Animal models for intranasal drug delivery studies. A review article

The purpose of this review is to introduce the investigators to sources of information and to guiding principles regarding the choice of animal models for experimental and clinical studies on intranasal application studies. It focuses also on the anatomical and physiological variations that can influence the selection of the correct animal model. A topical overview is given for following animal models which are all involved in intranasal drug or vaccine delivery research; dog, guinea pig, hamster, mouse, rabbit (in vivo and in situ), rat (in vivo, in vivo surgical and in situ) and sheep. In the selection of an animal model, both advantages and disadvantages must be considered. Small animals such as guinea pigs, hamsters, mice and rats, are easy to handle and inexpensive, but their nasal cavity is small and therefore preferred for absorption studies and for studying the influence of absorption promoters. Dogs, monkeys, sheep and rabbits are particularly useful in pharmacokinetic and formulation studies.