Online tools for understanding rat physiology

Rat models have been used to investigate physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms for decades. With the availability of the rat genome and other online resources, tools to identify rat models that mimic human disease are an important step in translational research. Despite the large number of papers published each year using rat models, integrating this information remains a problem. Resources for the rat genome are continuing to grow rapidly, while resources providing access to rat phenotype data are just emerging. An overview of rat models of disease, tools to characterize strain by phenotype and genotype, and steps being taken to integrate rat physiological data is presented in this article. Integrating functional and physiological data with the rat genome will build a solid research platform to facilitate innovative studies to unravel the mechanisms resulting in disease.