Alternatives to Laboratory Animals

The acquisition of surgical skills is an essential component of veterinary training. The use of live animals or cadavers for early surgical skills development is limited by ethical, logistical and financial constraints, highlighting the need for accessible and animal welfare-oriented training alternatives. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a low-cost, balloon-based simulator for teaching basic surgical knot techniques to undergraduate veterinary students with no prior surgical experience. A cohort of 20 students practised slip knots, Miller’s knots and transfixation knots, using a low-fidelity balloon simulator under a structured training protocol. Performance was assessed by using standardised rubrics, i.e. execution time and a binary success/failure classification based on air leakage. From the 13th repetition onward, all students successfully executed slip knots and Miller’s knots, while competency in the transfixation knot was achieved by the 14th repetition. Execution time decreased significantly from the 11th repetition for all three techniques, indicating progressive improvement in technical efficiency. It was evident that the balloon-based simulator facilitated the acquisition of basic surgical knot-tying skills, and represents an accessible, ethical and effective tool for early-stage surgical training in veterinary education.

This paper critically examines the legal coherence of the EU’s chemical safety regulations, REACH and CLP, in light of the EU’s commitment to the phasing out of animal testing. While both instruments express normative support for non-animal approaches, their operational provisions remain structurally biased toward animal-based evidence. This bias persists despite scientific concern about the predictive value of animal data, and the demonstrable inefficiency of animal testing for chemical safety assessment, as well as the growing availability of scientifically sound non-animal methodologies. Alongside cultural and institutional barriers, such as regulatory conservatism and a rigid validation system, legal obstacles embedded in the legislative design of REACH and CLP also impede a paradigm shift away from animal testing. Applying the principle of proportionality, the article argues that the animal-centric operational provisions of these regulations are: (i) neither suitable nor necessary to ensure a high level of human health protection; and (ii) that they disproportionately encroach upon animal welfare, in relation to their benefits. The article therefore calls for a legislative recalibration, to realign REACH and CLP with primary Union law. Without such changes, the EU Roadmap toward the phasing out of animal testing in chemical safety assessment, risks having limited practical effect.

Gabapentin is a structural analogue of gamma-aminobutyric acid. Initially introduced as an anti-epileptic drug, it has also been shown to be effective in the treatment of pain in humans and non-human animals. The main purpose of this study was to test the suitability of the cockroach Gromphadorhina portentosa (Blattodea: Blaberidae) as a non-vertebrate in vivo model for evaluation of the antinociceptive properties of gabapentin. After the intersegmental abdominal membrane administration of different doses of gabapentin (50, 150 and 250 mg/kg), two acute thermal pain tests were performed: the hot plate test and the hot box escape test. In the hot plate test, 50 mg/kg gabapentin was the most potent dose in terms of reducing thermal stimulus-associated movement of the cockroaches; in the hot box escape test, 150 mg/kg gabapentin was the most efficacious dose. Thus, when comparing the two different tests, gabapentin exerted effective antinociception effects in cockroaches at different doses. This is similar to the effects observed in mice and rats exposed to thermal stimuli. Our results therefore demonstrate that G. portentosa could be a suitable non-vertebrate in vivo model for the study of pain, and suggest that it could be effectively used for the evaluation and screening of other analgesic compounds.

The ex vivo Human Organotypic Skin Explant Culture (hOSEC) model utilises skin fragments, mainly obtained from plastic surgery procedures, as the primary source of material. The model is used for testing that requires human tissue, and as the basis for various research models. The objectives of the current study were to review, analyse and summarise the published literature on the use of ex vivo human skin explants in experimental studies in Brazil. The literature search was conducted within three databases, using terms related to explants and study location combined with defined eligibility criteria. Sixteen studies were considered eligible for further detailed analysis in the review. The geographical location of these studies was concentrated in the South-Eastern region of Brazil, and demonstrated a prevalence of explants obtained during plastic surgery procedures. Five main focus areas were identified in the studies, namely: disease pathology, cellular ageing, pharmacological testing of cosmetic ingredients, wound healing, and cell culture optimisation — with pathology-focused models being the most common. Despite the search strategy being capable of identifying the diverse characteristics of the studies, the research protocols used in the studies were heterogeneous. This is an intrinsic limitation of the published literature in general, which prevents direct comparisons and hinders reproducibility. Human skin explants were shown to represent versatile tools, with potential for expansion into other areas. The creation and dissemination of standardised methodologies and guidelines for human skin explant-based research are essential. This information, as well as the promotion of the use of such models, will contribute to a reduction in the use of animals in experiments.