Will Sniffy save his brothers?

With the price of laboratory animals rising and animal activists building up pressure, India's pharmacy colleges are cutting down on specimen numbers and turning to virtual teaching tools like Sniffy. Are we on our way to a more humane educational system, and can dissecting a digi frog rival the real slicing-up, asks Yolande D'mello

On February 19, Dr RC Deka, Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi's premier medical college and hospital, received a letter from a woman most men would kill to correspond with.
But it wasn't a happy exchange. In her letter, Baywatch bombshell Pamela Anderson requested Dr Deka to free ageing monkeys and rabbits with skin infections used for laboratory testing at the AIIMS Central Animal Facility, to sanctuaries.

An activist with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Anderson's letter was one of many posted by PETA India activists and supporters since 2009 to universities all over the country, appealing for an end to animal experiments. Nine universities including Annamalai University, Solapur University, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Pondicherry University, and Manipal University have agreed, finding alternative techniques to animal lab testing.

Demonstrations by PETA outside AIIMS, including the most recent one organised last week by activists wearing money masks and orange prison suits, followed an expos ufffd by a national daily that acquired video footage of the psychological trauma caused by life in a lab cage. A monkey was seen climbing the walls of the cage repeatedly, while another was taunted by a lab worker who pretended to kick the cage. Anderson says "it broke my heart" to hear that one monkey had been suffering at the facility for almost 20 years.

Poorva Joshipura, chief functionary, PETA India says, "Following pressure from PETA, we learned that the Medical Council of India has withdrawn its requirement that every medical school in India must maintain an animal house and use animals as teaching models. They have recommended that schools adopt computer-assisted models to replace animals."

The government, which already has considerable acts in place to protect the rights of animals, has proposed the Animal Welfare Act, 2011 which suggests the setting up of a Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) to prevent persons or institutions from performing experiments on animals.

The ministry has invited comments on the draft legislation, which will replace the existing Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, by March 20.

Will it compromise our learning?
So, while the lab rat may be spared the pain, will humane teaching methods affect learning? Shantanu Iyer, a final year student of Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science at MET Institute of Pharmacy in Bandra says, "As part of our fourth year experiment for the Assay test that allows us to measure the concentration of a drug in the muscle periodically after injection, we use guinea pigs." While Iyer's syllabus mentions an alternative method of learning the ropes of this experiment through video format, he says it's not the same. "It restricts you to theoretical knowledge. We are 'sacrificing' the animal for the good of science. And this is the most effective way to acquire a clear understanding of the subject."u00a0

A student from AIIMS, who did not wish to be named, agrees. "In our labs, we are working for the welfare of humankind. None of the experiments can be performed directly on humans. We must test them on animals to check whether life form will respond to specific drugs or not."

But their professors are keen to see the ethical side. Principal, MET Institute of Pharmacy, Dr Abha Doshi believes in using animals only if absolutely necessary. "Third and fourth year students of the Bachelor of Pharmacy course use guinea pigs for experiments. For students who wish to pursue an MPharm degree, this experience is imperative. But for diploma students, it's not essential, which is why we discontinued the use of animals for them."

Doshi shares that the college has received PETA's request but banning animal testing is impractical. There is an effort however, to keep the numbers under control. To cut costs, MET procures its guinea pigs from The Haffkine Institute for Training, Research and Testing in Parel, and internal organs of chicken from local slaughter houses. "There is a scarcity of frogs, and prices are high. While earlier, every student was provided with a frog, now, one specimen is shared by two students. Two guinea pigs are shared between 15 students. A lot of it has to do with raised costs of laboratory animals but the education system is also considerably more sensitive to animal rights than it was," says Doshi.

Dr Y K Gupta, Head of Department, Pharmacology, and PRO for AIIMS, says they have made attempts to reduce the number of animals used in experiments by resorting to statistical methods. "And while alternative methods like Cell Culture can be considered, they cannot offer a complete replacement for animal experiments.

We, as scientists, love animals and understand the sacrifice they make for the betterment of human life. We follow the Principle of Four 'R'su00a0-- Replacement, Refinement, Rehabilitation and Reductionu00a0-- to safeguard their rights," he clarifies.

Lab animal price list
Weaning Mouse: Rs 45 Rabbit: Rs 1,540
Guinea pig: Rs 440
Hamster: Rs 120
At: National Centre For Laboratory Animal Sciences in Hyderabad

Let's go virtual
The National Centre For Laboratory Animal Sciences in Hyderabad provides a comprehensive list of prices for specific animals. A weaning mouse costs Rs 45; a rabbit costs Rs 1,540. A guinea pig comes for Rs 440, and a hamster for Rs 120 (a retired one is available for half the price).

Dr B K Sharma, associate professor, Department of Zoology, RL Saharia Government PG College, Rajasthan, was conferred the Humane Education Award 2009 by the International Network for Humane Education (InterNICHE) based in UK.

