Assessing inflammatory disease at mucosal surfaces in murine genetic models

Inflammatory diseases of the mucosal surfaces are rising worldwide and particularly in the Western world that is witnessing unprecedented increases in the number and incidence of both asthma and inflammatory bowel disease. The laboratory mouse allows the application of the full panoply of modern genetic, immunological and biochemical tools to increase our understanding of how inflammation arises and how it might be controlled at mucosal surfaces. Here we provide a detailed description of how to systematically assess inflammatory disease in the lung and intestines of the laboratory mouse. We provide histopathology examples from SHIP mutant mice that are the only known genetic mutant to suffer from pulmonary consolidation, asthma, and Crohn's disease. The intent of this chapter is to facilitate increased surveillance of mucosal inflammation in studies where the laboratory mouse is utilized so that we can better understand the cell types, genes, and microorganisms that contribute to mucosal inflammatory disease and thereby develop more effective therapies and preventive strategies.