CCAC

The Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) is a non-profit, autonomous and independent organisation which was established in 1968. The CCAC consists of 22 member organisations, whose representatives include scientists, educators, veterinarians and representatives from industry and the animal welfareWelfare A complex and dynamic internal state that includes: successful biologic functioning, positive experiences, and absence of negative conditions. The animal adapts effectively to internal needs and external stimuli and maintains a good mental state. organisations.

The CCAC visits participating institutions that use laboratory animals and evaluates them on the basis of various documents, including CCAC guidelines and policy statements.

In 1998, the CCAC published a report on the implementation of humane endpointsHumane endpoint The moment in the experiment at which pain and/or distress experienced by the investigational animal is ended or alleviated by either killing the animal humanely or by discontinuing the procedure., called “Guidelines on choosing an appropriate endpoint in experiments using animals in research, teaching and testing”, see document link in the right column.

The CCAC defines an endpoint as follows:

”The moment in the experiment at which painPain The negative sensory or emotional experience that indicates awareness in the animal of injury or the threat of injury to the body. This negative experience induces changes in an animal’s behavior and physiology, intended to limit the effect of, or avoid the injury, to reduce the chances of repeated injury and to promote recovery. and/or distressDistress It indicates a disadvantageous environment in which the animal is no longer able to adapt in a biologically successful manner to the stressors to which it is exposed. One speaks of distress when the level or the duration of stress are such that significant changes in biological function are required to survive. experienced by an investigational animal are ended, minimized or reduced by either killing it humanely, by discontinuing the painful procedure”.

General recommendations:

  • a minimum of two or three observations must be made daily;
  • if blood sampling is part of the research protocolResearch protocol A description of the design of the study. the investigator should consider analysis of the blood collected for hormonal indicators;
  • responsibilities and allocation of tasks must be clear;
  • conducting a pilot studyPilot study A small-scale experiment that is carried out in advance of the main investigation to test experimental methods and determine an animal’s responses, such as dose response, or adverse effects. Also called: pilot experiment / pilot test/ pilot. to establish the observational criteria to be used to set endpoints may be a very useful exercise, particularly at the onset of a research program.

Specific recommendations for humane endpointHumane endpoint The moment in the experiment at which pain and/or distress experienced by the investigational animal is ended or alleviated by either killing the animal humanely or by discontinuing the procedure. implementation in cancerCancer A general term for a collection of diseases characterized by abnormal, uncontrolled growth of tissue cells or blood cells. Cancer may develop in specific tissues or cells, or it may spread from the original tumor to other parts of the body, where it can cause growth of secondary tumors (metastases). research:

  • the tumourTumor Neoplasm, new growth. Is predicated upon autonomous growth of cells or tissues into benign or malignant tumors. mass should not proceed to the point where it significantly interferes with normal bodily functions, or causes pain or distress due to its location (solid tumoursTumor Neoplasm, new growth. Is predicated upon autonomous growth of cells or tissues into benign or malignant tumors.);
  • weight loss exceeding 20% of the body weight of a similar normal animal (taking into account the tumour mass);
  • ulcerationUlceration Sore. Deep skin or mucous membrane tissue loss below the regenerating layer of skin cells. Can be caused by wound infection, poor local perfusion (e.g., tumor), local nutritional deficiencies. Ulcers tend to heal slowly, in which case the animal should be killed./infection of the tumour site;
  • invasion of surrounding tissues by a localised tumour;
  • persistent self-induced traumaTrauma Tissue injury, damage..