Purpose

To define the radiological arterial anatomy in mature microminipigs as a pre-clinical research animal model in interventional radiology.

Materials and Methods

Five female microminipigs (weighing 20.9 ± 2.9 kg) were used in this study. Under general anesthesia, computed tomography (CT) angiography was performed using a 16-slice CT scanner. CT was performed 12 s after initiation of an intravenous injection of 40 ml of nonionic contrast media at 3.0 ml/second using a power injector. The transverse CT angiography images were evaluated using a digital imaging and communication in medicine viewer, and the diameters of the following 41 arteries were measured.: ascending aorta, descending aorta, thoracoabdominal aorta, abdominal aorta, pulmonary artery trunk, both pulmonary, brachiocephalic artery, short common bicarotid, both common carotid artery, subclavian, bronchial, internal mammary, celiac, common hepatic, left lateral hepatic, middle hepatic, left hepatic, gastroduodenal, cranial duodenopancreatic, splenic, left gastric, cranial mesenteric, ileocolic , bilateral colic artery, caudal mesenteric, cranial rectal, renal, both external iliac arteries, internal iliac common trunk, and both internal iliac and femoral arteries.

Results

The microminipigs’ vascular anatomy was the same as domestic pig anatomy and similar to human anatomy. The diameter of the aorta (ascending to abdominal) was 17.1–7.0 mm, iliac and femoral arteries (internal iliac common trunk to femoral artery): 5.5–3.8 mm, pulmonary arteries: 9.3–14.7 mm, and major first aortic branches (e.g., celiac or brachiocephalic artery): 2.2–9.2 mm.

Conclusion

This study defined the microminipig arterial anatomy in the trunk.