Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences Polish version
 

Animal House

Polish Academy of Sciences Medical Research Center
5 Pawinskiego Str., 02-106 Warsaw, POLAND
phone (48-22) 668 55 43, 60 86 447, 60 86 436
zwierz@cmdik.pan.pl


  • Registration in Polish register of laboratory animals - symbol of breeding: Cmd
  • Registered by District Veterinary Authorities No. 14313512
  • NIH Certified - PHS Approved Animal Welfare Assurance assigned by Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare - No. A5438-01

Characteristics of the Unit:

The breeding house on Pawiński St. has been in operation since 1997. The breeding house of the Medical Research Centre is a 3-storied - independent building technically prepared for maintaining animals (air condition system with 3 kinds of filters, double-door autoclaves, automatic washing machines for cleaning cages and bottles, barrier system for personnel entrance).
The 3000 m2 space is separated into areas for breeding and experimental purposes, as well as an auxillary area for storing and washing. One floor consists of 6 equipped operating rooms, each belonging to a different department. The remaining two floors are used in breeding small rodents and breeding or maintaining bigger animals like rabbits and cats, as well as dogs. Dogs have access to the walking area. All planned experiments are approved by the First Ethical Commission in Warsaw with which our Institute cooperates.

The breeding offers:

  • genetic material of small rodents strains for organising new breedings (gratis)
  • animals for experiments (groups selected according to age, sex, weight, phases of the cycle)
  • services of immunisation
  • equipped space for experiments
Our own breeding includes 23 models of small rodents maintained in SPF conditions, as well as a stock of cats. The first genetic materials were sourced from these renowned breeding centres of the world:
Rats: Harlan Limited Shaw's Farm, Blackthorn, Bicester - Great Britain ; Charles River - Germany;
Gerbils: Charles River - Germany; Centre D'Elevange R. Janvier Animaux de Laboratorie- France
Mice: Charles River - Germany; Iffa Credo- Paris Centre de Recherche et d'Elevage des Oncins; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, U.S.A; Cleveland Clinic Fundation, Ohio, USA; Massachusetts Institute of Technology Building, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Massachusett Brigham and Women Hospital; Jackson Laboratory, USA; Taconic, USA.

Small rodents section:

Strains bred in SPF condition:
  • Rats: AUG, BN, LEW, WAG, Tac:N:(SD)-Tg N(SOD1g93A)L26A (ALS model)
  • Mice: BALB/c, FVB, C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, SWR/J, 129P3/J, FOX CHASE C.B.-17 scid, TgN(TIMP1-lacZ)CD1, Tg(G ? q44)FVB, KO(CcnD1) C57BL/6, KO(CcnD2)C57BL/6,KO[NOS-3] C57BL6 /J, KO(GLT1)C57BL, KO(ApoE;LDL)C57BL( model miażdżycy ), Tg(B-ACT-GFP)C57BL/6J, FVB-Tg(APP LD2/B6)-model of Alzheimer Disease, C57BL/6 Tg(Thy1,APP), FVB-Tg(Thy1;PS1), FVB-Tg(Thy1;APP,PS1),B6;C3H-TgPrP-hSNCA)A53TVle/J- model of Parkinson Disease, B6C3H-Tg(PrP-RW tau)R406W, F1(BALB/c x C57BL)
Stocks bred in SPF condition:
  • Gerbils: CRW (MON); F-Rj (line sensitive to ischemia)
  • Rats: Wist Cmd:(WI)WU,Tac:SD

Large animals section:

  • Deep frozen fetuses of the "pt" rabbits (mutant)
  • Other maintained species: rabbits, dogs

Health control:

Our animals are periodically controlled pathologically, parasitologically, bacteriologically and virusologically for the presence of the following microorganisms:
  • bakteria: Mycoplasma sp., Salmonella sp., Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Corynobacterium murium Kutscheri, Proteus sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Citrobacter sp., Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus.
  • viruses: Ectromelia virus, Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), Sendai (HVJ) virus, Pneumonia virus of mice (PVM), Lymphocitic choriomreningitis (LCM) virus, Minutevirus of mice (MVM), KRV/H-1 virus, Sialodacryoadenitis virus (SDA)
  • parasites: Giardia muris, Spironucleus muris, Syphacia sp., Eimeria sp., Ectoparasites.

For bacteriological analyses API system and PPL-18 are used. For viral infection and mycoplasma, diagnostic kits ELISA are applied. Bacteriological and viral control are done in cooperation with the Institute of Oncology and pathological controls with the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the Agriculture Academy, in Warsaw.
Our cats are vaccinated against: panleucopenia (FPV), herpesvirus (FRV), calicivirus (FCV), chlamydia psittaci. Dogs are vaccinated against canine distemper, rabies, parvovirus, leptospirosis, parainfluensis and hepatitis.

Genetic control:

Inbred strains are controlled by skin transplant and scid mice are checked for CD3 antigen (blood samples; FACS). The geneticaly modified animals are controlled genetically by PCR for the presence or lack of gene of interest.


Laboratory animals bred in research centres in Poland (Polish version only)