Pharmacology

Experimental Animals
And
Their methods Of Handling
Uses Of Animals
1- In Pharmacological Research >> Animals are used to
test the effect of drugs before using them in clinical
trials where drugs are tested on humans.

2- Animals are used in educational institutions to

demonstrate the effect of drugs.
How to treat them
1- Suitably bred.
2- gently handled.
3-Properly used.

Ethically & legally :

1- careful handling of animals without causing pain.
2- provide good care towards their health and well being.
Types of animals used
Large Animals:
Monkeys Dog
Pigs Cats

Small Animals:

Mice Rabbits
Rats Frogs
Guinia pig
Selection of an experimental animal for a particular
experiment depends on:

1- nature of experiment
2-type of drug activity
3-specific characters of the experimental animal.
”in vivo” & “in vitro“
Animals can be used “in vivo” when the whole intact
animal is used.

“in vitro” when a part of the animal is used that part can
be:
- organ: heart, uterus & trachea.
- tissue: skeletal muscle
- cells: blood cells
Albino mice
:Characteristics
1- Small animals weigh about 18-30 g.

2- Very sensitive & consume small doses of drugs.

3- Can be easily handled.

4- Isolated organs can’t be taken due to small size.

5- Drugs best given : intraperitoneal injection or intravenous in

superficial tail veins.
Uses in research
1- Cancer and genetic research.

2- Acute toxicity studies.

3- Screening of drug activity specially CNS drugs.

Handling
Albino Rats
:Characteristics
1- Larger weight than mice 300-500 g.

2- Can withstand long periods of experimentation under anesthesia.

3- Can be easily handled if treated kindly.

4- Isolated preparations can be taken from them, the most common:

stomach fudus, colon &uterus.

5- Drugs can be given: I.V into tail veins , S.C , I.M, I.P & orally be
means of stomach tube.
Uses in research
1- acute & chronic toxicity studies.
2- preliminary testing of some drug activities specially
CNS drugs as psychotropic activity of drugs since they
can be trained skillful tasks.
Handling
Guinea Pig
:Characteristics
1- very docile and tame animals.

2- can’t synthesize vit.C and must be supplied in their diet.

3- very susceptible to infections.

4- Highly sensitive to some drugs as penicillin and histamine.

5- isolated muscle preparations can be taken from them as: vas

deferens, tracheal chain & ilium.
Uses in research
1-Screening of Histaminic, anti-histaminic, respiratory
& cardivascular activity.

2- test the effect of drugs on isolated muscle

preparations.
Handling
Rabbit
:Characteristics
1- very docile animals.

2- drugs can be given I.V into marginal ear veins, or

orally by stomach tube.

3- isolated muscle preparations can be taken as

intestine.
Uses in research
1- pyrogen testing of drugs.
2- study the effect of drugs on the:
-Eye
-CVS
-ANS
-NMJ
Handling
Frog
:Characteristics
1- amphibian animals ( cold-blooded) must be kept in
water to absorb moisture through skin.

2- isolated preparations can be taken as rectus abdominus

and heart.
3- drugs are given S.C into dorsal lymph sac.
Uses in research
1- test drug effect on : NMJ, CNS, & CVS.

2- pregnancy test.
Handling
Guinea pigs are the animals of choice in testing
the action of the following drugs:

A- antihistaminics.
B- muscle relaxants.
C- CNS stimulants.
D- Hormones.
The most convenient method of injecting mice is :

A- intravenous through their marginal ear veins.

B- subcutaneously.
C- intraperitoneally.
D- intramuscularly.
Drugs are usually administered into the frogs:

A- orally using a stomach tube.

B- subcutaneously into the dorsal lymph sac.
C- intravenously into their superficial veins.
D-Intramuscularly into their hind limbs.
The most proper way of handling rabbits by:

A- holding the animal gently but firmly from its hind

limbs.
B- holding the animal firmly from its ears.
C- grasping the loose skin at the nape of neck with one
hand and supporting the buttocks with the other hand.
D- none of the above.
The following isolated muscle preparations are
commonly used in experimental pharmacology
except:

A- Rat colon.
B- Guinea pig ilium.
C- Frog heart.
D- mouse intestine.
The following species can be used in acute toxicity
studies:

A- Frogs.
B- mice.
C- Rats.
D- all of the above..
Which of the following is not an important factor in
selecting the most suitable experimental animal:

A- Nature of the experiment.

B- Animal price.
C- The drug action to be studied.
D- Animal resistance and sensitivity to drug action.
The following statement regarding the nature of
experimental animals is correct:

A- guinea pigs are highly resistant to infections.

B- Frogs are cold blooded amphibians which must always be
provided with hot water.
C- mice are the smallest animals which are suitable for blood
pressure experiment.
D- Rats are strong to withstand long periods of
experimentation.