Caitlin Prochnow

Professor Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1104

8 November 2017

Animal Experimentation: the good, the bad, and the ugly

In the United States, one animal dies in a laboratory every second (Carmody). Animal

testing is the use of non-humans in testing research and development projects (The Definition of

Animal Testing). Animals used for experimentation include dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, pigs,

sheep, monkeys, mice, rats, and more. Presenting the pros and cons of animal experimentation is

important in order to improve the alternative methods for animals.

Ancient Greek physicians used animals to learn unknown facts concerning anatomical

composition. They examined the nervous system including sensory and motor nerves. The

Greeks also determined how tendons related to functional differences. Galen of Pergamum, a

Greek physician, used animals to understand the cardio-pulmonary system as well as brain and

spinal cord function. These ancient physicians were the building blocks of todays medicine

(Scutti).

One of the most important discoveries in the late nineteenth century was the value of

vaccines. Scientist Louis Pasteur developed a vaccination for anthrax and rabies, which are still

used today. Pasteur also established a food processing idea known as pasteurization. His germ

theory still impacts how we control diseases today (Murnaghan). Russian physiologist Ivan

Pavlov is famous for demonstrating how dogs can be conditioned to respond to a biological

stimulus, such as food. This was an influential scientific advance that was discovered

accidentally in one of his experiments. Commented [1]: I would put something like: "This
influential scientific advancement was discovered
accidentally.
 Animal experiments are condemned by some, although important breakthroughs such as

antibiotics, anticoagulants, and kidney dialysis have been developed following animal testing

(Murnaghan). The importance of animal testing was proven once again in 1937 when diethylene

glycol, or DEG, was introduced into a drug used to treat streptococcal infections. The chemist

was unaware that DEG was poisonous to humans. This preparation that was untested led to the Commented [2]: " this untested drug " works better

deaths of more than a hundred people. After similar disasters, the government passed the 1938

Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act that required safety testing of drugs on animals before

they could be marketed (Scutti).

There are several reasons why animals are still used in experiments today. Scientists

continue to advance comprehension by studying animals. Continuing these studies has proven Commented [3]: I would put a different word here, this
is pretty vague.
important to the understanding of cell processes. All animals and the bodies of animals are like

humans in the way that they perform many vital functions such as breathing, hearing, digestion,

movement, sight, and reproduction. Chimpanzees share 99% of their DNA with humans while

mice share 98%. These likenesses allow us to develop new technologies and medicines that Commented [4]: I would probably cite this fact.

benefit us all. The use of scanners and implants, such as pacemakers, are performed safely and

effectively due to animal studies. New medicines and procedures will continue to require testing

as we must weigh what is beneficial or harmful to humans and the environment. The requirement

of scientific investigation serves as a protection from harmful chemicals that would impact

consumers, workers, and the environment. A medicine is first tested on tissues and pieces of

organs, but our laws require that it be tested on a living animal (Why Animals are Used).

However, some people have proven that non-animal testing is a better alternative. Using

human tissue in toxicity studies is more accurate than the use of animal models. It is also more

cost effective, useful, and advantageous. Products that are cruelty-free have been found to be
environmentally friendly (Alternatives in Testing). There will be some instances that tested

substances will never be used for anything useful and will never be approved for public

consumption. It is questionable whether or not animal testing is a waste of government research

dollars. The cost of an unscheduled DNA synthesis using animal tests is $32,000, as opposed to

an in vitro method which costs $11,000. We should also be aware that animals and humans are

never exactly the same. Reactions will never be as they are in a human. Other differences that

are to be taken into consideration are anatomic, metabolic, and cellular (Should Animals Be

Used for Scientific or Commercial Testing?). Animals dont get many of the human diseases

such as HIV, many types of cancer, Parkinsons disease, or schizophrenia (Arguments Against

Animal Testing). Alternative testing methods now exist that can replace the need for animals.

Some of these include: in vitro, micro-dosing, microfluidic chips, computer models, stem cell

and genetic testing, and non-invasive imaging techniques (Alternatives in Testing).

A study of 101 high impact scientific discoveries based on animal experimentation

found that only five percent were accepted treatments over a twenty-year period. Although 115

million animals were used in experiments, only twenty-five new medicines were approved

within a year. The Food and Drug Administration of the United States invests fifty billion dollars

per year in research. The expense of keeping research animals should always be taken into

consideration; they must be housed, fed and cared for humanely (Using Animals for Testing:

Pros Versus Cons). The approval rate of new drugs remains the same as it did fifty years ago.

