Animal Models for Investigation of Latent Effects of Malnutrition

The selection of an animal model for the collection of biomedical data should be based on a careful analysis of research requirements and the specific characteristics of the different animal species available for use.¹ There are many examples in which a disease does not naturally occur in animals but can be induced by appropriate manipulation. But how does one select the appropriate model? Once it is chosen, how does one obtain the animals, keep them healthy, and handle them properly in a laboratory environment? An excellent source of information is the Proceedings of a Workshop on Animal Models for Perinatal Research, sponsored by the Perinatal Biology and Infant Mortality Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.² I will present models involving maternal nutrient deprivation and its effects on the fetus and young animal.

Congenital Hydrocephalus  Models for the study of congenital hydrocephalus have been generally unphysiologic