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The ethical issues in experimental animal researches
Abdurrahman Aksoy, DVM, PhDDean of Veterinary Medicine FacultyOndokuz Mayıs University/[email protected]
Definitions: Laboratory animals or animals: Any
vertebrate animal (e.g., traditional laboratory animals, agricultural animals, wildlife, and aquatic species) produced for or used in research, testing, or teaching.
Animal use: The proper care, use, and humane treatment of laboratory animals produced for or used in research, testing, or teaching.
Animal experimenting
Where scientists experiment on animals such as:
Rats, Mice, guinea pigs Other animals get tested on as well, Dogs, cats, monkeys, gorillas, hamsters etc.
Should animals be used as research subjects?
Absolutely No Animal Research - Why?
1. Animals have rights!
2. Animals surely deserve to live their lives free from suffering and exploitation.
3. Animals are not ours to:· eat· wear · experiment on · use for entertainment · abuse People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
http://www.peta.org/
Benefits as a Result of Animal Research
Since the early 1900’s life expectancies have increased from 47 to about 77.
Economic Impact – the medical industry alone recognized about a 57 trillion dollar savings in the 70’s and 80’s
Drug treatments, vaccines and surgical procedures have been developed to improve the quality of life for animals
Thousands of people saved from diseases such as: swine flu, malaria and also cancer treatment.
Powerful medical drugs and tratments are all tested on animals before given to humans
The experimenting don’t always work because of the living organisms can be unpredictible.
Benefits as a Result of Animal Research
Basel declaration defends animal research‘‘Without research using animals, it will not be possible to overcome the social and humanitarian challenges posed by these problems. Despite new and refined alternative methods, animal experiments will remain essential in the foreseeable future for biomedical research.’’
29 November 2010
The Legal Obligations
Legislations
There are countries chiefly in South America, Africa and Asia where there is no national animal welfare legisltaion and no national control over animal experiments.
Tanzania is one of the few(Kenya, south-Africa, Uganda) African countries to have legislation.(Tanzanian’s Animal Welfare Act 2008)
United States Of America Animal Welfare Act (AWA) 1966, amended in most recently in 2007 Regulates use of dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs,
rabbits, farm animals, marine mammals, and non-human primates in research and teaching (rats, mice, and birds are currently not regulated, but probably will be in the near future).
The regulations cover the procurement, handling, treatment, and transportation of these animals.
EU Legislation
Since 1986, the EU has had in place specific legislation covering the use of animals for scientific purposes. On 22 September 2010 the EU adopted Directive 2010/63/EU which updates and replaces Directive 86/609/EU. The aim of the new Directive is to strengthen legislation, and improve the welfare of those animals still needed to be used as well as to firmly anchor the principle of Three Rs. Directive 2010/63/EU took full effect on 1 January 2013.
Turkey Legislation
Turkey is recently took (15 March 2014) in effect new regulations for experimental animal use which update and replaces of regulations published in 2006.
The Animal Ethics Committee (Central and Local’s) Reviews animal use proposals Conducts semi-annual inspections of
animal facilities Organise Investigates concerns about
animal care and use Can suspend research or teaching
activities when a major violation has occurred
Legislations and recent situation in Africa on Experimental Animal Studies
Use of animals for science
1.28 million animals used in experiments (excluding rats, mice, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and agricultural animals used in agricultural experiments), plus an estimated 100 million mice and rats (2012)
EU Member States
The total number of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes in 2011 was11,5 million.
Canada
3.38 million animals used in experiments (2012)
Australia
4.930.466 (2011)
United Kingdom
3.7 million experiments on animals (2011)
Turkey
173.152 (2012) 167.634 (2013)
The use of animals in basic biological research:
Behavioral studies Physiological studies Studies on development Genetic studies The development of research tools and
techniques, for example: antibody production, biopharmaceuticals and cloning.
The Three Rs (3Rs) Described by W.M.S. Russell and R.L. Burch in 1959.The 3Rs are;
Replacement : Which refers to the preferred use of non-animal methods over animal methods whenever it is possible to achieve the same scientific aims.
