Abstract: Objective To establish inspection methods for materials carried into barrier facilities housing specific pathogen-free (SPF) laboratory mice. Methods Experimental materials brought into a murine barrier facility were collected. Non-cellular material samples were cultured to identify whether samples harbored bacteria, and cell samples were screened for the presence or absence of mycoplasma using PCR. Results A total of 14 708 experimental materials were collected and evaluated over a 5-year period. The average positive rate for bacterial detection in 13 085 non-cellular samples was 1.99%, and the positive rate for mycoplasma in 1 623 cell samples was 4.81%. Positive detection rates for bacteria and mycoplasma have gradually decreased and have remained at low levels over recent years. Conclusion sIt is feasible to conduct continuous large-scale inspection, monitoring, and control of experimental materials used in animal barrier facilities. Inspection processes can strengthen the confidence of researchers performing aseptic treatment with animal experimental materials and enable facility managers to evaluate risks from experimental materials. Experimental material inspection is an effective measure for microbial quality control in SPF experimental mice.

Key words: Animal experiments, Material inspection, Bacterial detection, Mycoplasma detection, Laboratory animal facility