非人灵长类糖尿病动物模型研究进展

糖尿病是继心血管疾病和肿瘤之后的另一种严重危害人类健康的重要慢性疾病,据世界卫生组织(WHO)报道,2009年全世界约有2.2亿糖尿病患者。对糖尿病发病机理的研究、预防和诊断、治疗药物的筛选和评价都需要合适的动物模型。在已报道的糖尿病动物模型中,非人灵长类动物糖尿病病程、病症与人类的糖尿病最为相似。该文从糖尿病动物模型的来源归纳了目前报道的主要的非人灵长类糖尿病模型,重点介绍了猕猴、食蟹猴和树鼩糖尿病模型及其特征,并对该领域的发展提出了一些思考。     

树鼩PSEN1全长编码序列的克隆及分子特征分析

目的 获取树鼩早老素蛋白-1(PSEN1)的全长编码序列并进行分子特征分析。方法 以树鼩脑组织总RNA为材料,通过RT-PCR、RACE-PCR扩增和序列拼接获得PSEN1基因全长编码序列,进而通过DNAMAN、MEGA等生物信息学软件对其序列和分子特征进行分析。qRT-PCR和Western Blot进一步分析PSEN1在树鼩各个组织的表达模式。结果 克隆鉴定了树鼩PSEN1基因,其cDNA的开放阅读框全长1128 bp,编码375个氨基酸。通过系统发育谱系树、氨基酸序列对比分析,发现树鼩PSEN1与小鼠、大鼠等相比更接近人类和非人灵长类动物。qRT-PCR和Western Blot的结果表明,树鼩PSEN1在脑组织的表达量明显高于其他脏器组织。结论 通过克隆树鼩PSEN1基因序列并进行分析,为今后进一步深入研究该基因功能和建立相关疾病动物模型提供理论基础。     

树鼩神经肽Y的分子克隆及其灵长类类似物的同源性比较

树鼩由于与灵长类动物有较密切的亲缘关系和其个体小,以及繁殖周期短等特性而倍受关注,尤其是作为医用实验动物的研究,近年来已受到越来越多的重视,但树鼩的分类地位还一直有所争论。该研究从树鼩脑cDNA文库中克隆得到编码树鼩神经肽Y(neuropeptide Y,NPY)前体序列,序列比对发现该序列与灵长类NPY序列同源性高达96.9%。将该序列与GenBank数据库中其他物种的NPY序列构建系统进化树,发现树鼩与灵长类处于同一分支。该研究结果揭示了树鼩与灵长类较近的亲缘关系。     

树鼩(Tuapaia belangeri chinensis)的动脉

本文在对中国树鼩的动脉系作系统解剖的基础上,记述了树鼩动脉分支的主要特征。同时,还与其他有关种类作了比较研究。结果表明,中国树鼩动脉系的主要特征与树鼩科中的其他种类如笔尾树鼩、普通树鼩和地树鼩等的动脉系极为相似,而与灵长类中的猿猴类有较大差异。     

中国树鼩实验动物化研究进展和展望

该文回顾了我国树鼩驯养繁殖和研究的发展历史,介绍了树鼩实验动物化研究的最新进展,并结合我国目前的状况,提出了今后的工作建议:加强实验树鼩标准化(包括地方和国家标准)的研究、近交系动物的研制、达到商业化树鼩的基础分子与细胞生物学研究工具的研制、人类重大疾病树鼩动物模型研究和建设国家实验树鼩种源基地等。     

野生树鼩的人工饲养与繁殖研究初报

作为低等灵长类的树鼩(Tupaia belanzeri chinensis),近年来在医学上的应用日渐增多,并取得了较好的成果,从而为树鼩的开发利用开辟了广阔的前景。据知目前都是把野生树鼩直接用于各个实验,故对实验的结果势必会带来不同程度的影响,所以进行野生树鼩的人工饲养与繁殖研究十分必要。     

实验动物树鼩和人类疾病的树鼩模型研究概述

动物模型在生物医学领域(如回答人体各种重大生物学问题、解析人类疾病机理和新药研发等方面)已经做出了不可替代的巨大贡献。转化医学存在的问题使得树鼩(Tupaia belangeri chinensis)实验动物重新得到重视;人类疾病的树鼩模型也再次受到越来越多的关注。该文综述了国内外特别是近年来我国树鼩研究进展,包括树鼩基础生物学及动物模型方面取得的成绩,并分析了该领域目前存在的困难和问题,探讨了未来的一些研究方向。     

