Care and Handling of Experimental Animal

The handling of experimental animal involves most important responsibility of the

experimenter. So, that they do not suffer any pain and secondly a due regard is
paid towards the health and well being of animal, even when they are sacrificed at
the end of the experiment. When the animals are killed, method of sacrifice should
be painless. Following guidelines are to be followed by all research or academic
institution during handling of experimental animal.
1.Housing, Breeding, maintenance of experimental animals to keep them physically
comfort, good health and to permit the grow.
2. Source of experimental animals of known genetic and nutritional status.
3. Development of training facilities for supporting staff.
4. Acceptable technique & Procedures for anaesthesia & sacrifice.
5. Development of alternative in-vitro system to replace animal experiment.

 Experimental Animals:-The most commonly used animals are Mice, Rat, Rabbit,
Guineapig.
• Mice:- Mice (Albino white swiss strain) are the smallest laboratory animal
used. They are easy to breed and maintain. They are small in size, 20-30 g & easy
to handle. They are sensitive to most of the drug used in experimental
pharmacology.
eg- testing Analgesic, CNS acting drug, Chemotherapeutic agent and Toxicity
Studies.
• Albino Rat:- White rat wistar strain are the most commonest laboratory animal
used in experimental pharmacology. They are easy to breed and maintain. Rat being
small in size (200g) resemble human of several organ function. They are sensitive
to most of the drug used in experimental pharmacology.
• Guineapig (400-600g):- The commonly used experimental animals. They are very
docile, easy to breed and maintain. Therefore they are used in experimental asthma.
Guineapig tissue such as ileum is a most common tissue preparation to study
antispasmodic. Some times they are also used to study local anaesthetic.
• Rabbit(2-3kg):-Domestic rabbits are generally used for pyrogen testing. Some
of the tissue or organ from rabbit used are heart,duodenum, and ileum.
Factor effecting nature and degree of pharmacological responses:-
1. Species:- Different experimental animals respond to different extend to
specific type of drugs. eg Diuretics is almost inactive in rat except in extremely
high dose. But this diuretics is active in case of dog. Following same dose of
hynotic drug average sleeping time of rats in seven times than that of mice.
2. Strain:- Different strain of same species can behave in different way that
means response differ. This difference occur due to difference in this metabolic
activity.
3. Sex:- Female animal of same species same strain respond to different extent.
Female rats are very sensitive to barbiturate than male rats.
4. Age:- The neonates strain are more sensitive to adults. LD50 of new born rat
of phenobarbitone (hynotic drug) is 1/3 than that of adult rats.