In situ experiments in pigs with regional myocardial ischemia and subsequent reperfusion are highly relevant for the translation to clinical events. The heart size and systemic haemodynamics of pigs are comparable to those of humans, the temporal and spatial development of a myocardial infarction is also similar. A major advantage of regional ischaemia in a large animal heart is the spatial separation of the ischaemic from the non-ischemic control myocardium, allowing the sequential and separate collection of myocardial biopsies (before, during, or after ischaemia), which are then available for molecular biological, biochemical, protein biochemical and histological analyses. Regional myocardial perfusion can be quantified by injecting colour-coded microspheres at multiple points in time. Regional myocardial function is continuously analysed using sonomicrometry. Mitochondria can also be isolated from myocardial biopsies and functionally characterised.

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