Minimum information about animal experiments: supplier is also important

Abstract

It has now been established that functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) depends on several parameters, including animal strain. Here we demonstrate that rats from the same strain (Wistar) but from two independent commercial suppliers present different motor, sensory, and autonomic outcomes after a standard model of SCI, the so-called compression model. Recovery is correlated with the extension of the lesion, and we show that the vertebral canal diameter varies between the two suppliers. To substantiate this point, we carried out another set of experiments, with the so-called contusion model, which requires bone ablation and thus whose extension is not related to vertebral canal diameter. We show that there is no difference between the two suppliers. The purpose of our communication is to alert researchers on how crucial it is to control experimental parameters as closely as possible and to establish a standard for animal experiment in order to avoid unexpected biases.

Grafted Human Embryonic Progenitors Expressing Neurogenin-2 Stimulate Axonal Sprouting and Improve Motor Recovery after Severe Spinal Cord Injury

“…Transplanted cells were of human origin and, as a tool for gene transfer, we have compared integrating and non-integrating lentiviral vectors, since the latter associate a high transducing efficiency with reduced risks of insertional mutagenesis [15]. Behavioral tests [24], [25], [26] were chosen to evaluate authentic functional recovery (weight support capability) rather than modification in limbs positioning that not always represent a functional improvement.…”

“…Surgeries were conducted under anesthesia with 1 L/min of O 2 supply; anesthesia was induced by 4% isoflurane and maintained at 2.5% during spinal cord compression [24], [34]. Compression injury was carried out at thoracic level 9 (T9) similarly to that described previously [24], [26], [35], [36]. Briefly, a burr hole was drilled in the posterior arch of T10 vertebra to insert a 2-French Fogarty catheter (Edwards Life sciences, Horw, Switzerland) into the epidural space; the balloon was positioned at T9 level and water balloon inflation (15 µl) was made with a Hamilton syringe.…”

“…Before injury, and every third day during the whole study time, behavioral tests were carried out for motor, sensory and reflex functions as previously described [24], [25], [26]. Motor response was evaluated by 3 tests: open field walking and inclined plan for gross motricity and a grid-navigation test for fine motricity.…”

“…Morphometric quantification of injured tissues was done on scanned images (Nano Zoomer Digital Pathology System, Hamamatsu, Japan) with MetaMorph software (MDS Analytical Technologies, Canada) as previously described [24], [26].…”

Approaches for the study of cancer: towards the integration of genomics, proteomics and metabolomics

“…Panels on the right include a hierarchical list (in descending order according to their accuracy) of potential empirical formulas (monoprotonated ions, including one extra H + in their composition). The structures of the metabolites of interest are also included ments [52], annotation of biochemical models [53], molecular interaction experiments [54], and hybridisation and immunohistochemistry experiments [55].…”