Comparison of the efficacy and potency of agonists/antagonists.
Domestic pigs are considered to be one of the major animal species used in translational research, surgical models, and procedural training and are increasingly being used as an alternative to the dog or monkey as the choice of nonrodent species in preclinical toxicology testing of pharmaceuticals.
There are unique advantages to the use of swine in this setting given that they share with humans similar anatomic and physiological characteristics involving the cardiovascular, urinary, integumentary, and digestive systems. As an example, the urinary bladder of the pig is considered a reliable animal model for urological research from many aspects, in particular from the notion that the quantity of released ATP, proportion of ATP release from neuronal (parasympathetic terminals) and non-neural sources (urothelium) as well as ecto-ATPase activity affecting purine levels are remarkably similar between pig and humans.
In our labs, we are working to set-up experimental models of neurogenic contractions and relaxations in adult pig smooth muscles isolated from the Respiratory, Digestive and Urinary Tracts. This research is supported by a collaboration with Prof. G. D’Agostino (University of Pavia, Italy).
