IACUC Concerns
The exercises suggested herein make use of some non-human vertebrates, and even invertebrates on occasion. The following document should help a typical IACUC evaluate the vertebrate experiments for compliance.
1. In the hematology lab exercise, domestic dogs or cats may be used as sources of blood for comparison with human blood. A local veterinarian willing to visit the lab to do the blood draws is an excellent way to ensure safety and legality. Alternatively, sometimes a student in the course is already a certified veterinary technician, and willing to draw blood from a pet. Because the animals used are domestic pets, IACUC rules do not typically apply. Fish and reptiles already on campus may also be used for blood draws, following established procedures for anesthesia and blood collection. Tricaine is the anesthetic of choice here; in these species a small-gauge needle can be inserted into the caudal vein for blood collection after the animal is non-responsive from the anesthetic. Used carefully, clove oil can also be an effective anesthetic for these animals; rinsing the animal thoroughly with fresh water as soon as the animal becomes non-responsive is essential.
2. Tame domestic rats may be used to investigate how they respond to various odors. As they are household pets and not subject to restraint or any invasive experiments, we do not expect any IACUC input is necessary. We will simply be observing their responses to various odor stimuli.
3. Domestic pet dogs will be used in sprinting experiments. The dogs will not be forced to do anything, but will be encouraged to run to their calling owner, and speed, heart rate, and breathing rate will be monitored. Dogs will have access to water and shade, and will not be run at temperatures above 95 degrees F. The dogs are unlikely to complain, but the college students asked to run might…
4. White “snake food” mice may be purchased from a local pet shop, and returned after use. In this laboratory experiment, the mice will be gently introduced into a cylindrical wire cage that fits into a submersible plastic metabolic chamber, allowing the mouse to stay dry while the temperature of the water (and thus the air in the cage) can be rapidly modified with ice or in an incubator. MICE MUST BE CAREFULLY OBSERVED AT TEMPERATURES ABOVE 30 DEG C, AND WATER TEMPS ABOVE 32 DEG C ARE NOT RECOMMENDED. Mice cannot sweat much, but will attempt to cool themselves with saliva spreading, where they lick the fur on their upper body and let the evaporation cool their skin. If saliva spreading is observed, or the mouse behavior changes (movement slows dramatically or becomes frantic), the mouse should immediately be returned to the transport cage and not used further. The lab instructor will be the only person to handle mice, and will use gloves for safety.
5. Goldfish will be purchased from a local pet shop, and again returned after use. Respiration rates are easily observed, and we will attempt to predict how respiration will change from room temperature by introducing one group of fish to a refrigerator at 39 deg F. Fish will be placed in a 1000 liter beaker for this experiment; by using at least 800 ml of water in the beaker, the temperature change is relatively slow, and in past experiments none of the fish appeared stressed by the temperature change. The beaker will be removed from the refrigerator when water temperature reaches 42 deg F. Small aquarium nets will be used for transferring fish among beakers; fish will be out of water for no more than a few seconds at a time.
6. Domesticated rabbits raised locally will be used for behavioral observations involving urine from other rabbits that are pregnant, non-pregnant females, or males. As these are pet rabbits off-campus and nothing invasive nor involving restraint is used, IACUC input likely does not apply.
7. Ricefish will be purchased locally and used for behavioral observations only.
8. Frogs typically leap, while toads typically hop. (Note that “fire-belly toads” are actually frogs.) The difference is due to anatomy, and muscle fiber physiology. The upshot is that frogs become “exhausted” and unable to leap further, after about a minute or two. Much like a weightlifter doing curls or bench press, fast-twitch muscle fibers simply don’t contract strongly for more than a minute or two. Therefore, frogs or toads can be stimulated to jump by gently touching them on the rear with a paintbrush or pen, and toads should be easily stimulated to continue hopping for many minutes in this way, while frogs will stop leaping after a much shorter time, illustrating the skeletal muscle fiber type differences. Although IACUC members may balk at the term “exhaustion,” once they realize that this is the same type of exhaustion that commonly occurs during weightlifting, they should realize that the animals are not being terribly stressed. After a few minutes’ recovery, the animals will show similar performance, again like weightlifting.
