Animal Models of Liver Cirrhosis and Fibrosis

Animal modeling is a crucial necessity in clinical studies of liver diseases. Authenticity of the data which are produced using this tool under different conditions and accuracy of the analyses and assessments which would be based on such data sets is completely dependent on the adoption of a standardized methodology for analyzes and assessment of these data sets. Cirrhosis and Fibrosis are among the most important diseases which are studied by animals modeling due to the fact that their final structure is usually similar among a verity of patients and also because they are the common end stage of most chronic liver diseases. Up to now different approaches such as hepatotoxicity and surgical methods have been utilized to obtain cirrhotic or fibrotic models that either of which has its especial advantages and disadvantages. It is obvious that using models could indicate the production and treatment mechanisms of disease which we elucidate Fibrosis and cirrhosis here. Considering several animal models which were used for liver disease in the world in this survey we try to explain why what and how an animal must be choosen for modeling and how could be evaluated.