The Development of Science-based Guidelines for Laboratory Animal Care Proceedings of the November 2003 International Workshop (2004) / Chapter Skim
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Session 2: Assessment of Animal Housing Needs in the Research Setting--Peer Reviewed Literature Approach
Session 2: Assessment of Animal Housing Needs in the Research Setting--Peer Reviewed Literature Approach
Pages 63-90
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Session 2 Assessment of Animal Housing Needs in the Research Setting- Peer-reviewed Literature Approach
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Polycarbonate cages have been commonly used to house rodents and aquatic animals in laboratory experiments. What was not appreciated by scientists using these cages until recently is that after repeated washings the rate of leaching of bisphenol A increases dramatically and can reach levels that can alter traits in animals.
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to 20% due to housing females in damaged polycarbonate cages; 30% due to the use of damaged polycarbonate water bottles; and 41% due to combined use of both damaged cages and water bottles. In a subsequent experiment, the researchers intentionally accelerated the normal aging process associated with repeated washing of polycarbonate cages and water bottles by washing them different numbers of times in a harsh detergent.
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Both the amount of phytoestrogens and metabolizable energy in different feeds were sources of phenotypic variation (specifically body weight, uterine growth, and age at vaginal opening) in prepubertal CD-1 female mice (Thigpen and others 2003)
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Male mice fed Purina 5002 diet also evidenced differences in reproductive organs, such as an increase in prostate size and a decrease in daily sperm production, relative to males whose mothers were fed Purina 5008 during pregnancy and lactation, followed by soy-based Purina 5001 after weaning. An interesting additional finding is that oral administration of DES to pregnant mice of a low dose (0.1 µg/kg/day)
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1998. A case of a laboratory animal feed with high estrogenic activity and its impact on in vivo responses to exogenously administered estrogens.
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and the background of its process to revise Appendix A (guidelines for accommodation and care) of Convention ETS 123 (European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes)
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It further identified the way in which guidance should be prepared. Expert Groups, with representation from nominees of observer nongovernmental organizations of the Council of Europe but not of the national authorities, were to be set up to prepare proposals on the main groups of species covered by the Convention.
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The Expert Group on Dogs and Cats considered these areas and paid attention to existing guidance documents, such as the current Appendix A, UK Home Office guidance (1989, 1995) , and the ILAR Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NRC 1996)
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ASSESSMENT OF ANIMAL HOUSING NEEDS IN THE RESEARCH SETTING 73 requirements and for some environmental parameters. It was therefore decided that where robust science-based information was not available, proposals would be based primarily on an examination of the animals' physiological and ethological needs, taking into account the current views on good/best practice and the inevitable constraints of a research environment.
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The overriding principle is therefore the need to encourage and motivate social housing while providing a complex physical and social environment within the available space. The need for social housing is supported by the association of long-term single housing and social isolation with a range of behavioral disturbances (Hetts and others 1992)
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It can be seen from Table 1 that although the smallest pen in which any beagle may be kept should be 4 m2, a basic pen unit of 2 m2 would allow considerable flexibility. In deciding space allowances for postweaned stock, the Expert Group took account of the particular needs within commercial breeding establishments and proposed the data that appear in Table 2.
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Toys should be changed on a regular basis to avoid familiarity. As with dogs, minimum space allowances for cats took account of the requirement for social housing, for adequate enrichment of the environment by means of subdivisions and provision of enrichment items, and for sufficient separation of areas for different purposes, such as feeding and litter trays.
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Certainly they were driven by the four principles of published data where available, scientific principles, expert opinion, and experience. The inclusion of representation from animal welfare or protection groups provides an example of how the research and animal protection communities can work together to improve animal welfare while recognizing the needs of science.
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1993. The accommodation and care of laboratory animals in accordance with animal welfare requirements.
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This discussion reviews information relevant to the housing of rhesus macaques, one of the most commonly used species for laboratory research. SPECIES-TYPICAL BEHAVIOR The key to developing effective strategies for housing rhesus monkeys in captivity is to understand their behavior in nature.
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. In nature, low levels of CSF 5-HIAA in male rhesus monkeys are associated with extreme aggression, earlier emigration from their natal troop com
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LABORATORY FINDINGS Both social housing and environmental enrichment are considered important regulatory requirements for promoting psychological wellbeing in captive primates. The logic of this view for rhesus monkeys is derived in part from their life history.
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. Environmental Enrichment There are many different methods to enrich the environment of captive primates, ranging from the provision of objects, foraging devices, or videotapes to the redesign of the cage environment (see various commercial cage vendors)
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A strong case can be made that both social housing and environmental enrichment foster well-being. However, there are also risks to housing monkeys in social groups and to enriching the environment.
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Appl Anim Behav Sci 68:67-84. Shively, C.A., Clarkson, T.B., Kaplan, J.R.
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1980. Population patterns and behavioral ecol ogy of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta)
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However, in contrast to this perspective, the true wellbeing of captive animals should be based on a biological understanding that relates to the specific needs of the respective species and strains. In 1986, the current housing standards for laboratory rabbits were established in Article 5 of the Council of Europe's Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals Used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes (CoE 1986)
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As a result, this model does not adequately reflect the fact that young, growing animals need much more space in relation to their body weight than adults. The minimum space requirements of the European Convention ETS 123, Appendix A, 1986, apply to a medium-sized (< 4 kg)
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. In 1997, the Multilateral Consultation of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution on the accommodation and care of laboratory animals, which specified that "young and female rabbits should be housed in socially harmonious groups .
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Although good scientific arguments may exist regarding why limits should be set in particular cases, the exact numeric values for minimum cage sizes and heights as well as for maximum stocking densities can never be scientifically evaluated and "proved." RECOMMENDATIONS AND ANTICIPATED REVISIONS In the proposal for the revision of Appendix A of the European Convention ETS 123, the Expert Group on Rodents and Rabbits recommends that medium-sized (< 4 kg) rabbits such as New Zealand White rabbits should be housed in cages with a floor area of 4200 cm2 and a height of
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Appl Anim Behav Sci 52:157-169. NRC [National Research Council]
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