In vivo models of understanding inflammation (in vivo methods for inflammation)

Inflammation is the biological response of the human body to injurious stimuli of various types like microbiological, chemical, mechanical, radiological, or any other kind of stress. It works as a defense mechanism to initiate repair of the affected tissue and to get rid of the injury causing agent. Thus, it can be considered as the protective beneficial response of the biological system to injury but prolonged inflammation can lead to tissue destruction. Therefore, there is a need for the management of inflammation to reduce the deleterious effects associated with it, especially that of chronic inflammation. Natural as well as synthetic agents can be used for alleviating the effects of inflammation. The text presented discusses the pathogenesis and the various chemical mediators involved in inflammation. The chapter reviews the different in vivo methods for assessing the efficacy of antiinflammatory agents in acute and chronic inflammation and for understanding and establishing their mechanism of action.