Research services

LabAnimals Pro - Oulu is the Animal Data Management System of OULAC. It is a web browser based service. Google Chrome is the recommended browser.

Project license is a central element in LabAnimals Pro. There are two types of licenses: Those approved by the National Animal Experiment Board (external licenses, ESAVI) and those approved by the OULAC (internal licenses).

All animals are placed under some license. New licenses are entered in LabAnimals Pro by the license holder (researcher) who must save and send it to OULAC for activation. After activation, the researcher can order animals or new animals can be entered into the system.

The license number is mandatory information when entering the new licenses. In the projects accepted by ELLA, the license number given by ESAVI will be added in the license number field. With the internal licenses, the researcher will add the date and the own initials in this field and OULAC will later give the internal number to this license.

The license also determines which animals the researcher can see or handle. A researcher can see the animals only if s/he is attached to the license of the animals in LabAnimals Pro (the role may be a license holder, a payer, a responsible researcher, or a researcher attached to the license). If you need to be attached to the license (= should see the animals), please, ask the license holder to add you in the license.

There are two versions of LabAnimals Pro:

Production version (https://oulu.labanimals.fi/oulu/) | Contains the real animal data. Know what you do!

Test and practice version (https://oulu-labanimals.custom-wh.eneroc.fi/oulu/) | Please, feel free to practice here.

When logging in for the first time, the program asks to complete the user form and send it to OULAC for activation. The program is accessible after activation and log-in is done with the user name and password of Oulu University via University Shibboleth-system.

Contact persons in KEKS

tuula.stranius(at)oulu.fi (animals, statistics)

tanja.sankala(at)oulu.fi (animals)

sakari.laaksonen(at)oulu.fi (licences and animal welfare)

hanna-marja.voipio(at)oulu.fi (new GM strains, licenses)

eija.nissinen(at)oulu.fi (general technical assistance, statistics)

Compilation of annual statistics on animal use is required by the Finnish law 497/2013 and EU directive 2010/63.

It is the primary researcher’s duty to record the data of the own animals. The Project -Responsible-Person is in charge to send the complete data for reporting. Laboratory Animal Centre (OULAC) will collect and forward it to the Authorities annually. Animals that are used in a “Procedure” will end-up in annual EU-report, other animals in national FI-report.

Statistics data can be recorded (to mark ready and save) by Primary Researcher, License Holder, Project-Responsible-Person (PRP, Designated person responsible for the project activities) and OULAC personnel. The annual statistics should be ready latest by the 31st of January next year.

Instructions for the compilation of statistics:
Severity classification in LabanimalsPro

The wellbeing and environmental conditions of the laboratory animals are monitored on a daily basis. A professional animal technician inspects the animals at least once a day.

The daily inspection includes

• General external inspection
• Behaviour
• Cleanliness
• Mobility and activeness
• Nutrition
• Condition of the fur
• Eyes, ears and mouth
• Consumption of food and liquids
• Condition and cleanliness of the cage or pen

An experienced animal technician quickly notices if something is wrong. When necessary, the technician contacts the veterinarian of the laboratory animal establishment who performs a more detailed clinical examination. In terms of the animals in an experiment, the researcher in charge of the experiment shall also be contacted. Procedures for improving the well-being of the animal are decided on a case-by-case basis, or when necessary, at the termination of the experiment for the animal in question.

Special attention is paid to the state of health and well-being of the animals in the experiment. In the animal experiment licence application, the researcher explains the details of all the procedures performed on the animals, and any potentially harmful consequences of the procedures. In addition, the application clarifies in which manner the harmful consequences to well-being are minimised and what are the grounds for eliminating the animal from the experiment.

A form for well-being supports monitoring after e.g. surgical procedures, where the animal’s state and possible procedures, such as analgesia or rehydration, are registered daily or more often if necessary. A clarification of the experimental procedures, potentially harmful consequences and basis for eliminating the animal from the experiment, must be visible in all animal rooms (Form for monitoring procedures).

Microbiological health monitoring is performed in accordance with the FELASA quidelines

Mouse barrier

• Samples are collected three times a year.
• As a rule, samples are collected from sentinel animals. For a minimum of two months before sampling, dirty bedding from other cages of the animal room will be moved to the sentinel cage at every cage change. Food and water bottle are also always transferred from other cages to the sentinel cage. This way the possible unwanted pathogenic microbes in the animal room are more likely to be transmitted to the individual being examined. Alternatively, it is also possible to select random animals from each animal room for the health monitoring.
• Blood samples are serologically examined for microbe antibodies
• Swab samples are collected from the pharynx, vagina or foreskin, and caecum for bacterial culture.
• PCR assays may be done from e.g. faeces, contents of the caecum, intestinal lymph nodes or external swab samples.
• The skin and fur are microscopically examined for external parasites. Faeces and the contents of the small intestine and caecum are examined for intestinal parasites.
• Animals are superficially inspected when collecting the samples. If necessary, a more detailed pathological examination is conducted.
• The samples are examined in external laboratories. The skin and fur and the intestinal contents are microscopically examined at OULAC.
• The microbe checklist, findings, methods of analysis and research laboratories are described in the health monitoring report.

