Charles River Montreal Offers a Novel Approach for Continuous Infusion in Minipigs

July 14, 2011 - The skin and subcutaneous space of the minipig closely resembles that of humans. As a result, this animal is considered to be a suitable model for local and safety assessments of formulations for subcutaneous administration.

Our infusion group evaluated the feasibility of continuous subcutaneous infusion (24 hours for a 10-day period) in the Göttingen minipig. Results showed no adverse effects in parameters of systemic toxicity. There were no unexpected events during blood collections as well. Local responses of slight well-defined areas of erythema and dark areas and/or swelling at the infusion sites were noted macroscopically. Microscopically, some procedure-related findings of minimal or slight inflammation, hemorrhage and/or necrosis were noted; however, the adjacent skeletal muscle was unaffected. The low incidence and severity of the local responses at the infusion sites were considered unlikely to hinder study interpretation.

In conclusion, 24-hour subcutaneous infusion in the Göttingen minipig was well-tolerated systemically and presented minimal experimental background changes. Indications of recovery at the infusion sites suggest that repeat administration at a given site may be acceptable with an appropriate recovery period between administrations.

For additional information on this study or our infusion capabilities, please contact us at 1-877-CRIVER-1 or askcharlesriver@crl.com.