Signed Rank ◽  
Cow Welfare ◽  
Head Neck ◽  
Ocular Discharge

Abstract The different periods characterizing spring-calving, pasture-based dairy systems common in Ireland have seldom been the focus of large-scale dairy cow welfare research. Thus, the aim of this study was to devise and conduct an animal-based welfare assessment during both the grazing and housing periods on spring-calving, pasture-based dairy farms, to identify areas for improvement and establish benchmarks for indicators of good welfare. Assessment of seven animal-based welfare indicators was conducted during two visits (one each at grazing and housing) to 82 commercial dairy farms in southern Ireland. Herd-level descriptive statistics were performed for all welfare indicators at each visit, and differences between visits were analyzed using paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. A mean of 9% and 10% clinically lame cows (mobility score 2 and 3) were observed at housing and grazing respectively. Recommended body condition scores (BCS) were not met for a mean of 13% of cows at grazing and 23% at housing, with more over-conditioned cows present at housing than grazing (P < 0.001). Ocular discharge was uncommon in both periods. Prevalence of moderate and severe nasal discharge combined were lower during housing (5%) than grazing (7%). In both periods, similar mean levels of tail injury were observed; 2 to 3% of cows with tail lacerations, 9% with broken tails, and 8% (measured at housing only) with docked tails. Integument alterations involved primarily hair-loss and were most prevalent on the hindquarters (26%) during grazing, and on the head-neck-back region (66%), and the hindquarters (32%) during housing. Cows displayed an avoidance distance of > 1 m (indicative of a fearful response) from an approaching human in an average of 82% of grazing cows and 42% to 75% of housed cows, dependent on test location. Opportunities to improve welfare in this system were identified in the areas of tail injury prevention, nasal health and the management of indoor housing and feeding. The performance of the top 20% of farms for each welfare indicator was used to establish benchmarks of: 0 to 5% clinical lameness; 0 to 12% of cows outside recommended BCS; 0 to 27% ocular discharge; 2 to 16% nasal discharge; 0% tail lacerations and docked tails, and 0 to 3% tail breaks; 0 to 14% IA; and 4 to 74% for avoidance distance of > 1 m. These represent attainable targets for spring-calving pasture-based farms to promote good dairy cow welfare.

scholarly journals Current Advances in Robotics for Head and Neck Surgery—A Systematic Review

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1398
Author(s):  
Felix Boehm ◽  
Rene Graesslin ◽  
Marie-Nicole Theodoraki ◽  
Leon Schild ◽  
Jens Greve ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Head And Neck ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
Neck Surgery ◽  
Head And Neck Surgery ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Surgical Robots ◽  
Standard Procedures

Background. In the past few years, surgical robots have recently entered the medical field, particularly in urology, gynecology, and general surgery. However, the clinical effectiveness and safety of robot-assisted surgery (RAS) in the field of head and neck surgery has not been clearly established. In this review, we evaluate to what extent RAS can potentially be applied in head and neck surgery, in which fields it is already daily routine and what advantages can be seen in comparison to conventional surgery. Data sources. For this purpose, we conducted a systematic review of trials published between 2000 and 2021, as well as currently ongoing trials registered in clinicaltrials.gov. The results were structured according to anatomical regions, for the topics “Costs,” “current clinical trials,” and “robotic research” we added separate sections for the sake of clarity. Results. Our findings show a lack of large-scale systematic randomized trials on the use of robots in head and neck surgery. Most studies include small case series or lack a control arm which enables a comparison with established standard procedures. Conclusion. The question of financial reimbursement is still not answered and the systems on the market still require some specific improvements for the use in head and neck surgery.

scholarly journals Implications of the school-household network structure on SARS-CoV-2 transmission under school reopening strategies in England

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. Munday ◽  
◽  
Katharine Sherratt ◽  
Sophie Meakin ◽  
Akira Endo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Network Structure ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Low Risk ◽  
Careful Monitoring ◽  
School Closures

AbstractIn early 2020 many countries closed schools to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Since then, governments have sought to relax the closures, engendering a need to understand associated risks. Using address records, we construct a network of schools in England connected through pupils who share households. We evaluate the risk of transmission between schools under different reopening scenarios. We show that whilst reopening select year-groups causes low risk of large-scale transmission, reopening secondary schools could result in outbreaks affecting up to 2.5 million households if unmitigated, highlighting the importance of careful monitoring and within-school infection control to avoid further school closures or other restrictions.

scholarly journals Overexpression of antizyme in the hearts of transgenic mice prevents the isoprenaline-induced increase in cardiac ornithine decarboxylase activity and polyamines, but does not prevent cardiac hypertrophy

2000 ◽  
Vol 350 (3) ◽  
pp. 645-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline A. MACKINTOSH ◽  
David J. FEITH ◽  
Lisa M. SHANTZ ◽  
Anthony E. PEGG
Keyword(s):  
Transgenic Mice ◽  
Ornithine Decarboxylase ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Constitutive Expression ◽  
Decarboxylase Activity ◽  
Cardiac Growth ◽  
Polyamine Content ◽  
Transgenic Lines ◽  
Response To Stress ◽  
Polyamine Uptake

