DanielLieu

Dr.Haas
Writing39C
May18,2016
AdvocacyProjectDraft1
Throughoutthepast100years,scientificdevelopmentanddruganalysishasprimarily
beenmadethroughtheresearchstudyofratsandmice.Whatbeganasjustafewassignments
slowlyescalatedbeyondthenormal,nowatover100millionratsayearintheUnitedStates
alone.Sinceanimalsareasensitiveissuetostudytomanyscientistsandanimaladvocates,the
U.S.CongressissuedanAnimalWelfareActin1966thatimposedstrictregulationsupon
differentanimalsinthelaboratory.Amongthoseincludedweredogs,cats,guineapigs,and
nonhumanprimates.Notincludedwererats,whichisthelargestgroupusedtotesttothisday.
Dr.MarkBekoff,aprofessorofecologyandevolutionarybiologyattheUniversityof
Colorado,Boulder,wroteanarticleinPsychologyTodaydiscussinganimalemotions,butmore
specifically,ratsinthelab.Hesays,Whyaretheseinteresting,sensitiveanimalstormentedin
experimentsatall?AndwhyareratsandmicespecificallyexcludedfromtheAnimalWelfare
Act?(PsychologyToday).MarkBekoffraisesaninterestingpointthatwhilevoicinghis
opiniononratsbeingsensitiveandinterestinganimals.Theseratsandmiceareusedforanimal
testing,butatthesametimetheyredoingso,theyreceivenoprotectionbytheonlygoverning
lawthatcanprotectanimals.Asaresult,over100millionratsareusedinthelaboratoryeach
yearstrictlylimitedtotheUS,notincludingtheotherplacesintheworldwherescientific
developmentisoccurring.

Whilethestatisticofover100millionratsusedinthelabisvagueandunspecific,thisis
largelyduetothefactnoregulationsarerequiredtobeimposedtotheseanimals.TheAWA
needstopresentastricterregulationforratsandevenstartwithsomethingassimpleasincluding
ratswithintheprotection.Beforebeingabletoproposesomethingthatcanchangethecultureof
howalabfunctionsandwhatoccursinalab,muchresearchhasbeenconductedintoratsand
howthesespeciesinteracttolabtesting.Thesciencethatsunderstoodtodayregardingratsis
primarilydevelopedbytheresearchofSharonAckerman,DeliaVazquez,andJaakPankseep.
Thesethreescientistscontributedtoprovingthatratsgrieveandfeelpain.
TheCommitteefortheStudyofHealthConsequencesofStressandBereavement
publishedthefirstwellknownbookregardingratgriefonJanuary1,1984,titledBereavement:
Reactions,Consequences,andCare.Thecommitteegatheredthefindingsofover100scientists
andbroughttheirsummarytotheNationalAcademyofScience,leadingtotheir
acknowledgementasoneofthefirstreputablesourcesinthisfield.SharonAckerman,aformer
researcheronproteinfolding,andcurrentprofessoratWayneStateUniversity,ledthefirstlarge
discoveryinthebookwhenshestudiedratreactiontoseparationin1980.Herresearchgroup
hadacontrolgroupconsistingofaratandanewborninfantwhowereallowedtobetogetherin
thesameroom.Herexperimentalgroupdifferedinthesensethatinfantswereallowedtobewith
theparentsforxamountofdays,andthenwereseparated.Theinfantratsthatwereseparated
fromtheirparentswereobservedtosufferfromaweakenedimmunesystemincomparisonto
theirimmunesystembeforeseparation,andevenappearedtobeinsomniacwithareductionin
REM(RapidEyeMovement)cyclewhentheytriedtosleep(InstituteofMedicineCommittee).

Ackermansunderstandingofratbehaviorthroughherseparationexperimentledtothe

researchgroupsfirstconclusion.Theyconcludedthatinfantratsseparatedfromtheirparents
underwentgriefinaverysimilarfashiontohumans.ThescienceregardingREMsleepcyclewas
establishedin1952byaneuroscientistnamedEugeneAserinskywhomadethispublicationin
theJournalofHistoricalNeuroscience,leadingtohistitleasthepioneerofsleepstudy
(Aserinski,1).AserinskydiscoveredthatgriefresultedinanegativeimpacttotheREMsleep
cycleofhumans.BecausethiswasestablishedbeforeAckermanobservedtherats,shewasable
toconcludethatratsdoinfactundergoasenseofgrief,whichwasthefirstactualconnectionto
ratsandgrief(InstituteofMedicineCommittee).
AftertheobservationfromAckermanmadethefieldofratgriefmorewellknown,Delia
Vazquez,aneuroscientistandprofessorofPediatricsandPsychiatryattheCenterofGrowthand
Developmentdiscoveredthenextmilestoneregardingratgrief.Sheisolatedratsinasimilar
fashiontoAckermansexperimentinthesensethatshestudiedwhatoccurredwheninfantrats
wereseparatedfromtheirparents.Itdifferedbecauseshestudiedradioactivelylabeled
adrenocorticotrophin(ACTH),orthehormonereleasedinthebodywhenexperiencingstress
(Vazquez1).Vazquezsknowledgeofthishormonewasbasedoffofapreviousstudyonhumans
byadoctorandprofessorattheUniversityofMontreal,CanadanamedHansSelye.In1951,he
tookthemothersofterminallyillchildrenandobservedthemfromthebirthofthechildtothe
death.HespecificallymeasuredtheACTHlevelsandfoundthattheywereonlyreleasedwhen
themotherexperiencedstress,whichincomparisontonormalmotherswithoutthisstress,was
multipliedtenfold(Selye476).

