Soft tissue calcification in the Ossabaw miniature pig: experimental and kinetic modeling studies

Summary Calcium (Ca) deposition into vascular tissue was measured in Ossabaw miniature pigs with and without metabolic syndrome (MetS) using Ca tracer kinetics and coronary atherosclerosis measured with intravascular ultrasound. Pigs with MetS had higher Ca uptake into coronary arteries than lean pigs. Introduction Ca deposition into arteries is a common disease in humans. The Ossabaw pig develops MetS when fed an atherogenic diet. The aim of this study was to measure Ca deposition into arteries of lean vs. MetS pigs. Methods Male pigs were fed for 5 months with chow diet (healthy, lean; n = 7) or atherogenic diet ( n = 8) consisting of chow supplemented with 2 % cholesterol, 43 % kcal from fat, and 20 % kcal from fructose. Pigs were verified to have MetS by obesity, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Two pigs received 50 nCi of 41 Ca i.v. and blood was drawn frequently for 24 h, and 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, and at sacrifice at 28 days after injection. Peripheral arteries were biopsied four times per pig over the 28th day and coronary artery sampled at sacrifice. Tissues were analyzed for 41 Ca:Ca. A compartmental model was used to estimate rates of Ca deposition into the arteries. Results The MetS swine had higher 41 Ca and atherosclerosis in coronary arteries than lean pigs. Conclusions This pig model is a suitable model for studying vascular calcification in humans.