Using the air pouch model for assessing in vivo inflammatory activity of nanoparticles.

Abstract : In this study, Vandooren et al 1 used the air pouch model for evaluating potential pro-inflammatory effects of nanoparticles (NPs). This model is certainly suitable for investigating the inflammatory process which occurs during sterile inflammation and is suitable for determining if an agent, including a given NP, possesses pro-inflammatory activity or not. We have been using the murine air pouch model in our laboratory for more than 12 years. In 2001, we were the first to successfully use this model in an immunotoxi-cogical study to demonstrate that a chemical of environmental concern, the insecticide dieldrin, was found to induce an inflammatory response in vivo, as evidenced by a neutrophilic infiltration into the air pouches.