Drug/Substance Administration

Report of the 2023 RSPCA/UFAW/IAT Rodent Welfare Group Meeting

This report summarises the meeting and covers discussions ranging from housing and husbandry to refinement in procedures, education, and learning from companion rate care. It includes some action points for readers to consider raising at their own establishments.

Year Published: 2024Topics: Drug/Substance Administration, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Barnabe, M., Applebee, K., Hurst, J. et al. 2024. Report of the 2023 RSPCA/UFAW/IAT Rodent Welfare Group Meeting. Animal Technology and Welfare 23(2), 81–90.

The 3Hs Initiative—Housing, handling, and habituation

We have looked at our housing, handling and habituation approaches to identify areas to make improvements. This is critical for our resaerch outputs and has the benefit of reducing the cumulative suffering the animals experience by reducing stress and negative...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Animal Training, Drug/Substance Administration, Handling, Housing, RestraintAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Bartlett, J., Hinchcliffe, J., Jackson, M. et al. 2024. The 3Hs Initiative—Housing, handling, and habituation. Animal Technology and Welfare 23(2), 91–99.

Murine model of minimally invasive nasal depot (MIND) technique for central nervous system delivery of blood–brain barrier-impermeant therapeutics

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) poses a substantial obstacle to the successful delivery of therapeutics to the central nervous system (CNS). The transnasal route has been extensively explored, but success rates have been modest due to challenges related to the precise...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Chua, A. J., Di Francesco, V., D'Souza, A. et al. 2024. Murine model of minimally invasive nasal depot (MIND) technique for central nervous system delivery of blood–brain barrier-impermeant therapeutics. Lab Animal 53(12), 363–375.

Refinement of intranasal delivery in rats: A cadaveric study

The intranasal route enables direct delivery of multiple substances from the nose to the brain, through olfactory and trigeminal pathways, bypassing the blood–brain barrier and avoiding systemic absorption. Despite the potential of this route, the various administration approaches make data...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Pereira, M. N., Venâncio, C., Pinto, M. de L. et al. 2024. Refinement of intranasal delivery in rats: A cadaveric study. Laboratory Animals 58(4), 324–333.

Refined tamoxifen administration in mice by encouraging voluntary consumption of palatable formulations

Drug administration in preclinical rodent models is essential for research and the development of novel therapies. Compassionate administration methods have been developed, but these are mostly incompatible with water-insoluble drugs such as tamoxifen or do not allow for precise timing...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Vanhecke, D., Bugada, V., Steiner, R. et al. 2024. Refined tamoxifen administration in mice by encouraging voluntary consumption of palatable formulations. Lab Animal 53(8), 205–214.

Rats prefer condensed milk to strawberry jam – a new possibility for voluntary oral drug administration

Voluntary oral drug administration using sweet substances promotes rodents' therapeutic compliance while reducing stress induced by forced drug administration. We aimed to test whether rats would willingly eat strawberry jam or condensed milk from a syringe, and which one they...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Ferreira-Duarte, M., Lopes, I. M., Morato, M. et al. 2024. Rats prefer condensed milk to strawberry jam – a new possibility for voluntary oral drug administration. Laboratory Animals 58(2), 160–163.

Determining the preferred liquid reward in adult C57BL/6 mice

Using food rewards to motivate mice is commonplace in behavioural research. Using a reward which is highly desirable is of benefit, as it can reduce the need to food restrict animals and can encourage higher levels of consumption, allowing for...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Behavioral & Cognitive Testing, Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Miller, A. L., Leach, M. C. 2023. Determining the preferred liquid reward in adult C57BL/6 mice. Laboratory Animals 57(3), 332–335.

Use of a low-calorie flavored gel to facilitate oral self-administration of analgesics in mice

The goals of this study were to determine whether mice would adapt to a low-calorie flavored water gel as their sole source of hydration and whether the addition of acetaminophen, tramadol, meloxicam, or buprenorphine to the gel would affect their...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Analgesia, Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Riddell, D. L., Hyndman, T. H., Bowden, R. S. et al. 2023. Use of a low-calorie flavored gel to facilitate oral self-administration of analgesics in mice. JAALAS 62(2), 163–169.

An optimized method for intratracheal instillation in mice

Non-invasive intratracheal instillation is an important method for direct exposure of the respiratory tract which is commonly used in toxicology, environmental science, and other research fields. However, there is no standard operating process for non-invasive intratracheal instillation. To keep the...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Zeng, Y., Jin, H., Wang, J. et al. 2022. An optimized method for intratracheal instillation in mice. Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological Methods 118, 107230.

Effects of repeated intramuscular injections on sow behaviour reactions and stress-related saliva biomarkers – A pilot study

Medicating large production animals, such as sows, individually can be challenging, especially when repeated treatments are needed. Intramuscular (i.m.) injections have been shown to be aversive, and an increased reaction could be expected over consecutive days of injections. The aim...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Valros, A., Norring, M., Ahlqvist, K. et al. 2024. Effects of repeated intramuscular injections on sow behaviour reactions and stress-related saliva biomarkers – A pilot study. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 271, 106173.