This article provides guidelines for organ and tissue sampling adapted to porcine animal models in translational medical research. Detailed protocols for the determination of sampling locations and numbers as well as recommendations on the orientation, size, and trimming direction of samples from *50 different porcine organs and tissues are provided in the Supplementary Material. The proposed sampling protocols include the generation of samples suitable for subsequent qualitative and quantitative analyses, including cryohistology, paraffin, and plastic histology; immunohistochemistry; in situ hybridization; electron microscopy; and quantitative stereology as well as molecular analyses of DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites, and electrolytes. With regard to the planned extent of sampling efforts, time, and personnel expenses, and dependent upon the scheduled analyses, different protocols are provided. These protocols are adjusted for (I) routine screenings, as used in general toxicity studies or in analyses of gene expression patterns or histopathological organ alterations, (II) advanced analyses of single organs/tissues, and (III) large-scale sampling procedures to be applied in biobank projects. Providing a robust reference for studies of porcine models, the described protocols will ensure the efficiency of sampling, the systematic recovery of high-quality samples representing the entire organ or tissue as well as the intra-/interstudy comparability and reproducibility of results.

Mutations in the insulin (INS) gene may cause permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus (PNDM). Ins2 mutant mouse models provided important insights into the disease mechanisms of PNDM but have limitations for translational research. To establish a large animal model of PNDM, we generated INSC94Y transgenic pigs. A line expressing high levels of INSC94Y mRNA (70–86% of wild-type INS transcripts) exhibited elevated blood glucose soon after birth but unaltered β-cell mass at the age of 8 days. At 4.5 months, INSC94Y transgenic pigs exhibited 41% reduced body weight, 72% decreased β-cell mass (−53% relative to body weight), and 60% lower fasting insulin levels compared with littermate controls. β-cells of INSC94Y transgenic pigs showed a marked reduction of insulin secretory granules and severe dilation of the endoplasmic reticulum. Cataract development was already visible in 8-day-old INSC94Y transgenic pigs and became more severe with increasing age. Diabetes-associated pathological alterations of kidney and nervous tissue were not detected during the observation period of 1 year. The stable diabetic phenotype and its rescue by insulin treatment make the INSC94Y transgenic pig an attractive model for insulin supplementation and islet transplantation trials, and for studying developmental consequences of maternal diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has emerged into a steadily increasing health problem and the predicted future dimension of the global DM epidemic is alarming: an increase from currently 346 million to over 400 million affected people worldwide by the year 2030 was extrapolated. Thus concerted research efforts are imperative to gain insight into disease mechanisms and to expand the basis for development of preventive and therapeutic strategies. Diabetic rodent models have traditionally been used to follow these goals, but have limitations for translational research. The pig is another classical animal model for diabetes research. Genetic engineering now facilitates tailoring pig models which mimic human disease mechanisms at the molecular level. This article reviews the existing genetically engineered pig models for diabetes research and their current and future applications. Further, the potential role of the pig as donor of pancreatic islets for xenotransplantation or as host for growing human pancreas is outlined.

ObjectiveThe prevalence of diabetes mellitus and associated complications is steadily increasing. As a resource for studying systemic consequences of chronic insulin insufficiency and hyperglycemia, we established a comprehensive biobank of long-term diabetic INSC94Y transgenic pigs, a model of mutant INS gene-induced diabetes of youth (MIDY), and of wild-type (WT) littermates.MethodsFemale MIDY pigs (n = 4) were maintained with suboptimal insulin treatment for 2 years, together with female WT littermates (n = 5). Plasma insulin, C-peptide and glucagon levels were regularly determined using specific immunoassays. In addition, clinical chemical, targeted metabolomics, and lipidomics analyses were performed. At age 2 years, all pigs were euthanized, necropsied, and a broad spectrum of tissues was taken by systematic uniform random sampling procedures. Total beta cell volume was determined by stereological methods. A pilot proteome analysis of pancreas, liver, and kidney cortex was performed by label free proteomics.ResultsMIDY pigs had elevated fasting plasma glucose and fructosamine concentrations, C-peptide levels that decreased with age and were undetectable at 2 years, and an 82% reduced total beta cell volume compared to WT. Plasma glucagon and beta hydroxybutyrate levels of MIDY pigs were chronically elevated, reflecting hallmarks of poorly controlled diabetes in humans. In total, ∼1900 samples of different body fluids (blood, serum, plasma, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and synovial fluid) as well as ∼17,000 samples from ∼50 different tissues and organs were preserved to facilitate a plethora of morphological and molecular analyses. Principal component analyses of plasma targeted metabolomics and lipidomics data and of proteome profiles from pancreas, liver, and kidney cortex clearly separated MIDY and WT samples.ConclusionsThe broad spectrum of well-defined biosamples in the Munich MIDY Pig Biobank that will be available to the scientific community provides a unique resource for systematic studies of organ crosstalk in diabetes in a multi-organ, multi-omics dimension.

The two incretin hormones, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1), were discovered 45 and 30 years ago. Initially, only their insulinotropic effect on pancreatic cells was known. Over the years, physiological and pharmacological effects of GIP and GLP1 in numerous extrapancreatic tissues were discovered which partially overlap, but may also be specific for GIP or GLP1 in certain target tissues. While the insulinotropic effect of GIP was found to be blunted in patients with type 2 diabetes, the function of GLP1 is preserved and GLP1 receptor agonists and dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors, which prolong the half-life of incretins, are widely used in diabetes therapy. Wild-type and genetically modified rodent models have provided important mechanistic insights into the incretin system, but may have limitations in predicting the clinical efficacy and safety of incretin-based therapies. This review summarizes insights from rodent and non-rodent models (pig, non-human primate) into physiological and pharmacological incretin effects, with a focus on the pancreas. Similarities and differences between species are discussed and the increasing potential of genetically engineered pig models for translational incretin research is highlighted.