Application and research advances in cholelithiasis animal models / 中华肝胆外科杂志

ABSTRACT

As a tool, cholelithiasis animal models have become an important platform for pathogenetic, preventative, diagnostic and therapeutic research. As biliary calculus formation has a close relationship with dysfunction of hepatic and biliary systems, inability of lipid metabolism homeostasis and impairment of immunologic barriers, increasing studies have been carried out with the use of animal models in these fields. Animal genetic susceptibility to cholelithiasis has greatly attracted people's attention in recent years and cholelithiasis animal models have been used in Chinese traditional medicine development and authentication. Furthermore, reports on invasive and traumatic research have been published in which large animal models were used. It is supposed that technical progress and scientists' demands would result in wide application of more kinds of cholelithiasis animal models.