Investigation on Current Biosafety Management Status in Laboratory Animal Institutions in Hunan Province / 实验动物与比较医学

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the current status of biosafety management in laboratory animal institutions in Hunan Province, identify management shortcomings, and provide targeted recommendations for improvement. MethodsA questionnaire survey was conducted in July 2023 among 40 laboratory animal institutions in Hunan Province, covering topics such as the establishment of laboratory management system and its overall operation status, emergency management for incidents, medical waste disposal, animal transportation, personnel practitioner management, environmental disinfection, and equipment maintenance. The awareness of biosafety, animal bite incidents, and vaccination history was surveyed from at least one animal feeder or experimental operation practitioner from each institution, totaling 50 practitioners. Through literature review and comparative analysis, this paper analyzed the current status of biosafety management in production, transportation, and use of laboratory animals in Hunan Province from aspects such as biosafety management systems, personnel training, disinfection of environmental facilities and waste disposal, and provided recommendations. ResultsAmong the 40 laboratory animal institutions in Hunan Province,39 institutions (97.5%) had established laboratory management systems, 37 (92.5%) had emergency response plans for incidents of to transport laboratory animals, 15 (37.5%) had complete records of emergency drills for laboratory animal biosafety, and 39 (97.5%) had established protocols for carcass and waste management. Moreover, 26 institutions (65.0%) had laboratory biosafety risk assessment reports. 4 out of 8 (50.0%) production units had emergency plans for animal transportation, with 7 (87.5%) using special vehicles to transport laboratory animals. 2 (4.0%) of the 50 practitioners were unaware of emergency response plans, 6 participants (12.0%) did not consistently wear personal protective equipment, and 38 participants (76.0%) had been bitten or scratched by laboratory animals. The results of the survey showed that emergency management, transportation management and personnel management of laboratory animal incidents still need improvement in Hunan Province. Relevant functional departments should strengthen supervision and management efforts, establish local regulations for the transportation management of laboratory animals, ensure strict compliance with relevant documents, conduct emergency drills in all units, and strengthen training for practitioners. ConclusionWhile daily management practices in the 40 laboratory animal institutions in Hunan Province are generally satisfactory, there remains a need for further improvement in emergency management, transportation management, personnel management, etc. Gradually enhancing the level of laboratory animal safety management is essential to collectively safeguard public health safety.

Research on Management Policies of Laboratory Animals in Sichuan Province / 实验动物与比较医学

Improving laboratory animal management system is one of the effective ways to promote the legalization and standardization of laboratory animal management. This article systematically reviews the relevant content and requirements of the latest laws, regulations, normative documents, and standards formulated and promulgated by the state since 2019 regarding the management of experimental animals. It also analyzes the current institutional framework in managing experimental animals in Sichuan Province from four aspects: administrative management, quality assurance, biosafety, and local standards. Furthermore, this article summarizes the existing problems and proposes corresponding policy recommendations in a targeted manner, aiming to provide a reference for the formulation of robust experimental animal management policies in Sichuan Province.

Comparison of Methods between Soiled Bedding Sentinels and Exhaust Air Dust PCR for Health Monitoring of Rodent Laboratory Animals / 实验动物与比较医学

The microbiological quality of laboratory animals is crucial for the validity and reproducibility of scientific research data, as well as human health and animal welfare. Currently, individual ventilation cages (IVC) have become the mainstream feeding system for rodent laboratory animals. The most commonly used pathogen monitoring method for this feeding system is soiled bedding sentinels (SBS). This method monitors the microbial carrying status of mouse colony through indirect contact and delayed feedback. It can effectively monitor pathogens transmitted via the fecal-oral route, such as mouse hepatitis virus and reovirus. However, this method has difficulty detecting pathogens mainly transmitted through aerosols or direct contact, such as Sendai virus and Pasteurella pneumotropica. The exhaust air dust (EAD)-PCR monitoring method involves swab sampling in the IVC exhaust ducts to monitor the corresponding racks of the ducts; swab sampling before the prefiltration of the host to monitor the entire IVC rack; and EAD collection device sampling to monitor all racks connected to the same host. Different IVC manufacturers have developed corresponding EAD collection devices for their respective IVC systems, making operations convenient and standardization easy. Compared with the SBS method, the EAD-PCR method significantly improves detection rate and timeliness, with the fastest detection possible after one week of exposure. It can serve as a supplement or replacement for the SBS method. Currently, increasing evidence supports that EAD-PCR testing is a more reliable, sensitive, and cost-effective monitoring method, and is more beneficial to animal welfare. This article reviews the application progress of these two methods for monitoring pathogens, analyzes the existing limitations of the EAD-PCR method, and proposes solutions based on its implementation in our laboratory and examination units. The EAD-PCR method helps reduce the number of live sentinel animals used in pathogen monitoring, in order to better maintain the "3Rs" principle of laboratory animal welfare.

