Modeling of Acute Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Pigs Using a Stable Thromboxane A2 Analogue (U46619): Dose Adjustment and Assessment of Hemodynamic Reactions.

U46619, a synthetic analogue of thromboxane A2 was used for modeling acute stable and reversible pulmonary arterial hypertension. Administration of U46619 in high doses led to vascular collapse and inhibition of cardiac function. The doses of U46619 were empirically selected that allow attaining the target level of pulmonary hypertension without systemic hemodynamic disturbances. The possibility of attaining the target level of pulmonary hypertension and reversibility of changes after termination of U46619 infusion make this model attractive for evaluation of the efficiency of different therapeutic methods of treatment of pulmonary hypertension in large animals.

Perivascular Innervation of the Pulmonary Artery in Human and Swine: A Comparative Study for the Development of an Experimental Model of Denervation.

For studying the possibility of using catheter denervation of the pulmonary artery for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, large animals, such as pigs, are more suitable, because the diameter of the pulmonary artery in this case allows manipulation of the ablation catheter. The study of the perivascular adipose tissue of the trunk and bifurcation of the pulmonary artery in humans and pigs revealed differences in the density and diameter of nerve fibers, but their depth did not differ. Immunohistochemical analysis with different markers of the autonomic nervous system receptors revealed similar receptor profile in human and pigs, though the expression of all studied markers in pigs was less pronounced than in humans. These findings attest to similarity of the innervation of the pulmonary arteries in humans and pigs under normal conditions.