Seminar - Use in Research Flashcards
Describe the cholesterol-fed rabbit model.
Feed diet with 1-3% cholesterol and 4-8% fat for 4-6 weeks. Watch length of diet due to risk of hepatic lipidosis and metabolic syndrome. Evaluate treatments.
What is the trend towards rabbit use in research? Where do they rank among USDA species in use?
Decrease. Rank second, behind GP
Describe the spontaneous hypercholesterolemic/hyperlipidemic strains?
Watanabe Heritable Hyperlipidemic (WHHL) strain - spontaneous familial hypercholesterolemia. Atherosclerotic lesions in aorta, coronary arteries (WHHL-CA), and cholesterol deposits in skin, liver, joints, and cornea.
St. Thomas Mixed Hyperlipidemic (SMHL) - human familial hypercholesterolemia
Kurosawa and Kusanagi Hypercholesterolemic strain - Atherosclerosis at 2 months old.
Development of anti-atherosclerotic statin drugs.
How do human and rabbit lipoprotein and cardiac physiology compare?
Similar chemical composition and content of lipoproteins. Similar cardiac physiology.
What conditions are hypercholesterolemic rabbits used to study?
Valvular heart disease, alzheimer, and NASH/NOSH
Describe myocardial infarction and reperfusion or acute coronary syndrome in rabbits.
Infarct induced by snaring LCA for 30-90 minutes. Study cardioprotective effects of various methods.
WHHL rabbits can also be selectively bred to develop what condition?
Myocardial infarcts. 97% develop coronary artery disease by 30 months.
Describe the bacterial endocarditis model
Induced surgically or via ventricular catheterization. Evaluate antibiotic therpaies.
What is acute coronary syndrome?
Plaques rupture and block the coronary artery.
Why is the rabbit eye an appropriate model for human ocular conditions?
Similar sized anterior chamber.
Describe the cataract model
Development of treatment and protection against radiation-induced lens damage. Surgical model for removal of cataract and replacement with intraocular lenses
Describe the glaucoma model
Induced via corticosteroids or intraocular injection of alpha-chymotrypsin (pancreatic enzyme). Model for surgical and medical treatment.
Describe the rabbit model of uveitis
Endotoxin-induced with intravitreal injection of E. coli endotoxin. Pre-clinical trials for treatment of anterior uveitis.
Describe the model of proliferative vitreoretinopathy
Induced via gas vitrectomy or mechanized vitrectomy, followed by injection of cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells. Pathogenesis and novel treatments.
Name and describe the two CNS diseases studied in rabbits
Coccidiomycosis - inoculated with C. immitis.
Listeriosis - inoculation in cisterna magna with L. monocytogenes. Rabbits do not contract orally or display signs as in humans.
Describe the model of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis. What makes rabbits a good model?
Human and rabbits have similar nasal passage anatomy with nasal fossa separated by a sagittal septum with similar turbinates. Sponge impregnated with bacteria placed in nasal passage, used to practice catheterization techniques to deliver topical therapies.
List and describe the two respiratory diseases studied in rabbits.
Anthrax - development of vaccine.
TB - disease in rabbits better mimics humans than mice and GP. Induced via aerosolization.
Describe the RITARD model.
Removable Intestinal Tie-Adult Rabbit Diarrhea. Obstruction created in small intestine for two hours, then removed with oral inoculation or injection of bacteria.
Describe the RIL model.
Rabbit Illeal Loop. Ligation of ileum to inhibit peristalsis followed by inoculation with C. jejuni. Model of Guilian-Barre syndrome.
Describe the endotoxemia model
Induced via IC injection of E. coli or LPS. Rabbits are more sensitive to effects of endotoxin. Used in treatment efficacy trials.
Describe osteomyelitis and implant-related infection models.
Typically use femur to study systemic and local therapeutics.
Describe the variola model
Rabbits are the only model for human smallpox with natural aerosol transmission. Infected with rabbitpox or vaccinia virus which behave similarly.
What is the rabbit infectivity test (RIT)?
Rabbits are inoculated intradermally or intra-scrotally with samples of the bacteria. Positive with orchitis, ocular inflammation, and confirmation on dark field and silver stain. Not as sensitive as it was once considered. No neuropathy develops.
Describe the VX2 carcinoma
Model of transplantable malignancy. Originated from Shope’s papillomavirus that progressed to SCC, then to axillary ln. 90% take without immunosuppression.