Formulation of Emergency Response Plan for Laboratory Animal Biosafety Emergencies in Hunan Province / 实验动物与比较医学

The emergency management of biosafety for laboratory animals in Hunan Province is an essential component of the province’s implementation of the national biosafety strategy. To strengthen the prevention and control of biosafety risks in laboratory animals and to ensure a quick and effective response to laboratory animal biosafety emergencies, Hunan Province has formulated the "Emergency Response Plan for Laboratory Animal Biosafety Emergencies in Hunan Province". This plan aims to minimize damages caused to practitioners, public health, and laboratory animal industry, protect lives and property, and safeguard public safety and social stability. This paper analyzes the necessity, guiding ideology, principles, and basis for formulating the plan. It details the main contents of the plan, which includes scope of application, incident classification, organizational structure and responsibilities, monitoring and early warning mechanisms, emergency reporting and response, post-incident assessment, and safeguard measures. Moreover, this paper provides a summary and outlook on the emergency management of biosafety laboratory animals in Hunan Province in recent years.

Application and challenges of NHP laboratory animals in neuroscience / 中国比较医学杂志

Non-human primates(NHP)are becoming increasingly important laboratory animals,especially in the field of neuroscience,where many significant breakthroughs have been made,including research on brain development,neurodegenerative diseases,and psychiatric disorders.However,as their breeding and use grows,biosafety and animal ethics issues should be considered.This review summarizes the application and challenges of NHP laboratory animals in the neuroscience field from the aspects of an NHP overview,feeding and operation,biosafety,and animal ethics.

Evolution and Prospects of Laboratory Animal Management: A Case Study of Shanghai's Development in the Past Decade / 实验动物与比较医学

There are differences in historical and cultural beliefs, development history, and levels of technological development among different countries and regions around the world. However, they have all established corresponding laboratory animal management systems that are suitable for their national conditions. In 2001, the Ministry of Science and Technology, together with six other ministries, jointly issued the administrative licensing system for experimental animals, which was an innovative measure in China's specialized management system for experimental animals.The State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Standards Committee, based on the welfare of experimental animals and the needs of scientific research, have formulated a series of national standards for laboratory animals, and the local experimental animal management institutions, experimental animal quality testing unit and professional training base have also been established, which provide a strong guarantee for the rapid and healthy development of experimental animal science. This paper reviews the development of experimental animal management in Shanghai in the past ten years, reflects the evolution of national experimental animal management in recent years, points out the weak links in the development process, and puts forward suggestions for the innovation and development of experimental animal work.

Revision of Standards for Microbiological and Parasitological Grades in Laboratory Animals and Its Comparison to Foreign Standards / 实验动物与比较医学

The national standard, GB 14922-2022 on "Laboratory Animal Microbiological and Parasitical standards and monitoring " was implemented on July 1st, 2023. This article is compiled according to the speech of the 16th East China Laboratory Annual meeting, explores and critically analyzes the developments made to the revised standard and examines how this framework compares with quality control programs of other established international institutions. The key aspects of establishing quality monitoring programs for animal-associated microorganisms in laboratory animal facilities are briefly discussed.

Analysis on the Development Status of Laboratory Animals in Japan / 实验动物与比较医学

Experimental animals have made important contributions to human medical research and life and health. It is known that the development of laboratory animal science in Japan has been relatively rapid in the past few decades, providing important support for the development of the world's experimental animal field. Therefore, it is of great significance to understand the management mode and resource storage situation of Japanese experimental animals, analyze the advantages of Japanese experimental animal development, and propose suggestions to strengthen the high-quality development of experimental animals in China. Through literature research, the authors first analyzed the management system of experimental animals in Japan, including regulations and policies, research funding management, experimental animal management, talent cultivation, and standard and normative systems. Then, the current status of experimental animal research in Japan was summarized, including experimental animal resources, major research institutions, and production enterprises. On this basis, it was found that the field of experimental animal research in Japan currently exhibits characteristics such as a complete policy system, flexible management methods, rich resource reserves, and large-scale industrial development. Finally, by comparing the existing problems in China, suggestions for the development of experimental animal technology in China are proposed: (1) drawing on the legal management method of experimental animals in Japan, strengthening and improving the legislation and management model of experimental animals in China; (2) increaseing investment in scientific research funds, playing the role of research institutions, societies and industries, and promoting the incremental construction and industrial development of experimental animal resources.