Reduction: which refers to methods that enable researchers to obtain comparable levels of information from fewer animals, or to obtain more information from the same number of animals.
Refinement: which refers to methods that alleviate or minimize potential pain, suffering or distress, and enhance animal welfare for the animals used.
When drafting an animal experiment protocol* The objective and necessity of the animal experiment
* Whether or not the animal experiment is unnecessary repetition
* Whether an in vitro experiment could be conducted or the animal could be replaced by a phylogenetically lower species (use of alternative methods)
* Whether a change could be made to a less invasive animal experimentation method.
* The species of laboratory animals used and the genetic and microbiologic quality
* The number of laboratory animals used
* Educational and training experience of the researcher(s) and animal technicians.
* Reasons why special cages and rearing environment are required
* The anticipated disorders, symptoms and severity of pain resulting from experimental procedures
* Measures to alleviate pain when it is anticipated that the laboratory animal will suffer severe pain
* Whether major surgical procedures should be repeated
* Terminal treatment of laboratory animals (method of euthanasia, etc.)
* Issues concerning the occupational health and safety of the researcher(s) and animal technicians.
Three Steps of Experimental Animal Study
Before• Question/
problem• Hypothesis• Alternative• Animal
species• Route of
administration• Drug• Dose• Model
Experiment• Animal
welfare• Observation/
record• Endpoint
After
Euthanasia
Analysis
Results
Conclusion
Alternatives
Many alternatives to the use of animals have been developed, particularly in toxicity testing and teaching. Studies of systems in cell culture provide many opportunities of substitution for animal experiments.
The failure to use alternatives is too often caused by inertia, lack of funding, and reluctance to deviate from established methods. The use of alternatives must be rewarded and encouraged to ensure that the transition to alternatives is not impeded.
Toxicological Replacement methods The European Centre for the Validation of Alternative
Methods (ECVAM) http://ecvam.jrc.it/
index.htmandECVAMScienceInformationService http://ecvam-sis.jrc.it/ Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Animal Models (ICCVAM)
http://iccvam.niehs.nih.gov/Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Animal Models (ICCVAM)
http://ntp.server.niehs.nih.gov/htdocs/ICCVAM/ICCVAM.html
Toxicity Replacement Testing
National Library of Medicine (NLM) (USA)- ALTBIB and TOXNET http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/altbib.html and http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/ INVITTOX :This is a direct and concise site listing numerous in
vitro protocols for toxicity testing. http://embryo.ib.amwaw.edu.pl/invittox/list.html ECOTOX: The ECOTOX (ECOTOXicology) database provides
single chemical toxicity information for aquatic and terrestrial life. MECI/ MEMO
http://www.cctoxconsulting.a.se/ INVITRODERM: Database of some 200 references to in vitro
alternatives to the use of animals in skin irritation testing. www.invitroderm.com/
Animal’s welfare breeding (including the use of wild-caught
animals); transportation; housing; husbandry and care; handling; restraint; identification;
An appropriate Endpoint
In experiments involving animals,
any actual or potential pain, distress, or discomfort should be minimized or alleviated by choosing the earliest endpoint that is compatible with the scientific objectives of the research.
Happy scientist!!!
What do the regulations ensure?
That animals are used in research only when it’s absolutely necessary.
That when animals are used in research they are humanely treated.
The Controversy Continues – Ethical responsibilities when using animals
People also have an ethical responsibility to respect and treat animals humanely
They also have an ethical responsibility to avoid or minimize the pain and distress animals endure
The Regulations and Policies help to ensure animals are treated humanely.
Guidelines and Regulations used to ensure animals are humanely treated
1. Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
2. The Guide for Care and Use of Agriculture Animals in Agricultural Research and Teaching
3. Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia
4. Guidelines for the Use of Fish in Research
5. USDA Animal Care and Use Policies
6. Animal Welfare Act Regulations
7. Public Health Services Policy
8. ….
Questions?
