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Cells Apr 2023Asthma is characterized by chronic lower airway inflammation that results in airway remodeling, which can lead to a permanent decrease in lung function. The... (Review)
Review
Asthma is characterized by chronic lower airway inflammation that results in airway remodeling, which can lead to a permanent decrease in lung function. The pathophysiology driving the development of asthma is complex and heterogenous. Animal models have been and continue to be essential for the discovery of molecular pathways driving the pathophysiology of asthma and novel therapeutic approaches. Animal models of asthma may be induced or naturally occurring. Species used to study asthma include mouse, rat, guinea pig, cat, dog, sheep, horse, and nonhuman primate. Some of the aspects to consider when evaluating any of these asthma models are cost, labor, reagent availability, regulatory burden, relevance to natural disease in humans, type of lower airway inflammation, biological samples available for testing, and ultimately whether the model can answer the research question(s). This review aims to discuss the animal models most available for asthma investigation, with an emphasis on describing the inciting antigen/allergen, inflammatory response induced, and its translation to human asthma.
Topics: Humans; Mice; Rats; Animals; Guinea Pigs; Sheep; Horses; Dogs; Disease Models, Animal; Asthma; Proteins; Inflammation
PubMed: 37048164
DOI: 10.3390/cells12071091 -
Adicciones Sep 2017The development of animal models of drug reward and addiction is an essential factor for progress in understanding the biological basis of this disorder and for the... (Review)
Review
The development of animal models of drug reward and addiction is an essential factor for progress in understanding the biological basis of this disorder and for the identification of new therapeutic targets. Depending on the component of reward to be studied, one type of animal model or another may be used. There are models of reinforcement based on the primary hedonic effect produced by the consumption of the addictive substance, such as the self-administration (SA) and intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) paradigms, and there are models based on the component of reward related to associative learning and cognitive ability to make predictions about obtaining reward in the future, such as the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. In recent years these models have incorporated methodological modifications to study extinction, reinstatement and reconsolidation processes, or to model specific aspects of addictive behavior such as motivation to consume drugs, compulsive consumption or drug seeking under punishment situations. There are also models that link different reinforcement components or model voluntary motivation to consume (two-bottle choice, or drinking in the dark tests). In short, innovations in these models allow progress in scientific knowledge regarding the different aspects that lead individuals to consume a drug and develop compulsive consumption, providing a target for future treatments of addiction.
Topics: Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Substance-Related Disorders
PubMed: 28170057
DOI: 10.20882/adicciones.862 -
Science China. Life Sciences Apr 2015
Topics: Animals; China; Models, Animal
PubMed: 25862655
DOI: 10.1007/s11427-015-4842-3 -
Viruses Jun 2019Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an underdiagnosed pathogen with approximately 20 million infections each year and currently the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis.... (Review)
Review
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an underdiagnosed pathogen with approximately 20 million infections each year and currently the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis. HEV was long considered to be confined to developing countries but there is increasing evidence that it is also a medical problem in the Western world. HEV that infects humans belongs to the species of the family. Novel HEV-like viruses have been observed in a variety of animals and some have been shown to be able to cross the species barrier, causing infection in humans. Several cell culture models for HEV have been established in the past years, but their efficiency is usually relatively low. With the circulation of this virus and related viruses in a variety of species, several different animal models have been developed. In this review, we give an overview of these animal models, indicate their main characteristics, and highlight how they may contribute to our understanding of the basic aspects of the viral life cycle and cross-species infection, the study of pathogenesis, and the evaluation of novel preventative and therapeutic strategies.
Topics: Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Hepatitis E; Hepatitis E virus
PubMed: 31216711
DOI: 10.3390/v11060564 -
Seminars in Perinatology Feb 2023Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the leading cause of death and disability from gastrointestinal disease in premature infants. The mortality of patients with NEC is... (Review)
Review
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the leading cause of death and disability from gastrointestinal disease in premature infants. The mortality of patients with NEC is approximately 30%, a figure that has not changed in many decades, reflecting the need for a greater understanding of its pathogenesis. Progress towards understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying NEC requires the study of highly translational animal models. Such animal models must mimic the biology and physiology of premature infants, while still allowing for safe experimental manipulation of environmental and microbial factors thought to be associated with the risk and severity of NEC. Findings from animal models have yielded insights into the interactions between the host, the colonizing microbes, and the innate immune receptor Toll-like Receptor 4 (TLR4) in driving disease development. This review discusses the relative strengths and weaknesses of available in vivo, in vitro, and NEC-in-a-dish models of this disease. We also highlight the unique contributions that each model has made to our understanding of the complex interactions between enterocytes, microbiota, and immune cells in the pathogenesis of NEC. The overall purpose of this review is to provide a menu of options regarding currently available animal models of NEC, while in parallel hopefully reducing the potential uncertainty and confusion regarding NEC models to assist those who wish to enter this field from other disciplines.
Topics: Animals; Female; Infant, Newborn; Humans; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Infant, Premature; Models, Animal; Microbiota; Fetal Diseases; Disease Models, Animal
PubMed: 36599763
DOI: 10.1016/j.semperi.2022.151695 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2022Basic research for prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), continues... (Review)
Review
Basic research for prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), continues worldwide. In particular, multiple newly reported cases of autoimmune-related diseases after COVID-19 require further research on coronavirus-related immune injury. However, owing to the strong infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and the high mortality rate, it is difficult to perform relevant research in humans. Here, we reviewed animal models, specifically mice with coronavirus-related immune disorders and immune damage, considering aspects of coronavirus replacement, viral modification, spike protein, and gene fragments. The evaluation of mouse models of coronavirus-related immune injury may help establish a standardised animal model that could be employed in various areas of research, such as disease occurrence and development processes, vaccine effectiveness assessment, and treatments for coronavirus-related immune disorders. COVID-19 is a complex disease and animal models cannot comprehensively summarise the disease process. The application of genetic technology may change this status.
Topics: Animals; COVID-19; Disease Models, Animal; Humans; Mice; SARS-CoV-2; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
PubMed: 36119040
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.943783 -
Animal Models and Experimental Medicine Apr 2022Animal models of human diseases play a critical role in medical research. Pigs are anatomically and physiologically more like humans than are small rodents such as mice,... (Review)
Review
Animal models of human diseases play a critical role in medical research. Pigs are anatomically and physiologically more like humans than are small rodents such as mice, making pigs an attractive option for modeling human diseases. Advances in recent years in genetic engineering have facilitated the rapid rise of pig models for use in studies of human disease. In the present review, we summarize the current status of pig models for human cardiovascular, metabolic, neurodegenerative, and various genetic diseases. We also discuss areas that need to be improved. Animal models of human diseases play a critical role in medical research. Advances in recent years in genetic engineering have facilitated the rapid rise of pig models for use in studies of human disease. In the present review, we summarize the current status of pig models for human cardiovascular, metabolic, neurodegenerative, various genetic diseases and xenotransplantation.
Topics: Animals; Biomedical Research; Genetic Engineering; Humans; Mice; Models, Animal; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Swine; Transplantation, Heterologous
PubMed: 35343091
DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12223 -
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical... Feb 2021Research into the pathophysiology of psoriasis remains challenging, because this disease does not occur naturally in laboratory animals. However, specific aspects of its... (Review)
Review
Research into the pathophysiology of psoriasis remains challenging, because this disease does not occur naturally in laboratory animals. However, specific aspects of its complex immune-pathology can be illuminated through transgenic, knockout, xenotransplantation, immunological reconstitution, drug-induced, or spontaneous mutation models in rodents. Although some of these approaches have already been pursued for more than 5 decades and even more models have been described in recent times, they have surprisingly not yet been systematically validated. As a consequence, researchers regularly examine specific aspects that only partially reflect the complex overall picture of the human disease. Nonetheless, animal models are of great utility to investigate inflammatory mediators, the communication between cells of the innate and the adaptive immune systems, the role of resident cells as well as new therapies. Of note, various manipulations in experimental animals resulted in rather similar phenotypes. These were called "psoriasiform", "psoriasis-like" or even "psoriasis" usually on the basis of some similarities with the human disorder. Xenotransplantation of human skin onto immunocompromised animals can overcome this limitation only in part. In this review, we elucidate approaches for the generation of animal models of psoriasis and assess their strengths and limitations with a certain focus on more recently developed models.
Topics: Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Humans; Psoriasis
PubMed: 32560971
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2020.04.034 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Feb 2022Recently, increased interest and efforts were observed in describing the possible interaction between sleep and emotions. Human and animal model studies addressed the... (Review)
Review
Recently, increased interest and efforts were observed in describing the possible interaction between sleep and emotions. Human and animal model studies addressed the implication of both sleep patterns and emotional processing in neurophysiology and neuropathology in suggesting a bidirectional interaction intimately modulated by complex mechanisms and factors. In this context, we aimed to discuss recent evidence and possible mechanisms implicated in this interaction, as provided by both human and animal models in studies. In addition, considering the affective component of brain physiological patterns, we aimed to find reasonable evidence in describing the two-way association between comorbid sleep impairments and psychiatric disorders. The main scientific literature databases (PubMed/Medline, Web of Science) were screened with keyword combinations for relevant content taking into consideration only English written papers and the inclusion and exclusion criteria, according to PRISMA guidelines. We found that a strong modulatory interaction between sleep processes and emotional states resides on the activity of several key brain structures, such as the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and brainstem nuclei. In addition, evidence suggested that physiologically and behaviorally related mechanisms of sleep are intimately interacting with emotional perception and processing which could advise the key role of sleep in the unconscious character of emotional processes. However, further studies are needed to explain and correlate the functional analysis with causative and protective factors of sleep impairments and negative emotional modulation on neurophysiologic processing, mental health, and clinical contexts.
Topics: Amygdala; Animals; Brain; Emotions; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Models, Animal; Sleep
PubMed: 35208598
DOI: 10.3390/medicina58020274 -
Experimental Animals Nov 2019Metabolic syndrome is a cluster including hyperglycaemia, obesity, hypertension, and hypertriglyceridaemia as a result of biochemical and physiological alterations and... (Review)
Review
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster including hyperglycaemia, obesity, hypertension, and hypertriglyceridaemia as a result of biochemical and physiological alterations and can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Fundamental research on this disease requires validated animal models. One potential animal model that is rapidly gaining in popularity is zebrafish (Danio rerio). The use of zebrafish as an animal model conveys several advantages, including high human genetic homology, transparent embryos and larvae that allow easier visualization. This review discusses how zebrafish models contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome studies. Different diseases in the cluster of metabolic syndrome, such as hyperglycaemia, obesity, diabetes, and hypertriglyceridaemia, have been successfully studied using zebrafish; and the model is promising for hypertension and cardiovascular metabolic-related diseases due to its genetic similarity to mammals. Genetic mutation, chemical induction, and dietary alteration are among the tools used to improve zebrafish models. This field is expanding, and thus, more effective and efficient techniques are currently developed to fulfil the increasing demand for thorough investigations.
Topics: Animals; Diabetes Mellitus; Disease Models, Animal; Hyperglycemia; Hypertriglyceridemia; Metabolic Syndrome; Obesity; Zebrafish
PubMed: 31118344
DOI: 10.1538/expanim.18-0168