Animal models of asthma: utility and limitations

Figures & data

Table 1 Advantages and disadvantages of animal species most frequently found in experimental models of asthma

Animal species	Advantages	Disadvantages
Guinea pig^Citation15,Citation19,Citation20,Citation27	Easily sensitized and challenged	Higher cost than mice and rat
	Good model for airways disease	Specific probes for studying allergic outcomes not easily available
	Natural AHR	Axon reflex
	Lung pharmacological responses	Reagents not easily available
	Development of immediate and late-phase asthmatic responses	Limited genetic knowledge
		Tolerance after repeated allergen exposure
Rat^Citation15	Low cost	Specific probes for studying allergic outcomes not easily available
	Easily sensitized and challenged	Reagents not easily available
	Larger size than mice	Tolerance after repeated allergen exposure
	Larger volumes of serum and BAL fluid
Mice^Citation15,Citation26^–^Citation28,Citation39	Low cost	Nonphysiological late-phase bronchoconstriction
	Different strains available	Distribution of lung inflammation different from human asthma
	Easily sensitized and challenged	Lack of chronicity of the response to allergen
	Genetic known-in details	Tolerance after repeated allergen exposure
	Easy to handle
	Easy to manipulate under transgenic technology
	Specific probes for studying allergic outcomes available
	Reagents largely available
Cat^Citation12,Citation15,Citation16	Distal lung anatomy similar to human’s	High cost
	Idiopathic bronchial disease similar to human asthma	Reagents not easily available
		Extremely intensive labor
Dog^Citation15,Citation16	Natural susceptibility to allergens	High cost
	Easy development of atopy	Larger airways (almost no bronchoconstriction)
	Eosinophils naturally found in the airways	Reagents not easily available
	Development of long-term changes in pulmonary function	Extremely intensive labor
Equine^Citation11,Citation16	Heaves – airway disease with some hallmarks of human asthma	High cost
		No allergic immediate response after challenge
		Heaves – disease more similar to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
		Neutrophilic inflammation
		Reagents not easily available
		Extremely intensive labor
Sheep^Citation15	Natural susceptibility to allergens	High cost
	Immediate physiological responses to inhaled allergen	Extremely intensive labor
	Nonspecific AHR	Platelet factor antagonists modulate the late-phase allergic response in sheep but not in humans
	Long-term AHR after challenge (similar to human asthma)

Abbreviations: AHR, airway hyperresponsiveness; BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage.

Table 2 Comparison between different routes of sensitization and challenge in animal models of asthma

	Advantages	Disadvantages
Routes of sensitization
Intraperitoneal^Citation28,Citation64,Citation65	Most traditional Few doses required Sedation not required	Induction of tolerance No similarity to human sensitization Usually requires an adjuvant
Subcutaneous^Citation62^–^Citation65	Few doses required Sedation not required Less invasive than IP Better than IP in a HDM model Comparable to IP in an OVA model	No similarity to human sensitization Usually requires an adjuvant
Intranasal^Citation30,Citation70	Mimics human sensitization Can be used for chronic exposition Does not require adjuvants	Many instillations required Sedation required
Route of challenge
Aerosol^Citation65	Mimics human exposition	High allergen dose required
Intranasal^Citation30,Citation64,Citation70	Mimics human exposition Induces upper airway inflammation Can be used for chronic exposition	Many instillations required Sedation required
Intratracheal^Citation66,Citation67	Drive the allergen into lower airways Low allergen dose required	Invasive Sedation required

Abbreviations: HDM, house dust mite; IP, intraperitoneal; OVA, ovalbumin.

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