Breaking Federal Rules 'Not Uncommon' in Animal Tests, Scientist Says

By Jim Ludwick
Copyright © 2007 Albuquerque Journal; Journal Staff Writer

    It was "not uncommon" for animal experiments at the University of New Mexico to skirt federal requirements, a UNM scientist told investigators looking at the alleged abuse of lab animals.
    The assertion was attributed to Andrea Allan, former chair of a UNM research oversight committee, in an investigation report obtained by the Journal.
    The report by the university's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee looked at experiments in 2003 and 2004 conducted by a high school student and supervised by Allan. In the experiments, lab animals were subjected to pain and fear for a study of hopelessness and depression.
    David Schmidly, the incoming president of UNM, said he will direct university officials to investigate the situation.
    "Any hint of impropriety or allegation of animal abuse troubles me personally and will be taken seriously," said Schmidly, a zoologist who has written extensively about small mammals.
    Schmidly said UNM "is not going to violate federal rules and regulations under my tenure. If they do, there will be consequences."
    Gov. Bill Richardson, in a statement issued Tuesday, called on all New Mexico research universities to review and revamp their protocols governing lab experiments on animals.
    He issued the statement after a Journal report about the UNM experiments, pulblished on Sunday, said they had not been properly approved and had come under fire for being abusive.
    In the experiments, mice were forced to swim until nearly drowning, hung by their tails with adhesive tape and used in electrical shock experiments to help a high school student develop a science fair project.
    "I am disappointed that this abuse was allowed to happen under any circumstances," Richardson said.
    The governor said he wants all research universities "to ensure that this animal abuse never happens again, particularly in the name of science."
    Paul Roth, UNM vice president for health sciences, said Tuesday that he would be "extraordinarily upset" if there were violations of federal requirements.
    "We take our responsibility for the humane treatment of animals seriously. ... I personally am strongly committed to making sure animals are not treated inappropriately," Roth said.
    Allan, contacted on Tuesday, declined to discuss her earlier remarks in the report and referred the Journal to UNM spokesmen.
   
No reason for abuse
    The investigation report from the committee— which Allan formerly headed— said Allan suggested "it was not uncommon for animal researchers at UNM to conduct experiments in violation of the federal and university requirements for IACUC review and approval prior to the start of a research project involving animals."
    "The reason she gave is that a researcher wishes to determine if an experiment is worthwhile before going to the trouble of submitting a protocol," the report said.
    It said that if Allan is correct, there should be "more specific education of researchers, making clear that such 'pre-review experiments' should not be conducted no matter how much time the researcher thinks he or she may save by such a shortcut.
    "The IACUC has no evidence suggesting that it is a common practice for researchers to conduct such 'preview' or 'pilot' projects without IACUC approval," it said.
    In the experiments that were under investigation, a La Cueva High School student had been participating in a mentorship program for high school students interested in science fairs.
    The student, Sarah Founds, now is studying nutrition at the University of Idaho. She told the Journal last week that her project was "awesome."
    "I had a lot of fun working on it. ... I'd encourage other students to do that kind of research," she said.
    Mice were placed in water and forced to swim until nearly drowning. Their behavior was evaluated for their twitching, kicking, swimming, climbing and thrashing, according to the investigation report and other documents.
    In another experiment, mice were hung by their tails with adhesive tape. "None of them made signs that it hurt," Founds told the Journal.
    Pregnant mice were terrified by being put into dirty cages that had been used by rats. Rats eat mice.
    The intention was to upset the pregnant mice so intensely that their offspring could be used in electrical shock experiments, to see if their reactions would differ from the reactions of mice whose mothers had not been under stress.
    Electrical shock experiments were a final way of studying hopelessness and depression. The report said the mice made "intense squeals" when shocked, and researchers "could hear the mice jump every time they were shocked, until they stopped jumping and just huddled in the corner."
    The project was rejected by the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair because it violated rules for the ethical and humane treatment of animals.
    Daniel Theele, who was UNM research lab veterinarian, said the experiments were "torture" and had no reasonable purpose.
    Theele didn't know the details of the project until after the fact. He quit over the episode and its aftermath and is suing UNM for the treatment he says he received as a whistle-blower.
    His attorney, Donald Gilpin, said Theele "would not let go. He insisted that they do something."
    The IACUC report concluded the experiments violated federal guidelines and hadn't been properly approved.
    IACUC suspended Allan's animal privileges at UNM for six months. It recommended that for one year, she not serve on research review committees involving animal use, and that she not serve on any IACUC for five years.

 

.....

Related articles:

Good Science or Torture? Experiments at UNM Laboratory Draw Fire

UNM's Attorneys Hid Lab Results

UNM Lost in Maze of Animal-Lab Excuses

Animal Advocate Wants Research Changes

 

Posted with permission of the Albuquerque Publishing Company.