Body surface area measurement in laboratory miniature pigs using a computed tomography scanner

Area of Science:

• Comparative Physiology
• Pharmacokinetics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Body surface area (BSA) is vital for physiological assessments and dose extrapolation in drug development.
• Current methods for estimating animal BSA, often based on body weight (BW), lack sufficient verification, especially for miniature pigs.
• The increasing use of miniature pigs in preclinical research necessitates accurate physiological parameter data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To accurately measure the body surface area (BSA) of laboratory miniature pigs.
• To develop a reliable formula for estimating BSA in miniature pigs based on body weight (BW).
• To validate the precision of CT imaging for BSA determination compared to traditional methods.

Main Methods:

• Computed tomography (CT) imaging was employed to precisely measure the BSAs of 40 laboratory miniature pigs (Göttingen and NIBS strains).
• BSA measurements were conducted on two distinct groups of miniature pigs, covering a range of body weights.
• The reliability of the CT measurement method was confirmed by assessing its accuracy and reproducibility on an acrylic cuboid.

Main Results:

• Measured BSAs for Göttingen minipigs ranged from 0.4358 to 0.8356 m² (BW: 12.7-37.0 kg).
• Measured BSAs for NIBS miniature pigs ranged from 0.2906 to 0.8675 m² (BW: 7.9-41.5 kg).
• A highly reliable estimating formula was derived: 100 × BSA [m(2)] = 7.98 × BW [kg](2/3).

Conclusions:

• CT imaging provides a highly reliable and precise method for determining miniature pig BSA.
• The proposed BSA estimating formula offers an accurate and reproducible method for laboratory miniature pigs.
• Accurate BSA data is essential for advancing preclinical research and drug development involving miniature pigs.