Exercise Test for Evaluation of the Functional Efficacy of the Pig Cardiovascular System

The aim of the study is to provide a reliable exercise test for pigs that can be used to evaluate the safety and functional efficacy of gene therapy and other novel therapies. Usually, cardiovascular animal studies emphasize easily quantifiable endpoints just as capillary area calculated from the histological sections. In contrast, clinical studies use more subjective endpoints just as excess tolerance.

This protocol better matches the endpoints between preclinical and clinical studies. The previously published methods with longer running sessions aimed to evaluate chronic exercise adaptations, whereas the presented method is more suitable for evaluating cardiorespiratory fitness. To begin, set up a one-way running track using gates and hinges to prevent the back movement of the pigs.