Safety Management Countermeasures Based on the Status of Laboratory Animal Administrative Licensing in Jiangsu Province / 实验动物与比较医学

With the rapid development of life science, laboratory animals play an important role in many fields, such as biomedicine. In recent years, the national reforms “to delegate power, streamline administration and optimize government services” continues deepen, the laboratory animals administrative departments have paid more attention to interim and post-event supervision, in which the safety management of laboratory animals is the key and challenging point in the supervision process. In this paper, the information regarding licenses for laboratory animals in Jiangsu, facility areas, animal production and usage, employees, and other information the past three years were introduced. Combined with legal administrative management in recent years, the potential safety risks in the production and use of laboratory animals were analyzed, such as risks in management systems, employees, facility operation, animal quality control, accidental injury and zoonosis, animal transportation, and waste disposal. Additionally, the current construction, daily management services, and the list of interim and post-event supervision of the laboratory animal safety management system were introduced. Based on this discussion, we proposed relevant safety management countermeasures and suggestions and provided support for further improvements to laboratory animal safety management.

Is the Wistar Rat a more Suitable Normotensive Control for SHR to Test Blood Pressure and Cardiac Structure and Function?

Abstract Background: There are divergences in the literature regarding the experimental model (Wistar-WIS or Wistar Kyoto-WKY) to be used as a Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat (SHR) control. The characterization of these models in terms of cardiovascular parameters provides researchers with important tools at the time of selection and application in scientific research. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of WIS and WKY as a Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat (SHR) control by assessing the long-term behavior of blood pressure and cardiac structure and function in these strains. Methods: To this end, WIS, WKY, and SHR underwent longitudinal experiments. Blood pressure and body mass were measured every two weeks from the 8th to the 72nd. Echocardiographic analysis was performed in all groups with 16, 48, and 72 weeks of life. After having applied the normality test, the Two-Way ANOVA of repeated measures followed by the Tukey post hoc test was used. A significance level of 5% was established. Results: The WIS group showed higher body mass (p<0.05), while the WKY and SHR presented higher body mass variation over time (p<0.05). SHR exhibited increased values of systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure when compared to WKY and WIS, whereas the WKY generally showed higher values than WIS (p<0.05). Regarding the cardiac function, SHR showed reduced values, while the WKY presented an early decrease when compared to WIS with aging (p<0.05). Conclusion: WIS is a more suitable normotensive control for SHR than WKY in experiments to test blood pressure and cardiac structure and function.

Spontaneous pre-axial polydactyly in Swiss mice / Polidactilia pré-axial espontânea em camundongos Swiss

ABSTRACT: Spontaneous polydactyly has been described in several species, but only one report about it in Swiss mice. The aim of the current study was to report the spontaneous occurrence of pre-axial polydactyly in Swiss mice. Clinical examination showed one extra toe laterally to the first digit, in the plantar region, alopecia in the back, altered face growth anatomy and changed perineal region anatomy. Pre-axial polydactyly in the tibial side, fused metatarsals and Y-shaped free phalanges were evidenced in the radiographic images. Pre-axial polydactyly observed in the plantar region differed from that in reports on albino Swiss mice with post-axial polydactyly (Po/Po+) phenotype featured by one extra toe in the ulnar side of one, or both, front limbs, which is the dominant feature. The observed findings highlight the importance of both clinical examinations and close attention by professionals involved in rodents' breeding on physical changes resulting from different causes, including the genetic ones, since they reveal mutations and, sometimes, new biomodels.

RESUMO: A polidactilia espontânea foi descrita em várias espécies, mas há apenas um relato em camundongos Swiss. O objetivo do presente estudo foi relatar uma ocorrência de polidactilia pré-axial em camundongos Swiss. O exame clínico revelou um dedo extra lateralmente ao primeiro dedo na região plantar, alopecia dorsal, anatomias facial e da região perineal alteradas. Nas imagens radiográficas foram evidenciados polidactilia pré-axial no lado tibial, metatarsos fundidos e falanges livres em forma de Y. A polidactilia pré-axial observada diferiu do relato existente de polidactilia pós-axial (Po/Po+) caracterizado por um dedo extra no lado ulnar de um ou ambos os membros anteriores e de característica dominante. Os achados observados destacam a importância dos exames clínicos e da atenção cuidadosa dos profissionais envolvidos na criação de roedores sobre as alterações físicas decorrentes de diferentes causas, inclusive as genéticas, em revelar mutações e, às vezes, novos biomodelos.

