RequiRements of AnimAl

moDel

Ashutosh Kumar Yadav

Department of Pharmacology
Hygia Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research
 ANIMAL MODEL
“Model has to be close as possible to the

system it represents”

Modelling aims to create a simplified useful

representation.

‘”a model is something simple made by humans

to help in understanding something complicated.

 Why is animal Model
• According to American research council committee
(ARCC)
Animal model is a model in which normative biology
or behavior can be studied
or
In which a spontaneous or induced pathological
process can be investigated and in which the
phenomenon in one or more respect resembles the
same phenomenon in humans or other species of
animals
 REQUIREMENTS OF ANIMAL MODEL
• FIDELITY
– Extent of resemblance with human
• ISOMORPHISM
– Similar Clinical signs and symptoms (total or a part
of clinical signs)
– Anatomopathological, Biochemical and
Electrophysiological
• HOMOLOGY
– Similar Signs and symptoms
– Similar mechanism of disease
CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMAL MODELS

1. Induced model

2. Spontaneous disease model

3. Transgenic disease model

4. Negative disease model

5. Orphan disease model

 INDUCED MODEL
• Healthy animals in which the condition under
investigation has been experimentally provoked.

• Most induced models are partial or isomorphic

Examples

Alloxan or STZ induced diabetes

Partial pancreatectomized animals

Cerebral ischaemia induced by a mechanical treatment
 Spontaneous Models
• Conditions naturally present in animals and identical to human
diseases

• Based on naturally occurring genetic mutants.

• Hundreds of strains of animals with hereditary diseases have

been characterized and conserved

Examples
• Snell’s dwarf mouse which lacks a functional pituitary gland
• pmn and wobbler mouse models with loss of spinal motor
neurons
The spontaneous models are often isomorphic
 Transgenic Models

• Genome of animals has been modified by inserting

foreign DNA replacing or neutralizing (knock-out

models) some genes

• The existence of compensatory mechanisms which

may differ between humans and the animal species.

 Negative Models
• Species or strains in which a certain disease does not
develop.

• Negative models are mostly related to infectious diseases

• Unresponsive species may therefore provide insights into

the pathogenic mechanisms and mechanisms of
resistance.

Shark is known for developing cancer with a very low

incidence rate
 Orphan Models
• Orphan model diseases correspond to functional

disorders observed in non-human species but not yet

described in humans.

• Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is such an

example