DEVELOPMENT OF HUMANE TATTOO SYSTEM OF SMALL RODENTS

THE PHASE I PROJECT RESULTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERAL TATTOO PIGMENTS THAT WERE EFFECTIVE IN IDENTIFYING B6C3F1 BROWN MICE IN A 3-MONTH STUDY. THESE PIGMENTS DID NOT AFFECT GROWTH OR MORTALITY; HOWEVER, ONE PIGMENT WAS CYTOTOXIC TO IN VITRO MOUSE LYMPHOMA CELLS. THE PHASE II PROJECT WILL INVOLVE FORMULATION OF STABLE PIGMENTS AND 2-YEAR TATTOO READABILITY STUDIES IN B6 MICE USING THE BEST PIGMENTS DEVELOPED IN PHASE I. GROWTH, MORTALITY, AND HISTOPATHOLOGY WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE THE LONG-TERM SAFETY OF THE PIGMENTS. IN VITRO CYTOTOXICITY TESTS AND MUTAGENICITY TESTS WILL BE DONE ON SELECTED PIGMENTS. RAPID, PERMANENT, AND HUMANE VISUAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS FOR LABORATORY ANIMALS WILL INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF ANIMAL RESEARCH IN TOXICOLOGY, CANCER, AGING, AND OTHER IMPORTANT HUMAN AND ANIMAL DISEASES.