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Are animal models of vasculitis suitable tools?
1Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. specks.ulrich@mayo.edu
Current Opinion in Rheumatology
|January 27, 2000
Summary
Rodent models for systemic vasculitis, including MRL-lpr mice, reveal autoimmune disease depends on background genes and environmental factors like infections. These models offer insights into pathogenesis and therapies.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pathology
- Genetics
Background:
- Systemic vasculitis research utilizes various rodent models.
- The MRL-lpr mouse is a well-studied model for systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Autoimmune disease phenotypes are influenced by genetic background and environmental factors, such as infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the utility of rodent models in understanding systemic vasculitis.
- To highlight the role of genetic and environmental factors in autoimmune disease development.
- To discuss insights gained into vasculitis and glomerulonephritis pathogenesis and potential therapies.
Main Methods:
- Genetic linkage studies and backcross experiments in MRL-lpr mice.
- Experimental induction of vasculitis in Brown Norway rats via polyclonal B cell stimulation.
- Immunization protocols involving human myeloperoxidase and neutrophil lysosomal extract.
Main Results:
- Established the dependence of autoimmune disease phenotype on combined background genes.
- Demonstrated modulation of disease phenotype by environmental factors, including infections.
- Provided insights into cellular and molecular mechanisms of vasculitis and glomerulonephritis.
Conclusions:
- Existing rodent models offer reproducible conditions for studying vasculitis pathogenesis.
- These models are valuable for investigating novel therapeutic approaches.
- While not exact replicas of human diseases, they provide crucial understanding.