Pigs are the most likely source animals for cardiac xenotransplantation. However, an appropriate method for estimating the cardiac function of micropigs had not been established. Computed tomography (CT) analysis aimed at estimating cardiac function and assessing the coronary arteries has not been carried out in micropigs. This study determined the feasibility of evaluating cardiac function in a micropig model using multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) and compared the cardiac function values with those of conventional pigs. The mean age of the conventional pigs and micropigs was approximately 80 days and approximately 360 days, respectively. The mean body weight in the conventional pigs and micropigs was 29.70 +/- 0.73 and 34.10 +/- 0.98 kg, respectively. Cardiac MDCT detected ejection fractions of 52.93 +/- 3.10% and 59.00 +/- 5.56% and cardiac outputs of 1.46 +/- 0.64 l/min and 1.21 +/- 0.24 l/min in conventional pigs and micropigs, respectively. There were no significant differences in cardiac function between conventional pigs and micropigs in the reconstructed CT images. There were also no differences in the coronary angiographic images obtained by MDCT. It is expected that the results of this study will help improve understanding of cardiac function in micropigs. The data presented in this study suggest that MDCT is a feasible method for evaluating cardiac function in micropigs.
Animals ; Coronary Angiography/*methods ; Heart/*physiology/radiography ; *Models, Animal ; Sus scrofa/*physiology ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature/*physiology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods

Animals ; Dentistry ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of wound closure tension on the blood flow of the expanded pedicled fasciocutaneous flap, so as to find the best tension for the blood supply of the flap.

METHODS8 piglets, aged 9-12 months, were used. On each side of pig back, a cephalic based expanded fasciocutaneous flap was designed. The size of the flaps was 5 cm x 20 cm. In the control group, the flaps were not elevated (0 g tension). In the experimental group, the flaps were treated at the end with the tension of 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, and 900 g after elevation. The blood oxygen saturation (StO2) of the flaps was measured under different wound closure tension.

RESULTSThe flap StO2 raised along the increase of tension until the tension reached 200-300 g. Then the flap StO2 decreased when the tension continued to increase above 200-300 g.

CONCLUSIONSThe tension of 200-300 g is good for the blood flow of expanded pedicled fasciocutaneous flap. So the flap flexibility can be best used and the complication can be avoided.

Astroviruses are widely detected in pigs but their detection in wild boars is rather sporadic. In this study, astroviruses were detected in organ homogenates of wild boars by applying nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and the typing was carried out by phylogenetic analysis. Overall, 30/200 (15.0%) homogenates were positive for astroviruses. Genetic typing revealed that of 13 amplicons analyzed, 8 were typed as porcine astrovirus lineage 2 (PAstV-2), 2 as lineage 4 (PAstV-4), 2 identical sequences were grouped with chicken astrovirus, and 1 sequence belonged to a bat astrovirus lineage. This first identification of chicken and bat astroviruses in wild boars indicates interspecies transmission.
Avastrovirus ; Chickens ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sus scrofa ; Swine

Classical swine fever (CSF), a highly contagious disease that affects domestic pigs and wild boar, has serious economic implications. The present study examined the virulence and transmission of CSF virus strain YC11WB (isolated from a wild boar in 2011) in breeding wild boar. Virulence of strain YC11WB in domestic pigs was also examined. Based on the severe clinical signs and high mortality observed among breeding wild boar, the pathogenicity of strain YC11WB resembled that of typical acute CSF. Surprisingly, in contrast to strain SW03 (isolated from breeding pigs in 2003), strain YC11WB showed both acute and strong virulence in breeding pigs. None of three specific monoclonal antibodies (7F2, 7F83, and 6F65) raised against the B/C domain of the SW03 E2 protein bound to the B/C domain of strain YC11WB due to amino acid mutations (⁷²⁰K→R and ⁷²³N→S) in the YC11WB E2 protein. Although strains YC11WB and SW03 belong to subgroup 2.1b, they had different mortality rates in breeding pigs. Thus, if breeding pigs have not developed protective immunity against CSF virus, they may be susceptible to strain YC11WB transmitted by wild boar, resulting in severe economic losses for the pig industry.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Breeding ; Classical swine fever virus* ; Classical Swine Fever* ; Mortality ; Sus scrofa* ; Swine ; Virulence

To know the status of sparganum (plerocercoid of Spirometra erinacei) infection in the Korean wild life, several species of wild animals were captured in Gangwon-do and examined for their status of infection with spargana. From February to December 2011, a total of 62 wild boars, 5 badgers, 1 weasel, 1 Siberian chipmunk, and 53 wild rodents were captured, and their whole muscles were examined with naked eyes for the presence of spargana worms. From the weasel and 1 wild boar, a total of 5 spargana specimens were extracted. The weasel was for the first time recorded as an intermediate or paratenic/transport host of S. erinacei in Korea, and both the weasel (Mustela sibirica manchurica) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) were added to the list of wild animals carrying spargana.
Animals ; *Mustelidae ; Republic of Korea ; Sparganosis/epidemiology/*veterinary ; *Sus scrofa ; Swine ; Swine Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology

