Aarupadai Veedu Medical College and Hospital is a teaching and research institution, functioning under Vinayaka Missions Research Foundation – Deemed to be University, performing research activities using animals. The college has established a well-maintained central animal house facility registered under the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA), Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India with the registration number: 996/PO/Re/S/06/CPCSEA. The centre is established to promote teaching, training, and research and is engaged to serve the requirements on animal experimentation of various investigators from different departments in this university.
Objectives
The following are the objectives/activities of the animal house:
- Providing basic animal research and education to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
- Support the in vivo studies of UG/PG students, PhD scholars and collaborative projects.
- Regularly conducting IAEC meetings.
- Training faculty and students for applied animal studies.
VISION
Humane, ethical and prudent use of animals in research plays a pivotal role in the development of basic research and improvement in human and animal lives.
Mission
To carry out the basic scientific research and orient the new generation with the animal studies by accurately following the guidelines of Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA), Government of India.
Facilities
The central animal house is a resource centre for UG/PG students and faculty of various disciplines in AVMCH. It is a centralized experimental facility occupying an area of 2900 sq. ft. which includes a quarantine room, rabbit room, experimental rooms, storage room, necropsy room, corridors and washing area. Air conditioners are available to maintain the temperature and freshness of the atmosphere in the animal rooms. Each species of animals is housed in light, temperature, and moisture controlled individual rooms to avoid disease transmission and inter-species conflicts. Animals are kept under controlled environmental conditions where temperature (18-29°C), relative humidity (30-70 %), 12:12 hr light and dark cycle are maintained. Light intensity (<400 Lux) and sound levels (< 85 db) are also regularly monitored and recorded. The necropsy room has a carbon dioxide euthanasia chamber for the humane sacrifice of animals.
Apart from promoting animal research, students will also learn about the ethical treatment of animals. A full-time veterinarian is available to provide veterinary care to the research animals. Suitable animal handling training is given by the veterinarian to the research scholars before commencing the experiments. Good personal hygiene and sanitation are being practiced in the animal house. Regular cleaning and disinfection of animal rooms, corridors, storage spaces and other areas are carried out. Routine cleaning and sterilization of animal supplies like cages, water bottles, cage racks and bedding material are performed. Feed, water and bedding material analysis are carried out regularly. Every part of animal care including feeding, watering, restraining, dosing, cage cleaning, record keeping and ordering of animals, feed, bedding and equipment from outside resources are monitored and recorded by trained and experienced researchers. Moreover, periodical inspection takes place by IEAC experts and routine animal health monitoring is conducted by an in-house veterinarian.
Instruments/facilities available
- Autoclave
- Fogger machine
- Weighing balances
- Carbon dioxide Euthanasia chamber
- Air conditioners
- Animal restrainers
- Polycarbonate rat and mice cages, stainless steel rabbit cages
- Stainless steel rack/cage holders
- Water bottles for rodents and rabbits
- Thermo hygrometers
- Lux meter
- Digital sound level meter
- Water filter
- CC TV camera
rESEARCH
Nine projects have been approved by IAEC so far. The details of approved projects and their status are as below
Approved Projects
- Comparative study of Amlodipine and Cilnidipine Potentiates analgesic Activity of Tramadol in rat model. PI: Dr. S. Narayanasamy.
- Comparative study of citrus maxima fruit peel and leaf extract in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. PI: Dr. S. Narayanasamy.
- Evaluation of antidepressant effect of Oral Ondensetron and Granisetron in Comparison with Fluoxetine in mice. PI: Dr. S. Narayanasamy.
- Acute dermal irritation/corrosion of Datura Stramonium flower in New Zealand white rabbits. PI: Dr. Ramadevi.
- Acute dermal toxicity of Datura Stramonium flower in wistar rat. PI: Dr. Ramadevi.
- Effect of Neem against sodium benzoate induced hepatorenal toxicity in wistar rats. PI: Dr. P. Deepa Kameswari.
- Attenuation of streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy and pancreatic islet injury in albino wistar rats by baecalin. PI: Dr. S. Ravikumar.
