Use of Miniature Pig for Biomedical Research, with Reference to Toxicologic Studies

Abstract

The pigs have been a well-recognized experimental animal in biomedical research for many years. Minipigs particularly have gained in massive importance in biomedical research over the last few years. Pigs are increasingly being used as an alternative non-rodent animal species to the dog or monkey in toxicology because of the morphological and physiological similarities between porcine and human organs, especially the skin, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, and the urinary system. Accumulating data indicate that the minipig can be used for all routes of administration and is preferable to the dog or monkey in many cases. The advantages of the minipig compared to the domestic pig are its smaller size, even at full maturity, slower growth during studies, ease of handling, and controlled genotype as well as microbiologically obvious characteristics. Minipigs also have an advantage over traditional non-rodent animals because of increasing ethical concerns about the use of them in experiments. Reservoir of information from studies using minipigs is the keystone for the future diffusion of them as a good alternative to the non-rodent animals traditionally used in toxicology.