Animal Models used in Asthma
Through the use of various animal models, we have been able to better understand this complex multifactorial disease referred to as asthma. Through the use of rodents researchers have been able to fully understand the impact asthma has on a person and have gained some knowledge on the complicated genetic inheritance aspect of asthma. Also, mice have a very similar form of asthma of, showing air hyper reactivity, airway inflammation, and others making it easier for humans to study asthma without having to use a human subject.
Kiauna M - In asthma, there has to be an animal model that examined every part of the lung. An animal that are studied in animal research for asthma is Guinea pigs. In asthma animal research, guinea pigs that are antigen-challenged have eosinophils in the lung all the way to the airways.
Evans, C. M., Fryer, A. D., Jacoby, D. B., Gleich, G. J., & Costello, R. W. (1997, November 01). Pretreatment with antibody to eosinophil major basic protein prevents hyperresponsiveness by protecting neuronal M2 muscarinic receptors in antigen-challenged guinea pigs. Retrieved April 12, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC508421/
Evans, C. M., Fryer, A. D., Jacoby, D. B., Gleich, G. J., & Costello, R. W. (1997, November 01). Pretreatment with antibody to eosinophil major basic protein prevents hyperresponsiveness by protecting neuronal M2 muscarinic receptors in antigen-challenged guinea pigs. Retrieved April 12, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC508421/
Jordan N - Animal models of asthma have been extensively used to examine all parts of disease, the activity of a variety of genes and to predict the safety of new drugs or chemicals before being used on people. The most common animal used in animal research with diseases, including asthma is the mouse. Mouse models of asthma replicate many of the features of human asthma, including airway hyper reactivity, and airway inflammation. Therefore, if we are able to find a cure for human asthma, we will more than likely find a cure for the animal form of asthma. Also, since a mouse’s asthma is so similar to humans asthma, we are able to treat the mouse almost as if it is a human, making it easier to find a cure or even an origin considering the diseases are almost directly the same in both bodies.
Katsuyuki, T. (2009). Understanding asthma using animal models. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2831565/
Katsuyuki, T. (2009). Understanding asthma using animal models. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2831565/
Camille H-
Bergen J- Because asthma deals with the lungs, it is crucial to find animal models with similar lung makeups as humans when researching. For one method of research, researchers used rats to test out new medications that might be helpful to people with asthma. They administered a medicinal herb called Urtica dioica from Urticaceae (UD) leaves to four groups of rats in the hopes of reducing inflammation of the lungs. After 25 days of administrating the UD leaves, researchers compared the results to the beginning marks. They found that the administration of these leaves reduced airway inflammation, which is a very positive thing. This is just one example of how using animal models has paved the way for breakthroughs regarding asthma.
Zemmouri, H. (2016). Urtica dioica attenuates ovalbumin-induced inflammation and lipid peroxidation of lung tissues in rat asthma model. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28385108
Zemmouri, H. (2016). Urtica dioica attenuates ovalbumin-induced inflammation and lipid peroxidation of lung tissues in rat asthma model. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28385108