Animal models of hepatotoxicity

Liver is the largest and important organ in the body, involved in the metabolism of food and drugs. Liver diseases are potentially life threatening for humans. The etiology of liver disorder varied due to different reasons like autoimmune disorder, viral infection, toxic chemical, and due to changing diet style. Liver injury produces pathological changes like increase level of SGOT, SGPT, TB and generation of free radical radicals. A better understanding of primary mechanisms is mandatory for designing of new therapeutic drugs. Therefore, animal models are being developed to mimic human liver diseases. Animal models are being used for several decades to study the pathogenesis of liver disorders and related toxicities. In this review, we revealed various animal models with their merits and demerits. Our main focus is to explore all new and traditional animal models under broad classification like non-invasive, invasive and genetic models which directly or indirectly produce hepatotoxicity.