Use of alternative animals as asthma models

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Respiratory Physiology
• Comparative Pathology

Background:

• Asthma and chronic airway obstruction research requires suitable animal models.
• Non-laboratory animals present unique physiological and methodological considerations for respiratory studies.
• Evaluating species-specific respiratory system physiology is crucial for model selection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the availability, advantages, and disadvantages of asthma models in non-laboratory animals.
• To assess the suitability of various species for modeling asthma and chronic airway obstruction.
• To highlight the potential of large animal models for long-term respiratory disease research.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on asthma models in cats, dogs, sheep, swine, cattle, horses, and monkeys.
• Analysis of species-specific respiratory physiology and pathophysiology.
• Evaluation of methodological aspects for functional, inflammatory, and morphological studies.

Main Results:

• Allergic asthma models exist in cats, dogs, pigs, sheep, and monkeys, with feline models being particularly relevant due to spontaneous idiopathic asthma.
• Species lacking collateral airways, like pigs and cattle, are sensitive to airway obstruction consequences.
• Large animals (pigs, sheep, calves) offer human-comparable body weight for pulmonary function testing.
• Large animal models facilitate long-term, within-subject studies of functional, inflammatory, and morphological changes.

Conclusions:

• Non-laboratory animals, especially cats, provide valuable models for asthma research.
• Large animal models offer significant potential for studying the complexity of asthma and chronic airway diseases.
• Careful consideration of species-specific physiology is essential for effective asthma model selection and research.