As part of the University Grants Commission he, along with a board of research experts, have opposed laboratory testing for undergraduate students and suggested alternatives to dissection for post graduate students. These include modern pedagogical tools like multimedia computer-based simulations or dissection simulators, interactive CD-ROMs, mannequins, Student Self Experimentation, ethically-sourced animal cadavers, in vitro or virtual labs, videos and charts for learning.

"In India, things happen slowly. Several computer-based teaching tools that showcase virtual dissections on different species are available for learning. It might be a costly investment but in the long run it turns out to be cost-effective since lab animals are costly. Besides, you spare an animal's life," says Sharma.

Digital Frog International's award-winning Digital Frog 2 is a fully-interactive CD ROM that allows a student to 'dissect' a computer-generated frog with a digital scalpel through three modulesu00a0-- dissection, anatomy, and ecology.

Sniffy - the Virtual Rat 2.0 is a realistic simulation of a rat in a Skinner Box. This interactive software gives undergraduate students a virtual laboratory experienceu00a0 without using a real laboratory rat.

In vitro laboratories are becoming popular among cancer research institutes that use cultured tissue that has never been a part of an animal. Mannequins refer to simulation models of animals or patients that students can test on. Ethically-sourced animal cadavers such as those that die of natural causes is another alternative that institutes are adopting.

Decreasing numbers in species
The larger ecological issue that animal testing throws up is that demand for dissection specimens puts pressure on threatened species. In 2004, researchers from the World Conservation Union reported that a third of all amphibian species around the world, including frogs, were threatened with extinction. Although habitat loss, pollution and climate changes were seen as primary causes, demand for dissection specimens made matters worse.

Sourcing frogs from the wild led to an increase in insect population, including those that carry disease. Frogs eat more than their weight in bugs each day. Farmers have relied on frogs to keep crops pest-free, but have recently had to rely on insecticides.

It's this concern that prompted India to ban frog sales in 1987. India was earning $10 million annually on frog exports, but was spending $100 million importing insecticides, according to Chicago-based non-profit animal advocacy group, Mercy for Animals.

Dr Manu Kothari is Chairman of the Ethics Committee at Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital in Mumbai, and author of eight books on anatomical science. He says, "The world population of monkeys has dropped by 10 per cent and animal testing has a lot to do with it. That the HIV virus existed in monkeys, is known. If their population drops, human immune systems are the next best vector."

Kothari sees profit-driven pharmaceutical giants playing a key role. "It's a vicious cycle that starts with the invention of new drugs. Instead of improving or refining existing drugs, new drugs that require extensive animal testing are introduced. Besides, animal testing doesn't necessarily mean a safe-for-humans guarantee."

Krishnan Ramalingam, general manager (Corporate Communications) with Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., one of India's largest pharmaceutical companies with sales touching Rs 41.989 billion annually, says, "There are no alternatives to animal testing. We conform to all government regulations and norms that require animal testing of drugs before they enter the open market. The pharmaceuticals have to be proven safe for human consumption."

Ramalingam's opinion is echoed by The Himalaya Drug Company, that has positioned itself in the market as herbal healthcare specialists. If educational institutions have decided to reduce animal testing, it can only be a good sign, Kothari thinks. "It's not just animals we'll be saving but medical professionals too ufffd saving them from indifference towards animals," he says.

And if the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) 1997 study of seventh graders in the US is to be believed, (it found how fetal pig dissections fostered callousness toward animals) Dr Kothari might just be right.

yolande.dmello@mid-day.comu00a0With inputs from Aastha Saxena

Your guide to the other fallouts of animal testing
Demand for dissection specimens puts pressure on threatened species. In 2004, researchers from the World Conservation Union reported that a third of all amphibian species around the world, including frogs, were threatened with extinction. Sourcing frogs from the wild leads to an increase in the insect population, that frogs otherwise feed on. Farmers then have to rely on insecticides to beat the insect menace.

The world population of monkeys has dropped by 10%. "That the HIV virus existed among monkeys is known. If their population drops, human immune systems are the next best vector," claims Dr Manu Kothari, Chairman of the Ethics Committee at KEM Hospital, Mumbai. Sniffy - the Virtual Rat 2.0 is a realistic simulation of a rat in a Skinner Box. This interactive software gives undergraduate students a virtual laboratory experienceu00a0 without using a real laboratory rat.

The government has proposed the Animal Welfare Act, 2011 which suggests the setting up of a Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) to prevent persons or institutions from performing experiments on animals. pic/AFP PHOTO (for representation purpose only)

Here, students can choose not to
In 2009, The American Anti-Vivisection Society based in Pennsylvania, US, started a campaign to encourage the Student Choice Law. A student could choose to refrain from experiments involving animals and insist on using alternate means, and be legally protected to do so. So far, the law has been enacted in California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia.