Small Animals, Big Contributions: Scientific Understanding of Laboratory Mice

When people are testing drugs on themselves, they often say not to be the "guinea pigs" used in experiments. Do you know what "guinea pigs" are?

By the way, I am the most commonly used "little white mouse" in experiments. However, my scientific name is "mouse", because mice are not only white, but also black, gray, brown, etc., colorful. I come from the huge mouse family. There are about 1,700 species of mice in the world, distributed all over the world, which is more than the number of humans. In animal taxonomy, I belong to the phylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Rodentia, family Muridae, species Mouse.

I first started using them as experimental animals in 1913, when an American named Bagg bought pet mice. They were originally albino mice, bred in closed groups.

In 1923, MacDowell of the United States began to breed inbred mice. By 1932, it had reached the 26th generation and was named BALB/c. In 1985, Chinese scientists introduced it from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the United States to the Institute of Laboratory Animals of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. It was the 180th generation of BALB/c. After several generations, I was born. With the hard work of human scientists, there are more than 20,000 mouse strains like me, and 40,000 mouse embryonic stem cells.

I have white hair, red eyes, and a long tail. My natural life span is only 2 to 3 years. I grew up in a laboratory and lived in an incubator with relatively constant temperature and humidity. Humans call our houses "independent ventilation cages", also known as IVCs. Directed air flows in through the air inlet and out through the exhaust port after being filtered. The air is fresh. I eat autoclaved artificial feed and drink filtered purified water.

I now live in a specific pathogen-free (SPF) animal room at the Institute of Laboratory Animals of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing, China, and enjoy the treatment of a five-star hotel. Now when humans see me, they are no longer afraid or disgusted, but full of love and warmth. Because I am no longer a small house mouse, but have evolved into a high-quality experimental animal. I no longer carry pathogenic pathogens, and my eyes have turned from black to red due to lack of pigment. I suffer from what humans call albinism, and my status has become more delicate, and my value has doubled.

Figure 1 My celebrity photo

Figure 2 Cartoon of experimental animals used in human disease research

The breeding methods of experimental mice and wild mice are different. Inbred strains and closed groups belong to different breeding methods.

Inbred strains refer to close relatives mating, and the degree of inbreeding is equivalent to more than 20 generations of continuous full siblings or parent-offspring mating. Inbred mice have high genetic purity and small individual differences, and are also called pure line animals. In experiments, the same results can often be obtained, so they are used in the largest amount. Closed groups, also known as outbred groups, are groups of animals that are isolated from the outside world for a long period of time and can mate randomly between male and female individuals. Their genetic composition is closer to the natural state, maintaining both the general characteristics of the group animals and the heterozygosity of the animals. The repeatability and consistency between individuals are not as good as those of inbred animals.

As "stand-ins" for humans, we are used in various animal experiments and disease studies.

In the study of human diseases, we are made into animal models of human diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and infectious diseases. By detecting pathological changes in blood and various organs, we study the occurrence, development, and outcome of diseases. In terms of food, medicine, biological products, and drinking water safety, we test drugs on ourselves, and through acute toxicity, chronic toxicity, and long-term toxicity experiments, we detect and judge the hazards and effectiveness to humans. In exploring the mysteries of life sciences, through the study of gene sequencing, protein function, and developmental processes of experimental animals, we gradually reveal the complex process of life occurrence and development, and form emerging disciplines such as developmental biology and bioinformatics. At the same time, there are many applications in the livestock and poultry industry, agricultural chemical industry, aerospace, and national defense and military.

Although I am small, I have played a big role for mankind. With the development of human civilization, humans have begun to pay attention to our welfare issues. In addition to improving living conditions, scientists have begun to study methods such as replacement, reduction and refinement to reduce the number of animals we use, alleviate pain, and implement euthanasia. The Institute of Animal Care and Management (IACUC) has been established to review the production and use of experimental animals. I believe that with our help, humans will be able to overcome various diseases and improve the quality of human life.

(Author: Kong Qi, Institute of Medical Laboratory Animals, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences)

References:

［1］Qin Chuan, editor-in-chief. Medical Experimental Animal Science［M］. People's Medical Publishing House, 2008: 11.

［2］Qin Chuan, ed. Preparation of Animal Models of Common Human Diseases［M］. Peking University Health Science Press, 2007: 10.

［3］Qin Chuan, ed. Modern Life and Biosafety［M］. Science Popularization Press, 2007: 1.

［4］Qin Chuan, editor-in-chief. Report on the Development of Experimental Animal Science［M］. Science and Technology Press of China, 2009: 4

［5］Qin Chuan, Zhang Lianfeng, eds. Mouse Genetic Engineering and Medical Applications［M］. Peking Union Medical College Press, 2010: 1.

［6］Qin Chuan, editor-in-chief. Experimental Animal Science［M］. People's Medical Publishing House, 2010: 08.

[7] Kong Q, Qin C. Analysis of current laboratory animal science policies and administration in China［J］． ILAR J, 2009, 51 (1): e1-e11.

[8] Kong Q, Qin C. Laboratory Animal Science in China: Current Status and Potential for the Adoption of Alternatives［J］． Altern Lab Anim, 2010, 38 (1): 53-69.