The rabbit cages were stacked three-high, lining the walls of the small animal holding room. There were only about thirty rabbits here, less than half of what I had expected. And they were huge, bigger than cats. Each one had one or more toys in its cage, and the room smelled decidedly fresh. "We groomed them today," said the animal handler. "We groom them once a week." The animal handlers also play with them and pet them at least once a day, to make them feel loved.I was suitably impressed. The next room was filled with about 30 rats and less than 100 mice. It smelled like animals were kept there, but they seemed fairly content, running around in their cages like pets in the store. The third and final room had approximately 200 mice, used for breeding and research. They scurried in their cages with metal tags on their ears. Some had been involved in surgery, but appeared as healthy and normal as the other mice.
The apparently excellent condition of the labs was surprising in light of two convincing pieces of information. All of the animal welfare organizations I spoke to had a strong suspicion that something was amiss, although nobody had a clue what it was. Not only that, they were building new, better labs and animal quarters, a facility that would ensure even higher-quality care and use of the animals.
To add even more confusion, members of the faculty and administration reacted in incredibly paranoid and hostile ways (see "How to create an Instant Public Relations Disaster," next issue.) This resulted in one of the most complex and difficult information-gathering projects I have yet embarked upon in my journalistic career, confounding me with sometimes contradictory, and incredibly sparse information. But, as we all know, people who act guilty are often simply afraid. With this in mind, I resolved that, no matter how hard the researchers tried to damn themselves, I would not give in. I decided instead to pursue the facts.
What is the Scale and Scope of Campus Research?
According to a report filed in 1989 with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, UCSC reported housing approximately 6,000 laboratory animals, mostly mice, in its animal facilities. Not all of these animals were in the facility at once, though. Most of the animals that come in are euthanised within a few days for organ and tissue samples. Few are involved in repeated surgeries or ongoing experiments. These are observed for an average of six months until they are euthanised. Breeding females stay around long enough to produce about four litters each, and breeding males stay longer. Some of the rabbits at the facility have been living at the university for five to six years, and are used exclusively for antibody production, which consists of giving injections and drawing blood without causing severe or lasting injury to the animal.
The person directly in charge of all these animals is Dr. Morris Barenfus, the campus veterinarian. His responsibilities include overseeing the facilities, taking care of sick animals, training researchers in surgical and experimental techniques, and assisting in difficult surgery. In addition, a staff of animal handlers is responsible for the caring, feeding, and monitoring of the animals.
According to Rob Irion, UCSC Public Information Representative, there were 97 active animal research applications on this campus last year. Of those, 30 involve laboratory research, 53 involve field work, and 14 are for classroom experiments.
Did you say Classroom Experiments?
Of the 14 classroom applications, fewer than five utilize dead animals, such as an anthropology class that uses bones, and a human physiology class that uses 2 cat cadavers. About half the live animal applications involve work in the field such as counting the numbers of certain animals on campus, and observing animal behavior.
The classroom applications that use live laboratory animals generally use small numbers. Bio 123L provides two mice per student in a class of 15 students. The purpose is to illustrate immunology techniques. According to Irion, "The students observe the anatomy of the mouse immune system, remove spleens and other organs under anesthesia, and then euthanise them."
Bio 125L uses 12 live bullfrogs to illustrate the mechanical and electrical properties of excitable tissue. Students have the option of using the live frogs, or they can use a computer simulation. In another introductory biology lab, two mice total are taken from a research population that will already be euthanised for tissue and organ samples.
How do I Know They're Not Lying?
The body responsible for overseeing all of these projects in the Campus Animal Research Committee (CARC.) This committe meets approximately once a month to discuss issues affecting the animals, researchers, staff, and facilities. The membership of the CARC is fairly diverse, and includes researchers, administrators, Dr. Barenfus, a staff representative, an animal handler, and a member from outside of the UCSC community. Most of these positions are mandated by law, and are designed to ensure a committee that represents the needs of all those who will be affected by the animal research, including the animals.
The CARC is mainly responsible for ensuring that proposed research meets or exceeds animal welfare guidelines set by the Public Health Service. "I have found the committee to be a forum that takes its charge very seriously," says Carol Adams, outside member of the committee, and Vice President of Dominican Hospital in Capitola. "It is consistent and remarkably thorough in its approaches to analyzing [research] proposals. There is a recognition both on the committee and by researchers that it is not merely a 'rubber stamp.'
However, the committee at UCSC has come under a lot of fire from animal welfare advocates such as the SPCA. "I'd have a hard time believing that Carol Adams would have an objective point of view. There should really be at least one outside member on the committee from the animal welfare community," says Judy Cassada, spokesperson for the Santa Cruz SPCA. However, she did support the committee participation of Debbie White, UCSC's animal control officer, whom she described as "sympathetic [to animal welfare concerns.]"
Adams said that, while she has never entered a dissenting opinion for the record, she would feel comfortable doing so if she were opposed to a particular procedure.
White concurred, and said, "the animals in our labs are treated better than a lot of house pets I've seen." She also agrees that the committee takes its job very seriously, and is highly concerned with the care and treatment that the animals receive.
