Animal models of bronchial asthma

Abstract

Due to the continuous increase in prevalence and morbidity in asthma, there is an urgent need to improve present therapy by drugs with new modes of actions. In contrast to many human diseases, allergic asthma does not occur in the animal world. Therefore, we have to mimic some characteristic feature of asthma in animals. For this reason, a wide variety of animal models have been developed and are employed in the search for new chemical entities for asthma therapy. In the present paper, the experimental models of the most characteristic asthma symptoms are critically reviewed.

Animal Models of Allergic Diseases

“…Indeed, to date, a laboratory animal that spontaneously develops a disease with characteristics present in asthma has not been identified [135]. However, different species have diseases with some similarities to the human disease; cats spontaneously develop a bronchial disease similar to chronic asthma, horses are affected by a neutrophilic-dominated airway disease more close to COPD than asthma, sheep and dogs are naturally susceptible to allergen sensitization [135].…”

“…Mouse models have also been developed and use for identification of immunological alterations leading to pulmonary inflammation in asthmatic people; however, this model is not ideal for testing of new drugs due to the significant anatomic and immunological differences between mice and people [135,136]. Like mice, rats have also been largely used as animal model due to the abundance of reagents available, the ease handling and sensitization protocols, as well as the low maintenance expense.…”

“…Like mice, rats have also been largely used as animal model due to the abundance of reagents available, the ease handling and sensitization protocols, as well as the low maintenance expense. However, one advantage over mice is their larger size which determines an increase in sampling volume and possibility of testing compared with mice [135]. In addition, rats are able to develop an early-and a late-phase response as well as airway hyperresponsiveness to non-specific bronchoconstricting agents present in people but not in mice [135,137].…”

“…However, one advantage over mice is their larger size which determines an increase in sampling volume and possibility of testing compared with mice [135]. In addition, rats are able to develop an early-and a late-phase response as well as airway hyperresponsiveness to non-specific bronchoconstricting agents present in people but not in mice [135,137]. Although extremely useful to investigate the acute allergic reaction in asthma, the murine models have been largely criticized for their ability to easily develop tolerance following allergen sensitization limiting the use of such models for the investigation of chronic allergic response in asthmatic patients [135].…”

“…Like dogs, sheep are naturally sensitized to A. suum and house dust mite [135,147,148]; although an inter-individual variability to mount an allergic physiological response to the allergen is present among sheep [149]. Similar to dogs, after challenges sheep develop an early-and late-phase as well as airway hyperresponsiveness [135]. In term of drug response, cromolyn and corticosteroids are highly effective in sheep with an allergic airway response [147].…”