Policies> Importing Animals for Imaging at AMRIS – MBI
1 PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to outline procedure for importing animals from other institutions to the University of Florida’s Department of Animal Care Services (ACS) for short term imaging purposes.
2 SCOPE
This policy applies to Principal Investigators (PI) requesting import of animals from other institutions to the University of Florida.
3 POLICY
3.1 University of Florida Principal Investigators (PI) may request the import of animals from other institutions to Animal Care Services (ACS) by completing an ACS Animal Shipping Record (request form), and forwarding the form to the ACS Business Office for processing.
3.1.1 The request form is available on the myACS website, http://acs.ufl.edu.
3.2 Non-UF investigators may request the import of animals from other institutions to ACS either through a UF PI (a collaborator) or the AMRIS staff.
3.2.1 The Animal Shipping Record (request form) must be complete and forwarded to the ACS Business Office for processing.
3.2.2 Non-UF investigators can obtain the request form either from the ACS Business Office staff (352) 392-2977 or from the AMRIS staff.
3.3 Preparations:
3.3.1 Health Report: The ACS Business Office will process the request, and will contact the institute from which the animals are to be shipped to request a health report for all animals that are to be shipped to UF.
3.3.2 Upon receipt of the health report, ACS Veterinary Staff will review the report, and approve or reject the animals for shipment.
3.3.3 If approved for receipt, the ACS Business Office will arrange/coordinate transportation of the animals from the external institution to the ACS facility at the McKnight Brain Institute (MBI).
3.1.1 External investigators must provide current copies of all relevant IACUC (or equivalent committee) protocol(s) approved by their institution.
3.1.1.1 These must be reviewed and approved by the UF IACUC staff before the importation can be approved.
3.1.1.2 The protocol(s) must address:
3.1.1.2.1 Imaging of animals at the AMRIS facility.
3.1.1.2.2 Anesthesia plan; to include physiological monitoring.
3.1.1.2.3 Post imaging recovery.
3.1.2 Approval must be provided by the external investigator’s institution that permits animals to be away from their housing facility for the duration of time at UF and transportation time, and allows the animals to return to housing at the external investigator’s animal facility.
3.1.3 Experimental support needed, such as the imaging system to be used, anesthesia and monitoring equipment needs, and animal housing, must be coordinated with the AMRIS and ACS in advance.
3.2 Animal Receiving and Use:
3.2.1 Rodents will be transported in filtered shipping containers.
3.2.2 The shipment will be received directly at the MBI loading dock by an ACS Veterinary Care technician or the ACS Shipping Coordinator.
3.2.3 When the shipment is nearing UF, the shipping company (or the external investigator) will call ACS to give an arrival time.
3.2.4 A Veterinary Care technician or the Shipping Coordinator will meet with the driver. The shipment will be inspected and either accepted or rejected.
3.2.4.1 All shipping containers accepted for entry into the MBI will be sprayed with an ACS approved disinfectant.
3.2.5 If the rodents are to be used immediately upon arrival, MRI facility personnel will be notified of the arrival, and will meet the technician or Shipping Coordinator at the loading dock.
3.2.6 If the rodents are to be housed overnight and up to seven days, they will be housed in an isolator in room LG-140. This room will be prepared for use by ACS Husbandry staff assigned to the MBI.
3.2.6.1 The Veterinary Care technician or the Shipping Coordinator will communicate with the Husbandry supervisor if there will be any rodents to be housed overnight.
3.2.6.2 The MRI facility personnel/PI will contact the ACS Shipping Coordinator to schedule times for the removal of the rodents from the isolator for imaging and for their return to the isolator following imaging.
3.2.6.2.1 Only ACS staff will remove animals from and return animals to the isolators. ACS staff will perform any needed work within the isolator while occupied by the rodents.
3.2.6.2.2 Animals will be transported between the isolator and the experimental room within a covered microisolator cage.
3.2.6.3 The Veterinary Care technician, the Shipping Coordinator, or ACS Husbandry staff will be responsible for the daily health checks for the animals.
3.2.6.4 Animals may remain in isolators for a maximum of 7 days. On the 8th day they will be moved to routine ACS quarantine, and the standard fees will be applied to the external institution’s PI.
3.2.6.5 Once all work is completed at UF, the shipping coordinators from both UF and the collaborating institution will arrange a return shipment for the animals.
3.2.6.6 UF housing and shipping fees will be applied to each individual shipment, as costs are incurred by ACS. A 33% surcharge is added to UF fees for support provided to non-UF institutions.
3.2.6.6.1 Fees may include:
· Import domestic/international fee
· Per diem fee
· Isolator set up fee
· Courier fees for shipping
3.2.6.6.2 Refer to the myACS website for current charges, or request assistance from the ACS Business Office staff.
3.3 Imaging:
3.3.1 The AMRIS experiment rooms (LG123B, LG123C and LG123E) will be reserved by the external investigators. An hour prior to the imaging start time and one extra hour after the experiment is completed, will be reserved for preparation and clean-up, respectively. This work will be done by MRI personnel.
3.3.2 The external institution’s PI and MRI facility personnel will attempt to complete imaging of the rodents during regular business hours. If this cannot be accomplished, the charges incurred for additional ACS services will be billed to the external institution’s PI.
3.3.3 All surfaces that will be in contact with the animals will be prepared by cleaning with 10% bleach solution, or an ACS approved disinfectant.
3.3.4 Only disposable leads will be used for animal monitoring equipment.
3.3.5 Animals will be handled as per the investigator’s IACUC approved protocol(s).
3.3.6 Anesthesia will be induced in a previously disinfected induction chamber.
3.3.7 The animals will be placed on the suitable cleaned cradle and physiologic monitoring equipment will be positioned as needed.
3.3.8 A disinfected RF coil will be placed over the animal as needed.
3.3.9 The animal will then be put into the previously disinfected MRI magnet.
3.3.10 AMRIS staff will perform the required imaging.
3.3.11 Following imaging animals will be recovered in disinfected recovery chambers.
3.3.12 Once the MRI staff has completed work with the rodents, they will contact the Veterinary Care technician or the Shipping Coordinator to arrange return of the animals to the isolator, or, if no return to the isolator is necessary, back to the collaborator.
3.4 Cleanup:
3.4.1 After experiment completion, animals will exit the facility via same route as entering and will be accompanied by an AMRIS staff member.
3.4.2 Cleanup will be performed using an ACS approved disinfectant on all surfaces in contact with animals. This will include the benchtops, induction and recovery boxes, MRI cradles, coils, anesthesia and monitoring machines.
3.4.3 Disposable physiologic monitoring leads will be sealed in a plastic bag. The outside of the bag will be sprayed with disinfectant and the bag disposed of.
3.4.4 No UF animals will be allowed into the MRI room until the cleanup has been completed.
3.5 Animals requiring overnight and up to 7 days of housing:
3.5.1 Animals requiring short term housing will be housed in LG-140 under the ACS Director’s supervision and approval.
3.5.2 No less than two weeks notice will be required for reserving temporary overnight housing.
3.5.3 Cages in isolators will be provided based on the number of animals housed; not to exceed 15 cages of mice or 6 cages of rats.
3.5.4 All animals will return to the external institution after imaging is completed.
3.6 Animals returning to Collaborator:
3.6.1 Every effort will be made to isolate the animals while they are at the University of Florida. However, there is no complete guarantee that the health status of the rodents will be maintained. It is recommended that rodents returning to the collaborator’s institution be quarantined upon arrival.
