A New Experimental Porcine Model of Venous Thromboembolism

Leszek Gromadziński; Agnieszka Skowrońska; Piotr Holak; Michał Smoliński; Ewa Lepiarczyk; Anna Żurada; Mariusz Krzysztof Majewski; Mariusz Tomasz Skowroński; Marta Majewska

doi:10.3390/jcm10091862

A New Experimental Porcine Model of Venous Thromboembolism

J Clin Med. 2021 Apr 25;10(9):1862. doi: 10.3390/jcm10091862.

Authors

Leszek Gromadziński¹, Agnieszka Skowrońska², Piotr Holak³, Michał Smoliński⁴, Ewa Lepiarczyk², Anna Żurada⁵, Mariusz Krzysztof Majewski², Mariusz Tomasz Skowroński⁶, Marta Majewska²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cardiology and Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska Str. 30, 10-082 Olsztyn, Poland.
² Department of Human Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska Str. 30, 10-082 Olsztyn, Poland.
³ Department of Surgery and Radiology with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego Str. 14, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
⁴ University Clinical Hospital in Olsztyn, Clinic of Cardiology and Internal Diseases, Warszawska Str. 30, 10-082 Olsztyn, Poland.
⁵ Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska Str. 30, 10-082 Olsztyn, Poland.
⁶ Department of Basic and Preclinical Sciences, Institute for Veterinary Medicine, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina Str. 7, 87-100 Torun, Poland.

Abstract

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a severe disease affecting the human venous system, accompanied by high morbidity and mortality rates. The aim of the study was to establish a new porcine VTE model based on the formation of the thrombus in vivo. The study was performed on 10 castrated male pigs: thrombus was formed in each closed femoral vein and then successfully released from the right femoral vein into the circulation of animals. In six pigs PE was confirmed via both computed tomography pulmonary angiography and an autopsy. Our research presents a novel experimental porcine model of VTE that involves inducing DVT and PE in the same animal in vivo, making it suitable for advanced clinical research and testing of future therapies.

Keywords: animal models of human disease; pulmonary embolism; thrombosis; venous thromboembolism.

Grants and funding

61.610.001-300/Statutory Fund of the School of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn