A Method to Administer Agents to the Larynx in an Awake Large Animal

Abstract

This methodology allowed for repeated application of exogenous agents to awake, unstressed animals. This method can be used repeatedly in the laboratory to test various therapeutics for safety, toxicity, and dosage. Future studies will specifically manipulate the type of agent to further our understanding of laryngeal pathobiology.

Sling Training with Positive Reinforcement to Facilitate Porcine Wound Studies

“…The pigs were acclimated for 7–10 days, during which daily, food-driven training lasting approximately 30–60 minutes each day was used to first habituate the pigs to novel food items and treats and to the laboratory staff and then to expose them to the portable Panepinto-like sling (swine or sheep restraint sling complete frame, catalog #SF H1PU, Lomir, Malone, NY) ( Durkes and Sivasankar, 2017 ; Grandin, 1986 ; Sørensen, 2010 ). While being hand fed with fresh fruit slices (apples, cantaloupe, and peaches) and syringe fed with palatable, high-value foodstuffs such as yogurt, apple sauce, pumpkin soup, or cat food gruel (Dannon yogurt, Mott’s apple sauce, freshly cooked pumpkin blended 50:50 with water and heavy cream, and Friskies mixed grill mince, made into a gruel 50:50 with water) using 60 ml syringes (60 ml catheter-tip syringe without needles, catalog #309620, BD, San Jose, CA), the pigs were initially led into the neutral, open hallway area of the vivarium between housing stalls where the flattened, cotton sling cover was relaxed squarely on the ground with a floor mat underneath.…”

“…Although sling training has been reported for subcutaneous or intranasal drug administration (Durkes and Sivasankar, 2017;Zeltner, accessed 8 Feburary 2021), its use has not been reported in skin wound studies. The goal of this work was to optimize the sling technique for short-term skin wound studies.…”

“…A well-trained pig can be hand or leash guided or can voluntarily walk onto the sling area and then be lifted for physical examination. Although sling training has been reported for subcutaneous or intranasal drug administration ( Durkes and Sivasankar, 2017 ; Zeltner, 2013 ), its use has not been reported in skin wound studies. The goal of this work was to optimize the sling technique for short-term skin wound studies.…”

Combination product of dermal matrix, preconditioned human mesenchymal stem cells and timolol promotes wound healing in the porcine wound model

“…The animals were acclimated and trained for 7-10 days using positive reinforcement (food treats) to voluntarily enter a portable Panepinto-like sling (Lomir, cat# SF H1PU) for handling up to 30 min/day. [11][12][13][14] This modified protocol for sling-training allowed for daily examination and treatment of wounds on awake, low-stress animals without anesthesia, a potential confounder. 15,16 Animals were fasted >12 h prior to the surgery and induced under telazol (4-8 mg/kg, intramuscular).…”

A Case Study on the Behavioural Effect of Positive Reinforcement Training in a Novel Task Participation Test in Göttingen Mini Pigs

“…Luring may also be preferred as it seems to be an intuitive and simple positive reinforcement technique. The use of CT is not widely used, even though pigs are easily clicker trained to cooperate for experimental procedures such as blood sampling via a venous access port, face mask inhalation, injections, and multiple X-rays [26,28,29].…”