The rabbit as an experimental model - Literature review

SUMMARY The present article critically overviews the role of rabbit in the development of science, in a historical scale. The rabbit is widely used in the classical genetic, immunological, physiological, reproduction biology (see Friedman test), as well as in the embryological researches. This species was used in studying both the spontaneous and the induced malformations. From the metabolism models the atherosclerosis has outstanding rabbit model (WHHL), and also for the Alzheimer disease. Given the body measures and anatomy, the rabbit is a good subject of bone and tooth researches. The main ophthalmologic fields are the development of the techniques of cataract operation, laser treatments, implantation of shunts, intravitreal drug application and improvement of surgery techniques. In the biotechnology the rabbit serves as a bioreactor to produce mono and policlonal antibodies, as well as recombinant proteins for human usage. Infectious diseases like tuberculosis and many parasitoses can be modelled in rabbits. Using artificially immune-impaired rabbits, the study of important human opportunistic pathogens (e. g. Pneumocystis) is possible. Being a caecotroph animal, the rabbit is extremely sensitive to the ingested mycotoxins (e. g. T-2 toxin), both in female and male genders, making it an excellent research subject in this direction