Experiments involving low stress for experimental animals are carried out in various research fields. After the experiment, the animals fully recover and could well be used in subsequent experiments. Whether it is justifiable to reduce the total number of experimental animals with the consequence of using some animals in multiple experiments is contentious, even the “Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes” does not give a clear answer to this question. The aim of this project is to make a specific contribution to the decision-making process with regard to using animals in multiple experiments of the mild and moderate severity category. In addition, findings from this project will be used to identify valid analytical parameters that should constitute the foundation of this decision-making process.

The number of studies that involve imaging techniques, e.g. for process control, and therefore require the use anesthesia is increasing. This project examines the impact of multiple exposures to anesthesia – performed in short and long intervals – on the wellbeing of laboratory rodents.

Our team has a great deal of experience and uses a broad range of methods concerning behavioral pharmacology. In addition, the chemical methods of analysis for corticosterone and catecholamines are well-established. Furthermore, the grimace scale, which was established/invented by the team of Flecknell at the University of Newcastle in England, is applied/ used for the first time in this project