APS Reaffirms Animal Care Requirements

The American Physiological Society (APS) supports excellence in research, teaching, and service. In pursuit of this excellence, APS members are expected to be ethical in their research, especially in the use and care of animals [1]. The APS Guiding Principles for the Care and Use of Animals in Research and Teaching [2] (the APS Principles) call on investigators to thoughtfully design experiments involving animals, seeking approval by the appropriate oversight body and considering the principles of reduction, refinement, and replacement (the 3R’s). The APS Principles further require that animals be lawfully acquired in compliance with all national and local laws and regulations, and housed, fed and cared for in an appropriate setting and with access to veterinary care. In order to publish in APS journals, authors whose research involves animals must adhere to the APS Principles [3]. Publications must include a statement of protocol approval from an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and provide a sufficient description of animal procedures to permit readers to evaluate the quality of the data presented and to replicate the experiments [3].

Footnotes

1. APS Member Code of Conduct
2. APS Guiding Principles for the Care and Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research and Training
3. Information for Authors