[Use of laboratory animals for toxicologic testing of drugs and chemicals]

For evaluation of the possible risk of drugs and chemicals for the human organism and its vital functions and to detect possible undesirable action on the environment, laboratory animals must be used. In toxicology as biomodels standard strains, as regards genetic and health aspects, mice, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs and dogs are used. The basis of standardization of conditions for keeping laboratory animals is as regards physical, chemical and biological aspects adherence to conditions of the adopted regulations of the Council of European Communities of Nov. 24, 1986. Council Directive 86/609/EEC, known in this country as the "Strasbourg convention". Part of the protection of laboratory animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes is also the adherence to the optimal number of animals as regards the area or cage where they are kept as well as the cubic measure of the space. Standardization of scientific results is promoted also by adherence to transport conditions of the animals, the time of acclimatization, quarantine. Knowledge of the basic biology of laboratory animals used should be obvious for experimental workers. All work on animals must be governed by valid laws and instructions which make work with animals possible. In the Czech Republic its is the act of the Czech National Council No. 246 issued in 1992 for the protection of animals from maltreatment according to which work with animals can be carried out only by institutions with accreditation for the given work which moreover have an ethical commission which issues permission for work with animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)