The main objective of using animals in experiments is the impossibility of conducting experiments on non-animal subjects, and difficulty of obtaining accurate scientific information in any other alternative ways. Accordingly, the researcher must set a clear plan for the research and experiments using animals, with the commitment to using the least number of animals possible (reduction) and improving all procedures and management practices applied on them (refinement). The researcher must take the following considerations into account:

1- Persons wishing to conduct research on animals must be properly trained on how to handle animals, or use a qualified person to do so.

2- It is highly preferred to unify all or most of the standard procedures in all laboratories and experimental units in all Departments, Faculties and Institutes of the University to reduce any conflict between research results, especially in the case of repetition or similarity.

3- Care must be given to the housing of animals in terms of water, food, hygiene, waste disposal, and health care, in order to avoid diseases, injuries, crowding, stress, and external and internal infections.

4- Animals must be monitored in animal houses or research units on a daily basis - at least once a day - even after official working hours. This must be guaranteed even on weekends and holidays when the institution is closed. The contact numbers of Veterinarians or researcher must be available and clearly presented inside any place that contains animals.

5- The environment of cages or pens must be controlled according to the University standards, taking into account the social requirements of the animal in terms of housing with the same species, such as physical contact, visual, audio and olfactory communication, as well as the behavioural, spatial and environmental needs of animals during their housing or experiments.

6- The health status of the animals should be ascertained before starting the experiments, and the minimum number of animals suitable for experiments should be determined, while adhering to the ethics of conducting animal research.

7- It is not allowed to conduct experiments that include any genetic modification of animals, but it is permissible to use genetically modified animals, and this should be mentioned in the research project highlighting the nature of the genetic modification and its benefit.

8- Experiments should not be conducted on endangered animals, except for the purpose of increasing their reproduction, after obtaining a legal approval, and in accordance with the regulations to preserve environmental life in the Arab Republic of Egypt. It is also not permissible to do breeding to animals that do not belong to the same species.

9- Researchers should avoid exposing animal to stress and fear that may result from the procedures of experiments, by observing clinical signs that occur to the animal. In case that it is proven that the animal has been subjected to unnecessary suffering or pain, the research must be stopped.

10- All cages of experimental animals, especially rodents (rats and mice), must contain bedding.

11- In the event that the life of the animal that is used in scientific experiments becomes threatened due to severe unstoppable pain, or the loss of some vital organs, it must be euthanized in order to put an end to its suffering.

12- Whoever performs the euthanasia must be well trained, and among the faculty members or their assistants who are conducting the research to ensure their sense of responsibility and their concern for the welfare and comfort of the animals.

13- Laboratory animals should not be re-used in experiments if they have been used before, with the exception of animals that have been used slightly after the approval by the Mansoura University Animal Care and Use Committee.

14- Some experimental treatments may cause pain to the animal, so it is preferable to avoid them unless there is a need. At that time, pain killers or anesthetics must be provided to the animal. Some examples of such treatments include:

• Preventing the animal's movement and restraining it for prolonged periods.
• Prolonged food and water deprivation.
• Cancers.
• Euthanasia at the end of the experiment.
• Tests on skin or cornea.
• Cardiac or retro-orbital bleeding.

The researcher must also take into account the 3Rs in animal experimentation:

The three Rs (3Rs) stand for Replacement, Reduction and Refinement.

• Replacement alternatives refer to methods which avoid or replace the use of animals in research. This includes both absolute replacements (i.e. replacing animals by mathematical or computer models) and relative replacements (i.e. replacing vertebrates, with animals having a lower potential for pain perception, such as some invertebrates, or live animals with tissue cultures, perfused organs or cellular fractions).
• Reduction alternatives refer to any strategy that results in the use of fewer animals to obtain sufficient data to address the research question, or in maximizing the information obtained per animal and thus limiting or avoiding the subsequent use of additional animals, without compromising animal welfare.
• Refinement alternatives refer to the modification of husbandry or experimental procedures to minimize pain, distress, suffering, or lasting harm that may be experienced by research animals and to enhance the welfare of an animal used in research. Refinement also applies to all aspects of animal use, from their housing and husbandry to the scientific procedures performed on them.