Year-End 2005 - ILACUC Review

2005 ended with ILACUC reviewing 209 protocols, the most reviewed protocols since POET has monitoring ILACUC meetings. Animals used in nine (9) approved protocols fall into USDA Category E, pain and/or distress is NOT relieved.

The number of animals being used on campus has also increased. The two main reasons being an increase in the use of transgenic animals and the number of new Principal Investigators (P.I.) that have moved to The Ohio State University.

Just as in the State of Ohio's zeal to be number one in egg production ( we all know what happened with that goal ), OSUs' zeal to be number one in biomedical research ( equals "animal research" although doesn't have to be) involves the death of thousands of animals.

Richard Tallman, chairperson of ILACUC, stepped down in August and Lane Wallace is the new chair of ILACUC. Dr. Tallman will soon be on the west coast but it seems he couldn't leave without getting his chance to use some animals. Over the last three months of 2005, as an instructor for CT 513 - Applied Circulation Technology - In Vivo Lab, he received 14 dogs from Robert Perry, an USDA-Class B dealer living near Mt. Sterling. They are killed within a day of their arrival at OSU.

Highlights of other protocols approved in 2005.

2005A0209 - Mammalogy (EEOB 625) - We are still awaiting the approved protocol but the problem with this course is that one lab will involve pain and/or distress to the animals. In the past the "Social Reorganization" experiments have been used in research protocols. This is an instructional protocol!

To date we have not seen the approved protocol, so our hope is that ILACUC has rejected the pain and/or distress portion of the class.

2005A0199 - Factors in Aging - The real title should be, Does Exposure to Methamphetamine Accelerate Aging in Mice?

Approved outright by ILACUC at the December 2005 meeting, POET has not received this protocol. 336 mice have been approved for use. We fought the Cats-On-Meth protocol and will add this wasteful experiment to our list to protest in 2006. Details will be available when the protocol is received.

2005A0120 - Effects of cannabidiol and phenytoin on the gingiva: A comperative study in rats

"Findings from this study may help us to understand the effect of marijuana use on the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth."

I would think the PI could find many human volunteers to replace the 24 Fischer 344 Rats. Of course the rats will be killed at the end of the study but if the P.I. used the plague index test humans would not have to be killed at the conclusion of the study. I believe the dental assistant performs this task on people during every dental examine. The rats are used because "several studies have used this specific strain to produce drug induced gingival enlargement ..."

2005A0081 - Heating of Tissue in a Swine Model

"The goal of this project is to test the effectiveness of a new device to treat age related changes of the skin. Patients desiring to reduce or eliminate wrikles ... may benefit from these experiments if the device proves to be a safe and effective treatment."

Fifteen (15) pigs will be used to test a new thermal device to treat age related changes of the skin. The pigs will be killed on day 120

2005A0170 - Studies on Delivering CPR in Pigs - WITHDRAWN

We are happy to note that this protocol was withdrawn after we forwarded information to the new ILACUC chairperson.

The minutes from the meeting say: "the Committee discussed concerns as to whether the work proposed has been previously completed. The Committee was made aware of models that may be possible alternatives to animal use. The Committee will require the principal investigator to review these possible alternatives and justify the use of animal in relation to this information."

During the meeting one member of the committee mentioned that at the University of Chicago that had used dogs but since these are pigs ... why not.

POET forwarded the following information to the chairperson and received a favorable response. The results of our search indicated this study had already been run using a mathematical model.

Conclusions
The present mathematical model, based on fundamental aspects of cardiovascular physiology, provides a recapitulation and synthesis of abundant experimental and clinical evidence suggesting that adjunctive compression and decompression of the chest and abdomen can improve current standard CPR. Systemic perfusion pressure achievable with IAC alone is approximately double that of standard CPR. Systemic perfusion pressure achievable with full 4-phase CPR might possibly exceed 3-fold that of current standard CPR. Improved perfusion during IAC-CPR may not necessarily lead to better long-term survival, especially when the underlying rhythm is asystole or electromechanical dissociation. For the fraction of cardiac arrest victims who can be saved, however, these techniques, performed by trained healthcare providers, are valid and practical alternatives to standard CPR and have a rational place in resuscitation protocols of the 21st century. Received for publication April 20, 1999. Revision received June 29, 1999. Accepted for publication July 9, 1999.
http://ahavj.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/circulationaha;100/21/2146

And on another positive note the Cats-On-Meth project has finally ended as NIDA has not provided any new funding nor renewed the grant.