ABSTRACT
To understand the multitude of endotoxin-mediated effects on the entire organism, it is essential that animal models be utilized in endotoxin research. Horses in many respects would be the ideal animal model for endotoxin research. One would seriously consider the use of horses in mortality endpoint experiments in endotoxin research; however, veterinary experience with endotoxin-mediated disorders in horses may provide useful insights into endotoxin effects in human diseases. Despite the numerous desirable attributes of research in nonhuman primates, there are major disadvantages, which limit the availability of these animals in endotoxin research. While such findings may well provide statistically valid data to support the claim of clinical efficacy of an experimental treatment, it should be remembered that in many animal models of endotoxin lethality, the actual dose-response lethality profiles manifest very steep slopes at the inflection point. The value and limitations of animal models in endotoxin research must be understood in the development of new therapeutic strategies in human sepsis.
