Review of Rodent Euthanasia Methods.

Area of Science:

• Laboratory animal science
• Animal welfare
• Research methodology

Background:

• Euthanasia method selection for laboratory rodents is complex.
• Factors include scientific objectives, animal welfare, regulations, and personnel needs.
• Potential for experimental artifacts and analyte alterations necessitates careful method choice.

Purpose of the Study:

• Provide guidance for selecting optimal euthanasia methods in laboratory rodents.
• Minimize experimental confounds, such as tissue and analyte alterations.
• Address specific challenges like large-scale euthanasia and neonate euthanasia.

Main Methods:

• Review of scientific literature on rodent euthanasia.
• Analysis of strain-dependent differences in response to euthanasia.
• Development of assessment methodologies and a scoring rubric for euthanasia techniques.

Main Results:

• Euthanasia method choice significantly impacts experimental outcomes.
• Rodent strain differences influence responses to methods like CO₂ inhalation.
• Standardized assessment tools are needed to evaluate euthanasia effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• Selecting appropriate euthanasia methods is critical for both animal welfare and scientific validity.
• Researchers must consider strain-specific responses and potential experimental artifacts.
• Utilizing assessment rubrics can improve the selection and consistency of euthanasia techniques.