Advances in Swine in Biomedical Research, Volume 2

This book discusses the similarities in structure and function between pigs and human beings including size, feeding patterns, digestive physiology, dietary habits, kidney structure and function, pulmonary vascular bed structure, coronary artery distribution, propensity to obesity, respiratory rates, tidal volumes and social behaviours. Since the pig is an omnivore, it provides an adaptable model to evaluate chronic and acute exposures to xenobiotics such as alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, food additives and environmental pollutants. Swine have been used successfully as atherosclerosis, exercise, hypertension, haemorrhagic hypotension, melanoma, gingivitis, obstructive and reflux nephropathy, osteochondrosis, dermal healing and septic shock. A severe and worsening shortage of organs and tissues for transplantation in patients with severe organ failure has encouraged the consideration of inter-species or xenotransplantation. The pig is generally viewed as the preferred donor because of its size, physiology and availability. The pig has relatively few diseases which could be transmitted inadvertently to human patients. The ability to genetically modify swine to ameliorate the consequences of the human immune response offers a further significant advantage. Another important consideration for an animal model is that basic biological information is available for investigators to design future prospective studies.

First Edition. Volume 2 of a Two-Volume Set. 508 pages. Available as a Softcover and as an eBook. Individual chapters may be purchased separately. A review of this book is available in Laboratory Animals, October 1998, Volume 32 (4), page 492, now published by Sage Journals. Please see record number 6712 for Volume 1. Table of Contents.

ISBN: Softcover: 978-1-4613-7699-6; eBook: 978-1-4615-5885-9

Price: Softcover: EUR 64.99; eBook: EUR 53.49