Animal models accurately representing acute liver failure (Review)

Animal models are essential for investigating disease pathogenesis and progression. Acute liver injury (ALI) precedes acute liver failure (ALF), establishing a crucial and close relationship between these conditions. Appropriate animal models are required in order to develop successful treatments for ALF. However, the inability to construct appropriate animal models that accurately represent the pathophysiological features of ALF has impeded research progress. The present review examined the pathophysiological mechanisms of ALF, evaluated the strengths and limitations of commonly used model organisms, and highlighted the advantages of mouse models in simulating the onset and progression of ALF. Furthermore, the review systematically summarized the varying drug and chemical dosages used in the development of drug‑induced and chemical‑induced ALF models in mice. In addition, whether ALI/ALF models constructed with different drug dosages accurately reflect disease progression has been a topic of critical discussion. Therefore, the present review proposed specific drug and chemical dosages for ALF model development and described future directions for developing optimal ALF animal models.