Date: October 1998
 Reference:   Administrative Panel on Laboratory Animal Care

DIRECTIONS: Review the following material. Keep copies of guidelines with applicable protocols. You may find it helpful to post a copy of these guidelines in your laboratory. Questions should be forwarded to the A-PLAC office, 723-4550.

TRAINING: Training in these techniques and the humane treatment of laboratory animals during the procedures is taught by the Veterinary Service Center (VSC) staff. All new personnel who will be performing these techniques should contact VSC staff for training (723-6735).

1. At the time of inoculation, with the substance eliciting an EAE effect, a baseline body weight of the animal will be obtained and recorded in the laboratory notebook. A red-tag specifying "EAE Model," date of inoculation, and the name and home telephone number of the person responsible for the care of the animals will be placed on each applicable animal cage. The red tag is supplementary to the original VSC issued cagecard which details, among other information, the protocol number, Protocol Director, and laboratory telephone number. Red tags may be obtained from VSC (725-3887).
   
   
2. Animals will be monitored a minimum of twice daily, beginning in advance of the point in time when experimental effects such as paresis or paralysis are expected. Minimum twice daily monitoring will continue until the conclusion of the acute phase of the experiment. If animals are to survive after the resolution of the acute phase, monitoring shall be done twice weekly until the termination of the experiment. Monitoring will include the graded score of the EAE involvement, hydration status, general condition and activity level of the animal, and the number of animals found dead. Monitoring observations will be recorded in ink in the bound laboratory notebook. The date, time of the observation, and the name of the individual observing the animals will be recorded with each set of observations. Laboratory notebooks will be made available to VSC, A-PLAC, and external regulatory agencies on request.
   
   
3. At the time at which the earliest experimental effects are expected (day 10 post-inoculation), and until the conclusion of the acute phase of the experiment, an additional water source consisting usually of Napa NecterTM will be placed on the cage floor ad lib, moistened rodent blox will be provided on the cage floor ad lib, and body weight will be measured daily. At 30% weight loss from baseline, regardless of graded score of EAE involvement or clinical condition, animals will either be a) humanely killed, or b) given subcutaneous supplemental fluid therapy consisting of 1 cc lactated ringers or normal saline a minimum of twice daily until body weight returns to within 10% of baseline. Body weights and documentation of fluid administration will be made in the laboratory notebook.
   
   
4. Guidelines for Weekend and Holiday Care must be signed, on file with A-PLAC, and strictly followed. Prior arrangement may be made to contract with VSC Veterinary Services to perform observations, husbandry, and fluid therapy. Animals undergoing the EAE model will not be removed from their original cages, nor taken to ICU, without the permission of the responsible person or Protocol Director.