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Model Animals in Human Diseases
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Model Animals in Human Diseases

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 11376

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Daniela Impellizzeri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Via F. Stagno D’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: inflammation; oxidative stress; biochemistry; pharmacology; molecular biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Rosalba Siracusa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: clinical biochemistry; inflammation; oxidative stress; neurodegeneration; natural compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ramona D'Amico

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Messina, 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: biomarkers; molecular pathways; oxidative stress; inflammation; natural compound; clinical and pre-clinical studies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inflammation is one of the most common events in the majority of acute as well as chronic debilitating diseases and represents a chief cause of morbidity in today’s era of a modern lifestyle. If unchecked, inflammation leads to several pathologies, such as rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and atherosclerosis, along with pulmonary, autoimmune, and cardiovascular diseases. Inflammation involves a complex network of many mediators, a variety of cells, and execution of multiple pathways. Animal models are used for better understanding the disease mechanisms and possible therapeutic strategies. This Special Issue will focus on the need to explore the pathophysiology and the molecular pathways involved in the development of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, as well as the discovery of new anti-inflammatory and antioxidants agents using in vivo animal models. This Special Issue is open to submissions of full research articles and comprehensive review papers.

Dr. Daniela Impellizzeri
Dr. Rosalba Siracusa
Dr. Ramona D'Amico
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • inflammation
  • animal models
  • disorders
  • treatment
  • pathway

