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Farm Animals in Biomedical Research - Part One



Swine in Biomedical Research: Management and Models

M. Michael Swindle, Alison C. Smith, Kathy Laber-Laird, and Laurel Dungan M. Michael Swindle, D.V.M., is Professor and Chairman, Alison C. Smith, D.V.M., is an Assistant Professor, Kathy Laber-Laird, D.V.M., M.S., is an Assistant Professor, and Laurel Dungan, D.V.M., is a resident at the Department of Comparative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.



INTRODUCTION



For the last 2 decades, swine have been used with increasing frequency in biomedical research as replacements for dogs and primates, as well as models of human disease based upon their own unique anatomy and physiology (Stanton and Mersmann, 1986; Swindle, 1992; Tumbleson, 1986).



All of the domestic farm breeds and miniature breeds available in the United States are Sus scrofa domestica. Farm breeds have the disadvantage of a rapid growth rate, increasing from an average weight of 1 kg at birth to 100 kg at 4 months of age. Mature breeding stock typically reach weights of greater than 200 kg. Consequently, these animals are best used for non-survival or short-term projects of less than 3 weeks in duration.



Miniature pigs are more commonly used for long-term projects because of their smaller size and growth rate. Depending on the breed, miniature pigs grow from a birth weight of 0.5 kg to 12-45 kg. at 4 months of age. Breeding stock reach weights of 45-100 kg. Commercially available miniature pigs also tend to be more tractable than domestic breeds raised in an agricultural setting. The most commonly used laboratory breeds of miniature pigs are Yucatan miniature, Yucatan Micropig�, Hanford, Sinclair (Hormel), Pitman-Moore, and Goettingen (Panepinto, 1986).



The purpose of this article is to review the use of swine in biomedical research and to provide general information on the husbandry and management of the various breeds in a laboratory setting. If an institution seeks to raise swine in large numbers, it would be well advised to consult an agricultural scientist involved in swine production programs for advice on facility design and management.