Understanding the Pathogenesis of Inflammation Using Rodent Models: Identification of a Transcription Factor...

The acute inflammatory response is composed of a complex cascade of mediators, which facilitate the removal of infectious agents and restore normal tissue function. Experiments using cultured cells have demonstrated that the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NFkappaB) is critically important for the expression of numerous proinflammatory mediators. However, extrapolation of data derived from these types of studies often does not represent the in vivo response accurately. Application of rodent models of inflammation has allowed detailed study of the role of NFkappaB and its transcriptional products in a variety of inflammatory diseases. This article reviews the importance of rodent models for the study of complex biological systems, such as acute inflammation, and presents ways in which these models have been used to characterize the requisite function of NFkappaB in these responses.