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Use of animals in research: a brief review of legislation in Brazil

Abstract

The use of animals for scientific purposes is a historical procedure in human civilization, but is controversial for societies concerned with the protection of animals. In Brazil, until 2008, there was no rule or law that specifically regulated animal testing. This paper discusses the use of animals in scientific experiments, considering the Brazilian Arouca Law, through the analysis of scientific articles that consider the history of experimentation in the world and in Brazil, including the regulation of the use of animals of the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, in Brazilian research. The Arouca Law may represent an advance in Brazilian law regarding the use of animals for scientific purposes, particularly given the creation of the Ethics Committees for Animal Use in research institutions and the National Council for Animal Experimentation Control, which examine the compliance of scientific projects involving the use of such animals to applicable law.

Bioethics; Animal technicians-Medical care; Laboratory animal science; Models, animal; Animal use alternatives; Animal experimentation

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