This application requests funds for alterations, renovations and equipment for animal research in the Variety Club Heart Hospital (VCHH) and Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Minnesota Health Center. These facilities are used principally by cardiovascular researchers but other disciplines also use them including programs in endocrinology, neurosciences and oncology. These programs, have expanded substantially in the past 5 years and have outgrown the facilities they now use. The 5th floor of the VCHH (a 3200 GSF animal facility abandoned some years ago because of numerous inadequacies) will be altered and renovated to provide housing for dogs and SPF rodents, suites for large and small animal surgery, support rooms and an elevator to connect the facility with the animal research facilities in the CRC. The newly renovated facility in the VCHH will have an average daily census of 10 dogs, 3300 SPF mice and 480 SPF rats. The large and small animal surgery suites are expected to be used daily with about 120 major survival surgeries annually on dogs and 250 surgeries annually on rodents. Acute procedures are also performed aseptically in both areas. All mobile equipment in the VCHH facility will be cleaned and sanitized in the CRC cage and bottle wash room which has received heavy use for the past 16 years. Funds are requested to pit mount the cage and rack washer and resurface the floors, walls and ceiling in the room. Funding is also requested to purchase equipment for the VCHH facility (dog pens, SPF rodent housing surgery table and small autoclave) and for large animal pens (mainly young adult sheep and swine) for an animal holding room in the CRC built recently with University funds.