Research unit

Mice and rats

Health monitoring rounds based on the FELASA recommendations are performed at the research unit less frequently than in the mouse barrier, but at minimum once a year.

Pigs

Swine used in experiments are purchased from a production pig farm which has a prevention and health monitoring programme in case of clinical illnesses or microbes that could cause production losses. When the pigs are brought in OULAC, they are inspected in case of health problems. Samples are collected and examined if necessary, in case there is reason to suspect a contagious disease.

Sheep

Sheep are purchased from a farm that is involved in the national contagious sheep disease monitoring programme. In addition, the farm must have a veterinary care agreement with the municipal veterinarian. The agreement includes monitoring production conditions and preventive health care. When the sheep are brought in OULAC, they are inspected in case of health problems. Samples are collected and examined if necessary, in case there is reason to suspect a contagious disease.

Microbiological monitoring findings in OULAC

The mouse barrier was emptied, disinfected and repopulated in December 2014. No primary pathogens listed in the FELASA guidelines have been found ever since. However, in the monitoring 5.5.2015, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were detected in immunocompromised (athymic) nude mouse sentinels. S. aureus has also later been isolated from preputial gland abscesses that occasionally develop in otherwise healthy C57 breeding males, although the health monitoring results of the sentinel mice have been negative ever since the 5.5.2015 monitoring round.

In the research unit, mouse norovirus (MNV) has been detected in mice and Streptococcus agalactiae in rats. As mice are brought from the mouse barrier into the research unit for use in experiments, it is apparent that S. aureus is prevalent in the research unit as well.

All the abovementioned microbes are harmless in healthy, immunocompetent animals, and probably do not affect most of the research conducted in OULAC. However, researchers should be aware of the possibility of these infections, and should consider their possible effects when planning experiments. If needed, e.g. when conducting experiments with immunocompromised animals, special housing arrangements can be made to protect the animals from infections.

Why is microbiological health monitoring performed?

A good state of health is an important part of the well-being of animals. Microbiological monitoring is conducted to find out whether the animals carry microbes that can cause diseases either for the animals themselves, for other species or for humans. Microbiological health monitoring is a good way to prevent diseases from spreading and to increase the general state of animal health.

Basis for microbiological health monitoring

• Our ethical view and legislation obligate us to take care of the health and well-being of animals.
• Preventing pathogens that cause illness or are latent improves the general state of animal health, increases the physiological uniformity of the animals, improves the reliability of the scientific research and decreases the number of animals needed for the experiments.
• Even asymptomatic infections may distort the results obtained in experiments.
• Animals under health monitoring will be accepted in other laboratory animal establishments as well.

Classification of the animal microbiological level

• Axenic animals have no viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites. Endogenous DNA viruses can exist, however. Breeding is possible only in an isolator.
• Gnotobiotic animals can be produced by giving axenic animals a known mixture of microbes. Breeding is possible only in an isolator.
• SPF animals (specific pathogen free) are known to be free from specific microbes and parasites that are harmful to the species. SPF animals are usually maintained in a barrier department or IVC cages (individually ventilated cages).
• Conventional animals may carry harmful microbes. Conventional animals are maintained in conventional, so called open units.

On what basis are microbes and parasites selected for inspection?

The basis is the degree of harmful impact of the microbe or parasite on the health of the animals or humans or for the scientific research. Everything cannot be tested, so selecting the microbes is always a compromise. Based on facility-specific needs the decision is made on what, how and how often inspections are made. OULAC primarily abides by the FELASA recommendations. The recommendations vary by country. As the level of knowledge about new microbes increase and diagnostics develop, the recommendations change.

Interpretation of the health monitoring results

• If even one positive result is found during the monitoring, the whole unit is considered as contaminated with the microbe in question.
• If all samples are negative, the unit is considered as clean of the microbe in question.

The results obtained from the health monitoring are "historical" as soon as the samples have been taken. Uncertainty about the microbiological situation at the unit increases with increasing time passed since the last time samples were examined.

Humane endpoint is the moment when the pain or suffering the animal has been subjected to must for ethical reasons immediately be mitigated, by euthanising the animal, ending the painful procedure or alleviating the pain or suffering by other means.

When planning an animal experiment, the researchers should already in advance consider how animal well-being could potentially be compromised. If it is to be expected that the animal may be subjected to pain, suffering or other harm in the experiment, all possible means of refinement must be applied and the planned (scientific) endpoint must be set immediately after the scientific goal has reliably been achieved. The grounds and time point of the scientific endpoint should be described in the study plan, as well as the anticipated level of harm.

The humane endpoints are to be defined so that if the anticipated level of harm is clearly exceeded, the experiment will be terminated or interruprted for the animal. The visible, clinical or other signs of reaching the humane endpoint must be described in as much detail as possible. If the animal falls ill or is unexpectedly injured due to factors unrelated to the study, the experiment must be interrupted in accordance with the scientific and humane endpoints.

General criteria for euthanasia include pain that cannot be alleviated, notable loss of weight or dehydration, refusal to eat or drink, or abnormal general condition and behaviour.