Tick is one of the most important arthropods in the transmission of vector-borne diseases. In this study, we investigated the abundance and species of ticks associated with swine and their habitats to assess the risk of spread of tick-borne diseases in host species, such as wild boars. Ticks were collected from 24 grazing or traditionally reared domestic pig farms and 8 habitats of wild boars in 8 provinces and 1 city in the Republic of Korea, by using the dragging and flagging methods. Ticks were also collected directly from 49 wild boars by using fine forceps. A total of 9,846 hard ticks were collected, including 4,977 Haemaphysalis longicornis, 4,313 Haemaphysalis flava, 508 Ixodes nipponensis, 1 Ixodes turdus, and 47 Amblyomma testudinarium. A total of 240 hard ticks were collected from 49 wild boars, including 109 H. flava, 84 H. longicornis, and 47 A. testudinarium. A total of 578 hard ticks were collected from areas around domestic pig farms. Only 2 hard tick species, 546 H. longicornis and 32 H. flava, were collected from these areas. A total of 9,028 hard ticks were collected from wild boars of 8 habitats, including 4,347 H. longicornis, 4,172 H. flava, 508 I. nipponensis, and 1 I. turdus. A. testudinarium was collected only from wild boars, and I. nipponensis and I. turdus were collected only from the habitats of wild boars.
Agriculture ; Arthropods ; Ecosystem* ; Ixodes ; Ixodidae ; Republic of Korea* ; Surgical Instruments ; Sus scrofa* ; Swine ; Tick-Borne Diseases ; Ticks*

PURPOSE: Rabies viruses (RABV) circulating worldwide in various carnivores occasionally cause fatal encephalitis in swine. In this study, the safety and immunogenicity of a recombinant rabies virus, the ERAGS strain constructed with a reverse genetics system, was evaluated in domestic pigs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Growing pigs were administered 1 mL (108.0 FAID50/mL) of the ERAGS strain via intramuscular (IM) or oral routes and were observed for 4 weeks' post-inoculation. Three sows were also inoculated with 1 mL of the ERAGS strain via the IM route. The safety and immunogenicity in swine were evaluated using daily observation and a virus-neutralizing assay (VNA). Fluorescent antibody tests (FAT) for the RABV antigen and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays for the detection of the nucleocapsid (N) gene of RABV were conducted with brain tissues from the sows after necropsy. RESULTS: The growing pigs and sows administered the ERAGS strain did not exhibit any clinical sign of rabies during the test period test and did develop VNA titers. The growing pigs inoculated with the ERAGS strain via the IM route showed higher VNA titers than did those receiving oral administration. FAT and RT-PCR assays were unable to detect RABV in several tissues, including brain samples from the sows. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the ERAGS strain was safe in growing pigs and sows and induced moderate VNA titers in pigs.
Administration, Oral ; Brain ; Encephalitis ; Nucleocapsid ; Rabies virus* ; Rabies* ; Reverse Genetics ; Sus scrofa ; Swine* ; Vaccines

Zoonotic transmission of hepatitis E virus (HEV) is mostly mediated by HEV-3 and HEV-4 genotypes, and domestic pigs are an important reservoir of these genotypes. A survey of 14 pig farms in Korea revealed HEV RNA in 30 of 148 (20.3%) fecal samples. HEV-3a and HEV-4c subtypes were identified in five pig farms (35.7%) and two pig farms (14.3%), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the isolated HEV strains were closely related to previously reported zoonotic strains in Korea. The results of the genetic analysis partially explain the possible source of the zoonotic transmission of HEV to humans in Korea.
Agriculture ; Feces ; Genotype ; Hepatitis E virus ; Hepatitis E ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Korea ; RNA ; Sus scrofa ; Swine

All endoureteromy procedures have in common the use of a ureteral stent as post-procedure However, the optimal stent size necessary to promote satisfactory healing is not known. Herein we compared healing of an endoureterotomy over a 7 Fr indwelling ureteral stent (IUS) with healing over a 14 Fr endopyelotomy stent( ES). A mid-ureteral stricture was created in each of 25 anesthetized, female minipigs using a retrograde electrified stone basket. Six weeks later, retrograde ureterograms(RU) revealed a stricture in 24 pigs ; ureteral incision was performed with a 24 Fr cutting balloon device. Twenty pigs were randomized to receive a 7 Fr IUS or a 14 Fr ES; 4 control pigs were performed to confirm proper stent position and the stents were removed. At 3 months. RU was repeated and the ureters were grossly examined and harvested for histological studies. Two pigs in each group had recurrent strictures. Despite a 50 years history of endoureterotomy, optimal stent size remains an endourologic unknown. Our study represents the first attempt at directly comparing stents of different size in an in vivo ureteral stricture model. There is no significant difference between 7 Fr and 14 Fr stents.
Constriction, Pathologic* ; Female ; Humans ; Stents* ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature ; Ureter*