Speakers
Morning Session: Setting the Scene – Expert Perspectives
The administration of substances to laboratory animals requires careful consideration of both welfare and experimental design to ensure scientific validity while minimising potential harm. Despite its critical importance, current dosing guidelines for laboratory animals remain broad, often focusing primarily on body weight, with limited attention to species-specific physiological parameters. For example, recommended doses for laboratory rodents range from 5–10 ml/kg (and occasionally up to 20 ml/kg) for intraperitoneal administration, and up to 5 ml/kg for oral gavage or intravenous bolus.
For central nervous system (CNS)-targeted routes such as intrathecal or intracerebroventricular injections, volumes of up to 10 µl for mice and 40 µl for rats are commonly cited, regardless of body weight. Many critical confounding factors are often overlooked in these guidelines. These include the physical and pharmacological properties of the drug and carrier, the competency and expertise of the experimenter, and key biological variables such as age, sex, health status, and experimentally induced disease confounders.
This presentation aims to raise awareness and foster informed discussion on how CNS preclinical studies can support a more evidence-based and empirical approach to dosing, including frequency. It will highlight the impact of age—particularly in neonates and aged animals—on physiological and welfare outcomes, the implications for control animals, and the importance of transparency and responsible reporting when evaluating harm-benefit in CNS animal studies.