What's the Research Actually Like?
Almost all of the animal research on campus is basic rather than applied. Basic research is aimed at answering questions that will not necessarily lead to immediate or directly applicable advances. Research here primarily attempts to answer questions about how and why specific biological processes work.
In order to answer questions such as these, it is not necessary to use the more infamous types of tests like the LD50 toxicity test, and the Draize test for eye sensitivity. Some of the animals here are mainly used to manufacture antibodies and provide tissue, either for study or implantation into another animal. In the others, a certain condition is produced, like cancer or pregnancy, and then studied. (see sidebar)
The types of animals that have been used include rats, mice, field voles, guinea pigs, hamsters, ground squirrels, rabbits, and pigeons. The populations fluctuate greatly from year to year, depending on the type of research being done. The current animal quarters, which are scaled back now because the labs are not yet complete, contain mice, rats, rabbits, and pigeons. Mice comprise the bulk of the animals, numbering in the thousands per year.
The university has shied away from using larger animals and primates because the type of research generally done here can be performed on smaller animals. Smaller animals are easier to care for, cost less, and don't require extensive facilities.
Much of the studying is done through blood samples. In some of the large animals (like rats,) a tube is affixed to the jugular vein and sampled at regular intervals. In smaller animals like mice, many more animals must be used because the animal cannot survive the loss of that much blood. As a result, mice are sacrificed at each stage of sampling to give a picture of the progression of a certain condition. Blood is extracted from rabbits through the ear vein, under restraint.
- Anesthetizing animals prior to euthanasia by decapitation or cervical dislocation is not required by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), but it is recommended, whenever possible.
A few animals are also studied during surgery and immediately sacrificed - a practice often referred to as 'vivisection,' by animal rights groups. However, most of the animals involved in surgery are allowed to recover and are then studied through blood sampling and observation prior to being euthanised. Animals involved in surgery are anesthetized if the committee believes that it will cause pain or distress, unless the anesthesia will throw off the results of the experiments. If the animal is not euthanised during surgery, adequate postoperative care, including appropriate pain relievers, is required.
According to the University's 1989 annual report, none of the animals were subjected to experiments the committee considered painful without the use of anesthesia. Not very many animals are used in major surgical procedures. Out of 5,772 mice in '89, only 802 were involved in surgery.
Animals killed without anesthesia are not included in this category. "It's mainly in the euthanasia process that the decision has to be made whether to anesthetize or not," says Irion. "Sometimes anesthesia can affect the tissues that are being studied, and the stress caused by shots, gassing, or decapitation can cause the release of hormones that would affect the results." Anesthetizing animals prior to euthanasia by decapitation or cervical dislocation is not required by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), but it is recommended, whenever possible.
Researchers here use four different methods of euthanasia. Which method is used depends on the type of animal, the type of research being performed, personal preference, and the committee. These methods are: CO2 gas, overdose of anesthesia, decapitation (the head is placed in liquid nitrogen to halt brain activity afterwards,) and cervical dislocation (breaking the neck.) In response to the last two, Dr. Barenfus says, "People are often sickened by decapitation and cervical dislocation. But if a researcher knows what he/she is doing, it is very quick and painless."
Why Are They Building a New Animal Facility on the Roof of Thimann?
Animal research is not a new addition to UCSC. Since the campus was built, the university has maintained lab animals and facilities. However, the facilities have always been inadequate. Although the animal facilities at UCSC have been updated over the years, they have not been able to keep pace with rapidly improving standards for animal care and use. Many of the original rooms used for animal housing were not originally designed for that purpose. They have been added to at a fairly consistent rate over the years, with the exception of one major expansion. This expansion was, according to Dr. Charles Daniel, "...not nearly as big as the [expansion] we're seeing now."
The current construction (on the Thimann roof, next to the greenhouses,) is the largest in the campus' history and the first intended to bring it up to AAALAC standards, a goal that UC President Gardner has asked all UC campuses to seek. Accreditation by this organizaion is an indication of the quality and safety of the laboratory, because its standards are so exacting. The new facilites provide not only a shower/change room for the staff, but a lounge, surgery/procedure rooms, postmotem exam room, quarantine area, and ample room for cleaning the cages and storing supplies, as well as more room for the animals, all of which are required for accreditation by this body.
When asked if the new facilities indicated an intention to expand animal research on campus, Kliger replied, "It's not a matter of expansion. The new facilities are designed much better. In the current ones, the staff doesn't have room to work. They don't even have a lunch room - they're forced to eat lunch in the same room that they prepare the animals' meals in."
In addition to these improvements, the rooftop laboratories will include a high-quality surgical facility, complete with operating room, prep room, necropsy (postmortem exam.) lab, and a pharmaceutical/instrument storage room. Currently, researchers have to take animals to their own labs if they want to perform surgery.
Fear of a lab break-in by animal rights groups has necessitated a very tight security system. The new facilities are littered with high-tech security equipment, including closed circuit TV, magnetic door detectors, window break detectors, motion sensors, and sound pickups. Some doors require a key card and security code to open.