Feasibility study of acupuncture treatment on the miniature pig model of chronic myocardial ischemia / 中国比较医学杂志

Objective To explore the feasibility of needle-embedding therapy in the treatment of chronic myocardial ischemia using a miniature pig model established by placement of an Ameroid constrictor at the left anterior descending branch (LAD) of coronary artery in Bama miniature pigs during surgery. Methods The miniature pig model of chronic myocardial ischemia was established by placement of an Ameroid constrictor at the left anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery in Bama miniature pigs. The pig models were randomly divided into the treatment group (the"Neiguan " group) and the control group (the "Zusanli " group), and were treated with needle- embedding electroacupuncture at the"Neiguan" (PC6) and "Zusanli" (ST36) acupoints, respectively. Myocardial samples were taken at 6 weeks after surgery for light and electron microscopic examinations. Results Gross pathology showed that ischemic area in the myocardium appeared in both experimental groups. The ischemic area in the "Zusanli "group was larger than that of the"Neiguan"group. Histopathology showed that the acupuncture treatment at the"Neiguan"acupoint reduced the ischemic injury in the pig myocardial tissues. Ultrastructural observation of the myocardium showed mitochondrial vacuolization in cardiomyocytes and myocardial fibrosis in both groups. Conclusions Acupuncture therapy at the"Neiguan"acupoint of pericardial channel may exert protective effect on the myocardial ischemia by reducing the ischemia-injury of cardiomyocytes, but can not inhibit the already existed ischemia-induced cardiomyocytic injuries. Our findings suggest that the establishment of miniature pig model of chronic myocardial ischemia by surgically placing an Ameroid constrictor on the left anterior descending branch of left coronary artery and the needle-embedding in acupoints is feasible for the treatment of chronic myocardial ischemia in this pig model.

Establishment and application of the training system for laboratory animal employees / 中国比较医学杂志

Laboratory animals are an important part of life sciences and medical researches, as well an important support for the science and technology innovation in our country. Laboratory animal science is of great significance to the protection of human health,food safety and biological safety. Laboratory animals are indispensable in the development of food safety,drugs,vaccines and biological products and the studies of human disease pathogenesis. In order to adapt to the requirements for overall development of the laboratory animal industry in China, our institute has independently developed the Network Training System for Laboratory Animal Managers. This system is an online education and training platform which integrates the practical operation and theoretical knowledge of laboratory animals,including seven knowledge modules such as animal welfare,animal breeding,animal surgery and so on. The training subjects of the system include managers, experiment operators, laboratory animal doctors and breeders, aimed at accelerating the personnel training and team building of laboratory animal sciences,and promoting the transformation and development of personnel training in laboratory animal industry.

Influence of environmental enrichment on the behavior and physiology of mice infected by trypanosoma cruzi

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Enriched environments normally increase behavioral repertoires and diminish the expression of abnormal behaviors and stress-related physiological problems in animals. Although it has been shown that experimental animals infected with microorganisms can modify their behaviors and physiology, few studies have evaluated how environmental enrichment affects these parameters. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of environmental enrichment on the behavior and physiology of confined mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. METHODS: The behaviors of 20 T. cruzi-infected mice and 20 non-infected mice were recorded during three treatments: baseline, enrichment, and post-enrichment. Behavioral data were collected using scan sampling with instantaneous recording of behavior every 30s, totaling 360h. Plasma TNF, CCL2, and IL-10 levels and parasitemia were also evaluated in infected enriched/non-enriched mice. Behavioral data were evaluated by Friedman's test and physiological data by one-way ANOVA and area under the curve (AUC) analysis. RESULTS: Results showed that environmental enrichment significantly increased exploratory behaviors and diminished inactivity. The use of environmental enrichment did not diminish circulating levels of TNF and IL-10 but diminished circulating levels of CCL2 and parasitemia. CONCLUSIONS: Positive behavioral and physiological effects of environmental enrichment were observed in mice living in enriched cages. Thus, environmental enrichment improved the welfare of these animals.

