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Animals
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Laboratory Animals: Improving Husbandry Techniques and Pain Management
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Laboratory Animals: Improving Husbandry Techniques and Pain Management

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Welfare".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 October 2024 | Viewed by 2835

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jan A.M. Langermans

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biomedical Primate Research Centre - Rijswijk, Rijswijk, Netherlands
Interests: laboratory animals; husbandry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Animal research remains an essential part of the advancement of science and medical and veterinary progress. However, the use of animals for in research also requires optimal welfare conditions, a concept which includes the housing and husbandry of the animals, such as the procedures to prevent or limit discomfort. Optimal conditions do not only benefit the animals but also the research itself. This applies to all animal species used in research, ranging from fish and mice to large animals and non-human primates. In recent years, many innovations have been developed which have resulted in better husbandry conditions and more effective methods to alleviate discomfort. This includes, e.g., methods in the housing of animals, their enrichment, the training of animals and the use of improved methods to prevent or limit pain. The aim of this Special Issue is to publish original research papers or reviews concerning husbandry and veterinary methods of handling research animals in order to limit potential discomfort and improve welfare.

Areas of interest include but are not limited to: laboratory animals housing including enrichment and training of animals, improvement of veterinary procedures including pain management, and animal welfare.

We invite you to share your recent findings through this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Jan A.M. Langermans
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • husbandry
  • housing
  • analgesia
  • anesthesia
  • animal training
  • animal handling
  • welfare
  • enrichment

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1866 KiB  
Article
Antinociceptive and Cardiorespiratory Effects of a Single Dose of Dexmedetomidine in Laboratory Mice Subjected to Craniotomy under General Anaesthesia with Isoflurane and Carprofen or Meloxicam
by Anika R. Schiele, Inken S. Henze, Regula Bettschart-Wolfensberger and Thomas C. Gent
Animals 2024, 14(6), 913; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14060913 - 15 Mar 2024
Viewed by 577
Abstract
Pain refinement represents an important aspect of animal welfare in laboratory animals. Refining analgesia regimens in mice undergoing craniotomy has been sparsely investigated. Here, we sought to investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine in combination with other analgesic drugs on intraoperative anti-nociceptive effects and [...] Read more.
Pain refinement represents an important aspect of animal welfare in laboratory animals. Refining analgesia regimens in mice undergoing craniotomy has been sparsely investigated. Here, we sought to investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine in combination with other analgesic drugs on intraoperative anti-nociceptive effects and cardiorespiratory stability. All mice were anaesthetised with isoflurane and received local lidocaine infiltration at the surgical site. Mice were randomised into treatment groups consisting of either carprofen 5 mg kg−1 or meloxicam 5 mg kg−1 with or without dexmedetomidine 0.1 mg kg−1 administered subcutaneously. Intra-anaesthetic heart rates, breathing rates, isoflurane requirements, and arterial oxygen saturations were continuously monitored. We found that administration of dexmedetomidine significantly improved heart and breathing rate stability during two of four noxious stimuli (skin incision and whisker stimulation) compared to non-dexmedetomidine-treated mice and lowered isoflurane requirements throughout anaesthesia by 5–6%. No significant differences were found between carprofen and meloxicam. These results demonstrate that dexmedetomidine reduces nociception and provides intra-anaesthetic haemodynamic and respiratory stability in mice. In conclusion, the addition of dexmedetomidine to anaesthetic regimes for craniotomy offers a refinement over current practice for laboratory mice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laboratory Animals: Improving Husbandry Techniques and Pain Management)
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19 pages, 3156 KiB  
Article
Hematological and Serum Biochemical Reference Intervals for Alphaxalone Sedated Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)
by Merel Wegman, Jaco Bakker, Remco A. Nederlof, Edmond J. Remarque and Jan A. M. Langermans
Animals 2024, 14(5), 790; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14050790 - 3 Mar 2024
Viewed by 779
Abstract
Marmosets are routinely used in biomedical research, therefore there is an increasing need for updated reference intervals calculated using a large sample size, correct statistics, and considering different variables. Hematological and biochemical values from 472 healthy common marmosets sedated with alphaxalone were collected [...] Read more.
Marmosets are routinely used in biomedical research, therefore there is an increasing need for updated reference intervals calculated using a large sample size, correct statistics, and considering different variables. Hematological and biochemical values from 472 healthy common marmosets sedated with alphaxalone were collected over a ten-year period (2013–2023). The variables assumed to have influenced the blood-based parameters were compared, i.e., sex, age, housing condition, pregnancy, and contraceptive use. Reference intervals were calculated based on observed percentiles without parametric assumptions, and with parametric assumptions following Box–Cox transformation. Juvenile marmosets showed increased ALP, phosphate, WBC, lymphocyte count, and basophil count and decreased levels of GGT and Fe compared to adults. Marmosets housed strictly indoors showed increased ALT and GGT levels and decreased levels of total bilirubin and neutrophil count compared to marmosets housed with outdoor access. Pregnant marmosets showed increased ALP, total bilirubin, neutrophil count, monocyte count, and basophil count, and decreased levels of AST, ALT, cholesterol, Fe, and lymphocyte count compared to non-pregnant marmosets. Etonogestrel contracepted marmosets showed decreased P-LCR compared to females who were not contracepted. Updated reference intervals will aid researchers and veterinarians in identifying physiological and pathological changes, as well as improve the reproducibility of research in this species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laboratory Animals: Improving Husbandry Techniques and Pain Management)
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10 pages, 1197 KiB  
Article
A Comparison of Oocyte Yield between Ultrasound-Guided and Laparoscopic Oocyte Retrieval in Rhesus Macaques
by Nadine Piekarski, Theodore R. Hobbs, Darla Jacob, Tiah Schwartz, Fernanda C. Burch, Emily C. Mishler, Jared V. Jensen, Sacha A. Krieg and Carol B. Hanna
Animals 2023, 13(19), 3017; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13193017 - 26 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1001
Abstract
Obtaining quality oocytes is a prerequisite for ART-based studies. Here we describe a method for transabdominal ultrasound-guided (US) oocyte retrieval in rhesus macaques (Macaca mullata) and compare it to the standard surgical approach using laparoscopy (LAP). We analyzed oocyte yield from [...] Read more.
Obtaining quality oocytes is a prerequisite for ART-based studies. Here we describe a method for transabdominal ultrasound-guided (US) oocyte retrieval in rhesus macaques (Macaca mullata) and compare it to the standard surgical approach using laparoscopy (LAP). We analyzed oocyte yield from six continuous reproductive seasons (2017–2023) that included n = 177 US-guided and n = 136 laparoscopic oocyte retrievals. While the ultrasound-guided technique retrieved significantly fewer oocytes on average (LAP: 40 ± 2 vs. US: 27 ± 1), there was no difference in the number of mature metaphase II oocytes (MII) between the two techniques (LAP: 17 ± 1 vs. US: 15 ± 1). We show that oocytes retrieved by the ultrasound-guided approach fertilize at the same rates as those obtained via the laparoscopic procedure (LAP Fert Rate: 84% ± 2% vs. US Fert Rate: 83% ± 2%). In conclusion, minimally invasive ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval improves animal welfare while delivering equivalent numbers of mature oocytes, which are ideal for ART. Furthermore, we show that oocyte competency, as represented by fertilization rate, is not affected by retrieval technique. Therefore, the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) has adopted the ultrasound-guided approach as the standard technique for oocyte retrieval. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laboratory Animals: Improving Husbandry Techniques and Pain Management)
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