Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review
  • Published:

A review of tribromoethanol anesthesia for production of genetically engineered mice and rats

Lab Animal volume 34, pages 47–52 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Tribromoethanol (TBE) is easy and inexpensive to make in the laboratory from readily available reagents, requires no special equipment for its administration, and is not subject to federal or state drug enforcement agency regulations. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of TBE results in the simple and rapid induction of short-term surgical anesthesia; however, recent adverse reports about the efficacy and safety of TBE make its continued routine use as a rodent anesthetic controversial. The authors review the history and use of TBE as an animal anesthetic and conclude that TBE should be relegated to acute terminal studies when administered i.p.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Smithcors, J.F. in Textbook of Veterinary Anesthesia (ed. Soma, L.R.) 14 (Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, 1971).

    Google Scholar 

  2. [No authors listed]. Fifty-eight years ago in Anesthesia & Analgesia. B. Bolliger, K. Maddox: Experimental anesthesia with tri-bromethyl alcohol (Avertin) and sodium iso-amyl-ethyl-barbiturate (Amytal). Current Researches in Anesthesia and Analgesia: 1931; 10: 112–115. Anesth. Analg. 68(4), 540 (1989).

  3. Reynolds, J.E.F. (ed.) Martindale: The Extra Pharmacopoeia 29th Edn. 760 (The Pharmaceutical Press, London, 1982).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Soma, L.R. in Textbook of Veterinary Anesthesia (ed. Soma, L.R.) 147 (Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, 1971).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Green, C.J. in Laboratory Animal Handbook 8 (Laboratory Animals Ltd., London, 1979).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Fish, R.E. in Anesthesia and Analgesia in Laboratory Animals (eds. Kohn, D.F., Wixson, S.K., White, W.J. & Benson G.J.) 1–28 (Academic Press, San Diego, 1997).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  7. Mosby, H.S. & Canter, D.E. The use of avertin in capturing wild turkeys and as an oral-basal anesthetic in other wild animals. Southwest Vet. 9, 132 (1956).

    Google Scholar 

  8. The Merck Index, 9th edn. 1234–1235 (Merck and Co., Rahway, NJ, 1976).

  9. Hogan, B., Costantini, F. & Lacy, E. in Manipulating the Mouse Embryo. A Laboratory Manual 132; 137; 143; 271 (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 1986).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hogan B, Beddington R, Costantini F, Lacy E. Manipulating the Mouse Embryo (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 1996).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Papaioannou, V.E. & Fox, J.G. Efficacy of tribromoethanol anesthesia in mice. Lab. Anim. Sci. 43(2), 189–92 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  12. British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation/Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments/Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals/Universities Federation for Animal Welfare). Refinement and reduction in production of genetically modified mice. Sixth Report of the BVAAWF/FRAME/RSPCA/UFAW Joint Working Group on Refinement. Anaesthesia, analgesia and perioperative care. Lab. Anim. 37(Suppl. 1), 17–20 (2003).

