TROPLIST: Are embryos animals?

[Andre Brandli]

Hi Nick,

I can provide you with information about the legal situation in 
Switzerland. According to the Swiss laws regulating animal 
experimentation, tadpoles are first considered animals once they start 
feeding (NF stage 45 onwards). Tadpoles are defined as the stages from 
feeding to the end of metamorphosis. This encompasses Weisz's first-form 
tadpole (equivalent to NF stages 45 to 49), second-form tadpole (NF 49 
to 56) and third-form tadpole (NF 56 to 60-plus) stages. The term 
"larva" is used as a synonym.

I however suspect that is not need information about the US regulations. 
Nevertheless, I hope that this information is useful.

Best wishes,

André



Hirsch, Nicolas wrote:

Does your IACUC consider embryos or tadpoles to be “animals” that must 
be accounted for in animal protocols? I’m currently writing my animal 
use protocol and have been grappling with this question.

OLAW’s FAQ page says amphibian and fish “larvae” are animals for the 
purposes of regulation, but I can’t find anywhere what stage is 
considered the beginning of larval life. I’ve been corresponding with 
Kim Taylor, a vet at OLAW, and her opinion is that embryos are not 
animals until “hatching”. This applies to chick embryos, which are 
obviously very highly developed before hatching from the eggshell. Since 
amphibian embryologists define “hatching” differently, I’m thinking 
early embryos wouldn’t be regulated but that tadpoles would be. This 
doesn’t make much logical sense, of course, but when have bureaucracies 
been great lovers of logic?

Your experiences or opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Nick Hirsch


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Andre Brandli
Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences
ETH Zurich
Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 10, HCI H435
CH-8093 Zurich
Switzerland

Phone:    +41-44 633 7421
FAX:      +41-44 633 1360
e-mail:   brandli@pharma.ethz.ch