Two lines of transgenic mice were produced with constitutive expression of antizyme-1 in the heart, driven from the cardiac α-myosin heavy chain promoter. The use of engineered antizyme cDNA in which nucleotide 205 had been deleted eliminated the need for polyamine-mediated frameshifting, normally necessary for translation of antizyme mRNA, and thus ensured the constitutive expression of antizyme. Antizyme-1 is thought to be a major factor in regulating cellular polyamine content, acting both to inhibit ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and to target it for degradation, as well as preventing polyamine uptake. The two transgenic lines had substantial, but different, levels of antizyme in the heart, as detected by Western blotting and by the ability of heart extracts to inhibit exogenous purified ODC. Despite the high levels of antizyme, endogenous ODC activity was not completely abolished, with 10– 39% remaining, depending on the transgenic line. Additionally, a relatively small decrease (30–32%) in cardiac spermidine content was observed, with levels of putrescine and spermine unaffected. Interestingly, although the two lines of transgenic mice had different antizyme expression levels, they had almost identical cardiac polyamine content. When treated with a single acute dose of isoprenaline (isoproterenol), cardiac ODC activity and putrescine content were substantially increased (by 14-fold and 4.7-fold respectively) in non-transgenic littermate mice, but these increases were completely prevented in the transgenic mice from both founder lines. Prolonged exposure to isoprenaline also caused increases in cardiac ODC activity and polyamine content, as well as an increase in cardiac growth, in non-transgenic mice. Although the increases in cardiac ODC activity and polyamine content were prevented in the transgenic mice from both founder lines, the increase in cardiac growth was unaffected. These transgenic mice thus provide a valuable model system in which to study the importance of polyamine levels in cardiac growth and electrophysiology in response to stress.

The chicken skeletal muscle alpha-actin promoter is tissue specific in transgenic mice

1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 3785-3792
Author(s):  
C J Petropoulos ◽  
M P Rosenberg ◽  
N A Jenkins ◽  
N G Copeland ◽  
S H Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Transgenic Mice ◽  
Striated Muscle ◽  
Transcriptional Start Site ◽  
Actin Gene ◽  
Tissue Specific ◽  
Adult Mice ◽  
Transgenic Lines ◽  
Alpha Actin ◽  
Chicken Skeletal Muscle

We have generated transgenic mouse lines that carry the promoter region of the chicken skeletal muscle alpha (alpha sk) actin gene linked to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene. In adult mice, the pattern of transgene expression resembled that of the endogenous alpha sk actin gene. In most of the transgenic lines, high levels of CAT activity were detected in striated muscle (skeletal and cardiac) but not in the other tissues tested. In striated muscle, transcription of the transgene was initiated at the normal transcriptional start site of the chicken alpha sk actin gene. The region from nucleotides -191 to +27 of the chicken alpha sk actin gene was sufficient to direct the expression of CAT in striated muscle of transgenic mice. These observations suggest that the mechanism of tissue-specific actin gene expression is well conserved in higher vertebrate species.

scholarly journals Simplified methodology for large scale isolation of homozygous transgenic lines of lettuce

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flavia S. Darqui ◽  
Laura M. Radonic ◽  
Nilda López ◽  
H. Esteban Hopp ◽  
Marisa López Bilbao
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Transgenic Lines

scholarly journals Adult gonococcal keratoconjunctivitis: early detection is key

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-34
Author(s):  
Daniel Lai ◽  
Keith Ong
Keyword(s):  
Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Early Detection ◽  
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽  
Ophthalmic Solution ◽  
Careful Monitoring ◽  
Corneal Ulceration ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Bacterial Conjunctivitis ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
The Right

We describe a case of a 52-year-old male presenting with severe mucopurulent conjunctivitis of the right eye. Corneal ulceration and associated anterior chamber activity was noted later in the course of the disease. Neisseria gonorrhoeae was positive on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing earlier than traditional microscopy and culture. He was successfully treated with ceftriaxone 500 mg intravenously and azithromycin 1 g orally as single doses in addition to ofloxacin ophthalmic solution 0.3% hourly to the right eye. This case highlights the need to consider the possibility of gonococcus in cases of suspected bacterial conjunctivitis, careful monitoring for corneal involvement and the importance of early detection with PCR.

scholarly journals The use of infrared thermography for welfare assessment during the application of ear tags to lambs

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murat Karakuş ◽  
Ferda Karakuş
Keyword(s):  
Early Detection ◽  
Infrared Thermography ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Infrared Images ◽  
Thermal Camera ◽  
Inflammatory Reactions ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Right

Abstract. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of metal-tipped, plastic-tipped, and electronic ear tags on the likelihood of infection using infrared thermography and to evaluate the effect on welfare by examining the behavioral responses of the lambs. Ninety lambs with an average age of 6 months were used in this study. Before the application of the ear tags, infrared images of the right and left ears of the lambs were taken with the thermal camera and the infrared temperatures were recorded. Measurements were repeated on days 1, 4, 10, and 30 after the ear tag application. The mean of infrared ear temperatures on days 0, 1, 4, 10, and 30 were found to be 14.60, 23.20, 23.77, 20.36, and 17.61 °C for the metal-tipped ear tag group; 15.69, 21.50, 20.42, 18.00, and 16.39 °C for the plastic-tipped ear tag group; and 15.17, 29.47, 27.49, 25.93, and 20.61 °C for the electronic ear tag group. The infrared temperatures on days 1, 4, and 10 in the control and experimental groups were significantly different from each other (P < 0.001). The plastic-tipped ear tags caused fewer problems and are preferred to the traditional ear tags with metal tips. The electronic ear tags caused more inflammatory reactions compared to metal- or plastic-tipped ear tags. The infrared thermography method may be used as a useful tool in the early detection of the inflammatory reactions and infections caused by the application of ear tags.

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