  13. Silverman, J. Protocol Review. Anesthetics in GEM: does TBE make the grade? Lab Anim. (NY) 32(2), 19–21 (2003).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Norris, M.L. & Turner, W.D. An evaluation of tribromoethanol (TBE) as an anaesthetic agent in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus). Lab. Anim. 17(4), 324–329 (1983).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Goelz, M.F. Anesthetic and pathologic effects of tribromoethanol in mice. Toxicology Bibliographic Information (Toxline), Document Number CRISP/95/S22112-02 (1994). http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Zeller, W., Meier, G., Burki, K. & Panoussis, B. Adverse effects of tribromoethanol as used in the production of transgenic mice. Lab. Anim. 32(4), 407–413 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Buetow, B.S., Chen, L.I., Maggio-Price, L. & Swisshelm, K. Peritonitis in nude mice in a xenograft study. Contemp. Top. Lab. Anim. Sci. 38(6), 47–49 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Reid, W.C., Carmichael, K.P., Srinivas, S. & Bryant, J.L. Pathologic changes associated with use of tribromoethanol (avertin) in the Sprague Dawley rat. Lab. Anim. Sci. 49(6), 665–667 (1999).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Lieggi, C. et al. Efficacy and safety of stored and newly prepared tribromoethanol in ICR mice. Contemp. Top. Lab. Anim. Sci. 44(1), 17–22 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Tarin, D. & Sturdee, A. Surgical anaesthesia of mice: evaluation of tribromo-ethanol, ether, halothane and methoxyflurane and development of a reliable technique. Lab. Anim. 6(1), 79–84 (1972).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Kaufman, M.H. Effect of anaesthesia on the outcome of pregnancy in female mice. J. Reprod. Fertil. 49(1), 167–168 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Kaufman, M.H. Parthenogenetic activation of mouse oocytes following avertin anaesthesia. J. Embryol. Exp. Morphol. 33(4), 941–946 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Silverman, J. & Muir, W.W. A review of laboratory animal anesthesia with chloral hydrate and chloralose. Lab. Anim. Sci. 43(3), 210–216 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Flecknell, P.A. Laboratory Animal Anaesthesia, 2nd edn. (Academic Press, London, 1996).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Wixson, S.K. & Smiler, K.L. in Anesthesia and Analgesia in Laboratory Animals (eds. Kohn, D.F., Wixson, S.K., White, W.J. & Benson G.J.) 165–203 (Academic Press, San Diego, 1997).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  26. Lieggi, C. et al. An evaluation of preparation methods and storage conditions of tribromoethanol. Contemp. Top. Lab. Anim. Sci. 44(1), 11–16 (2005).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Weiss, J. & Zimmermann, F. Tribromoethanol (Avertin) as an anaesthetic in mice. Lab. Anim. 33(2), 192–193 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Meyer, R.E., Braun, R.D. & Dewhirst, M.W. in Tumor Models in Cancer Research (ed. Teicher, B.A.) 407–431 (Humana Press, Totowa, NJ, 2002).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Koizumi, T., Maeda, H. & Hioki, K. Sleep-time variation for ethanol and the hypnotic drugs tribromoethanol, urethane, pentobarbital, and propofol within outbred ICR mice. Exp. Anim. 51(2), 119–124 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Gardner, D.J., Davis, J.A., Weina, P.J. & Theune, B. Comparison of tribromoethanol, ketamine/acetylpromazine, Telazol/xylazine, pentobarbital, and methoxyflurane anesthesia in HSD:ICR mice. Lab. Anim. Sci. 45(2), 199–204 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Avila, M.Y., Carre, D.A., Stone, R.A. & Civan, M.M. Reliable measurement of mouse intraocular pressure by a servo-null micropipette system. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 42(8), 1841–1846 (2001).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Smiler, K.L., Stein, S., Hrapkiewicz, K.L. & Hiben, J.R. Tissue response to intramuscular and intraperitoneal injections of ketamine and xylazine in rats. Lab. Anim. Sci. 40(1), 60–64 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  33. Bagis, H., Odaman Mercan, H., & Dinnyes, A. Exposure to warmer postoperative temperature reduces hypothermia caused by anaesthesia and significantly increases the implantation rate of transferred embryos in the mouse. Lab. Anim. 38(1), 50–54 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Hart, C.Y., Burnett, J.C. Jr. & Redfield, M.M. Effects of avertin versus xylazine-ketamine anesthesia on cardiac function in normal mice. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 281(5), H1938–H19345 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Roth, D.M., Swaney, J.S., Dalton, N.D., Gilpin, E.A. & Ross, J., Jr. Impact of anesthesia on cardiac function during echocardiography in mice. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 282(6), H2134–H2140 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Gopalan, C., Hegade, G.M., Bay, T.N., Brown, S.R. & Talcott, M.R. Tribromoethanol-medetomidine combination provides a safe and reversible anesthetic effect in Sprague-Dawley rats. Contemp. Top. Lab. Anim. Sci. 44(1), 7–10 (2005).

    Google Scholar 

  37. Smith, J.C., Corbin, T.J., McCabe, J.G. & Bolon, B. Isoflurane with morphine is a suitable anaesthetic regimen for embryo transfer in the production of transgenic rats. Lab Anim. 38(1), 38–43 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Meyer, R.E. Anesthesia hazards to animal workers. Occup. Med. 14(2), 225–234 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 6100, MS 39762-6100, Mississippi State

    Robert E. Meyer DVM, DACVA

  2. Laboratory Animal Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine, Box 8401, North Carolina State University, 4700 Hillsborough St., Raleigh, 27606, NC

    Richard E. Fish DVM PhD DACLAM

Authors
  1. Robert E. Meyer DVM, DACVA
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Richard E. Fish DVM PhD DACLAM
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert E. Meyer DVM, DACVA.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Meyer, R., Fish, R. A review of tribromoethanol anesthesia for production of genetically engineered mice and rats. Lab Anim 34, 47–52 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban1105-47

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/laban1105-47

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing