Improved, Shorter-Latency Carcinogen-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Model in Pigs.

Large animal models are important tools for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) research, especially in studies of hepatic vasculature, interventional techniques, and radiofrequency or microwave hyperthermia. Currently, diethylnitrosamine (DENA)-induced HCC in pigs is the only large animal model for in situ HCC with a tumor latency of 10-26 months. While phenobarbital (PB) is often used to accelerate DENA-induced HCC in rodents, it has not been previously studied in the porcine model.

Acute in vivo performance evaluation of the fluorescence affinity sensor in the intravascular and interstitial space in Swine.

Objective: We assessed and compared the performance levels of a fiber-coupled fluorescence affinity sensor (FAS) for glucose detection in the intradermal tissue and intravascular bed during glucose clamping and insulin administration in a large animal model.

Research Design And Methods: The FAS (BioTex Inc., Houston, TX) was implanted in interstitial tissue and in the intravenous space in nondiabetic, anesthetized pigs over 6-7 h.

Imaging long-term fate of intramyocardially implanted mesenchymal stem cells in a porcine myocardial infarction model.

The long-term fate of stem cells after intramyocardial delivery is unknown. We used noninvasive, repetitive PET/CT imaging with [(18)F]FEAU to monitor the long-term (up to 5 months) spatial-temporal dynamics of MSCs retrovirally transduced with the sr39HSV1-tk gene (sr39HSV1-tk-MSC) and implanted intramyocardially in pigs with induced acute myocardial infarction. Repetitive [(18)F]FEAU PET/CT revealed a biphasic pattern of sr39HSV1-tk-MSC dynamics; cell proliferation peaked at 33-35 days after injection, in periinfarct regions and the major cardiac lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes.

Stent treatment of inferior vena cava compression in an ovine with a total artificial heart.

Although current continuous-flow total artificial hearts (CFTAHs) are much smaller than previous models, venous kinking may still occur after device implantation, especially in smaller animals. By inserting a self-expanding stent at the site of venous narrowing in a sheep model implanted with a CFTAH, we were able to restore the normal venous geometry and dramatically increase the CFTAH output. Because this percutaneous approach avoids the challenges associated with reoperation in these cases, it may be useful to other CFTAH investigators.