Society Encounters Perestroika EDITORIAL APS Signs Bilateral Exchange Agreement “Hell Yes, It’s a Battle.” The American Physiological Society and The agreement was signed by Franklyn My first duty as president of your Society the Pavlov All-Union Physiological Society Knox and Martin Frank less than six hours was to outline the goals for my term of have signed an accord that opens the way after the end of the Moscow Summit. The office, one of which is to establish for APS for the first nongovernmental, bilateral ex- agreement to share information and data is and its members a proactive-rather than change agreement between the two coun- in keeping with the spirit of cooperation reactive-posture in confronting antivivi- tries. The five-year agreement, which be- and accord urged by President Reagan. sectionists and their challenges to animal comes effective in November, enables the “President Reagan mentioned in his research. two nations for the first time to exchange summit visit in Moscow the need for stu- The goals were described in the June biomedical scientists and share informa- dent and scientific exchanges between the issue of The Physiologist, the same issue tion and medical research data through two countries,” Knox stated. According to that published a letter from Cheryl Scott of nongovernmental channels. Knox, “Our agreement is timely and in Temple University, who said that a major Under the agreement, each of the two keeping with that spirit.” aim of the antivivisection movement is to societies will annually sponsor as many as The agreement was developed as a re- ensure that animals are not “violated or four exchange physiologists who will visit, sult of the visits of John West and Orr tortured” and who defended the intel- conduct scientific investigations, lecture at Reynolds to the Soviet Union in 1985 (The lect of the antivivisectionists by stating that research institutions, and participate in na- Physiologist,vol. 28, p. 463-464, 1985). “ . many are highly educated and better tional scientific meetings. The agreement The resulting desire to “strengthen links informed than the scientific community.” also provided for the sponsorship of joint between the two physiological societies” Her defense of antivivisectionists is symposia for the discussion of biomedical was followed by the participation of Soviet based, by and large, on scientific ignorance research and for the exchange of publica- physiologists in each of the subsequent and nonscientific statements and, there- tions, journals, and periodicals. Spring Meetings. fore, is not arguable on an intellectual ba- (Continued onp. 143) sis. Moreover, scientists attracted to the antivivisection movement usually lack co- gent scientific credentials when compared with the curriculum vitae of scientists who do animal research. Many of Scott’s points can be countered easily, but I will not argue all of them here. One point I cannot permit to go unan- swered, however, is her presentation of a traditional antivivisectionist scenario wherein someone saw an animal abused, no one was available to be contacted, no one knew who was the responsible inves- tigator, etc. Such a scenario is not to be found in animal research in the United States, as safeguards have been established at both the national and local levels. The nation Signers of the bilateral exchange agreement (left to right). Alexei Ivanitsky,scientific secretary of Pavlov’sAll- has adopted strict guidelines that must be Union Physiological Society; Oleg Gazenko, society president; Franklyn Knox, APS past president; Martin Frank, (Continued onp. 134) APS executive director. Vol. 31, No. 5, 1988 133 EDITORIAL velop proactive initiatives that will involve CONTENTS (Cm tin ued from p, 133) active participation by our membership. To adhered to by all investigators using re- accomplish this the Society’s leadership EDITORLAL search animals, and all experimental pro- has taken these steps: Hell Yes, It’s a Battle. A. E. Taylor 133 tocols involving animals are evaluated and 1,The Committee on Governmental Re- Society Encounters perestroika. monitored by the institution’s animal care lations Initiative Programs (GRIP, as in “to M. Frank 133 and use committee. get a grip on”) was formed to evaluate APS Presidents Visit with South The idea of animal differences being a issues that would restrict the use of labo- American Physiologists. H. V. scientific problem, as Scott presented in ratory animals and to develop strategies to Sparks, Jr. 135 her letter, is an example of scientific ig- counter “animal activists” battling-hell norance, Many breakthroughs and scien- yes, it’s a battle and the line has been Teaching in China. R. Thies 136 tific advances are the direct result of infor- drawn-to abolish all animal research. The APS NEWS mation gained from different animal spe- committee’s chairman is David J. Ramsay. APS/FASEB ‘89 Spring Meeting cies. I would urge all antivivisectionists to The committee already has taken an ac- Symposia 137 simply learn how experiments conducted tive role in alerting the membership of the Elections to the