Click here for Mobile Site: http://m.kdka.com
  • Font Size    
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Breed Of Hog Being Used For Medical Research

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +    Comments
Dec 27, 2007 5:55 pm US/Eastern

Breed Of Hog Being Used For Medical Research

(KDKA) Researchers say one breed of hog is helping them find cures for common human diseases.

"They're relatively healthy if they're on a lean diet and remain active," says Dr. Mike Sturek, of the University School of Medicine. "But if they take the couch potato sort of angle and eat too much food and don't do any exercise then they really display a gross propensity to obesity."

According to researchers at Purdue, the physiology of the ossabaw hog is so human-like that they make ideal study subjects for human diseases.

"Our main emphasis really is what happens with the metabolic syndrome and diabetes and how does that actually elicit excess coronary artery disease," says Dr. Sturek.

Doctors say the pigs with clogged arteries receive the same life-saving therapies that are used on people.

Like people, experts say inactive hogs who eat a lot have an increased risk of insulin resistance, high blood pressure and excess belly fat.

"We also have seen that their ovaries, in some cases, do become cystic, that they are heavier on average, they're longer on average," says Dr. Rebecca Krisher, of Purdue University.

Experts say they are characteristics of Poly-Cystic Ovary Syndrome, which is a common cause of infertility in women.

They say if the hogs prove to develop the disease, it could lead to a first-ever cure for PCOS.

"There is no other good PCOS model and that's one reason why the ossabaw pigs are so important," says Dr. Krisher.

Experts say they are kept in a secret location at Purdue where researchers hope to breed the pigs for research purposes.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Add Comment

here. here. Need a log in? Register here
  •  * Will not be displayed with comment
  •  * e.g. (http://www.mywebsite.com)
  •  
  • Click here to refresh with new letters

Show Comments (0)

Close Window Login


Close Window Flag Comment


loading...
You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.

Local News

Top News Stories

© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.