In the last fiscal year the NIDCR intramural animal research program used about 66,500 mice and 975 rats. The program also used 4 guinea pigs in research not involving pain or distress. The NIDCR animal program was visited and accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International in June 2011 as part of the accreditation of the intramural animal program of the National Institutes of Health intramural program. The next triennial site visit is expected in June 2014. The program provides an animal facility dedicated to only NIDCR investigators that can accommodate 5,760 mouse cages with a capacity up to 28,800 mice. The cage occupancy rate of that animal facility was about 95% of assigned space in August 2011. Additional mouse housing is provided in other shared or centralized animal facilities on the Bethesda NIH campus that can accommodate 3,040 more mouse cages with a capacity of 15,200 mice. Housing for rats is available for 224 rat cages in a shared facility, with a capacity of about 650 rats. In the last fiscal year, the NIDCR ACUC approved the establishment of a permanent satellite facility on campus which accommodates approximately 36 mouse cages with a capacity of 180 mice and 15 rat cages with a capacity of 45 rats. Currently, there are also ten Xenopus frogs that are housed in another NIH animal facility. At this time no nonhuman primates, dogs, cats, farm animals, or fish are used by the intramural program of NIDCR. The NIDCR Animal Care and Use Committee reviewed and approved, or requested modifications for approval of 43 animal study proposals and 33 proposal amendments. Training is required for all animal users and principal investigators, and ACUC members. NIDCR ACUC members regularly attend national meetings and workshops for advanced training in regulatory compliance for laboratory animal care and use. NIDCR intramural scientists create and breed transgenic mice for experimental use in NIDCR operated and other shared animal facilities. The NIDCR animal program is continually sharing these valuable animal resources and importing additional transgenic mice for specific research studies.
