Experimentação animal na Universidade Federal do Ceará: percepção de professores e estudantes de Ciências Biológicas

Abstract

Animals have historically been used as experimental models, which allowed great scientific discoveries in different areas of research. In addition, non-human animals have also been used as didactic models in biological sciences and health courses. However, debates on animal ethics have grown over the years, and the principle of reduction, refinement, and replacement had a great influence on the science of the twentieth century, and later on stimulated the drafting and promulgation of the Arouca Law (No. 11,794 / 2008). The aim of this study was to analyze which areas of scientific research at the Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC) use animal experimentation, which difficulties the professors face when using these models and, finally, the knowledge of the students of the Biological Sciences course regarding Lei Arouca. For that, a review of the scientific production involving animal models in the UFC was done, in addition to the application of semi-structured questionnaires for professors and students. The areas that have most animal experimentation in the UFC involve studies with inflammation, oxidative stress and neurological studies. The models most used by professors who teach classes for biological sciences are murine, but also invertebrates and fishes. The difficulties reported by the professors regarding the use of these animals were mainly the delay in the analysis of the processes and the denial of projects and non-authorizations by the Ethics Committee on Animal Use (CEUA). After analyzing the questionnaires, it was noticed that the students are not aware of the specific legislation and it is therefore necessary to include the discussion of the law in the classroom, as well as the stimulus to critical thinking in students regarding ethics in animal experimentation.