This, the Central Animal House Facility (CAHF) of Jamia Hamdard is a supporting facility to conduct experimental research on small laboratory animals, with an objectives to promote ethical use of animals for biomedical research according to the existing national and international norms and the principle of 3Rs – Replace, Reduce and Refine.
Briefly, CAHF-Jamia Hamdard:
(1) Supports basic and educational animal research
(2) Conducts periodical Institutional Animal Ethic Committee meetings
(3) Conducts training and workshops/ seminars
(4) Promotes in vivo and in vitro studies at all educational levels and facilitates collaborative research and consultancy
This Animal house facility is registered with Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA), now under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, since 28/01/2000 (Registration number 173/GO/Re/Bi/S/ 2000/CPCSEA) and has an Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC) that advises the students, teachers/researchers on facilities, policies and practices concerning the care and use of animals.
The Animal House facility has small animals, mice, rats, hamster and also has a provision for rabbits.
Each species of animals is housed in separate rooms to avoid disease transmission and inter-species conflicts and to eliminate anxiety and possible physiological and behavioural changes due to interspecies conflict.
Every activity of animal care including feeding, watering, restraining, cage cleaning, record keeping and ordering of animals, feeds, bedding materials and equipment from outside sources are handled by trained staff and monitored by experienced faculty members. A high degree of cleanliness (hygienic macro- and microenvironment) are maintained as per the CPCSEA guidelines. Corridors are epoxy coated and wide enough to facilitate the movement of personnel as well as equipment.
Power: All efforts are made to maintain the animals under controlled environmental conditions of temperature (24-26°C), relative Humidity (60 ± 10%), and automatic light and dark cycle with 100% fresh air exchange in all animal rooms and uninterrupted power and water supply. The electrical system is safe and provides appropriate lighting with sufficient number of power outlets.
Facility: CAHF includes mice room, rat room, change room, surgery and dosing room, record keeping room (record for animal purchase, animal use and animal death), washing room and store room, autoclave, and the facility for histopathology.
Equipment: CAHF is equipped with Stainless steel racks for holding rats and mice cages having multiple row configurations and wheels for manoeuvrability; polyethylene cages for mice and rats with cage lid and stainless steel wire bar, as well as an 850 mL water bottle; air purification unit, air condition unit, digital thermometer, hygrometer, autoclave chamber, microtome, CO2 inhalation chamber, wax block preparation equipment, centrifuge, individually ventilated cages (IVC), biosafety cabinet and refrigerators.
Feeding and water devices: Mice and rats are provided with autoclaved feed, bedding (Husk, Corn or Fibrous) and RO water. Maintenance diet pellets/ chow is provided with water on a daily basis. Water bottles and beddings are changed thrice a week for maintaining animal hygiene.
Animal research areas: Between Feb 2020 and April 2021, the Institute Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC) studied and cleared around 160 protocols in a number of IAEC meetings. The protocols cleared by the IAEC mainly comprised of 1) Invasive study models 2) Toxicological studies 3) Cancer studies 4) Anthelmintic studies 5) Anti-inflammatory studies 6) Anti-diabetic studies 7) Immunomodulatory studies 8) Reproductive studies 9) Obesity study model 10) pre-clinical pharmacokinetics.
Forms and Formats Available:
1) Application for the Permission of Animal Experiments (Form B)
2) Record of Animals Bred/Acquired/Transfer (Form C)
3) Record of Animals Acquired and Experiments Performed (Form D)
Waste Disposal: The CAHF bio-waste disposal procedure is followed according to the CPCSEA guidelines.
Inspections: Annual inspection is carried out by CPCSEA nominee to update the proceedings of animal house.
Last Inspection was held on Jan 28, 2021.
Activities:
The CAHF conducts regular workshops and training programs to train faculty and students. The more recent symposium, Symposium and Training session on Ethical Use of Laboratory Animals (EULA 2019) was organized before the lockdown year, on Feb 14, 2019.
The next such training exercise is scheduled in January 2022.
I/C, CAHF
(Prof. Shakir Ali)