NAS and IOM 138 on crayfish, squid axons, frog skins, Net- Society’s concerns about the Pet Protection Act proposed by the Congress and is con- Committee Report durus nephrons, etc., were so important to 138 our understanding of biological pluses, es- tinuing the APS efforts to make break-ins, Section Reports 138 pecially in understanding the human nerv- thefts, and vandalism at federally funded Honorary Membership Call for ous system and some renal functions. The research institutions a federal offense. The Nominations 140 very fact that these species exist provides committee also will conduct a survey of Procter & Gamble Awards Call for a window for specific research efforts, No- the membership to identify individuals Nominations 140 bel prizes were awarded for these non- who could be key contacts in the Society’s NXDDK Travel Fellowships for primate systems, governmental relations programs, Minority Physiologists 141 The suggestion that computer modeling The GRIP Committee also has three News From Senior Physiologists 141 can replace animal experimentation is a subcommittees undertaking special proj- P@siolog3: An Inside View 142 worn out, nonscientific argument similar ects. The tasks of the subcommittees are to the notion that isolated cells can replace l to identify APS members’ concerns PUBLIC AFFAIRS animal experimentation. A case in point is about AAALAC (American Association for PETA Had a Busy Summer; Cancer recent cell research that clearly shows that the Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Board Urges Halt to Restrictive cells differentiate in culture and are not Care) regulations and procedures and de- Animal Law5 147 the same as the cells that were initially velop recommendations to be presented Massachusetts First to Prohibit isolated. to AAALAC (Arthur C. Guyton, chairman); 148 Theft of Lab Property, Animals This is not to imply, however, that re- l to develop a source book/newsletter Senate Passes Pet Theft Bill. search on cells is not valuable research but that would include advice for APS mem- W. M. Samuels 143 is an acknowledgement that cell research bers on how to develop local coalitions, MEDICAL SCHOOL REPORT 149 is only one of several appropriate research where materials such as videotapes, pam- techniques, including the use of animal phlets, etc., may be obtained, roster of POSITIONS AVAILABLE 145 models, needed to obtain answers to bio- knowledgeable speakers, and background OPINION 146 logical questions. information on current issues (Richard L, BOOKS RECEIVED 149 How does the American Physiological Malvin, chairman); Society intend to challenge the scientific l to conduct the day before the Spring PEOPLE AND PL4CES 150 ignorance and nonscientific arguments of Meeting a workshop on the affect of state ANNOUNCEMENTS 151 the antivivisectionists? One way is to de- sunshine laws on institutional animal care committees (Fred W. Zechman, chair- The Physiologist Publications Committee: Cbair’maafz,Paul C. John- man). Publishedbimonthly and son; Members, Francois Abboud, John S. Cook, Melvin 2. The Public Affairs Executive Commit- distributedby J. Fregly, and Stephen H. White. Publications Man- tee has initiated a series of projects that ager, Brenda B. Rauner; Editorial Stafi Laura North will 2) establish a network of nonscientific TheAmerican Physiological Society and Lorraine Tucker. 9650 RockvillePike Subscriptions: Distributed to members as part of organizations (farmers, stockmen, etc.) Bethesda,Maryland 20814 their membership; nonmembers and institutions, concerned with animal issues; 2) develop XSSN0031-9376 $25.00per year in the United States;elsewhere $35.00. relationships with science fairs wherein Single copies and back issues when available, $5.00 APS can be involved as cosponsor for spe- MartinFrank, Editor andExecutive Director each; single copies and back issues of Fall Abstracts cial programs, such as essay contests; and issue when available, $20.00. In 1988 subscribers to Aubrey E. Taylor, Presidela t The P@iologist will receive it and the abstractsof the 3) create long-term programs that can be Harvey V. Sparks, Jr., Past President Fall. Meeting of the American fhysiological Society. used to educate and inform the public, Vernon S. Bishop, President-Elect The American Physiological Society assumesno re- including elementary and high school sponsibility for the statementsand opinions advanced teachers, about the need to use laboratory by contributors to The Physiologist. Deadline for submission of material for publica- animals, Malvin also is chairman of this Beverly Bishop, Shu Chien, Allen W. Cowley, Jr., committee. Gerhard H. Giebisch, Norman C. Staub, and Peter tion: Dec. 5, February issue; Feb. 5, April issue; April Il. Wagner 5, June issue; June 5, August issue; Aug. 5, October 3. The Animal Care and Experimenta- issue; Oct. 5, December issue. If you change your tion Committee, also headed by Ramsay, address or telephone number, please notify the centra1 is drafting proposed legislation that would Ex Officio office as suon as possible. Carl V. Gisolfi, Francis J, Haddy, Paul C.