Application of Animal Models: From Physiology to Pathology

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

The main objective of this topic is to study the alterations of the different functions of the human body in order to understand the reason for the appearance of various diseases. In other words, it seeks the keys to understand how imbalances in physiological processes lead to a series of pathological changes, such as alterations in the functions of organs or tissues or the activation of certain cellular processes. The appearance of a disease may be subject to genetic or environmental factors or to the lifestyle of each person. Therefore, this topic is responsible for analyzing all types of genetic mutations associated with complex conditions, as well as the reason why certain environmental factors may aggravate the disease. In this way, new treatments can be developed to address these pathological processes or even to develop early detection programs to prevent the emergence of diseases such as diabetes. In addition, this topic can be of great use for the development of animal or cellular models in biomedical research. ‘From Physiology to Pathology’ covers the following fields:

• Helps to understand disease patterns: pathophysiologist, physicians and scientists can investigate and understand how diseases originate and how they can affect the human body.
• It facilitates the development of specific treatments: this branch of study is very useful to create new specific drugs to help reduce the symptoms of diseases.
• It is useful for preventing the onset of diseases: once the pathological mechanisms are understood, multiple conditions can be prevented, since the knowledge of the causes provide us with the information for preventing disease development.
• It allows the development of animal and cellular models to study diseases: biomedical research also benefits those working in pathophysiology and as a result, animal and cellular models can be developed for the study of diseases in laboratories.
• It helps to personalize medical care: as we have seen above, pathophysiology allows us to understand the causes that lead to the development of different conditions. In the case of a particular patient, physicians can plan specific treatments to treat their disease in a personalized way.

Dr. Juan Carlos Illera del Portal
Dr. Sara Cáceres Ramos
Dr. Felisbina Luisa Queiroga
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Animals animals	3.0	4.2	2011	18.1 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Cells cells	6.0	9.0	2012	16.6 Days	CHF 2700	Submit
Life life	3.2	2.7	2011	17.5 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Veterinary Sciences vetsci	2.4	2.3	2014	19.6 Days	CHF 2600	Submit

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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All Animals Cells Life Veterinary Sciences

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8 pages, 801 KiB  

Open AccessBrief Report

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: The Honey Bee as a Social Animal Model

by Marcelo P. Camilli, Olena M. Simko, Breanne Bevelander, Jenna M. Thebeau, Fatima Masood, Marina C. Bezerra da Silva, Muhammad Fahim Raza, Sofiia Markova, Oleksii Obshta, Midhun S. Jose, Sarah Biganski, Ivanna V. Kozii, Michael W. Zabrodski, Igor Moshynskyy, Elemir Simko and Sarah C. Wood

Life 2024, 14(4), 434; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14040434 - 25 Mar 2024

Viewed by 1253

Abstract

Animal models have been essential for advancing research of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in humans, but few animal species effectively replicate the behavioural and clinical signs of FASD. The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a previously unexplored research model for [...] Read more.

Animal models have been essential for advancing research of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in humans, but few animal species effectively replicate the behavioural and clinical signs of FASD. The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a previously unexplored research model for FASD that offers the distinct benefit of highly social behaviour. In this study, we chronically exposed honey bee larvae to incremental concentrations of 0, 3, 6, and 10% ethanol in the larval diet using an in vitro rearing protocol and measured developmental time and survival to adult eclosion, as well as body weight and motor activity of newly emerged adult bees. Larvae reared on 6 and 10% dietary ethanol demonstrated significant, dose-responsive delays to pupation and decreased survival and adult body weight. All ethanol-reared adults showed significantly decreased motor activity. These results suggest that honey bees may be a suitable social animal model for future FASD research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Application of Animal Models: From Physiology to Pathology)

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17 pages, 5197 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Aerobic Exercise Modulates Proteomic Profiles in Gastrocnemius Muscle of db/db Mice, Ameliorating Sarcopenia

by Yen-Chun Huang, Monika Renuka Sanotra, Chi-Chang Huang, Yi-Ju Hsu and Chen-Chung Liao

Life 2024, 14(3), 412; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14030412 - 20 Mar 2024

Viewed by 925

Abstract

Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-induced sarcopenia is intertwined with diminished insulin sensitivity and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling in skeletal muscle and other organs. Physical activities such as aerobic exercise play a crucial role in regulating blood glucose levels, insulin sensitivity, metabolic pathways, oxidative stress, [...] Read more.

Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-induced sarcopenia is intertwined with diminished insulin sensitivity and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling in skeletal muscle and other organs. Physical activities such as aerobic exercise play a crucial role in regulating blood glucose levels, insulin sensitivity, metabolic pathways, oxidative stress, fibrosis, ECM remodeling, and muscle regeneration by modulating differentially expressed protein (DEP) levels. The objectives of our research were to investigate the effect of six weeks of aerobic exercise on the gastrocnemius and soleus muscle of db/db mice’s DEP levels compared to those of sedentary db/db mice. A total of eight db/db mice were divided into two groups (n = 4 per group), namely sedentary mice (SED) and exercise-trained mice (ET), of which the latter were subjected to six weeks of a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise intervention for five days per week. After the exercise intervention, biochemical tests, including analyses of blood glucose and HbA1c levels, were performed. Histological analysis using H & E staining on tissue was performed to compare morphological characters. Gastrocnemius and soleus muscles were dissected and processed for proteomic analysis. Data were provided and analyzed based on the DEPs using the label-free quantification (LFQ) algorithm. Functional enrichment analysis and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) were employed as bioinformatics tools to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the DEPs and disease progression. Significantly reduced blood glucose and HbA1c levels and an increased cross-sectional area (CSA) of gastrocnemius muscle fibers were seen in the ET group after the exercise interventions due to upregulations of metabolic pathways. Using proteomics data analysis, we found a significant decrease in COL1A1, COL4A2, ENG, and LAMA4 protein levels in the ET gastrocnemius, showing a significant improvement in fibrosis recovery, ECM remodeling, and muscle regeneration via the downregulation of the TGF-β signaling pathway. Upregulated metabolic pathways due to ET-regulated DEPs in the gastrocnemius indicated increased glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, muscle regeneration, and insulin sensitivity, which play a crucial role in muscle regeneration and maintaining blood glucose and lipid levels. No significant changes were observed in the soleus muscle due to the type of exercise and muscle fiber composition. Our research suggests that engaging in six weeks of aerobic exercise may have a positive impact on the recovery of T2DM-induced sarcopenia, which might be a potential candidate for mitigation, prevention, and therapeutic treatment in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Application of Animal Models: From Physiology to Pathology)

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14 pages, 1420 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Preliminary Proteomic Study of the Porcine Pituitary Gland under Heat Stress

by Qiu Zhou, Yuan Gao, Yin Li, Huili Xie, Xiaoxi Liu, Yanhong Yong, Youquan Li, Zhichao Yu, Xingbin Ma and Xianghong Ju

Life 2024, 14(3), 366; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14030366 - 11 Mar 2024

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Abstract

Although numerous studies have shown that the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis plays a vital role in the response to environmental stress by mediating the production of a series of hormones, the mechanism underlying these effects has not been elucidated. This study used proteomics techniques to [...] Read more.

Although numerous studies have shown that the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis plays a vital role in the response to environmental stress by mediating the production of a series of hormones, the mechanism underlying these effects has not been elucidated. This study used proteomics techniques to investigate the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the pituitary glands of pigs and to elucidate the potential changes in the immune–neuroendocrine system under heat stress (HS). In total, 2517 peptides corresponding to 205 proteins were detected. A comparison of the expression patterns between HSs and healthy controls revealed 56 DEPs, of which 31 were upregulated and 25 were downregulated. Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) was used to reveal the subcellular characteristics, functional pathways, regulatory networks, and upstream regulators of the identified proteins. The results showed that these differentially expressed proteins were involved in intercellular communication, interactions, apoptosis, nervous system development, functions, abnormalities and other functions, and in the regulatory network. Moreover, the upstream regulators of the differentially expressed proteins were mainly transcriptional regulators, hormones, and cytokines. Thus, the functional network and pathway analyses could provide insights into the complexity and dynamics of HS–host interactions and may accelerate our understanding of the mechanisms underlying HS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Application of Animal Models: From Physiology to Pathology)

