At the Pittsburgh Center for Pain research, many of these animals suffer and die every day. Because they are not covered under the animal welfare act, they suffer even worse fates than other species of animals such as cats, dogs, and nonhuman primates. Because mice and rats are cheaper, smaller, quieter, and easier to manipulate, and because there is little protection against the suffering they can endure, they are often used in pain research.
Gerald F. Gebhart, the director of the research center, and his colleagues have done research that has caused countless animals to suffer and die. Their research focuses on causing chronic pain in mice and rats as well as causing inflammation of various organs such as the bladder and colon. Several of these articles focus on creating a Hyperalgesia model in animals, making them extremely sensitive to pain. Methods in this research include injecting harmful chemicals into the animals' faces [1], injecting irritants into their bladders [2], injury through hind paw incision and inflammation by administering acid into the animals' colon [3]. Methods of testing how well these procedures work include holding painful stimuli (like heat) to the animals' paws or other areas and observing their behavior (such as pulling away).
One of the most disturbing parts of this research is how the animals are killed. In one study, the method of killing is listed as "exsanguination" [2] which basically means to let the animal bleed to death. Another method is to poison them by CO2 inhalation [4] until they die (which takes 5 minutes or more [5]). On top of all of the pain caused in these animals, the researchers could not even allow the animals a fast death.
It is important to put research on mice and rats at the forefront of the anti-vivisection movement along with all other species of animals. Not only do these animals feel pain and suffer just like dogs and cats, but they are not given even the minimal protections from suffering afforded by the animal welfare act. Because of this, they suffer the worst procedures in the largest numbers. On top of this, their generalizeability to human reactions is slim to none in most cases.
Contact Gerald Gebhart at gebhartgf@upmc.edu.Office: W1444 Biomedical Science Tower, 3500 Terrace St, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Telephone:412-383-5911
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References
[1] Morgan, JR & Gebhart, GF. 2008. Characterization of a model of chronic orofacial hyperalgesia in the rat: contribution of NAv 1.8. The journal of pain. 9(6). 522-531.
[2] Dang, K, Lamb, K, Cohen, M, Bielefeldt, K, & Gebhart, G.F. (2008). Cyclophosphamide-Induced Bladder Inflammation Sensitizes and Enhances
P2X Receptor Function in Rat Bladder Sensory Neurons. J Neurophysiol. 99. 49-59.
[3] Cameron DM, Brennan TJ, & Gebhart GF. (2007). Hind paw incision in the rat produces long-lasting colon hypersensitivity. J Pain. 9(3). 246-253.
[4] Xu, L & Gebhart, GF. (2008). Characterization of Mouse Lumbar Splanchnic and Pelvic Nerve Urinary
Bladder Mechanosensory Afferents. J Neurophysiol. 99. 244-253.
[5] Rodent Carbon Dioxide Euthanasia: http://casemed.case.edu/ora/arc/templates_carbon_dioxide_euthanasia.html "Template".
