The arterial anatomy and physiology of the miniature pig is very similar to that of humans, and it is currently the best model for studying atherosclerosis (AS) related diseases. So far, various methods have been announced that can simulate the AS model of miniature pigs. In addition to the traditional high-fat diet + balloon strain, there are some new methods, such as gene editing and local injections, which can induce spontaneous hyperlipidemia. Lipids flow into the walls of coronary arteries or inflammatory factors.
However, there is no mature and recognized model of coronary atherosclerosis in mini-pigs. Longer modeling cycle, lower success rate and higher cost are the bottlenecks that limit the research on small pig animal models. This article summarizes the breeds and methods of miniature pigs suitable for modeling.