- Phlorotannin (Brown Algae) ameliorates depression-like behavior impairment in wistar rats. PI: Dr. S. Kanimozhi
- Effect of Aloe Barbadensis miller extract in anti-tuberculosis drugs–treated wistar rats in counteracting hepatotoxicity. PI: Dr. P. Deepa Kameswari.
Ongoing Projects
- Effect of Neem against sodium benzoate induced hepatorenal toxicity in wistar rats. PI: Dr. P. Deepa Kameswari.
- Attenuation of streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy and pancreatic islet injury in albino wistar rats by baecalin. PI: Dr. S. Ravikumar.
- All principal investigators (PIs) who would like to submit proposals for discussion at the IAEC meeting may download Forms B from the CPCSEA website/AVMC&H website or request it through the official IAEC e-mail id iaec@avmc.edu.in.
- In general, only those projects that have obtained final approval from the Institutional Research Committee (IRC) will be taken up for discussion for IAEC approval. In cases where the project has been submitted for IRC approval, but an approval letter is awaited, then the PI will be allowed to submit the proposal for the IAEC meeting. However, an IAEC approval letter will be issued only after receiving the final IRC approval.
- PIs will initially submit soft copies of the required forms (check below-new proposals) to iaec@avmc.edu.in by the designated date.
- All relevant documents as per the checklist should be enclosed with the application. Documents to be submitted are given below:
New proposals
- Covering letter from the PI
- Revised Form B
- IRC approval letter
- Sanction letter from external funding agency (if applicable/available)
Progress reports (continuation of project/request for sanction of the next year’s allotment of animals)
- Covering letter from the PI
- Progress Report
- IAEC approval letter
- Up-to-date Form D
Extension of duration of the sanctioned project (no additional animals required): Requirements are the same as for the submission of progress reports
Final reports
- Covering letter from the PI
- Final report
- Original IAEC approval letter
- Up-to-date Form D
- After fixing a date for IAEC meeting, a timetable will be prepared and sent to the PIs informing them of the tentative time at which they will have to be present to make a brief presentation of their project proposal. Instructions for the preparation of the presentation will be included in this e-mail (details given below).
- The IAEC will discuss all proposals submitted, including new proposals, progress reports, requests for extension of time and final reports. The presence of the PI or co-PI at the meeting is required for all proposals except for final reports.
- PIs or co-PIs must present their project proposals (new projects and progress reports) with the help of an MS PowerPoint presentation of not more than 7 – 10 slides explaining the:
- background, aim and objectives of the study (1 – 2 slides),
- number of animals requested/used (clearly presented in tables or as appropriate) and justification for the same (1 – 2 slides)
- procedures to be carried out (for new proposals) OR major results obtained in brief (for progress reports) – 1 – 2 slides
- For all new projects, the IAEC, after discussion, may approve the project after considering all aspects of the project. However, the allotment of animals will be approved only for the first year of the project. Therefore, the approval given by the IAEC will have a maximum validity of 1 year from the date of the IAEC meeting. A progress report must be submitted for the approval of animals for every subsequent year.
- IAEC approval certificate will be issued to the PI within 14 days after the IAEC meeting. In case of delays related to the re-submission of proposals requiring modification, the issue of the certificate may also be delayed proportionately. The certificate will have a validity of 1 year from the date of the IAEC meeting.
- The PIs will be informed about their duties and responsibilities which include the following:
- Progress Report / Project completion report should be submitted for the consideration of IAEC at prescribed intervals for review and it should not exceed the timeline of the research as mentioned in the Form B / IAEC approval certificate.
- Reports of ongoing research projects should be submitted every 6 months, before the next IAEC meeting.
- The final report should be submitted to the IAEC of the establishment at the end of the study.
- All Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) and the interventions undertaken should be intimated to IAEC.
- Protocol deviation, if any, should be informed with adequate justifications to IAEC and in the case of large animals, it should be intimated to CPCSEA immediately for consideration of CPCSEA.
- The procedural deviations in the research protocol shall be treated as a fresh research protocol by CPCSEA.
- Any new information related to the study should be communicated to IAEC immediately.
- Premature termination of study should be notified to the IAEC with reasons along with a summary of the data obtained so far.
- Change of investigators/sites should be informed and approval of IAEC should be undertaken first.
