RODENTS (MICE/RATS): the
most commonly used lab animals |
HUMANS |
Plaque
(fatty deposits) are deposited in the liver. |
Plaque is deposited in
the blood vessels (leading to stroke and heart disease). |
| 3-year life span
requires massive doses for drug/product
testing - more than humans will ever use. |
72+ life span and
consume drugs and chemicals in minute doses over a lifetime. |
| Imuran
(immunosuppressive) causes birth defects in mice. |
Imuran does not cause
birth defects in humans. |
| Manufacture Vitamin C
in their bodies. |
Can only obtain
Vitamin C through the diet. |
| Lysodren (cancer
chemotherapy) does not cause kidney damage in rodents. |
Lysodren causes kidney
damage in humans. |
| Continual pregnancy
healthier for rodents. |
Continual pregnancy in
humans leads to nutritional depletion and disease. |
| Hypersensitive to
chlorine in minute doses. |
Can stand chlorine in
much larger doses. |
| Manufacture Vitamin B
in the appendix. |
Manufacture Vitamin B
in the liver. |
| Myambutol (TB
antibiotic) causes birth defects in mice. |
Myambutol does not
cause birth defects in humans. |
| Eliminate drugs from
the body in 3 hours (faster elimination reduces drug danger). |
Eliminate drugs in 72
hours. Increases danger of drugs in the aged. |
| Thymidine shrinks
tumours in mice. |
Thymidine does not
shrink tumours in humans. |
| Catapress
(anti-hypertensive) causes retinal degeneration in rats. |
Catapress does not
cause retinal degeneration in humans. |
| Can’t tolerate
more than 15 minutes of direct sunlight. |
Can tolerate direct
sunlight for much longer periods. |
| Chloroform toxic to
mice in minute doses. |
Humans can stand
Chloroform in much larger doses. |
| Obtain Vitamin D by
licking their own fur. |
Obtain Vitamin D
through the diet. |
| Moban (tranquilliser)
causes breast tumours in mice. |
Moban does not cause
breast tumours in humans. |
| Specially bred for
laboratory studies. Live in a controlled sterile environment. Majority of diseases induced
through genetic breeding (tumours and genetic defects), or from parasitic infections. |
Humans come from a
wide variety of genetic, environmental and lifestyle backgrounds, all unpredictable.
Environment, diet and lifestyles responsible for most human diseases. |
| Rats have no gall
bladder - digest fats differently. |
Humans have a gall
bladder. Digest fats differently. |
| Require 3 ? times
more protein than humans. |
Excess protein
responsible for kidney damage in humans. |
| Thalidomide
(tranquilliser) does not cause birth defects in rats. |
Thalidomide causes
birth defects in humans. |
| Meclazine (for travel
sickness) causes birth defects in rats. |
Meclazine does not
cause birth defects in humans |
| Coumarin (blood
thinner) causes liver damage in rodents. |
Coumarin does not
cause liver damage in humans. |
