Biological Characteristics of Banna Miniature Inbred Pigs

Banna miniature inbred pigs (BNs) are highly inbred strains derived from Diannan miniature pigs (DNs) through full-sibling or parent‒offspring mating protocols developed in 1980. BNs could be potentially used as organ donors for xenotransplantation, but the biological characteristics of BNs have not yet been systematically reported. In this study, the body growth, organ development, reproductive performance, and blood chemistry of BNs were evaluated and compared with those of Göttingen minipigs (GMs) and other Chinese native mini-pig breeds to provide a fundamental basis for their application. The results revealed that the birth weight of BNs was 0.49±0.12 kg and that the body weight at 6 months of age was less than 30 kg. From 4 months of age, the body weight of BN sows was significantly greater than that of boars (P<0.05), which remained consistent until 10 months of age. The ages of the sexual and body maturity of BNs was 4~5 and 10 months, respectively. The number of live piglets per litter, birth weight, weaning weight, litter weight at birth, and weaning weight were significantly lower than those of DNs (P<0.01). The physiological parameters of BNs, including hematocrit, mean cell volume, hemoglobin concentrations, reticulocyte count, basophils, platelet count, and fibrinogens, and the biochemical parameters, including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, albumin, total bilirubin, carbamide, creatinine, triglyceride, total cholesterol, lactate dehydrogenase, glucose, and ion levels, were significantly different from those of GMs. Organ weights and coefficients for different ranges of body weights were obtained. The reference values of the blood physiological and biochemical parameters of BNs were established, and some indices were different from those of GMs and other breeds. This information could be helpful in selecting BNs for preclinical and clinical trials of xenotransplantation, thereby promoting their application in biomedical research.