Animal models of airway sensitization

Asthma is a complex phenotype that involves multiple mechanisms, including adaptive and innate immunity as well as physiological and mechanical changes in the airways. A cardinal feature of asthma is airway hyperreactivity (AHR), a multifaceted reaction that can only be assessed in vivo. Mouse models of asthma replicate many of the features of human asthma, including AHR, which can be assessed using standard protocols. Examination of AHR in mice has provided important information about human asthma, primarily because the immunology of allergy is easily studied in mice, especially with the availability of reagents including genetically modified mice. In this unit we discuss the induction and measurement of AHR and the two most common methodologies: noninvasive measurement using a whole-body plethysmograph (WBP) and invasive measurement of lung resistance and dynamic compliance.