MICE!

Here's what i promised! Took photos during our cell culture day this time, from the very first step, the killing of mice. They are very strict with animal handling here. My project needs to be approved first, after the animal ethics committee's meeting. To see if its worth it enough for animals to be killed in that particular area of research. Next, i had to read through all the animal ethics handbooks and pass the test before being allowed to handle them.

So what do we need to know? Everything concerning the animal's welfare. Transporting, killing, anaesthesizing, disposal, etc. The committee needs to know everything from the point the animal is killed till their disposal. Annual reports must be sent to update them about the total number of animals used, and if there were any changes to the protocol. You even have to put up a sign when the animal is killed, at the place where the killing took place. Thats one thing we can never understand. Who will see it? My supervisor even called up the committee to enquire about this.

So... We are not handling animals anyhow. Will get fined (thousands) and jailed (years) if so. University's license will be suspended or revoked too. Thats what the handbook said. Yes they are this strict. We must treat the animals in the most humane way.

Below are the photos of what we did. Actually i'm abit afraid of posting these. Who knows. Maybe tomorrow i will receive a call from the animal ethics to say we violated some regulations or what. Lol. Anyway, we did the killing early in the morning, my supervisor wasnt here yet. So i began taking photos of my colleague kill. Quite some time later, my supervisor suddenly popped in! To check if we were doing fine. And i was holding the camera! Haha. Then this was his response: "I caught you! Taking photos!" Both of us langhed. Then he went out, pretending that he didnt see. Hahaha.

BEWARE! Dont scroll down if you have a weak heart.
Not suitable for those who faint at the sight of blood.

Cute pregnant mice kept comfortably in the box when collected

The murderers - One is to make them sleep, and the other to let them die in their sleep.
So no pain will be felt.

Mini operation begins

Spray alcohol to maintain sterility, then cut it open from the stomach

Internal organs exposed

Blood taken from the heart to make IgG coated plates

Fetuses removed

Little sausages each filled with a placenta and fetus

Cut the sausage skin to free the fetuses

Lay them on a alcohol sprayed napkin

Oh look at those cute little babies

Removing their tiny lungs

Place it into a buffer-filled petri dish

One tiny lung attached to heart

ITS MY TURN.
Actually this is my second time. My supervisor let me do it after watching for the first time last week.

"War zone" - as said by Mr Poh, 2008

Cleaning up the lungs. Removing the attached heart / thymus / liver

Tada! Final product in the right petri dish. Fetuses' lungs.
After that we mince it, break the cells apart, digest it, and grow them in media. Then they will end up in culture plates (see previous post).

Hopefully we will can get some good results.. Then these mice will not die for nothing. Anyway do you know what i am doing for my honours project? Lol. I am looking at the regulation of surfactant secretion in lungs of fetuses. Surfactant is produced at later stages of gestation, thats why premature babies need to be put on respiratory support. If we can find out at some factors that can stimulate surfactant production, we will be able to give it to the mother when the baby is about to be born. This decreases the risk of the baby having respiratory distress syndrome, most common complication in premature babies. This in turn decreases the risk of chronic respiratory diseases in future!