Vazqueztookthisunderstandingandseparatedtheinfantratsfromtheirmothers,

measuringtheirACTHlevelsbeforeandafter.Shefoundthatwhentheratwasseparated,they
wentfromanormallevelofACTHthatgraduallyincreasedovertimeanddidnotdecrease
unlessreunitedwiththeirmother.Throughoutthe10dayexperimentinvolving200samples,the
prolongedACTHwassimilartotheobservationfromSelyeregardingthemotherswho
experiencedprolongedACTHlevelsincomparisontothenormallevels(Vazquez1).Her
discoveryledtotheconclusionthatratsexperiencestressinthesamefashionashumansata
microlevelinadditiontoamacrolevel.ShepublishedherfindingsintheJournalof
Neuroendocrinologyin1997,discussingtheeffectsofstressinrats,explainingthatratsundergo
thesameresponsewhenunderstressandgrievingashumansdo(Vazquez3).
Morerecently,aneuroscientistnamedJaakPankseep,thechairmanfortheAnimal
WellBeingSciencefortheDepartmentofVeterinaryandComparativeAnatomy,Pharmacology,
andPhysiologyatWashingtonStateUniversitypublishedAffectiveNeuroscienceofthe
EmotionalBrainMind,ajournalregardingthebrainofratsin2010.Hespecificallystudiedthe
effectofhormonalchangesinratsduringdepressionandcomparedittohumans.Inhisjournal,
henotedthatdepressionresultedinasustaineddysphoriawithhormonalchangethatdoesnt
decreasetoanormallevelafter48hours(Pankseep1).Ratsthatwereexperiencingadecreased
amountofactivityandlackofappetitewerefoundtoexperienceanelevatedlevelofhormones
inthebody,incomparisontothehormonallevelsofthatratfromapriordatacollection
(Pankseep2).Pankseepconnectedthissustainedelevationofhormonallevelsandcompareditto
humans.Duringdepression,humansexperiencethesameelevatedhormonelevelthatratsdo.As

aresult,heconcludedthatratsexperiencedasimilartypeofdepressiontohumans,furthering
ourunderstandingofratgrief(Pankseep1).
Theseconclusionsallleduptotheconclusionthatratsdoexperiencegrief,buthowdoes
itchangethewaythatscientistsarethinkingaboutusingratsastestsubjectsinthelaboratory?
TheonlygoverninglawregardingtheuseofanimalsinresearchandtestingistheAnimal
WelfareAct(AWA),publishedin1966bytheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture(www.gpo.gov).
ThisAWAdoesntincludethemostusedanimalinthelab,whichpresentsaclearandstriking
problem.Since1966,therehasntbeenasinglechangetotheAWA,regardlessofthefactthata
majorityofthegroundbreakingdiscoveriesregardinggriefinratswerediscoveredafter1980,
beginningwithAckerman,andnotpublisheduntil1984.
KnowingthattheAWAdoesnotfederallyprotectthelivesofratsandmiceinthelab,it
helpsexplainthenumbersalotmoreclearly.AccordingtotheAmericanAntiVivisection
Society,95%ofofanimalsusedinthelabareratsandmice.Asaresult,whenthenumbersare
calculated,ashockingnumberofover100millionareusedinthelabeachyear.Everysingleone
ofthe100millionratsarenotprotectedbytheAWA,resultinginextremelyharshlabconditions
andthefreedomforscientiststousetheseanimalswithoutconsiderationforpain
(www.aavs.org).
TheirrelevancyofratsintheAnimalWelfareActhasnotonlyhinderedwhatoccursin
thelab,butalsohowresearchisconducted.U.S.researchgroups,likeSpeakingofStatistics,a
groupthatconductsresearchonawidevarietyofdifferentgroups,organizations,andrandom
statistics,conductedasurveyonthenumberofanimalsusedinlaboratoriesintheUSeachyear.
Lookingatfigure1,therearemanydifferentcategoriestakenfromanimalresearch,howeverthe

mostshockingthingisthatratsandmice
arentincluded.Thisisbecausethereisno
regulationsonreportingthatlabresearchers
needtoadhereto,resultinginonly
estimationsthatofficialstatisticsitescant
report.
Image1:GraphtakenfromSpeakingofStatisticsonAnimalResearch

