Retro-orbital sample collection in Rats - a video article

1In biological research, rats are the preferred species for studies on aging, neoplasia, toxicity, gnotobiology, dental caries, metabolic disorders, behaviour, inflammatory disorders, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, embryology and genetics. The estimated number of rats used in the USA is nearly 4–5 million annually, and it is approximately 3 lakhs/ year in Canada. Normal adult rats weighing 200–400 g have 20–40 mL of blood i.e., total blood volume of rats is 9–10% of its total body weight. The maximum volume from a single blood sample collection is 10% of the rat’s total blood volume i.e., approximately 2–3 mL, and exsanguination volume of blood is around 8–12 mL. 2