Respiratory diseases

In vivo models of respiratory inflammation

Asthma (mice)

• Ovalbumin
• HDM
• HDM/CFA severe neutrophilic asthma

COPD (mice and rats)

• Tobacco smoke induced acute and sub-acute pulmonary inflammation
• LPS induced pulmonary neutrophilia

Viral exacerbations of asthma and COPD (mice)

• Rhinovirus (RV-1B)
• Influenza (Puerto Rico/8/1934(H1N1))

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV/A2)

 

Read-outs:

1. total and differential cell count in BALF
2. lung function (resistance and compliance)
3. histopathology
4. inflammatory mediators in BALF
5. immunohistochemistry

 

Gastrointestinal disorders

In vivo models of GI disorders

• Functional models (mice and rats)
  • Gastric emptying
  • Intestinal secretion
  • GI transit
  • Closed intestinal loops
  • Intestinal growth

 

• Models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
  • DSS (mice, rats)
  • TNBS (rats)
  • Oxazolone (rats)
  • CD4+CD25-CD62L+ T cell transfer chronic colitis in SCID mice

 

• Read outs:
  1. Colon length (streching)
  2. histopathology
  3. disease activity score (DAI)
  4. inflammatory mediators in colon tissue

 

Rheumatoid arthritis

In vivo models of RA

• Collagen type-II (CIA) (mice, rats)

Read outs:

1. Clinical score
2. Paw swelling
3. Haematology
4. Histopathology
5. Immunohistochemistry
6. Serum biomarkers
7. inflammatory mediators

 

• Screening model: LPS induced bone erosion (mice)

Read outs:Serum markers of bone erosion

 

Skin inflammation

 

In vivo models of skin inflammation

• Imiquimod induced psoriasis (mice)
• Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH)
  • Oxazolone (acute/chronic) (mice)
  • KLH (mice and rats)
• Wound healing (mice and rats)