Animal Core

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The Animal Core will provide essential services and facilities to the preclinical projects in a standardized and efficient manner, utilizing shared facilities, equipment, and personnel in a coordinated fashion. The services to be provided to each preclinical project are divided into three specific aims. Dr. Christopher Peters will oversee the Animal Core and will meet with monthly or as needed with Drs. Boada, Martin, Romero-Sandoval to assure that the Core efficiently performs these three key functions. Dr. Peters will provide oversight for regulatory affairs within the Program regarding animal use including approval and compliance with protocols for the IACUC and Biohazard Safety Committee. Specific Aim 1 is to provide standardized in vivo surgical and behavioral procedures in animals utilized by preclinical projects. Both projects involving animals require animal procurement and identification, surgical preparation and behavioral assessment of sensory and affective pain related outcomes. Specific Aim 2 will provide standardized methods for collection of plasma and brain tissue and sample preparation for determination of oxytocin levels as part of PK/PD studies. We will standardize immunohistochemical approaches across preclinical projects for verification of viral mediated protein expression in discrete populations of neurons in brain or spinal cord tissue. These services include sacrifice and transcardial perfusion with paraformaldehyde, tissue harvest, cryoprotection and cryosectioning, immunohistochemistry, and fluorescent microscopy including data collection and analysis Specific Aim 3 will provide for generation of and maintenance of a novel transgenic oxytocin-cre rat colony. Dr. Romero-Sandoval will assist with colony management, breeding and genotyping to ensure sufficient animals are available in a timely manner for preclinical studies in Project 2. These essential functions will standardize and coordinate services and procedures throughout the Program and provide an efficient and costeffective structure for collaboration.