Animal models have been used in experimental research to increase human knowledge and contribute to finding solutions to biological and biomedical questions. However, increased concern for the welfare of the animals used, and a growing awareness of the concept of animal rights, has brought a greater focus on the related ethical issues. In this review, we intend to give examples on how animals are used in the health research related to some major health problems in Brazil, as well as to stimulate discussion about the application of ethics in the use of animals in research and education, highlighting the role of National Council for the Control of Animal Experimentation (Conselho Nacional de Controle de Experimentação Animal -CONCEA) in these areas. In 2008, Brazil emerged into a new era of animal research regulation, with the promulgation of Law 11794, previously known as the Arouca Law, resulting in an increased focus, and rapid learning experience, on questions related to all aspects of animal experimentation. The law reinforces the idea that animal experiments must be based on ethical considerations and integritybased assumptions, and provides a regulatory framework to achieve this. This review describes the health research involving animals and the current Brazilian framework for regulating laboratory animal science, and hopes to help to improve the awareness of the scientific community of these ethical and legal rules.

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A decrease in ribosomal gene activity is an essential feature of the aging process as it was observed in Alzheimer's disease, in elderly Down's patients and in elderly healthy people. It is well known that aging is also associated with a reduction in melatonin synthesis. We studied 24 male Wistar rats cytogenetically, by using Ag-stained NOR (6 three-month-old rats underwent pinealectomy and were studied after 20 days; 6 control rats of the same age; 6 three-month-old rats underwent pinealectomy and were studied after 8 months; 6 control rats of the same age). Our results indicate that the absence of the pineal gland leads to a decrease in NOR activity. Further studies are necessary to determine if pinealectomy in rats could provide an animal model for aging.

O mercado farmacêutico veterinário do Brasil é considerado um dos maiores do mundo e está em expansão. A pesquisa clínica é uma etapa importante para o desenvolvimento de produtos veterinários, no entanto, informações sobre essas atividades nas indústrias, fazendas experimentais terceirizadas e faculdades de Medicina Veterinária são escassas. Neste contexto, são descritas as atividades de pesquisa clínica nessas instituições do Estado de São Paulo. Para tanto, foram enviados questionários a representantes das indústrias farmacêuticas veterinárias e das faculdades de Medicina Veterinária do Estado. Os resultados mostraram que a maioria das indústrias tem seus escritórios na cidade de São Paulo, que em 2016 a maioria delas patrocinou entre 11 e 20 estudos, muitos deles em parceria com as faculdades. Todas as indústrias participantes já contrataram serviços de Contract Research Organization (CRO), embora relatem insatisfações com os mesmos. Por outro lado, representantes das faculdades de Medicina Veterinária declararam, em sua maioria, que conduziram dez desses estudos no ano de 2016, muitos deles com patrocínio das indústrias. Já estas se ressentem da falta de agilidade e compromisso das faculdades. A aproximação entre as indústrias de produtos veterinários e as faculdades de Medicina Veterinária foi vista pelos representantes tanto das faculdades quanto das indústrias como benéfica.