Reducing the stress of drug administration: implications for the 3Rs
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
2015 |
Authors: |
S. A. Stuart, E. S. J. Robinson |
Publication/Journal: |
Scientific Reports |
Keywords: |
amphetamine, gc-ms, methamphetamine, mice, multidisciplinary sciences, rats, restraint stress, sprague-dawley, strains |
ISBN: |
2045-2322 |
Abstract:
Restraint in animals is known to cause stress but is used during almost all scientific procedures in rodents, representing a major welfare and scientific issue. Administration of substances, a key part of most scientific procedures, almost always involves physical restraint of the animal. In this study, we developed a method to inject substances to rats using a non-restrained technique. We then compared the physiological, behavioral and emotional impacts of restrained versus non-restrained injection procedures. Our results highlight the negative welfare implications associated with physical restraint and demonstrate a method which can be used to avoid this. Our work shows how adopting strategies that avoid restraint can minimize a widespread source of stress in laboratory animals and improve welfare through refinement.