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17 pages, 6779 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Production of Proliferation- and Differentiation-Competent Porcine Myoblasts for Preclinical Studies in a Porcine Large Animal Model of Muscular Insufficiency

by Jasmin Knoll, Bastian Amend, Tanja Abruzzese, Niklas Harland, Arnulf Stenzl and Wilhelm K. Aicher

Life 2024, 14(2), 212; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14020212 - 31 Jan 2024

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Abstract

Muscular insufficiency is observed in many conditions after injury, chronic inflammation, and especially in elderly populations. Causative cell therapies for muscle deficiencies are not state of the art. Animal models to study the therapy efficacy are, therefore, needed. We developed an improved protocol [...] Read more.

Muscular insufficiency is observed in many conditions after injury, chronic inflammation, and especially in elderly populations. Causative cell therapies for muscle deficiencies are not state of the art. Animal models to study the therapy efficacy are, therefore, needed. We developed an improved protocol to produce myoblasts suitable for pre-clinical muscle therapy studies in a large animal model. Myoblasts were isolated from the striated muscle, expanded by employing five different protocols, and characterized on transcript and protein expression levels to determine procedures that yielded optimized regeneration-competent myoblasts and multi-nucleated myotubes. We report that swine skeletal myoblasts proliferated well under improved conditions without signs of cellular senescence, and expressed significant levels of myogenic markers including Pax7, MyoD1, Myf5, MyoG, Des, Myf6, CD56 (p ≤ 0.05 each). Upon terminal differentiation, myoblasts ceased proliferation and generated multi-nucleated myotubes. Injection of such myoblasts into the urethral sphincter complex of pigs with sphincter muscle insufficiency yielded an enhanced functional regeneration of this muscle (81.54% of initial level) when compared to the spontaneous regeneration in the sham controls without myoblast injection (67.03% of initial level). We conclude that the optimized production of porcine myoblasts yields cells that seem suitable for preclinical studies of cell therapy in a porcine large animal model of muscle insufficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Application of Animal Models: From Physiology to Pathology)

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13 pages, 1821 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Development of an Alternative In Vitro Rumen Fermentation Prediction Model

by Xinjie Wang, Jianzhao Zhou, Runjie Jiang, Yuxuan Wang, Yonggen Zhang, Renbiao Wu, Xiaohui A, Haitao Du, Jiaxu Tian, Xiaoli Wei and Weizheng Shen

Animals 2024, 14(2), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14020289 - 17 Jan 2024

Viewed by 798

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify an alternative approach for simulating the in vitro fermentation and quantifying the production of rumen methane and rumen acetic acid during the rumen fermentation process with different total mixed rations. In this experiment, dietary nutrient [...] Read more.

The aim of this study is to identify an alternative approach for simulating the in vitro fermentation and quantifying the production of rumen methane and rumen acetic acid during the rumen fermentation process with different total mixed rations. In this experiment, dietary nutrient compositions (neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), crude protein (CP), and dry matter (DM)) were selected as input parameters to establish three prediction models for rumen fermentation parameters (methane and acetic acid): an artificial neural network model, a genetic algorithm-bp model, and a support vector machine model. The research findings show that the three models had similar simulation results that aligned with the measured data trends (R² ≥ 0.83). Additionally, the root mean square errors (RMSEs) were ≤1.85 mL/g in the rumen methane model and ≤2.248 mmol/L in the rumen acetic acid model. Finally, this study also demonstrates the models’ capacity for generalization through an independent verification experiment, as they effectively predicted outcomes even when significant trial factors were manipulated. These results suggest that machine learning-based in vitro rumen models can serve as a valuable tool for quantifying rumen fermentation parameters, guiding the optimization of dietary structures for dairy cows, rapidly screening methane-reducing feed options, and enhancing feeding efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Application of Animal Models: From Physiology to Pathology)

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