Guideline for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of Nagoya City University Medical School

(translated by Takashi Agui; not official)

1. Purpose
The purpose of this guideline is to assure that animal experimentation in the Nagoya City University Medical School (hereafter referred to as "this school") is performed scientifically and in compliance with the principles of animal welfare according to the guideline of Japanese Association for Laboratory Animal Science.

2. Range of application
This guideline shall apply to care and use of all laboratory animals in this school.

3. The Institutional Laboratory Animal Care and Use Committee
(1) The Institutional Laboratory Animal Care and Use Committee (hereafter referred to as "Committee") is organized to supervise animal experimentation performed in this school and to review animal research protocols.
(2) By-laws of the Committee are specified elsewhere.

4. Animal research protocols
(1) Researchers may perform animal experimentation only when its purpose is to develop understanding in Medicine and it contributes to welfare of human beings. Researchers must also make efforts for animal welfare.
(2) Researchers must minimize the range of animal experimentation as to achieve research aims. To realize it, they must select most suitable animal species and protocol in terms of the scientific view.
(3) Experimental protocols should be approved by the Committee. Researchers shall make efforts to investigate alternative experimental methods without using animals.
(4) Researchers must consider the number of laboratory animals, genetic and microbiological characteristics of animals, and breeding environmental conditions. Researchers should obey the indication made by the Director of the Center for Experimental Animal Sciences (hereafter referred to as "Center") when they use the Center.
(5) Researchers must pay attention to the nature protection when wild animals are used for research. They must obey the "Washington treaty".

5. Bringing in animals
(1) When researchers bring animals into the Center, they must check ordering conditions, aberration on animals, and condition of animals and also record animal's health conditions, way of transportation, time of transportation etc..
(2) Researchers must investigate infection of animals and make efforts to adapt animals to new breeding conditions.
(3) Researchers may entrust the medical inspection of animals to the Director of the Center or caretakers under the instruction of the Director.

6. Care and management of laboratory animals
(1) Researchers and the Director of the Center must maintain good environmental conditions for animals and pay attention to animal health. They must breed animals with appropriate foods and water and with as sanitary conditions as possible.
(2) Researchers observe and record animal's health conditions throughout the experiment. They must take appropriate treatments when unexpected things occur on animals.
(3) Breeding rooms and instruments should be proof against escape of animals and entry of biohazards.
(4) Researchers and the Director of the Center must take appropriate treatment to avoid that environment is contaminated by biohazards and other hazardous agents.

7. Experimentation
(1) Researchers must pay attention to infection of animals in experiments such as to transplant tumors or cultured cells into animals or to make animal's immunity decrease.
(2) Researchers must consider anesthesia to avoid giving animals any needless pain and stress by holding animals and/or other experimental treatments. Decision of the needless pain and stress shall be, if necessary, dependent on the Committee.

8. Treatments after experiment
Researchers should make animals receive euthanasia at the end of experiments in order to release animals from pain and stress as soon as possible. How to make euthanasia should follow "Measure for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals" issued by Japanese Government on March 27th, 1980.

9. Special experiments that need to pay attention to the safety
Researchers and the Director of the Center must take efforts to the safety on experiments in which physically, chemically, or biologically hazardous agents are used. They must avoid that other animals in the Center and neighborhood of the Center are contaminated by these agents.

10. Relationship with guidelines issued by other institutions
Researchers must also obey guidelines issued by scientific societies or other institutions that they belong to. When there is difference in those guidelines from this guideline, researchers shall be advised by the Committee.

Additional clauses
(1) This guideline shall come into effect on and after September 12th, 1989.
(2) This revised guideline shall come into effect on and after September 1st, 1999.