Intrauterine growth retarded piglet as a model for humans – Studies on the perinatal development of the gut structure and function

The overall acceptance of pig models for human biomedical studies is steadily growing. Results of rodent studies are usually confirmed in pigs before extrapolating them to humans. This applies particularly to gastrointestinal and metabolism research due to similarities between pig and human physiology. In this context, intrauterine growth retarded (IUGR) pig neonate can be regarded as a good model for the better understanding of the IUGR syndrome in humans. In pigs, the induction of IUGR syndrome may include maternal diet intervention, dexamethasone treatment or temporary reduction of blood supply. However, in pigs, like in humans, circa 8% of neonates develop IUGR syndrome spontaneously. Studies on the pig model have shown changes in gut structure, namely a reduced thickness of mucosa and muscle layers, and delayed kinetic of disappearance of vacuolated enterocytes were found in IUGR individuals in comparison with healthy ones. Functional changes include reduced dynamic of gut mucosa rebuilding, decreased activities of main brush border enzymes, and changes in the expression of proteins important for carbohydrate, amino acids, lipid, mineral and vitamin metabolism. Moreover, profiles of intestinal hormones are different in IUGR and non-IUGR piglets. It is suggested that supplementation of the mothers during the gestation and/or the IUGR offspring after birth can help in restoring the development of the gastrointestinal tract. The pig provides presumably the optimal animal model for humans to study gastrointestinal tract structure and function development in IUGR syndrome.