• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1725-1728
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• 2010

Miniature pigs are widely used in experiments related to pulmonary disease because of their similarities with humans. However, there are not enough data about normal lung function in miniature pigs. Thus, in this study, we investigated normal lung function in miniature pigs with lung ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy and evaluated the availability of this method. Three male miniature pigs weighing 30-35 kg were used. After general anesthesia, ventilation scintigraphy was performed with 100 MBq of $^{99m}Tc$-pertechnetate (${O_4}^-$), after which perfusion scintigraphy was performed with intravenous injection of $^{99m}Tc$-macro aggregated albumin (MAA). The functional contribution of the right lung was about 55%, and left lung was about 45%, similar to humans. Lung ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy was very useful in evaluating the normal lung function of miniature pigs because it was a non-invasive procedure (no tissue damage was involved), took a short time and was easy to perform. In conclusion, miniature pigs are similar to humans in functional contributions of the lung, and this method will be helpful in future pulmonary disease studies involving miniature pigs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.93-93
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• 2004

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.372-376
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• 2012

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious problem associated with high morbidity and mortality. Ischemia-reperfusion is an important cause of acute kidney injury. This study was performed to ascertain clinically useful biomarkers for the diagnosis of AKI. In three miniature pigs, AKI were induced by 60 minutes of bilateral renal ischemia by the clamping renal artery. Blood and urine samples were collected from the pigs prior to clamping (baseline) and 0, 1, 3 and 5 days post-clamping. Serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, sodium and uric acid were measured in serum and urine samples. Fractional excretion of sodium ($FE_{Na}$) and fractional excretion of uric acid ($FE_{UA}$) were calculated. Also, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-18, liver type fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were detected by Western immunoblotting. Serum BUN and creatinine levels were increased significantly at day 1 post-clamping in all three miniature pigs. However, $FE_{Na}$ and $FE_{UA}$ showed marked individual differences. Western immunoblotting revealed significantly increased levels of IL-6, IL-18, L-FABP and GST in post-ischemic urine, compared to pre-clamping. While more research concerning the variance of $FE_{Na}$ and $FE_{UA}$ is needed, serum BUN, creatinine, IL-6, IL-18, L-FABP and GST may be sensitive urine biomarkers for diagnosis of AKI together with other biomarkers in the porcine ischemia-reperfusion model.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.445-449
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• 2009

For human organ transplantations, histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate solution (HTKS) and University of Wisconsin solution (UWS) have been shown to engender similar outcomes as gold standard cold preservation solutions ($4^{\circ}C$). To select the effective preservation solution for cold storage of kidney xenografts in miniature pig, which could be a potential source animal of bio-organs, this study compared early histopathological outcomes of cold preservation injury using HTKS and UWS. Twelve miniature pigs weighing 25.6 to 34.7 kg were divided into two groups (n = 6 per group), UWS group and HTKS group. The kidneys in each group were harvested, cold flushed, and preserved for 0, 24, 48, and 72 hrs at $4^{\circ}C$ with UWS or HTKS, respectively. Histolopathological examinations were assessed on kidney biopsy specimens, taken after each cold storage. The degree of renal injury was scored using 5 different criteria (pyknotic nuclei, disruption of cytoplasm, detachment of epithelium, loss of microvilli, tubular necrosis and loss of glomerular tufts) of the cellular components of the tissue. The degree of kidney damage was increased with prolonged cold ischemia time. UWS and HTKS have at least similar efficacy in kidney preservation within 24 hrs cold preservation time. However, in HTKS group cold-induced injury started to be observed more than in UWS group after 48 hrs of cold storage. In conclusion, UWS and HTKS were equally effective for cold preservation of miniature pig kidney in early preservation times; however, UWS may be more effective at longer preservation times as compared to HTKS.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.574-577
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to evaluate gastric motility of conscious minipigs with ultrasonography from contraction number of the pyloric antrum and gastric emptying time (GET). Five-month-old, clinically healthy minipigs weighing 13.5-15 kg were used for this experiment. Assessment of gastric motility was performed using saline (10 ml/kg) in all five minipigs. Contraction number of the pyloric antrum for 3 minutes and gastric emptying time were calculated. Gastric emptying time was considered to be the time at which the antral area returned to the basal value. The mean value of contraction number of the pyloric antrum before feeding was 1.60${\pm}$2.30 (mean${\pm}$SD) for 3 min and the overall mean value after saline administration was 5.40${\pm}$3.62 for 3 min. The mean value of GET by area was 58.06${\pm}$5.23 min. This data can be used as basic database for evaluation of gastric motility in minipigs as normal and various experimental models.

• The Korea Swine Journal
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• v.12 no.4 s.128
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• pp.60-63
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• 1990

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1315-1320
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• 2007

Epiphyseal development in the long bones was studied radiographically in minipigs. Radiographs of the proximal and distal epiphyses of humerus, radius, ulna, femur and tibia were obtained at 4, 8, 12, 20, 40, 48, 96 and 144 weeks of age in total 58 minipigs. The assessment of maturity process was made in accordance with the criteria proposed by Owada and Sutow. The secondary ossification centers developed rapidly from 4 weeks of age to 40 weeks of age, and gradually thereafter until 96 weeks of age. The earliest epiphyseal fusion was apparent in the proximal radius, proximal and distal femur at 96 weeks of age. The complete fusion of the epiphyseal line in the long bones was evident on 144 weeks of age and was observed in most long bones such as the proximal humerus, the proximal and distal ulna and the distal radius, and the proximal tibia in minipigs.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1169-1172
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to establish blood reference values for miniature pigs from various growth ages before pre-puberty. 12 miniature pigs from two swine farms were sampled by jugular venipuncture. Routine hematological and biochemical determinations were performed using whole blood and serum. For the variables examined in each age group the means and the standard deviations were calculated. In hematological values, there are significant changes (p<0.05) in RBC, hematocrit and platelet values in each group. In RBC and hematocrit values, 4-week group shows the lowest level, whereas in platelet values, 4-week group shows the highest level. In biochemical values, there are significant chnges (p<0.05) in glucose and GGT in each group, and in other biochemical values there are no significant changes during growing periods. The values presented here may be useful for knowing the normal values for miniature pigs and also screening the normal pigs in the early days of their life and during the developemental stages.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.467-473
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• 2010

Gangliosides are a major component of the plasma membrane of mammalian cells, which are directly involved in a variety of immunological events, including cell-to cell or cell-to-protein interactions. In this study, we investigated whether gangliosides, sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids, are related to rejection during the xenotransplantation of NIH-miniature pig livers and hearts to humans. Both high performance thin-layer chromatography and immunohistochemistry analyses revealed that the expression of gangliosides in the liver tissue of NIH-miniature pigs was higher than that in the heart. Gangliosides GD3, GD1a, GD1b, GT1b and GQ1b were observed in both the liver and heart, whereas GQ1b was detected only in the liver, indicating that the ganglioside expression profiles are tissue specific. Moreover, other ganglio-series gangliosides, including GM3, were not detected in the livers and hearts of NIH-miniature pigs. Taken together, these results suggest that gangliosides may play important roles in immune responses in clinical xenotransplants of pig livers and hearts.

• Journal of the korean veterinary medical association
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.142-155
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• 2011