Scientific experiments using animals have contributed significantly to the improvement of human health. Animal experiments were crucial to the conquest of polio, for example, and they will undoubtedly be one of the keystones in AIDS research. However, some persons believe that the cost to the animals is often high. Authored by a committee of experts from various fields, this book discusses the benefits that have resulted from animal research, the scope of animal research today, the concerns of advocates of animal welfare, and the prospects for finding alternatives to animal use. The authors conclude with specific recommendations for more consistent government action.

A guide to small animal use in transplantation research, for biomedical researchers. In most cases, the techniques were developed by the chapter authors. While some chapters are of general interest, other deal with specific procedures, mostly in rats and mice but with some rabbit work included. In acknowledgment of the ethical aspects of live animal experimentation, the detailed handling of the animals and the description of anesthesia and analgesia are central to many of the chapters. Thoroughly illustrated in bandw. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This volume provides a full explanation and technical details to perform surgical techniques properly on small and large animal models. The first six chapters of Experimental Neurosurgery in Animal Models focus primarily on the brain, while the next six chapters concern the spinal cord in rodents. The last four chapters provide a description of operative procedures in large animals. Written for the popular Neuromethods series, chapters include the kind of detail and key implementation advice that ensures successful results in the laboratory. Authoritative and practical, Experimental Neurosurgery in Animal Models aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment reviews advances made during the last 10-15 years in fields such as developmental biology, molecular biology, and genetics. It describes a novel approach for how these advances might be used in combination with existing methodologies to further the understanding of mechanisms of developmental toxicity, to improve the assessment of chemicals for their ability to cause developmental toxicity, and to improve risk assessment for developmental defects. For example, based on the recent advances, even the smallest, simplest laboratory animals such as the fruit fly, roundworm, and zebrafish might be able to serve as developmental toxicological models for human biological systems. Use of such organisms might allow for rapid and inexpensive testing of large numbers of chemicals for their potential to cause developmental toxicity; presently, there are little or no developmental toxicity data available for the majority of natural and manufactured chemicals in use. This new approach to developmental toxicology and risk assessment will require simultaneous research on several fronts by experts from multiple scientific disciplines, including developmental toxicologists, developmental biologists, geneticists, epidemiologists, and biostatisticians.

Animals and Medicine: The Contribution of Animal Experiments to the Control of Disease offers a detailed, scholarly historical review of the critical role animal experiments have played in advancing medical knowledge. Laboratory animals have been essential to this progress, and the knowledge gained has saved countless lives—both human and animal. Unfortunately, those opposed to using animals in research have often employed doctored evidence to suggest that the practice has impeded medical progress. This volume presents the articles Jack Botting wrote for the Research Defence Society News from 1991 to 1996, papers which provided scientists with the information needed to rebut such claims. Collected, they can now reach a wider readership interested in understanding the part of animal experiments in the history of medicine—from the discovery of key vaccines to the advancement of research on a range of diseases, among them hypertension, kidney failure and cancer.This book is essential reading for anyone curious about the role of animal experimentation in the history of science from the nineteenth century to the present.

The eye is a complex sensory organ, which enables visual perception of the world. Thus the eye has several tissues that do different tasks. One of the most basic aspects of eye function is the sensitivity of cells to light and its transduction though the optic nerve to the brain. Different organisms use different ways to achieve these tasks. In this sense, eye function becomes a very important evolutionary aspect as well. This book presents the different animal models that are commonly used for eye research and their uniqueness in evaluating different aspects of eye development, evolution, physiology and disease. - Presents information on the major animal models used in eye research including invertebrates and vertebrates - Provides researchers with information needed to choose between model organisms - Includes an introductory chapter on the different types of eyes, stressing possible common molecular machinery

The aim of the book is to describe tested microsurgical procedures of kidney, pancreas, islets, heat, liver and small bowel transplantation. All procedures written in the book are used in our experimental research laboratory and their description will be provided by an experienced researcher. The book is organized into ‘General’ and ‘Specific’ sections. The ‘General’ section will include principles, doses and available drugs for rat anaesthesia, the surgical anatomy of the rat, a brief review of immunosuppressant’s used in rat models, a description of basic surgical techniques and blood sampling. The ‘Specific’ section will include a description of the rat model with the appropriate organ failure relevant to the organ transplantation, which will be followed by a detailed description of the surgical procedure with high quality pictures of key steps. Each chapter will describe ‘tips and tricks’ including practical advice and recommendations.