Development of a Universal Scale for Validating the Process of Sanitization of Equipment, Materials and Surfaces in the Animal Facility

Background: Monitoring of sanitization of cage equipment is an essential function of any laboratory animal facilities, seeking to ensure the animal health and welfare. The purpose of the current study was to develop universal scale for monitoring sanitization through detection of residual ATP for the most effective process of sanitizing components of rodents micro- and macro-environment. Methods: Sterile pens and swabs for the HY-LiTE® Luminometer Instrument were used to measure ATP concentration (RLU) on the cleaned surface samples. We have examined the elements of the microenvironment (rodent and rabbit cage, cage wire meshes, feed separating pieces, water bottles with tips, houses, tunnels, IVC cage frames, cage tops and cage wire meshes). The assessed swab area on each of the surfaces was 10×10 cm. Result: We observed, that combined washing (cleaned manually and with automatic universal washers with detergent) gives the lowest RLU values. Monitoring of the quality of sanitization of equipment and surfacescan be carried out without the use of microbiological tests. Use of pre-washing allows increasing the service life of caging equipment. We have developed an assessment scale to monitor sanitizing, which can be recommended to scientific and breeding animal facilities for monitoring sanitization cage equipments.

3R Blackboard: A platform for animal and organ sharing

Since the embedding of the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) in national and international regulations on the use of animals, scientists have been challenged to find ways to reduce the number of animals in their research. Here, we present a digital platform, called ‘3R Backboard’, linked to a laboratory animal management system, which facilitates sharing of surplus biological materials from animals (e.g. tissues, organs and cells) to other research teams. Based on information provided, such as genotype, age and sex, other animal workers were able to indicate their interest in collecting specific tissues and to communicate with the person providing the animals. A short pilot study of this approach conducted in a limited academic environment presented strong evidence of its effectiveness and resulted in a notable reduction of the number of mice used. In addition, the use of 3R Blackboard led to resource saving, knowledge exchange and even establishment of new collaboration.

A 3R’s Research: Rapid Assessment of New Indigenously Made Ventilators in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) Induced Rabbits by Non-invasive Method

Background: Laboratory animal models were frequently used to assess the efficiency of newly made ventilators. Assessment of efficiency of these ventilators may be useful for human patients affected with respiratory distress or COVID-19. Methods: Rabbits were randomly divided into four groups viz., negative control, positive control (ARDS induced), induced ARDS and co-treated with referral ventilator (VR), ARDS induced and co-treated with experimental ventilator (VE). The groups were assessed by measuring the BGA, vitals, tidal volume (VT) and other ventilator parameters. Result: SpO2 of control group (98.75±0.25) did not reveal any significant difference with VR -1 hr (97.75±0.63), VR-3 hrs (97.75±0.95), VE-1 hr (96.75±1.11) and VE-3hrs (97.25±0.85). While comparing with other groups, ARDS group (61±7.69) revealed a highly significant decrease (p less than 0.01) in the SpO2 level. PEEP of control and other groups were found to be equal (4±0.00).

Implementation of the Surgical Apgar Score in Laboratory Animal Science: A Showcase Pilot Study in a Porcine Model and a Review of the Literature

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> In an attempt to further improve surgical outcomes, a variety of outcome prediction and risk-assessment tools have been developed for the clinical setting. Risk scores such as the surgical Apgar score (SAS) hold promise to facilitate the objective assessment of perioperative risk related to comorbidities of the patients or the individual characteristics of the surgical procedure itself. Despite the large number of scoring models in clinical surgery, only very few of these models have ever been utilized in the setting of laboratory animal science. The SAS has been validated in various clinical surgical procedures and shown to be strongly associated with postoperative morbidity. In the present study, we aimed to review the clinical evidence supporting the use of the SAS system and performed a showcase pilot trial in a large animal model as the first implementation of a porcine-adapted SAS (pSAS) in an in vivo laboratory animal science setting. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A literature review was performed in the PubMed and Embase databases. Study characteristics and results using the SAS were reported. For the in vivo study, 21 female German landrace pigs have been used either to study bleeding analogy (<i>n</i> = 9) or to apply pSAS after abdominal surgery in a kidney transplant model (<i>n</i> = 12). The SAS was calculated using 3 criteria: (1) estimated blood loss during surgery; (2) lowest mean arterial blood pressure; and (3) lowest heart rate. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The SAS has been verified to be an effective tool in numerous clinical studies of abdominal surgery, regardless of specialization confirming independence on the type of surgical field or the choice of surgery. Thresholds for blood loss assessment were species specifically adjusted to &#x3e;700 mL = score 0; 700–400 mL = score 1; 400–55 mL score 2; and &#x3c;55 mL = score 3 resulting in a species-specific pSAS for a more precise classification. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our literature review demonstrates the feasibility and excellent performance of the SAS in various clinical settings. Within this pilot study, we could demonstrate the usefulness of the modified SAS (pSAS) in a porcine kidney transplantation model. The SAS has a potential to facilitate early veterinary intervention and drive the perioperative care in large animal models exemplified in a case study using pigs. Further larger studies are warranted to validate our findings.

