EFFECTS OF HUMAN ELEMENT ON EFFICIENCY OF FOOD UTILITY IN MICE

To investigate the effects of human element on efficiency of food util ity (EFU) in mice, we arranged a forty-two-day experimental schedule b y using 210 mice for five senior skillful investigators and another fi ve junior unskillful investigators to administer deionized water, pet os, twice a day, in addition to nd libitum of deionized water and norm al feed, to various groups of mice (ten mice per treatment, twenty mic e for each person). Another group of mice without human disturbance wa s control group. Various parameters, such as the initial body weights of animals, daily food intake, daily body weight gain, body weight gai n per 100 grams diet, mortality, and observation on behavioral/neurolo gic/autonomic signs of mice according to Irwin test, were recorded. Wi thout human disturbance, animals had highest EFU. There was statistica l significance (P<0.05) of the testing results between the 100 mice tr eated by senior skillful investigators and another 100 mice treated by another junior unskillful investigators to show that the former 100 m ice provide more acceptable results than that of the latter 100 mice. These results suggest that selecting and grouping investigators could be as important as selecting the experimental animals; and also sugges t that senior skillful investigator is indispensable for experimental animal studies.