Animal Experiments More Stressful Than Previously Recognized

[European Hedgehog]

WASHINGTON -- Mice, rabbits, rats, beagles, geese, and other animals all show measurable physiological stress responses to routine laboratory procedures that have been up until now viewed as relatively benign. The findings come in a new report published in Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science, based on an extensive review of the scientific literature by ethologist Jonathan Balcombe, Ph.D., of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). For example, a mouse who is picked up and briefly held experiences several physiological reactions. As stress-response hormones flood the bloodstream, the mouse exhibits a racing pulse and a spike in blood pressure. These symptoms can persist for up to an hour after each event. Immune response is also affected. In rats and mice, the growth of tumors is strongly influenced by how much the animals are handled.

...
Dr. Balcombe's study follows closely a recent paper in the British Medical Journal, titled "Where Is the Evidence that Animal Research Benefits Humans?" The authors found that in many cases trials on humans were conducted concurrently with the animal studies and in other instances, clinical trials went ahead despite evidence of harm from the animal studies.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050111163805.htm

[Jehanne]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050111163805.htm

the preferred method of death in laboratory studies is decapitation, and it has been shown (including, some anecdotal evidence with humans executed in the guillotine), that brain wave activity persists up to 30 seconds after the head has been severed from the body. The question is, "Are we killing sentient beings?" As rats and mice have REM sleep, it is a "good bet" that they are sentient to some extent.

[doghouse]

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is an animal’s rights group closely allied with PETA that attempts to prevent medical research using animals. Although they claim to represent the medical community, the vast majority of their members don’t have medical degrees and the American Medical Association has formally censured the group for it’s unethical tactics.

Of course none of this means the author didn’t review the literature in an unbiased fashion. However, based on my experience with this organization and quotes from the article such as “In essence, there is no such thing as a humane animal experiment� I have my doubts.

[Its Own Level]

For example, a mouse who is picked up and briefly held experiences several physiological reactions. As stress-response hormones flood the bloodstream, the mouse exhibits a racing pulse and a spike in blood pressure. These symptoms can persist for up to an hour after each event. Immune response is also affected. In rats and mice, the growth of tumors is strongly influenced by how much the animals are handled.And this is news why exactly? It's not as if any of this wasn't known already.

[European Hedgehog]

Doghouse,
I've heard, and the interesting thing (to their credit, I suppose) is that attention is paid to their research.

the preferred method of death in laboratory studies is decapitation, and it has been shown (including, some anecdotal evidence with humans executed in the guillotine), that brain wave activity persists up to 30 seconds after the head has been severed from the body. The question is, "Are we killing sentient beings?" As rats and mice have REM sleep, it is a "good bet" that they are sentient to some extent.
They'd almost certainly rather keep their heads.

[DNAunion]

"Dr. Balcombe's study follows closely a recent paper in the British Medical Journal, titled "Where Is the Evidence that Animal Research Benefits Humans?" The authors found that in many cases trials on humans were conducted concurrently with the animal studies and in other instances, clinical trials went ahead despite evidence of harm from the animal studies."


Does that author seriously believe that humans have not benefited at all from non-human animal research?