Abstract
Animal experiments in Japan are regulated by a legal and scientific matrix consisting of the Law for the Humane Treatment and Management of Animals, the Standards Relating to the Care and Management, etc. of Experimental Animals, and voluntary guidelines formulated by the scientific associations concerned following the administrative guidance notified by the Ministry of Education. The Law adopts the self-regulation system for animal experiments. It may look lenient from the social viewpoint. To ensure a convincing self-regulation system, we should prepare written documents on institutional policies and responsibilities for animal experiments as well as institutional guidelines on the care and use of laboratory animals. The guidelines should include a performance-based approach so that well-trained laboratory animal scientists can give research personnel advice and the institutional animal care and use committee can evaluate the planned scientific procedures if they are compatible with animal welfare. The laboratory animal has its specific mission to provide reliable experimental data as a partner of the researcher. Then, what is our responsibility for laboratory animals to accomplish their mission without the force of law but with a moral sense? I would like to discuss the strength and weakness of the self-regulation system based on an international comparison and suggest what the most appropriate system will be to implement our responsibility. [Jpn J Physiol 54 Suppl:S30 (2004)]