Insummary,ratsbeingexcludedfromtheAWApresentsaclearproblemduetothefact
therearenoregulationsimposeduponratstoensuretheirsafetyfrompain.Bekoffhighlightsthis
issueperfectlywhenhequestionswhywereusinganimalsthataresensitiveandnotprotected
underanyregulations.Itleadsustoreconsiderthisissueandquestionifweshouldmakethe
AWAstricter.
Approachingasolutionforusingratsinthelaboratoryisadifficultproblemtoapproach
becauseitdealswithsciencethatrequiresprogress.Manyofthesolutionsthatareproposed
generallyfailduetotheinabilitytoreplicatetheresultsthatwouldonlybepossiblethroughthe
useofrats.Asaresult,itleadstoanalyzingtwodifferenttypesofsolutions:Aglobal/bigpicture
solution,andagrassrootssolution.
Beginningwithaglobalsolutionthatdealswithapolicyorlawthatcouldbeenactedto
minimizetheuseofratsandthewayratsaretreatedinthelabbeginswiththeAnimalWelfare
Act.Becausetheonlygoverninglawestablishedwasbeforethescienceofratsregardingpain
wasreleased,thisistheplacethatreformneedstobelookedatfirst.Thebestwaytoproposea
solutionthatwouldlimittheuseofratswouldbetoincluderatsintheprotectionamongthe
otheranimalslisted,suchasprimates.Byreplicatingthelawsthatgovernprimatestocoverrats,

thiswouldcutbackonhowmanyratsaredisposedinthelaboratoryeachyear,inadditionto
providingsafetyandnecessaryprotectiontolimitthepainpushedontorats.Forexample,
accordingtotheAnimalWelfareAct,thereare18sections,startingfromsection3.753.92that
enforcestrictregulationsonwhatcanandcannotoccurinthelab.Takingonespecificallyinto
account,bylookingatsection3.76oftheAWA,itaddressesthehousingrequiredforprimatesto
benolowerthan45degreescelsiusandnohigherthan85degreescelsius.Theremustbe
adequateventilationandthelightingmustbeincyclewithREMsleepastonotdisturbthe
sleepingpatternsofprimates.Ratsdifferdramaticallyinthelabbecauseneitherofthosethree
considerationsaretakenintoaccount.Generally,temperatureandventilationarenotputinto
considerationbyscientistsduetothecheapanddisposablenatureofrats.Thelargestissuedeals
withlightingthatfallsinlinewithsleepcycle,whichisalsonottakenintoaccountduetothe
numberofratsthatoccupyalabatacertaintime(animallaw.info).
Oneofthelargestissueswithimposingregulationsonratsisthelimitationthatitbrings
inscientificresearchanddevelopment.RemyMelinaiscurrentlyaspecialistforMedNet
Technologieswhoanalyzedwhetherornotscientificdevelopmentcanoccurwithoutratson
Livescience.Shestatesthattheprimaryreasonwhyratsareusedasopposedtootheranimalsis
duetothefactthatratsaretheclosestandcheapestanimalstothehuman.Duetothissimilarity
inthegeneticmakeup,ratscanbevalidandgoodwaysoftestingmedicalanddrugresearch
(livescience.com).Bylimitingrats,scienceisbeinglimitedaswellbecausethesemodel
organismsarenolongerabletodrivethedevelopmentthroughouttheyears,whichisahuge
problem.AlongsidetheglobalsolutionisalsoasidesolutionforinvitroSTEMcellresearch.
EmbryonicSTEMcellshavetheabilitytodifferentiateintomanydifferenttypesofcellsand

eventoutlastinvivocellsbecausethetelomeresarelonger.TocreatetheseSTEMcells,
scientistsneedtoisolatecellsfromaratduringtheblostocystsstageandthenculturethemto
bacterialplasmids.Bacteriahavetheabilitytomultiplyquickly,whichisaperfecthostfor
growingratcells(U.S.NationalLibraryofMedicine).Byimposingregulationsonratsthrough
theAnimalWelfareAct,itlimitstheprogressinourscientificdevelopment,butbytheuseof
STEMcellstorecreateforthereductionofratsinthelab,thecompensationprovestobeaviable
solution.
Thefinalsolutionisagrassrootssolutionorasolutionthatusessocialmediaasthe
catalystforchange.Socialmediainthe21stcenturyisthepioneerforanydevelopmentand
news.AccordingtothenationalarchivesontheU.S.government'sdatabase,inAprilalone,
Facebookreceivedover13millionuniquevistorsandTwitterhadover400thousanddailyusers
(archives.gov).Beingabletogetthewordoutregardingratresearchandtheethics/treatmentin
labscanwithoutadoubt,beaccomplishedthroughtheuseofsocialmedia.Inordertosparka
changeregardingscientificdevelopment,onesolutionistolaunchacampaigntoenforceAWA
regulationsinratresearch.

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