Comparative Medicine, Copyright
2011
by the American Association
for Laboratory Animal Science
Vol 6l,No 3, June 2011, Pages
258-262
Received: 15 Nov 2010/Revision
requested: 08 Dec 2010
Accepted: 18 Dec 2010
Hemodynamic and Histologic Characterization of a Swine
(Suss crofa domestica) Model of Chronic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors
Abraham Rothman, Robert G
Wiencek, Stephanie Davidson, William N Evans, Humberto Restrepo, Valeri Sarukhanov,
Amanda Rivera-Begeman, David Mann
Source
ChildrenŐs Heart Center
Nevada, 3006 S Maryland Pkwy, Ste 690, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA.Email: rothman@childrensheartcenter.com.
Abstract
The purpose of this work was
to develop and characterize an aortopulmonary shunt model of chronic pulmonary
hypertensionin swine and provide sequential hemodynamic, angiographic, and
histologic data by using an experimental endoarterial biopsy catheter. Nine
Yucatan female microswine (Suss crofa domestica) underwent surgical anastomosis
of the left pulmonary artery to the descending aorta. Sequential hemodynamic,
angiographic, and pulmonary vascular samples were obtained. Six pigs (mean
weight, 22.4 ± 5.3 kg; mean age, 7.3 ± 2.7 moat surgery) survived long-term (6
mo) and consistently developed marked pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Angiography showed characteristic central pulmonary arterial enlargement and
peripheral tortuosity and pruning. The biopsy catheter was safe and effective
in obtaining pulmonary endoarterial samples for histologic studies, which
showed neointimal and medial changes. Autopsy confirmed severe pulmonary
vascular changes, including concentric obstructive neointimal and
plexiform-like lesions. This swine model showed hemodynamic, angiographic, and
histologic characteristics of chronic pulmonary arterial hypertension that
mimicked the arterial pulmonary hypertension of systemic-to-pulmonary arterial
shunts inhumans. Experimental data obtained using this and other models and
application of an in vivo endoarterial biopsy technique may aid in
understanding mechanisms and developing therapies for experimental and human
pulmonary arterial hypertension.