The impact of stress and anesthesia on animal models of infectious disease

Abstract

Stress and general anesthesia have an impact on the functional response of the organism due to the detrimental effects on cardiovascular, immunological, and metabolic function, which could limit the organism's response to an infectious event. Animal studies have formed an essential step in understanding and mitigating infectious diseases, as the complexities of physiology and immunity cannot yet be replicated in vivo. Using animals in research continues to come under increasing societal scrutiny, and it is therefore crucial that the welfare of animals used in disease research is optimized to meet both societal expectations and improve scientific outcomes. Everyday management and procedures in animal studies are known to cause stress, which can not only cause poorer welfare outcomes, but also introduces variables in disease studies. Whilst general anesthesia is necessary at times to reduce stress and enhance animal welfare in disease research, evidence of physiological and immunological disruption caused by general anesthesia is increasing. To better understand and quantify the effects of stress and anesthesia on disease study and welfare outcomes, utilizing the most appropriate animal monitoring strategies is imperative. This article aims to analyze recent scientific evidence about the impact of stress and anesthesia as uncontrolled variables, as well as reviewing monitoring strategies and technologies in animal models during infectious diseases.

Artificial Feeding Systems for Vector-Borne Disease Studies

“…These models may not fully replicate human physiology and can create challenges in translating findings to clinical applications [ 60 ]. Ethical considerations regarding animal welfare and the use of anesthesia in vector feeding experiments have prompted discussions, calling for the continual reassessment and potential refinement of research methodologies [ 61 , 62 , 63 ]. Also, maintaining animal colonies and conducting experiments can be resource-intensive in terms of both time and cost [ 64 ].…”