> Number 3 Page 1

Dept. of VA, Edward Hines Jr. Hospital Veterinary Medical Unit

North Chicago VA Medical Center Veterinary Medical Unit

**IACUC Policy**

**Adequate Searches**

No one wants to use animals unnecessarily or to cause them unnecessary
suffering. The guiding principles in animal research today are called
the three R's:

-   [Reduce](http://www.rds-online.org.uk/pages/page.asp?i_ToolbarID=4&i_PageID=45#reduce%23reduce)
    the number of animals used to a minimum

-   [Refine](http://www.rds-online.org.uk/pages/page.asp?i_ToolbarID=4&i_PageID=45#refine%23refine)
    the way experiments are carried out, to make sure animals suffer as
    little as possible

-   [Replace](http://www.rds-online.org.uk/pages/page.asp?i_ToolbarID=4&i_PageID=45#replace%23replace)
    animal experiments with non-animal techniques wherever possible.

As one method to ensure that investigators implement the three R's
whenever possible, the Hines NC VA IACUC requires investigators are
required to perform regular, substantial and adequate literature
searches for alternatives to animal research, unnecessary duplication,
and refinement techniques.

Searches are required to be performed:

1.  Prior to approval for new protocols

2.  At the time of the three year protocol re-review

3.  Whenever a significant change is made in study design, research
    objectives, or increase in animal numbers.

To be certain that adequate searches for alternatives to animal testing
have been conducted, the IACUC requires that a search be completed using
the ALTBIB website. The ALTBIB website is an NIH website designed to
perform database searches on alternatives.

The site is available to all users at
**http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/altbib.html**. It helps to properly format
searches in PubMed, provides links to live PubMed searches on selected
animal testing topics. It also displays links to other important sites
on alternatives.

**Short instructions on using the ALTBIB site:**

**a. For searches encompassing years 2000 -- present**

1\. Type search terms in box (for example, \"tumor and mice\")

2\. Mark the PubMed option under the search box and mark the \"2000-to
present.\" **Do not mark the \"Animal use alternatives\"**.

3\. Click on search.

4\. The search will be performed by combining the terms added in the box
(e.g. tumor and mice) with a lengthy list of \"animal alternatives\"
terms, thus facilitating the task of applying appropriate terms.

5\. A new PubMed window will open, displaying the search results.

**b. For searches encompassing years prior to 2000**

1\. Type search terms in box

2\. Click on search.

3\. Results will be displayed.

To document your search, **it is highly recommended that you print the
hits with abstracts to document that you did the search, or save the
hits as an HTML or other file.**

If you receive too many or too few hits, return to ALTBIB to expand or
narrow the search.

There are also very convenient pre-formatted searches (e.g. \"transgenic
mouse model\") near the bottom of the page.

Below are the results from a search that was conducted using the terms
rat AND stroke. Five records were returned.

  ----------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --
  **Select\               **  Reference**                                                                        
  Record**                                                                                                       

  **1**                   [**DIRECT OBSERVATION OF NEUROTOXICITY IN BRAIN SLICES WITH INFRARED                   
  ![](media/image1.wmf)   VIDEOMICROSCOPY**](http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/f?./temp/~upFF9X:1)\   
                          Dodt HU; Hager G; Zieglgansberger W\                                                   
                          J Neurosci Methods 1993;50(2):165-71                                                   

  **2**                   **Comparison of glutamine-enhanced glutamate release from slices and primary cultures  
  ![](media/image2.wmf)   of [rat]{.underline} brain**\                                                          
                          Bowyer JF; Lipe GW; Matthews JC; Scallet AC; Davies DL\                                
                          Ann N Y Acad Sci 1995;765:72-85, Discussion 98-9                                       

  **3**                   **Evaluation of a novel nimodipine delivery system in conscious [rats]{.underline}     
  ![](media/image3.wmf)   that allows sustained release for 24 h**\                                              
                          Perez-Trepichio AD; Jones SC\                                                          
                          J Neurosci Methods 1996;68(2):297-301.                                                 

  **4**                   **Methods to induce primary and secondary traumatic damage in organotypic hippocampal  
  ![](media/image4.wmf)   slice cultures.**\                                                                     
                          Adamchik Y; Frantseva M V; Weisspapir M; Carlen P L; Perez Velazquez J L\              
                          Brain Res Brain Res Protoc 2000;5(2):153-8                                             

  **5**                   **Intrastriatal and intranigral grafting of hNT neurons in the 6-OHDA                  
  ![](media/image5.wmf)   [rat]{.underline} model of Parkinson\'s disease.**\                                    
                          Baker K A; Hong M; Sadi D; Mendez I\                                                   
                          Exp Neurol 2000;162(2):350-60                                                          
  ----------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --

The policy was reviewed on June 17^th^, 2008 by a quorum of a convened
IACUC meeting. This action is reflected in the minutes of the said
meeting.