Deteksi Endoparasit Cacing pada Hepar Tikus Laboratorium (Rattus norvegicus) dari Sentra Peternak di Kabupaten Banyumas dan Kabupaten Purbalingga

The presence of laboratory rats that are maintained and bred for laboratory purposes or laboratory observations is very necessary. The presence of endoparasite in laboratory rats will have an impact on the result of the research or laboratory observations. This study aims to detect helminth endoparasites in the liver of laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus) from animal breeders in Banyumas and Purbalingga Districts. This research was an observational study with a cross-sectional design. A total of 52 laboratory rats were used in the study. Rats are killed with chloroform, liver surgery then identify the presence of worm larvae. Out of the 52 rats obtained, 7 (29.17%) from 24 laboratory rats in Banyumas District and 5 (17.86%) from 28 laboratory rats in Purbalingga District were infected with Taenia taeniaeformis. It is necessary to control helminth infections in laboratory rats, such as laboratory animal quarantine, health monitoring, and antihelmintic treatment. It is important to handle carefully during travel to assure the results of research or laboratory observations using the animals.

Alternatives in Education—Evaluation of Rat Simulators in Laboratory Animal Training Courses from Participants’ Perspective

In laboratory animal science (LAS) education and training, five simulators are available for exercises on handling and routine procedures on the rat, which is—beside mice—the most commonly used species in LAS. Since these simulators may have high potential in protecting laboratory rats, the aim of this study is to investigate the simulators’ impact on the 3R (replace, reduce, refine) principle in LAS education and training. Therefore, the simulators were evaluated by 332 course participants in 27 different LAS courses via a practical simulator training workshop and a paper-based two-part questionnaire—both integrated in the official LAS course schedule. The results showed a high positive resonance for simulator training and it was considered especially useful for the inexperienced. However, the current simulators may not completely replace exercises on live animals and improvements regarding more realistic simulators are demanded. In accordance with literature data on simulator-use also in other fields of education, more research on simulators and new developments are needed, particularly with the aim for a broad implementation in LAS education and training benefiting all 3Rs.

Anatomical Evaluation of Rat and Mouse Simulators for Laboratory Animal Science Courses

According to the European Directive 63/2010/EU, education and training involving living rats and mice are classified as an animal experiment and demands the implementation of the 3Rs. Therefore, as a method of refinement, rat and mouse simulators were developed to serve as an initial training device for various techniques, prior to working on living animals. Nevertheless, little is known about the implementation, anatomical correctness, learning efficiency and practical suitability of these simulators. With this in mind, a collaborative research project called “SimulRATor” was initiated to systematically evaluate the existing rat and mouse simulators in a multi-perspective approach. The objective of the study presented here was to identify the anatomical strengths and weaknesses of the available rat and mouse simulators and to determine anatomical requirements for a new anatomically correct rat simulator, specifically adapted to the needs of Laboratory Animal Science (LAS) training courses. Consequently, experts of Veterinary Anatomy and LAS evaluated the anatomy of all currently available rat and mouse simulators. The evaluation showed that compared to the anatomy of living rats and mice, the tails were perceived as the most anatomically realistic body part, followed by the general exterior and the limbs. The heads were rated as the least favored body part.