Wilson-Sanders Susan E
University Animal Care, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724-5092, USA.
ILAR J. 2011;52(2):126-52. doi: 10.1093/ilar.52.2.126.
Invertebrate animals have been used as medicinals for 4,000 years and have served as models for research and teaching since the late 1800s. Interest in invertebrate models has increased over the past several decades as the research community has responded to public concerns about the use of vertebrate animals in research. As a result, invertebrates are being evaluated and recognized as models for many diseases and conditions. Their use has led to discoveries in almost every area of biology and medicine--from embryonic development to aging processes. Species range from terrestrial invertebrates such as nematodes and insects to freshwater and marine life including planarians, crustaceans, molluscs, and many others. The most often used models are the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the minuscule nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Topics in this article are categorized by biologic system, process, or disease with discussion of associated invertebrate models. Sections on bioactive products discovered from invertebrates follow the models section, and the article concludes with uses of invertebrates in teaching. The models reviewed can serve as references for scientists, researchers, veterinarians, institutional animal care and use committees (IACUCs), and others interested in alternatives to vertebrate animals.
无脊椎动物作为药物已有4000年历史，自19世纪末以来一直作为研究和教学的模型。在过去几十年里，随着研究界回应公众对在研究中使用脊椎动物的担忧，对无脊椎动物模型的兴趣有所增加。因此，无脊椎动物正在被评估并被认可为许多疾病和病症的模型。它们的使用几乎在生物学和医学的各个领域都带来了发现——从胚胎发育到衰老过程。物种范围从陆生无脊椎动物如线虫和昆虫到淡水和海洋生物，包括涡虫、甲壳类动物、软体动物等等。最常用的模型是果蝇黑腹果蝇和微小的线虫秀丽隐杆线虫。本文的主题按生物系统、过程或疾病分类，并讨论相关的无脊椎动物模型。从无脊椎动物中发现的生物活性产物部分紧跟模型部分之后，文章最后介绍了无脊椎动物在教学中的用途。所综述的模型可为科学家、研究人员、兽医、机构动物护理和使用委员会（IACUC）以及其他对脊椎动物替代物感兴趣的人提供参考。