The new quarters are built, but are still awaiting full completion, although animals are currently being stored there in the completed quarters.
All Good Articles Need an Epilogue, Don't They?
I called Judy Cassada and a few other animal activists earlier this evening. I really wanted to know what they thought of my final analysis. I was slightly surprised when they believed me, because they had been so skeptical and suspicious of UCSC before. They were all relieved to know that the animals here are well cared-for, and many of their concerns were put to rest.
But for them, that wasn't the real issue. What they had a problem with was the use of animals in research, period. They saw it as exploitive and unfair.
"If those animals could speak," said Judy, "If they could look at you and say, 'Stop. Don't do this to me. It hurts.' we wouldn't do it."
The Researchers
(Sidebar for Article #1)
Author's note: The information in this sidebar should by no means be considered exhaustive. The University refuses to offer a listing of which researchers use animals, it must be produced from reams of grant awards, organized by researcher's last name. Names of researchers who use animals must be divined from incredibly technical jargon, as well as the procedures used on the animals. In addition, many of the records are poorly organized. Those that are organized vary in level of specificity and accuracy (because projects' needs and actualities differ from the actual grant application.) In wading through this sea of confusion and outright secrecy, some inaccuracies may have crept in, and some information may have been forgotten. If either occurred, I apologize - I did the best possible in light of the conditions I faced...
Frank Talamantes, who is well-known for his research on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, will soon be using Nicotine to investigate the effects of smoking on pregnancy and lactation. He is currently studying the role of placental lactogens, hormones produced in the placenta during pregnancy that regulate growth of the fetus and mammary glands. By administering carcinogenic substances and implanting mouse pituitary glands into the kidneys of his subjects, Talamantes is able to study the hormonal processes associated with these tumors.
In a project entitled Role of Placental Lactogens in Pregnancy, he intends to use 10,500 mice over a five-year period - 350 males for breeding, 3,900 pregnant females to produce tissue, and 6,250 pregnant females in experiments. He will also use 8 rabbits to raise antiserum, which will be collected from the ear vein under restraint. The estimated direct cost for this five-year period is $677,280.00. Another study of placental lactogens will use 618 mice and 375 rats per year. Dr. Talamantes' mice are kept in 6 temperature and light-controlled rooms totalling 1,200 square feet.
Howard Wang (pronounced Wong,) is doing research on cocaine receptors in the brain. He excises brain tissue from euthanised mice and separates certain parts of the brain tissue. The goal is to get a more concrete idea about how these receptors work. "The mice he euthanises cannot be anesthetized before they are decapitated, because the anesthesia acts on the brain tissue and changes its nature," says Irion.
He is also trying to find out how anesthetics work through the study of dead animals collected from slaughterhouses, and from the electric organ tissues of torpedo rays.
Ralph Berger uses about 6 pigeons per year to study how the pineal gland seems to regulate circadian rhythms. In one of the studies, he inhibits the pineal gland from secreting melatonin, an important chemical in this process. This is done by affixing a fiber-optic tube attached to an LED to the skull so that it can shine light directly on the pineal gland, which is adjacent to the brain. This is a surgical procedure done under anesthesia.
In another study, he actually removes the pineal gland to study the effect. He uses pigeons because they are one of the few vertebrates which have a pineal gland (human's don't have one, either,) and because there is already a lot known about pigeons. This research is expected to improve the body of knowledge about sleep disorders and eating disorders, which are connected with slow wave sleep. At one time, he was funded by an eating disorder clinic. His pigeons are euthanised each year by Halothane, an inhalant gas, followed by Nembutal injection.
Charles Daniel has only one active application. The purpose of his study is to investigate factors that seem to be capable of inhibiting the growth of mammary glands. These glands begin to grow during puberty, but it is not known what makes them stop growing. Over a period of 25 years of research on this project, he has discovered a number of factors. The one he works with now is TGF Beta, and it's reversible - if you administer it, the tissue stops growing, remove it and the tissue begins to grow again. He's trying to find out why this works, and how it's activated and deactivated. Some mice have their ovaries removed for implantation into the breast tissues of other mice, which causes cancer. In this study, he is collaborating with Celtrix Laboratories who have agreed to provide him with antibodies which neutralize TGF beta, to be implanted into breast tissue. The National Cancer Institute has also offered to provide him with TGF beta.
Thomas Schleich has studied the proteins in the eyes of rabbits in the past, to study the formation of cataracts. He currently uses no live animals. Instead, he is studying the proteins in bovine (cow) eyes obtained from local slaughterhouses.
Victor Rocha is currently on leave, to help get Cal State Marcos started. His proposals are still active, but his research is dormant until he returns, probably sometime after the 1991-92 academic year. His group is studying proteins which seem to be important to the development of mammary glands. He's not looking at cancer, but at the normal functioning of these proteins. He uses a small number of mice and rabbits to generate antibodies.
Various other researchers use small numbers of animals to raise antibodies and procure tissue samples, but do not regularly order and maintain large populations of animals.