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 617 KiB  
Article
Influence of Leptin on the Secretion of Growth Hormone in Ewes under Different Photoperiodic Conditions
by Maciej Wójcik, Agata Krawczyńska, Dorota Anna Zieba, Hanna Antushevich and Andrzej Przemysław Herman
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(9), 8036; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24098036 - 28 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1827
Abstract
Leptin is an adipokine with a pleiotropic impact on many physiological processes, including hypothalamic-pituitary-somatotropic (HPS) axis activity, which plays a key role in regulating mammalian metabolism. Leptin insensitivity/resistance is a pathological condition in humans, but in seasonal animals, it is a physiological adaptation. [...] Read more.
Leptin is an adipokine with a pleiotropic impact on many physiological processes, including hypothalamic-pituitary-somatotropic (HPS) axis activity, which plays a key role in regulating mammalian metabolism. Leptin insensitivity/resistance is a pathological condition in humans, but in seasonal animals, it is a physiological adaptation. Therefore, these animals represent a promising model for studying this phenomenon. This study aimed to determine the influence of leptin on the activity of the HPS axis. Two in vivo experiments performed during short- and long-day photoperiods were conducted on 12 ewes per experiment, and the ewes were divided randomly into 2 groups. The arcuate nucleus, paraventricular nucleus, anterior pituitary (AP) tissues, and blood were collected. The concentration of growth hormone (GH) was measured in the blood, and the relative expression of GHRH, SST, GHRHR, SSTR1, SSTR2, SSTR3, SSTR5, LEPR, and GH was measured in the collected brain structures. The study showed that the photoperiod, and therefore leptin sensitivity, plays an important role in regulating HPS axis activity in the seasonal ewe. However, leptin influences the release of GH in a season-dependent manner, and its effect seems to be targeted at the posttranscriptional stages of GH secretion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Model Animals in Human Diseases)
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15 pages, 3218 KiB  
Article
Fisetin, a Natural Polyphenol, Ameliorates Endometriosis Modulating Mast Cells Derived NLRP-3 Inflammasome Pathway and Oxidative Stress
by Alessia Arangia, Ylenia Marino, Roberta Fusco, Rosalba Siracusa, Marika Cordaro, Ramona D’Amico, Francesco Macrì, Emanuela Raffone, Daniela Impellizzeri, Salvatore Cuzzocrea and Rosanna Di Paola
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5076; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065076 - 7 Mar 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3112
Abstract
A chronic, painful, and inflammatory condition known as endometriosis is defined by the extra-uterine development of endometrial tissue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the beneficial effects of fisetin, a naturally occurring polyphenol that is frequently present in a variety of [...] Read more.
A chronic, painful, and inflammatory condition known as endometriosis is defined by the extra-uterine development of endometrial tissue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the beneficial effects of fisetin, a naturally occurring polyphenol that is frequently present in a variety of fruits and vegetables. Uterine fragments were injected intraperitoneally to cause endometriosis, and fisetin was given orally every day. At 14 days of treatment, laparotomy was performed, and the endometrial implants and peritoneal fluids were collected for histological, biochemical, and molecular analyses. Rats subjected to endometriosis presented important macroscopic and microscopic changes, increased mast cell (MC) infiltration, and fibrosis. Fisetin treatment reduced endometriotic implant area, diameter, and volumes, as well as histological alterations, neutrophil infiltration, cytokines release, the number of MCs together with the expression of chymase and tryptase, and diminished α smooth muscle actin (α-sma) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF β) expressions. In addition, fisetin was able to reduce markers of oxidative stress as well as nitrotyrosine and Poly ADP ribose expressions and increase apoptosis in endometrial lesions. In conclusion, fisetin could represent a new therapeutic strategy to control endometriosis perhaps by targeting the MC-derived NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome pathway and oxidative stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Model Animals in Human Diseases)
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18 pages, 2593 KiB  
Article
Unique Features of the Immune Response in BTBR Mice
by Anastasia Mutovina, Kseniya Ayriyants, Eva Mezhlumyan, Yulia Ryabushkina, Ekaterina Litvinova, Natalia Bondar, Julia Khantakova and Vasiliy Reshetnikov
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(24), 15577; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232415577 - 8 Dec 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2091
Abstract
Inflammation plays a considerable role in the pathogenesis of many diseases, including neurodegenerative and psychiatric ones. Elucidation of the specific features of an immune response in various model organisms, and studying the relation of these features with the behavioral phenotype, can improve the [...] Read more.
Inflammation plays a considerable role in the pathogenesis of many diseases, including neurodegenerative and psychiatric ones. Elucidation of the specific features of an immune response in various model organisms, and studying the relation of these features with the behavioral phenotype, can improve the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of many psychopathologies. In this work, we focused on BTBR mice, which have a pronounced autism-like behavioral phenotype, elevated levels of oxidative-stress markers, an abnormal immune response, several structural aberrations in the brain, and other unique traits. Although some studies have already shown an abnormal immune response in BTBR mice, the existing literature data are still fragmentary. Here, we used inflammation induced by low-dose lipopolysaccharide, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid, or their combinations, in mice of strains BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) and C57BL6/J. Peripheral inflammation was assessed by means of a complete blood count, lymphocyte immunophenotyping, and expression levels of cytokines in the spleen. Neuroinflammation was evaluated in the hypothalamus and prefrontal cortex by analysis of mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor, Tnf), (interleukin-1 beta, Il-1β), and (interleukin-6, Il-6) and of markers of microglia activation (allograft inflammatory factor 1, Aif1) and astroglia activation (glial fibrillary acidic protein, Gfap). We found that in both strains of mice, the most severe inflammatory response was caused by the administration of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid, whereas the combined administration of the two toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists did not enhance this response. Nonetheless, BTBR mice showed a more pronounced response to low-dose lipopolysaccharide, an altered lymphocytosis ratio due to an increase in the number of CD4+ lymphocytes, and high expression of markers of activated microglia (Aif1) and astroglia (Gfap) in various brain regions as compared to C57BL6/J mice. Thus, in addition to research into mechanisms of autism-like behavior, BTBR mice can be used as a model of TLR3/TLR4-induced neuroinflammation and a unique model for finding and evaluating the effectiveness of various TLR antagonists aimed at reducing neuroinflammation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Model Animals in Human Diseases)
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Review

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24 pages, 772 KiB  
Review
Parkinson’s Disease: Exploring Different Animal Model Systems
by Engila Khan, Ikramul Hasan and M. Emdadul Haque
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(10), 9088; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24109088 - 22 May 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3464
Abstract
Disease modeling in non-human subjects is an essential part of any clinical research. To gain proper understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of any disease, experimental models are required to replicate the disease process. Due to the huge diversity in pathophysiology and prognosis [...] Read more.
Disease modeling in non-human subjects is an essential part of any clinical research. To gain proper understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of any disease, experimental models are required to replicate the disease process. Due to the huge diversity in pathophysiology and prognosis in different diseases, animal modeling is customized and specific accordingly. As in other neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder coupled with varying forms of physical and mental disabilities. The pathological hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease are associated with the accumulation of misfolded protein called α-synuclein as Lewy body, and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) area affecting the patient’s motor activity. Extensive research has already been conducted regarding animal modeling of Parkinson’s diseases. These include animal systems with induction of Parkinson’s, either pharmacologically or via genetic manipulation. In this review, we will be summarizing and discussing some of the commonly employed Parkinson’s disease animal model systems and their applications and limitations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Model Animals in Human Diseases)
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