ILACUC Highlights for December 2002

Ten (10) existing protocols received approval for amendments which will use an additional 18 cows and  13,997 mice.
One of the amendments will transfer sheep with congestive heart failure to another protocol, thereby eliminating the need for additional animals.
 
Seven (7) existing protocols received Third Year Review approval. A protocol (experiment outline)
is initially approved by ILACUC for three years. Approval of the third year review extends that time another three years or a total of six years for the experiment.
 

FYI - NIH grants normally run over a five year period, with reviews conducted every year.

Sixteen (16) new protocols were approved or approved pending clarification. This closed 2002 with 172 new protocols reviewed by the OSU ILACUC, 5 withdrawn. Twelve (12) protocols will use animals were pain and/or distress will NOT be relieved.
 
 
New Protocols 
02A0162 - Islet Isolation and Allotransplantation in Non-Human Primates - Amer Rajab
                    20 primates approved for usage.
 
02A0166 - Test of Bronchodilators in the Dog - Robert Hamlin
                    40 dogs approved for usage. Three (3) dogs have already arrived. Supplied by Battelle Memorial Institute on 1/16/03.
 
02A0167 - Etiology of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - John A. Buford
                    4 primates approved for usage. The animals might be transferred from Buford's other studies, concerning ability to reach.
 
02A0170 - Effects of Sildenafil Citrate (Viagra) on Aggression - Randy Nelson - Pain Code - 1E
                    100 C57BL/6J Mice
 
                    One problem with using the C57BL6 mouse is that it has been shown to be a normally aggressive mouse. So it seems Dr. Nelson will receive the positive results he seeks which will enable him to continue his work in this area of research. The C57 mouse is used in Sheridan/Padgett stress studies (social reorganization & disruption) because it is aggressive. The experimental design to be used in this experiment pretty much follows the Sheridan model. Except in this case the mouse will be given Viagra.
    
02A0171 - Chronic Stress and Skim Immune Function in MIce - Randy Nelson
                    54 House Mice were approved for usage.
 
                    Here is the lay abstract. Would approve this project?
 
                    To test hypothesis that stress influences immune function, researchers within different laboratories have used a variety of different stressors, protocols, and testing schedules.Examples include (NOTE: these have all been or are currently being used at OSU) restraint stress, isolation stress-psychological stressor, cold stress - metabolic stressor, and swim stress - physical stressor. These different protocols have at times produced conflicting results. (NOTE: Should we be surprised?) ...Understanding the mechanisms by which different stressors and stress hormones may influence the onset and severity of disease in mice (NOTE: so now OSU is concerned about mice - why not just leave them alone.) will help inform better treatment and prevention of stress-mediated disease process and recovery.
 
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These information above was taken from the OSU ILACUC minutes, protocols, and monitoring the OSU ILACUC committee.