A central venous catheter for long-term studies on drug effects and pharmacokinetics in Munich minipigs.

We have developed an implantable venous catheter for repeated blood sampling in the Munich minipig. The catheter consists of silicone tubing, with a polyesterfibre net for fixation in the subcutaneous tissue of the neck. It was introduced into the right jugular vein, and its tip was positioned in the right atrium. The extravascular part of the catheter was tunnelled subcutaneously to the exit point in the subscapular region. In order to avoid contamination of the silicone tubing by drugs, intravenous administrations were performed via a second polyethylene catheter inserted into the implanted catheter. In 9 minipigs, the catheter remained patent for an average of 200 days (maximum 515 days). The animals did not show any signs of discomfort or impaired health.