Establishment and application of CODEHOP PCR assay for detection of Pasteurella spp.in laboratory animals / 中国比较医学杂志

Objective We established a rapid detection method of Pasteurella spp.and provided a reference for microbiological quality control of laboratory animal .Methods According to the β subunit of bacterial RNA polymerase ( rpoB) protein multiple alignments of 13 different Pasteurella spp.published in NCBI .The degenerate primers were designed by CODEHOP designer online .CODEHOP PCR method was applied to detecting Pasteurella spp.after the specificity and sensitivity of the method had been evaluated by 21 reference strains .Results Standard strain amplified fragment were about 200 bp by degenerate primers PastF6/PastR5.The primers are able to distinguish between Pasteurella spp.and the other pathognic organisms of laboratory animal respiratory tracts .Sensitivity of this method were 0.2 pg/μL~2 pg/μL to different Pasteurella.The Pasteurella positive rate was 19.1% in 609 animal ' s respiratory samples .The accuracy of positive results was 100%through verifying by sequenced and blast .Conclusions The established method has good specificity and sensitivity .It can be used to detect Pasteurella spp.in animal samples .

Main technical points of quarantine inspection of Beagle dogs used for drug GLP experiment / 中国比较医学杂志

The quarantine inspection and acceptance of laboratory animals is an important work, which can protect animals from pollution, occurrence and spread of diseases in the surounding area, and it is the key point to realize the quality standardization of laboratory animals.Beagle dogs are acknowledged widely as specialized laboratory dogs which is widely employed in experiments of drug safety evaluation because of the good genetic stability, environmental adaptability, disease resistance and consistency testing in the experiments.Establishment of standard operating procedures of beagle dog quarantine acceptance check for drug GLP organization tests, refining technical points, strengthen the technical training of quarantine officers, and efforts to improve the level of quarantine are needed to finally ensure the quality of laboratory animals.

A preliminary discussion on how to protect laboratory animal welfare in the hospital / 中国比较医学杂志

Laboratory animals are commonly used as experimental objects in medical research, and laboratory animal welfare is closely related with good scientific outcomes. It is important for researchers in hospitals to establish a concept of protecting the welfare of laboratory animals. In this paper, combined with our experience concerning with the ethics and animal welfare in recent years in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School,we try to discuss the importance of animal experiments in the hospital,the significance of maintenance of laboratory animal welfare and the ethical review of the welfare of laboratory animals,etc.,in order to provide a reference to the protection of laboratory animal welfare for researchers in hospitals.

Current situation of laboratory animal sciences in Mongolia / Монголын Анагаах Ухаан

Background@#In the era of science and technology /development, it have been using a laboratory animals to confirm theory and evidences of biology, medical and veterenary sciences. The value of laboratory animals sciences are still a very important. Because, the studies of laboratory animals are used for instead of human being and biosafety evaluation, and so on.@*Goal@#To describe the current sitution analysis of general usage of laboratory animals in the Mongolian institutes, universities and biotechnological factories. @*Materials and Method@#In this study, we used a questionnaire that is covering belongs to the quantity counting numbers of laboratory animals, information of colonies and breeding, euthanizing methods, infectious disease in the laboratory animals, experimental types, special food and bedding. @*Results@#Each year were used more than 10000 animal of 9 species. Mouse, rat, rabbit and guine pig are commonly used in laboratory experiments in Mongolia. Laboratory animals imported from Russia and China, mainly. These animals uses to study toxicity and virulences, lethal dose of newly revealed substances, drug testing and diagnosis. We have conducted some comparison of laboratory animal used with the same situation of other countries. @*Conclusions@#</br> 1. Study results are indicating that the usage of laboratory animals on biological studies among the Mongolian scientists is too low as compaired to other countries. </br>2. It has no standarzided technical, legal provisions technical legal documents such as SOPs and other douments, but also specialized HRs. </br>3. Therefore, it has been raised following requirements which are to expand national- and international cooperation, to be a official member in the international association of laboratory animal sciences, to share experiences and reports between the specialists in the Asian- and international level.

Analgesia de animais de laboratório: responsabilidade dos comitês de ética e obrigação dos pesquisadores / Laboratory animals and analgesia: the responsibility of ethics committees and the obligations of researchers / Analgesia de animales de laboratorio: responsabilidad de los comités de ética y obligación de los investigadores

