Striving for humane deaths for laboratory mice: hypobaric hypoxia provides a potential alternative to carbon dioxide exposure.

ABSTRACT: Killing is often an unavoidable and necessary procedure for laboratory mice involved in scientific research, and providing a humane death is vital for public acceptance. Exposure to carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas is the most widely used methodology despite well proven welfare concerns. Consequently, the continued use of CO₂ and its globally permitted status in legislation and guidelines presents an ethical dilemma for users. We investigated whether killing with hypobaric hypoxia via gradual decompression was associated with better welfare outcomes for killing laboratory mice. We compared the spontaneous behaviour of mice exposed to CO₂, decompression or sham conditions, and used analgesic or anxiolytic interventions to determine their relative welfare impact. Gra

SUBMITTER: Clarkson JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10130715 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature