Laboratory Investigation | Clinical | Husbandry/Management

Laboratory Investigation

Abstracts should contain the following elements:

• Hypothesis/Problem
• Methods/Approach
• Results/Observations
• Conclusion

These elements are color-coded in the sample below for easy reference.

Tissue Vaccines for Prevention of Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is a significant clinical condition of men, with nearly 250,000 new cases diagnosed and 30,000 deaths each year. Due to the paucity of effective treatments for the refractory disease, focus has been given to prevention, primarily related to dietary manipulations. While some data for dietary prevention is compelling, widespread adoption of broad dietary changes is unlikely. In contrast, vaccination offers the opportunity to prevent disease in large numbers of individuals without requiring sustained behavioral changes. To determine if vaccination is a potential strategy for prevention of prostate cancer, we evaluated the utility of a tissue vaccine derived from glutardehyde-fixed tumor (GFT) tissue. Subcutaneous tumors generated in Lobund-Wistar (LW) rats with the syngeneic PAIII prostate cancer line were harvested, dissociated, and treated with 3% glutaraldehyde. Groups of 30 LW rats were treated with intravenous methylnitrosourea (30 mg/kg) to induce autochthonous prostate tumors and were then vaccinated subcutaneously (SC) monthly from 2 to 10 mo of age. At 10 mo of age, gross and histological examination of prostates showed a 90% reduction in the incidence of prostate cancer compared to media-vaccinated controls (included to demonstrate lack of treatment effect by media). To determine if this vaccine could be used as a xenogeneic preparation, immunocompetent Ncr-Foxn1^nu mice were vaccinated SC with the GFT vaccine; their splenocytes harvested 7 d after the last boost and co-incubated with human PC346 prostate cancer cells (group 1); and orthotopically transplanted into syngeneic BALB/c nu/nu mice. Groups of 20 nu/nu mice were treated this way or with PC346 cells co-incubated with splenocytes from media-vaccinated mice (group 2); or transplanted with untreated PC346 cells (group 3). Ten weeks later, the mice were euthanized and prostates evaluated histologically for tumor growth. The incidence of prostate cancer was reduced by 70% in group 1 mice compared to those in groups 2 and 3, indicating that this vaccine has xenogeneic efficacy. In summary, tissue vaccines are effective at preventing prostate cancer in both syngeneic and xenogeneic models.

Clinical

Abstracts should contain the following elements:

• Hypothesis/Problem
• Methods/Approach
• Results/Observations
• Conclusions

These elements are color-coded in the sample below for easy reference.

Urinary Alkalinization in the Treatment of Traumatic Rhabdomyolysis in Rhesus Macaques
A 15-y-old, 9.1-kg female rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) housed in an outdoor breeding group presented with severe crush wounds infl icted by cagemates. Physical exam revealed a capillary refi ll time of 6 s, pale mucous membranes, and a heart rate of 192 BPM. Severe echymosis, edema, and lacerations were noted on the extremities, thorax, perineum, and face. Due to marked hypovolemia, an IV catheter could not be inserted. An intraoseous catheter was placed and blood samples collected. The animal was secured to a restraint board and a urinary catheter inserted. Lab results included: BUN 52 mg/dl, CREAT 3.7 mg/dl, CPK > 30K U/l, K+ 4.5 mEq/l, and WBC 18K /ul. A urine test strip indicated a pH of 6.0 and Blood 4+, in the absence of hematuria. These strips cross-react with myoglobin, a hemoprotein found in muscle and associated with acute renal failure 48 to 72 h post-crush injury. Current medical literature suggests urinary alkalinization (to pH > 6.5) increases myoglobin byproduct solubility in urine, allowing renal excretion with minimal tubular damage. This principle has been demonstrated to increase survival in earthquake victims with analogous injuries. Fluid therapy was initiated with 0.9% saline plus 50 mEq/L of sodium bicarbonate; 20 ml/kg was infused over 30 min, followed by 30 ml/kg/h for a total volume of 110 ml/kg. Urine output was monitored to maintain 1 to 2 ml/kg/h and a pH above 6.5. For 2 subsequent days, IV fl uids were administered at 20 ml/kg/h for 100 ml/kg/d. The myoglobinuria resolved, bicarbonate was discontinued, and lab values returned to normal ranges. In the 8 preceding months, 1 macaque with rhabdomyolysis (RM) failed to respond to conventional fluid therapy, and 4 others were found dead with signs of RM. Since implementation of this protocol, 4 of 4 macaques presenting with traumatic RM (CPK > 65K U/l in one case) have been treated successfully. Urinary alkalinization, correction of metabolic acidosis, and the treatment of hyperkalemia often associated with RM make bicarbonate a rational adjunct therapy for the condition in the rhesus macaque.

Husbandry/Management

Abstracts should contain the following elements:

• Hypothesis/Problem
• Methods/Approach
• Results/Observations
• Conclusion

These elements are color-coded in the sample below for easy reference.

Online Assignment, Assessment, and Tracking of Standard Operating Procedure Review
Communicating procedural changes between animal care staff, veterinarians, and management is vital to the operation of an animal research facility. One of the major components of a training program is to review standard operating procedures (SOPs) on a regular cycle. Staff should be trained on SOP revisions prior to its effective date. A frequent method of SOP review training is to present changes to the procedure in lecture format during a department staff meeting. Individuals missing the meeting have to be tracked, asked to read the procedure, and sign off on their review. This process is time consuming, delays the overall training on the SOP, and may alter effective dates. In order to streamline the system for SOP review, a program to automate the process is now used. Initial training occurs in a face-to-face staff meeting that can include various numbers of the department in attendance. Those in attendance sign off that they received the training. Those not in attendance have an SOP training module assigned in the company-wide online learning management program for each employee. The module includes a link to the SOP along with a short quiz to demonstrate that the SOP was reviewed. An automated email message is sent to each employee notifying them of the required training and another to the employee and their manager if the training is overdue. Employees can access their assignment, review the SOP, take the test, and document review in one easy process. We provide a 2-wk period to complete the training, thus keeping effective dates on schedule.