Large Animal Models

The Large Animal platform offers preclinical models of acute or chronic myocardial ischemia (including cardiovascular risk factors) as well as hypertensive / hypertrophic heart failure in pigs. Besides an ischemia-reperfusion model (60-120min occlusion of a coronary artery, up to 8 weeks follow-up) a model of hibernating myocardium (reducing stent gradual coronary occlusion, loss of function in the target area) and a model of hypertrophic heart failure (percutaneous aortic constriction) is available. These models allow for patient care techniques, instrumentation and catheterization. Therapeutic agents (drugs, viral vectors, microRNA inhibitors and cell therapy) can be tested in systemic or regional (intravascular/intra-myocardial) applications. Besides morphological changes, global and regional myocardial function, myocardial perfusion, inflammation and vascular changes can be analyzed.