Mouse models of asthma: what physiological evidence are they based on?

Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs that is characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to bronchoconstricting stimuli. The physiological response of the asthmatic lung to inhaled allergen is often characterized by two distinct phases: An early-phase response (EPR) within the first hour following exposure which subsides, and a late-phase response (LPR) that is more prolonged and may occur several hours later. Ideally, a mouse model of asthma should be able to mimic all phases of the lung dysfunction associated with asthma. Methods/Data base: A review of the literature. Results/Conclusions: To date, a majority of the studies using mouse models of asthma have focussed on AHR as a physiological outcome measure. The few studies that have examined the EPR and LPR have been limited by the use of inappropriate and inaccurate measures of lung mechanics. On the basis of current evidence, it would appear that LPR is not correlated with presence of AHR in mice. Future studies should be aimed at determining the presence of a physiological late-phase response in mouse models of asthma and whether or not it is correlated with AHR as seen in human asthmatics.