Approved by ILACUC on May 12, 2005 this protocol will use 2,904 mice.

This experiment picks up from previous experiments that have used mice and restraint to study wound healing. From a paper published 10/18/01, STRESS LEADS TO INFECTION IN SKIN WOUNDS, STUDY SUGGESTS:

The researchers stressed the mice by putting individual animals inside tubes for 15 hours a day and depriving them of access to food and water during that same time period. The animals underwent three days of restraint prior to wounding, followed by an additional five days of restraint.

"The confinement, in addition to the lack of food and water, served as a stressor for the mice. The animals couldn't turn around or move from side to side," said Marucha, a researcher with the Institute of Behavioral Medicine Research at Ohio State.

The same stress restraint will be conducted on the mice in this experiment.

Transcriptional is the process that turns gene expression on or off. Padgett writes in the protocol, "that a negative influence on gene expression can extend the healing process and leave the wound open for potential infection." I believe that has already been shown to occur in mice from his 2001 study but more importantly from earlier studies conducted by other researchers at OSU using students and stress. The students were not killed at the end of the experiment.

The early removal criteria reads:

The mice in our studies will be closely monitored at least twice daily (9:00am and again at 5:00pm) for signs of excessive distress or untoward illness associated with our experimental procedures. Restraint stress in mice occasionally results in excessive weight lose due to altered feeding patterns. (no food or water during the restraint period from 2100 until 0900) Therefore, restrained mice will be immediately excluded from the study and euthanized if greater than 20% of their initial body mass is lost.

If a wound becomes infected (as noted by a substantial weeping and pus), the animal will be immediately excluded from the study and euthanized.

The outbred, male, CD-1 mice are obtained from Charles River, a commercial animal dealer. The study will be funded via taxpayer dollars.

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.