Even when animal experiments are successful, 95% of the drugs fail when tested on humans. It

remains difficult to predict how dangerous drugs will impact human health (Arguments Against

Animal Testing).
 Drugs that pass animal tests are not always safe. In the 1950s a sleeping pill, thalidomide,

was advertised as a cure for insomnia, coughs due to colds, and headaches. The drug also

diminished morning sickness in pregnant women (Scutti). The consequences of using

thalidomide caused over ten thousand children in forty-six countries to be born with deformities

i.e. deformed or missing limbs. In response to this disaster, testing was done on pregnant mice,

guinea pigs, cats, and hamsters. Extremely high doses were administered to attain birth defects in

these animals (Should Animals Be Used for Scientific or Commercial Testing?). Another

example of how drugs react differently on animals as opposed to human beings is the arthritis

drug Vioxx. This drug was shown to have a protective effect on the hearts of mice. However, this

medication was responsible for more than twenty-seven thousand heart attacks and sudden

cardiac deaths before it was removed from the market. Commented [5]: Cite this.

Animals may mislead researchers into ignoring potential cures and treatments. To

elaborate, aspirin is dangerous for some animals but is widely used for humans to thin the blood,

for minor muscular pain, and headaches (Should Animals Be Used for Scientific or Commercial

Testing?). In the case of FK-506, a drug used to lower the risk of organ transplant rejection, it

was almost discontinued because animal test results were not positive (Akhtar). As in most

scientific studies there is always a chance of failure to produce a positive result.

Another concern is how the animals are treated in labs. Laboratory animals live in a

continuum of distress and are unable to express natural behavior. At times this leads to self-

mutilation and stress induced psychosis. Even mice express concern when they hear or see

other mice in distress. The most devastating laboratory protocols are related to testing new

drugs, infecting with diseases, poisoning for toxicity tests, burning skin, causing brain damage,

implanting electrodes in brain, maiming, and blinding (Healy).

 Laboratory procedures are categorized as follows: mild, moderate, severe, and non-

recovery. The mild procedures may cause short-term mild pain such as anesthesia, MRIs,

obtaining blood samples, and short-term social isolation. A moderate procedure includes long-

lasting mild pain. These include surgery under general anesthetic, causing cancer in an animal,

modifying their diet, and/or forced swim tests. Severe procedures are those in which fatalities are

expected by testing a device that could cause pain or sustained electric shocks. Non-recovery

procedures are when a general anesthetic is introduced before the start of the procedure, and the

subject is humanely killed and never regains consciousness (Animals are Not Ours to

Experiment On).

At times, after a procedure has been concluded, a post-mortem examination is part of the

study. This examination can include taking tissue samples of their organs for further study. There

is always a possibility that it may be necessary to kill the animal to prevent further suffering. Per

the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act of 1986 there are several methods that can be used:

anesthetic overdose, carbon dioxide gas exposure, breaking of the neck, blow to the head

destroying the brain, or a shot to the brain for hoofed animals only. Any method of killing not

covered in Schedule 1 requires a license to perform (Animals are Not Ours to Experiment On).

In 1959, British scientists William Russell and Rex Burch established the three Rs to

minimize the impact of research on animals. The first R reduction, pertains to the number of

animals used in research. The number of experimental techniques, the methods for obtaining data

analysis, and the sharing of that data with other researchers is part of the plan. The second R

refining, focuses on the way the animals are cared for to reduce their suffering. This would

include using less invasive techniques, improving medical care and living conditions. The third

R replacement, is obtained by using alternate procedures and experimenting on cell cultures

instead of live animals. They may also employ the use of computer models and studying human

volunteers as well (Scutti).

Some groups of people, such as PETA, are concerned over the use of animals in

research. They contend that humans have no right to use animals in ways that hurt or distress

them to benefit our species. We cant use humans without making sure that they understand the

research and participate in it willingly. Animals dont have a say on whether they can be tortured

or not. These procedures can be eliminated or at least reduced if we, as a nation, will do the

following: buy cruelty-free products, donate to charities that dont experiment on animals,

request alternative to animal dissection, and demand implementation of humane testing by

government agencies and corporations.

As scientific studies progress, it is hoped that alternative sources will be found in order

to exclude animals from the experimental process. As technology advances, less expensive and

more humane methods will be developed. Furthering, the use of in vitro cell growth allows

scientists to study various populations of cells and how they are more easily analyzed. In the

United States, civilian and military facilities are already replacing animal laboratories with life-

like simulators that breathe, bleed, and die (Healy). These simulators should prove to be a

better alternative to live animal testing. Commented [6]: I would probably add like one more
sentence summarizing what you really want readers to
take away from this.
 References

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November 2017.

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November 2017.