Detour test performance of cloned minipigs from three different clone populations.

Genetics, the uterine environment, maternal behavior, and rearing conditions can all influence animal behavioral phenotypes. Some studies on cloned pigs have found no differences between the behavioral patterns of cloned and non-cloned animals. Other studies conducted on dogs have reported similarities in the behavior of cloned subjects.

Transthoracic sensor for noninvasive assessment of left ventricular contractility: validation in a minipig model of chronic heart failure.

Background: Invasively measured left ventricular (LV) dP/dt is the accepted standard for measuring acute and chronic directional changes in LV contractility. Recently, we developed a noninvasive force sensor based on an accelerometer positioned on the chest, which measures the vibrations generated by isovolumic myocardial contraction. The aim of this paper was to compare noninvasive (accelerometer) versus invasive (LV dP/dt) indices of myocardial contractility in a chronic minipig model of pacing-induced heart failure (HF).