Response to PETA attacks
Some children have negative experiences in early life, and we want
to know how those experiences affect their brains and behavior so
that we can identify treatments that help them lead healthy lives.
In general terms, we are attempting to understand how adverse
experiences in early life can have lifelong impacts on a person.
More specifically, we are learning how even mild and brief negative
experiences in early life can literally change a person’s genetic
makeup and as a result, influence brain development, brain function,
and mental health later in life. We do this by studying prenatal
environments and parenting behavior and determining how these
factors impact an organism’s DNA in the form of “chemical tags” that
tell our genes what to do. We then use this information to
help understand the consequences of these chemical tags (or what we
call epigenetic changes) on behavioral development.
We know that the rodent models we use have direct relevance for
understanding human psychological conditions, because we see many of
the same behavioral outcomes in our rats that people experience
after exposure to negative experiences, including impacts that span
generations. We study this in rodents because doing so allows us to
directly examine the effects of gene- environment interactions in
the brain. This of course is impossible to do in children, but the
information is critical for treating people suffering the
consequences of negative early life experiences.
All of our animal work is federally- and locally-regulated and overseen.
PETA’s petition and following media coverage have
misrepresented the research and made false claims
when in fact, and for example:
Our work at the University of Delaware focuses on the effects of
mild and brief stressors. Rats are subjected to negative
caregiving behaviors that actually happen in nature. The animals are
not subjected to “cruelty and deprivation that cause extreme
suffering”. Most of the time they experience nurturing care, and
are socially housed and are provided an enriched environment that
includes toys and exposure to other rats.
We also collaborate with other scientists who are interested in how negative experiences change the brain. Our primary role in these collaborations is limited to analyzing tissue samples provided by the well-respected research labs. Although we do not interact with these animals directly, their research is also subject to strict federal and local oversight. The work that we and our colleagues do has direct relevance for understanding human conditions including Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
All invasive procedures involved in our work have always been
performed under proper anesthesia and pain medication to diminish pain.
Furthermore, these procedures are well documented
by the researchers.
The “transcardial perfusion of formalin” referenced in PETA’s
petition took place after treatment with proper anesthesia. Such details
are rarely reported in manuscripts as no one would think of doing perfusions
without administering anesthesia first, and the procedure we followed is common
practice amongst scientists. Last but not
least, the procedures meet all federal and local guidelines concerning animal
welfare. Contrary to PETA’s claims, we have never been found in violation of any
mandated standards for the humane care and treatment of our research animals. We
are subjected to yearly evaluations and review of all of our procedures and
records.
We have never drowned or “nearly” drowned
rats in our lab. Rats are very comfortable in aquatic/semiaquatic
environments. They are relatively good swimmers and naturally
inhabit aquatic and semiaquatic habitats including drainage canals,
sewers, and streambeds. Reports suggest some rats can swim over a
mile in open water and tread water for up to three days. Thus,
animal behavior labs commonly use rats in aquatic tasks to examine a
variety of topics including questions related to learning and
memory, animal navigation, and coping strategies. In our lab, we
infrequently use aquatic tasks, but when we do, exposure to aquatic
environments is relatively brief and rats are continuously monitored
throughout the task to ensure their well-being. The suggestion that
we drown or “nearly” drown rats in our lab is completely ridiculous.
Our experiments are not “scientifically meaningless”. In fact, they help human children. We are already using information we have gathered from our work with rodents to inform intervention work with neglected and at-risk children in the U.S. and abroad. Our work is well respected in the scientific community and our research is referenced in college textbooks and commonly cited in in important psychology, neuroscience, and medical journals.
This information can also inform public health policy decisions
aimed at prevention to promote healthy child development and mental
health.
Additional information
Letter of support from Americans for Medical Progress
Letter of support from the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology
Letter of support from the Society for Neuroscience
Letter of support from the Research Society on Alcoholism
Letter of support from UD PBS Faculty
Letter of support from UD President Assanis
Speaking of Research information regarding the importance of animal research