This study aimed to examine the effect of a mild elevation in serum cholesterol level in a porcine coronary overstretch restenosis model using a balloon angioplasty catheter or drug-eluting coronary stent. Pigs were divided into two groups and were fed a commercial normal diet (CND, n = 4) or a high-fat diet (HFD, n = 4) for 5 weeks. Coronary overstretch injury by balloon angioplasty or stent implantation was induced in the left anterior descending and left circumflex artery after 1 week of feeding. Histopathological analysis was performed at 4 weeks after coronary injury. During the experiment, the total cholesterol level in the HFD group increased by approximately 44.9% (from 65.9 ± 3.21 mg/dL at baseline to 95.5 ± 9.94 mg/dL at 5 weeks). The lumen area in the CND group was reduced in comparison with that in the HFD group after balloon angioplasty. After stent implantation, the injury score showed no significant difference. There were significant differences in the neointimal area (2.7 ± 0.33 mm2 in the CND group vs. 3.3 ± 0.34 mm2 in the HFD group, p<0.05), lumen area (2.6 ± 0.54 mm2 in the CND group vs. 2.0 ± 0.33 mm2 in the HFD group, p<0.05), and percent area stenosis (52.0 ± 7.96% in the CND group vs. 62.4 ± 5.15% in the HFD group, p<0.05). Body weight change was not different between the two groups. Increased serum cholesterol level activated vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation in the porcine coronary overstretch model.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is considered the major cause of mortality in the world. Tremendous animal studies are performed to develop novel therapeutics, and this study aimed to induce porcine myocardial infarction model by using polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Coronary guidewire was placed in left anterior descending artery (LAD). The balloon angioplasty catheter was inserted at the back of the PET. The balloon catheter was carefully pushed forward, until the balloon marker was located in mid-LAD. Coronary angiography was performed pre- and post-occlusion at 28 days by C-arm. Histologic analysis of heart tissue was performed 28 days after inducing AMI. Thirty three pigs were anesthetized and underwent percutaneous coronary catheterization. All pigs were successfully embolized in mid-LAD by PET. Fifteen pigs died due to ventricular fibrillation during post-anesthetic recovery time, and overall experiment mortality was 45.5%. In 2,3,5- triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining, gross finding of the ischemic heart lesion showed firm and white area of infarction associated with the apex and left ventricular posterior wall. Infarct on H&E-stained sections demonstrated a region without myocytes and rich with cardiomyocyte with atypical nuclei. Successful induction of AMI by using PET may provide the pathophysiological information of ischemic heart disease and improvement of therapy development for AMI.

The current study identified risk factors associated with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection on pig farms in the Republic of Korea using a multinomial logistic regression model to evaluate the PCV2 infection status of pigs at different growth stages. Compulsory disinfection of visitors (odds ratio [OR]: 0.019, 95% confidence interval [CI]: <0.001–0.378, p=0.0095), compulsory registration of visitors (OR: 0.002, 95% CI: <0.001–0.184, p=0.0070), regular blood testing (OR: 0.012, 95% CI: <0.001–0.157, p=0.0007), and running on-farm biosecurity learning programs for workers (OR: 0.156, 95% CI: 0.040–0.604, p=0.0072 and OR: 0.201, 95% CI: 0.055–0.737, p=0.0155, respectively) were identified as factors which could reduce the risk of PCV2 infection. However, visitation by a regular veterinarian (OR: 32.733, 95% CI: 3.768–284.327, p=0.0016) was associated with PCV2 infection.

가축의 번식과 수요를 조절할 수 있는 생물학적 자극 통제 수단으로 새로운 돼지 페르몬성 냄새 물질를 탐색하고자, 기질 분자로서 2-cyclohexyloxytetrahydrofurane (A), 2-phenoxytetrahydrofurane (B) 유도체들의 설명인자인 물리화학 파라미터와 돼지 페로몬의 수용체 (pOBP)에 대한 결합 친화력 상수(p[Od.]50) 간의 2D-QSAR 모델을 유도하고 검토하였다. 2D-QSAR 모델은 결합 친화력 상수를 약 96.4% 설명하는 매우 양호한 모델(r2=0.964)로서 분자내 치환기의 소수성(SL) 상수에 관한 적정값이 (SL)opt.=1.418일 때 가장 높은 결합 친화력을 나타냄을 알았다. 그러므로 분자내 치환기의 소수성 인자가 결합 친화력 상수에 가장 큰 영향을 미치는 중요한 요소이었다.

돼지 웅성 페르몬인 5a-androst-16-en-3-one을 대체할 수 있는 활성 분자를 탐색하여 가축의 생산과 수요를 조절하기 위한 생물학적 자극 통제 수단으로 활용하고자 냄새 분자로서 2-cyclohexyloxytetrahydrofurane (A) 및 2-phenoxytetrahydrofurane (B) 유도체들의 구조 변화와 수용체인 porcine odorant binding protein (pOBP)에 대한 결합친화력 상수(p[Od.]/sub 50/) 사이의 정량적인 구조-활성관계에 관한 분자 HQSAR 모델XI을 유도하였다. 냄새 분자 중에서 cyclohexyl-치환체(A)가 phenyl-치환체(B)보다 높은 결합 친화력을 나타내었으며(A>B) 모델XI은 분자 조각크기(5∼8), 홀로그램 길이(97 bin)의 키랄성(chirality)조건에서 예측성(q²=0.916)과 상관성(r²=0.988)이 매우 양호하였다. 기여도(contribution map)로부터 냄새 분자의 결합 친화력 상수에 기여하는 부분은 2-oxyfuryl group의 C3 및 C5 원자인 반면에 cyclohexyl 고리상 tert-butyl group의 중심 탄소 원자와 furyl group의 C4 원자 부분은 기여하지 않았다.