title: Organ data from the developing Göttingen minipig: first steps towards a juvenile PBPK model.
abstract: The Göttingen minipig is the most commonly used pig breed in preclinical drug development in Europe and has recently also been explored for physiologically based pharmacokinetic modelling. To develop such a model, not only physiological data from adult animals but also data from juvenile animals are required, especially when using this model for paediatric drug development. Therefore, the aim of our study was to document body and organ weights (brain, heart, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract, spleen and kidney), lengths of the small and large intestines and pH values of the gastrointestinal tract in Göttingen minipigs from the foetal stage until the age of 5 months. Postnatal organ and body weights were fitted to regression models to find suitable equations that could be used to estimate organ weights as a function of body weight in the neonatal and juvenile Göttingen minipig. Most organs followed a non-linear growth curve during the first 5 months of life. In general, relative organ weights were the highest during the first week of life, during which the gastric pH was more alkaline than at 28 days of age.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Veterinary Morphology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Els
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9591-9295
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Peer
authors.affiliation: Sequani Limited, Ledbury, UK.
authors.forename: Noel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Downes
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Veterinary Morphology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casteleyn
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Veterinary Morphology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van Ginneken
authors.affiliation: StatUa Centre for Statistics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Arie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weeren
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Veterinary Morphology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium. steven.vancruchten@uantwerpen.be.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Cruchten
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000502:physiology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D023421:Models, Animal; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000378:metabolism*; D010599:Pharmacokinetics; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D013556:Swine, Miniature / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations
keywords: Gastrointestinal pH values; Growth; Göttingen minipig; Organ and body weights; Prediction