Changes to Requirements in Documentation Section on
IACUC Animal Protocol Review Form

Alternatives are framed within the context of the "3 R's" originally discussed by Russell and Burch in 1959 (The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique). These include:

• Replacement:  Utilizing non-animal models.  These may include living systems utilizing organ, tissue or cell culture techniques; non-living systems such as chemical techniques and mechanical models for training; and computer simulations.  Wherever possible, use of invertebrates or vertebrate species lower on the phylogenic scale may be considered as a replacement alternative.
• Reduction: Determining the number of animals used in a study by experimental design and/or statistical analysis to minimize the number of animals required to obtain meaningful data.
• Refinement: Reducing or eliminating pain or distress in animals by use of anesthetics and analgesics, modification of procedures or technical enhancements that increase the quality or quantity of data gathered.

To address the concerns, which could result in citations for violation of the Animal Welfare Act, the IACUC is requiring that all literature searches must include at least one search engine that can address alternative techniques.  Examples of acceptable data bases include:

• ALTWEB: http://altweb.jhsph.edu/  Alternatives to Animal Testing on the Web serves as a gateway to alternatives news, information and resources on the Internet and elsewhere.
• ALTBIB: http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/altbib.html   This site is under the National Library for Medicine.
• AnimAlt-ZEBET Database:  http://www.dimdi.de/static/en/db/index.htm   This German site provides a full-text database of alternative methods (3Rs) to animal experiments in biomedicine and related fields (Click on Databases, then Databases A-Z, and then on AnimAlt-ZEBET)
• ECVAM SIS(Scientific Information Service) Database: http://www.nc3rs.org.uk/category.asp?catID=3   Provides factual and evaluated information on advanced non-animal methods for toxicology assessments; offers full method descriptions, including development and validation status.
• INVITRODERM:  http://www.invitroderm.com/  Provides alternatives to skin irritation/corrosion testing in animals.
• ALTWEB Pain Management (Anaesthesia/Analgesia) Database: http://apps1.jhsph.edu/altweb/aadb/aadb_search.cfm  Information about anesthesia and analgesia for most commonly used laboratory animals.
• ALTWEB Humane Endpoints Database: http://apps1.jhsph.edu/altweb/humane/
  Designed to help researchers find the earliest "endpoint" that is compatible with the scientific objectives of their research, i.e., the earliest point at which an experimental animals pain and/or distress is terminated, minimized, or reduced.
• European Resource Centre for Alternatives in Higher Education (EURCA): http://www.nc3rs.org.uk/category.asp?catID=3  Information about alternatives to using animals in higher education.The following sites can help you develop strategies for searching for alternatives and can link you to data bases that will perform the searches:
• Animal Welfare Information Center: Alternatives: http://riley.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=3&tax_level=1&tax_subject=183. This site provides many avenues to consider for searches and gives information on how to design your search for alternatives.

• Databases section of the University of California Center for Animal Alternatives (UCCAA) website:   http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/Animal_Alternatives/database.htm

• FRAME Guide to Searching for Alternatives:  http://www.frame.org.uk/azindex.php

 If you have questions regarding this new requirement, please contact one of the following individuals:

Susan Wilson-Sanders, IACUC member: 626-1066 wilson-s@u.arizona.edu

Paula Johnson, IACUC member: 621-3483 pauladj@email.arizona.ed