Bice D E, Seagrave J, Green F H
Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, PO Box 5890, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA.
Inhal Toxicol. 2000 Sep;12(9):829-62. doi: 10.1080/08958370050123207.
Asthma is now recognized to be a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the whole lung. Incidence appears to be increasing despite improved treatment regimens. There is substantial epidemiological evidence suggesting a relationship between the incidence and severity of asthma (e.g., hospitalizations) and exposure to increased levels of air pollution, especially fine and ultrafine particulate material, in susceptible individuals. There have been a few studies in animal models that support this concept, but additional animal studies to test this hypothesis are needed. However, such studies must be performed with awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of the currently available animal models. For studies in mice, the most commonly used animal, a broad spectrum of molecular and immunological tools is available, particularly to study the balance between Th1 and Th2 responses, and inbred strains may be useful for genetic dissection of susceptibility to the disease. However, the mouse is a poor model for bronchoconstriction or localized immune responses that characterize the human disease. In contrast, allergic lung diseases in dogs and cats may more accurately model the human condition, but fewer tools are available for characterization of the mechanisms. Finally, economic issues as well as reagent availability limit the utility of horses, sheep, and primates.
哮喘现已被公认为是一种影响整个肺部的慢性炎症性疾病。尽管治疗方案有所改进，但其发病率似乎仍在上升。有大量流行病学证据表明，在易感个体中，哮喘的发病率和严重程度（如住院率）与接触更高水平的空气污染，尤其是细颗粒物和超细颗粒物之间存在关联。动物模型方面已有一些研究支持这一观点，但仍需要更多动物研究来验证这一假设。然而，进行此类研究时必须了解现有动物模型的优缺点。对于最常用的实验动物小鼠，有广泛的分子和免疫学工具可用，特别是用于研究Th1和Th2反应之间的平衡，近交系小鼠可能有助于对该疾病易感性进行基因剖析。然而，小鼠对于人类疾病所特有的支气管收缩或局部免疫反应来说，并不是一个很好的模型。相比之下，犬猫的过敏性肺部疾病可能更准确地模拟人类情况，但用于机制研究的工具较少。最后，经济问题以及试剂可用性限制了马、羊和灵长类动物的实用性。
