PACUC Newsletter
Purdue Animal Care and Use Committee Purdue
University
http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/nielsen/PACUC/animals.html
PACUC Gets a New Chair and New Committee Members
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of June 1, 2001, Prof. Peter Dunn has accepted the position as Chair of the
Purdue Animal Care and Use Committee (PACUC).
Prof. Dunn was previously the Assistant Vice President for Research
Administration. He will be spending 0.5
FTE as chair of PACUC. If you need to
reach him in regards to any PACUC issues, please call 47206 or e-mail him at pedunn@purdue.edu.
Also, please welcome Mr. Joel
Bruhn and Professors Don Lay and David Van Sickle to the committee. Mr. Bruhn is in the Facilities Planning and
Construction office. Mr. Bruhn received
his B.S. degree from Iowa State University.
Prof. Don Lay comes to the
committee from the Department of Animal Sciences. He was previously on the animal care and use committee at Iowa
State University. Prof. Lay received
his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Texas A&M.
He is spending his free time these days sprucing up his yard. He recently planted 200 trees!! Prof.
David Van Sickle is from the Department of Basic Medical Sciences. Prof. Van Sickle received his D.V.M. degree
from Iowa State University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Purdue. Prof. Van Sickle is semi-retired and enjoys
traveling and gardening… that is when he can get away from his first love –
research. We would like to welcome
these individuals to the committee.
We
also wish to sincerely thank the following individuals, whose terms have
expired, for their many years of service to the committee: Mr. Gene Hatke (FP&C) and Drs. Harry
Charbonneau (BCHM), Bob Smith (BIOL), and Linda Swihart (CHEM).
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Explaining the Annual
Review of Approved Protocol Policy
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policy requires that PIs submit information (once every 12 months) about
personnel changes, the number of animals used, the health status of animals,
and about unexpected complications or difficulties that may have occurred
during the previous 12-month period
of approval. (The period of approval
begins with the original approval date of the protocol and ends one year
later. For example, a protocol was
originally approved on July 1,
1990. If the PI were to receive an
Annual Review of Approved Protocol form this month from the PACUC office asking
that it be completed, the 12 month reporting period would be July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001.) The PIs have been informed that significant
changes from their originally approved protocols must be approved by the PACUC before they can be implemented. About a month before the anniversary of each
protocol approval (excluding those protocols that are scheduled for more
extensive triennial resubmission and review), the PI will be sent a form
directing him or her to provide this information. The information provided on
this form is reviewed by the Chair of the PACUC (or his/her designee), by a
Laboratory Animal Veterinarian, and by one other member of the PACUC. PACUC
members are assigned to participate in this review on a rotating basis.
Questions or concerns raised by the reviewers are forwarded, in writing, to the
PI. Annual renewal of the protocol will
be withheld until the Chair of the PACUC (or his/her designee) has evaluated
the PI’s responses to these questions or concerns as satisfactory. To aid in
making this evaluation, the Chair (or his/her designee) will consult, as
needed, with the other reviewers or other members of the PACUC. In addition,
any of the three reviewers may request that renewal be considered and voted on
at a meeting of the full PACUC.
We
hope this helps explain how to determine the appropriate reporting period for
the Annual Renewal of Approved Protocol form.
If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Snider at 47206 or ldsnider@purdue.edu.
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“How to Skin a Cat”
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search for alternatives to animal use required in all PACUC protocols has the
goal of addressing the “Three R’s,” namely Replacement, Reduction and
Refinement of animal use for research, teaching, or testing. This can be accomplished in many ways
without compromising research.
Replacement may be accomplished by use of in vitro methods to supplement or minimize the number of animals.
Replacement can also mean replacement of an animal higher on the evolutionary
scale (dog) with one lower on the scale (frog) to accomplish the same
objectives. Reduction in animal numbers
should not compromise the ability to attain statistically valid scientific
data; however, one may be able to reduce the number of animals used in training
on techniques by using models, or virtual aids prior to animal use. Refinement can be accomplished by use of
analgesics, less invasive techniques, establishment of a scientifically
justifiable endpoint for humane euthanasia prior to an animal becoming
“moribund” or dying. The search for
alternatives can include use of “virtual” and video simulations in training
personnel on techniques prior to, or in place of, the use of live animals. What does this have to do with skinning a
cat? Cat dissection (including skinning
the cat cadaver) is one of many “virtual” exercises that can be found on the
internet and used in your practice of the 3 R’s. Following are a number of internet resources that you may find
helpful in your search of alternatives.
Virtual Dissections http://biology.about.com/science/biology/cs/dissections/index.htm
Training Models for
Animal Procedures http://dcminfo.wustl.edu/education/models.html
Center for Animal
alternatives, U C Davis http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/animal_alternatives/refine.htm
Humane Society of
United States Animal Research Issues http://www.hsus.org/programs/research/index.html
Humane Endpoints for
Animal Experiments in Biomedical Research http://www.lal.org.uk/cont.htm
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uring a recent AAALAC (Association for Assessment and
Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care) visit to the Purdue University campus,
Occupational Health and Safety issues associated with the use of animals were
discussed. In an attempt to keep personnel informed regarding occupational
health and safety issues, over the next several months, the PACUC newsletter
will include information in this area.
All individuals with animal contact should be aware of
the Occupational Health Program established by Purdue University upon the
recommendation of the Purdue Animal Care and Use Committee. Current information
regarding the program is posted on the PACUC web site at: http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/nielsen/PACUC/animals_health.html It should be noted that the specifics of the program
will be reviewed in the near future and any modifications will be listed in
future issues of the PACUC Newsletter.
In
addition, Purdue University Radiological and Environmental Management (REM)
maintains a site that provides Guidelines for Animal Users at http://www.adpc.purdue.edu/PhysFac/rem/eh/anmluse.htm.
These two sites provide an overview of the program and
provide some limited information on potential hazards associated with animal
use.
A number of other resources are linked from the PACUC
web site and include:
·
Working
Safely with Research Animals: Proceedings of the 4th National Symposium on
Biosafety
http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/nielsen/PACUC/animals_health.html
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NIOSH Alert: Preventing Asthma in Animal Handlers
http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/nielsen/PACUC/Links/other_links.htm
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Risk
Assessment for Various Lab Animal Species (found under “Other Links”
“Occupational Health and Safety”)
http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/nielsen/PACUC/Links/other_links.htm
The UC Davis “Risk Assessment for Various Lab Animal
Species” site is very helpful. This site provides information regarding health
risks associated with a variety of species of animals. It is a good starting
point to become familiar with potential hazards associated with animals you
might contact.
Should you have any questions after viewing these sites
in regards to animal associated allergies, animal associated risk, or have any
questions regarding the Purdue University Occupational Health Program, please
contact the Laboratory Animal Program office at 49163.
The
Occupational Health Program is available to anyone
who has “animal contact.” This means contact in terms of physical proximity to
animals or handling of by-products directly derived from animals, including but
not necessarily limited to tissues, blood, urine, or feces. The contact must be in the course of
employment at Purdue University.
To
enroll in the program you will need to discuss it with your supervisor, then
either you or your supervisor may contact Sheila Light at 49163 (for those
working with vertebrate animals in research, teaching, or testing) or contact
Kay Knox at 41453 (for those working with client-owned animals in the
Veterinary Teaching Hospital), for additional information or for an
authorization form to receive your occupational health exam.