Objetivando avaliar projetos submetidos ao Comitê de Ética no Uso de Animais em relação ao uso de analgesia em cirurgia experimental, este trabalho avaliou 106 projetos, coletando as seguintes informações: metodologia do procedimento cirúrgico, utilização de analgesia, justificativa do não uso de analgésico e aplicação do grau de invasividade. Dos projetos avaliados, 64,2% empregaram técnica cirúrgica. Destes, 65,6% não utilizaram analgesia no pós-operatório, sendo a principal justificativa a de que o analgésico poderia alterar os resultados; em 17%, empregou-se a classificação de grau de invasividade de forma irregular. Assim, o estímulo e a divulgação dos conhecimentos relacionados a analgesia devem partir tanto dos comitês responsáveis quanto do corpo de pesquisadores.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate projects submitted to an Animal Research Ethics Committee regarding the use of analgesia in experimental surgery. A total of 106 projects submitted to the Animal Research Ethics Committee were evaluated and the following information was collected: methodology of the surgical procedure, use of analgesia, justification of the non-use of analgesia and application of the degree of invasiveness. Of the projects evaluated, 64.2% used surgical techniques, of which 65.6% did not use analgesia postoperatively, with the main reason being that the analgesic could alter the results. In 17% of cases the classification of the degree of invasiveness was used in an irregular manner. The stimulation and dissemination of analgesia-related knowledge must stem from both the ethics committees responsible and researchers.

Con el objetivo de evaluar los proyectos presentados al Comité de Ética en el Uso de Animales con respecto al uso de la analgesia en cirugía experimental de animales, este estudio evaluó 106 proyectos y obtuvo la siguiente información: la metodología de la intervención quirúrgica, el uso de la analgesia, la justificación de no utilizar analgésico y la aplicación del grado de invasividad. De los proyectos evaluados, un 64,2% empleó técnicas quirúrgicas, de los cuales un 65,6% no utilizó analgesia en el postoperatorio, justificando principalmente que el analgésico podría alterar los resultados, y en un 17% la clasificación del grado de invasividad se utilizó de manera irregular, por lo que la estimulación y la difusión de los conocimientos relacionados con la analgesia deben partir tanto de los comités responsables como del cuerpo de investigadores.

Percepção de equipes laboratoriais quanto a questões de bem-estar animal / Perception of laboratory staff regarding animal welfare issues

As equipes laboratoriais controlam diversas características do ambiente dos animais utilizados em pesquisas. Portanto, suas atitudes têm grande influência no bem-estar animal (BEA) e nos resultados obtidos. Buscou-se verificar o conhecimento e a percepção dessas equipes em relação a questões de BEA. Os dados foram coletados por meio de um questionário online composto por 22 questões abertas e 23 fechadas. As respostas são referentes a 62 participantes de diversas instituições de pesquisa brasileiras. Dezesseis (25,8%) não receberam treinamento para exercer suas funções, e 11 (18,0%) realizavam ou coordenavam procedimentos com potencial para causar dor ou morte. O principal fator limitante relatado para o uso de animais em pesquisas foi referente a questões éticas (38; 63,3%). Todos declararam conhecer o significado do termo BEA; porém, a maioria dos conceitos expressos foi de forma parcial (32; 64,0%). Tais resultados podem estar relacionados ao caráter optativo ou à indisponibilidade do ensino de BEA na maioria dos cursos de graduação no Brasil. Os animais vertebrados foram percebidos pelos respondentes como portadores de alto grau de senciência. Espécies em contato social e afetivo com os seres humanos foram vistas como mais sencientes que outros grupos. O número de respondentes interessados em um projeto de enriquecimento ambiental (34; 69,4%) sugere preocupação com o BEA. Os resultados apresentados podem subsidiar a localização de pontos críticos de BEA em laboratórios brasileiros e indicam possibilidades para melhoria no conhecimento científico de questões centrais relativas ao BEA.

Laboratory staff controls a series of environmental parameters affecting animals used in research. Therefore, staff attitudes influence both animal welfare (AW) and research results. This study aimed to verify the knowledge and perception of staff members on AW. Data were collected through a 22 open-question and 23 multiple-choice question online survey. 62 respondents from Brazilian institutions answered the survey. Sixteen (25.8%) participants did not receive training for their functions, from which 11 (18.0%) performed or coordinated procedures that may induce pain or death. The main limiting factor for the use of animals in research was ethical issues (38, 63.3%). All participants reported to know the meaning of AW, but most of the concepts given were partial (32, 64.0%). These results may be related to the unavailable or optional teaching of AW in most undergraduate courses in Brazil. Vertebrates were perceived by respondents as highly sentient. Species with a social and affective bond with human beings were seen as more sentient than other groups. There was interest in an environmental enrichment project (34, 69.4%) suggesting concern with AW. These results can collaborate in the identification of critical issues in AW in Brazilian laboratories and indicate opportunities to improve scientific knowledge of key issues related to AW.