Approved on February 9, 2004 to use 3,180 mice.

This experiment is just another of many where animals will be put under stress by placing the animals in restraint tubes or in "paired fighting" situations.

And the reason more animals are being used:

"For years evidence has suggested that stress, such as that following the death of a family member, or the requirements of a demanding job, may lead to a higher frequency of colds and diseases. ... Hopefully, by gaining a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling the immune response, we will be better able to enhance the ability of stressed and aged individuals to recover from a common clinical biopsy procedure or to resist infection." Wow! Maybe the researchers working with better stop right now and wait for the results of this vital animal experiment.

Another study brought to you by the animal researchers at OSU and funded by your taxpayer dollars.

Update: June 2005 and ILACUC approved the use of 400 additional mice. The animals will be stressed but the experiment will now be an LD50 test with death as an endpoint.

The PI writes: " Traditionally, we have focused on the impact of environmental stimuli, namely stress, on viral infection. Moreover, we have had a long interest in the effects of old age (plus now that americans are getting older you can get more taxpayer grant dollars) since it is well known that aged individuals are more susceptible to infectious diseases, such as influenza. Currently, there are no good treatments for the impact of stress and age on infection. (really? how big a list do you want. diet, exercise, ...) The proprietary substances that is being tested (a food supplement from Ross Labs) has shown to have immuno-enhancive effects in other species and in other model systems. Therefore, it is likely that the food supplement will enhance immunity to influenza viral infection, particularly during periods of stress and during old age. Identifying such a compound could have tremendous impact on human health warranting investigation of the potential beneficial effects. (plus what a great advertising campaign you could launch)

Sheridan received a grant of $55,275 from the Ross Products Division in July 2005.