关于举办“实验用非人灵长类动物专业技术交流会暨非人灵长类实验动物医师岗位培训班”的通知

正非人灵长类实验动物资源是推动生命科学发展、攻克人类重大疾病,保障生命健康的重要战略资源。在引领和支撑生命科学研究、生物技术创新和生物医药产业发展中发挥着不可或缺的重要作用,其战略地位受到了世界各国的普遍重视。为了进一步加强我国非人灵长类实验动物资源培育,开发特色实验动物模型,增强相关工作人员的职业技能。以满足重大科学研究和医药产业发展的需求,提高我国科学技术创新能力。     

非人灵长类帕金森病模型研究进展

帕金森病是第二大神经退行性疾病,目前没有有效的治疗措施。非人灵长类动物在基因序列、大脑解剖、生殖生理和免疫系统等方面与人类有着极高的相似性,非人灵长类PD动物模型有助于阐明PD病因和发病机制,在新的治疗方法和药物研发中具有重大的应用价值。该文对当前非人灵长类PD模型研究进展作一综述。     

树鼩驯养繁殖实验动物标准及丙型肝炎动物模型技术平台建设的探讨

目前用于生物医学研究的树鼩大多数来源于野生捕获,由于个体间的差异较大,其实验结果的均匀性和可重复性较差,亟待解决树鼩人工饲养设施条件、繁殖关键技术、动物质量标准等一系列基础科学问题。许多文献报道了树鼩与其他实验动物比较,在肝病研究中具有巨大的开发应用潜力,在丙型肝炎动物模型研究中,亟待解决丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)细胞培养体系、HCV病毒感染剂量与感染途径、HCV病毒对树鼩体外、体内感染后病毒核酸检测、抗体检测和病理检测等技术方法的建立及动物模型评价标准问题。本文就上述问题系统性地进行初步报道,旨在为树鼩早日实现实验动物化和丙型肝炎疾病研究中应用提供科学依据。     

恒河猴在生殖生物学中的应用进展

目的非人灵长类动物在生殖生物学研究领域是一种非常重要的实验动物。人类利用非人灵长类动物与人的生物学等方面相似的特征,开展了生殖生物学、生理学、药理学、毒理学以及生育调节等方面的研究工作,为生殖生物学基础研究以及人类健康和疾病问题的基础研究和临床前研究提供了理想的动物模型。随着生命科学的发展,对非人灵长类实验动物质量提出了更高的要求,人们认识到实验时,应用健康的优质非人灵长类动物的重要性。本文简要概括了非人灵长类动物恒河猴的生物学特性,阐述了非人灵长类动物恒河猴在生殖生物学中的应用研究。     

树突状细胞在AIDS灵长类动物模型疾病进程中的作用

非人灵长类动物模型在艾滋病(AIDS)发病机制、传播途径、疫苗和药物等方面的研究中具有重要作用。树突状细胞(DC)作为最重要连接先天免疫与获得性免疫的抗原递呈细胞,在AIDS发病进程中扮演着重要的角色。研究非人灵长类AIDS动物模型中DC亚群数量、表型以及功能的变化,对揭示AIDS发病机制具有十分重要的意义。该文将重点总结近些年来DC亚群在AIDS动物模型发病机制中的作用研究进展,为以后的研究提供思路。     

An effort to use human-based exome capture methods to analyze chimpanzee and macaque exomes

Non-human primates have emerged as an important resource for the study of human disease and evolution. The characterization of genomic variation between and within non-human primate species could advance the development of genetically defined non-human primate disease models. However, non-human primate specific reagents that would expedite such research, such as exon-capture tools, are lacking. We evaluated the efficiency of using a human exome capture design for the selective enrichment of exonic regions of non-human primates. We compared the exon sequence recovery in nine chimpanzees, two crab-eating macaques and eight Japanese macaques. Over 91% of the target regions were captured in the non-human primate samples, although the specificity of the capture decreased as evolutionary divergence from humans increased. Both intra-specific and inter-specific DNA variants were identified; Sanger-based resequencing validated 85.4% of 41 randomly selected SNPs. Among the short indels identified, a majority (54.6%-77.3%) of the variants resulted in a change of 3 base pairs, consistent with expectations for a selection against frame shift mutations. Taken together, these findings indicate that use of a human design exon-capture array can provide efficient enrichment of non-human primate gene regions. Accordingly, use of the human exon-capture methods provides an attractive, cost-effective approach for the comparative analysis of non-human primate genomes, including gene-based DNA variant discovery.     

Efficient Derivation of Multipotent Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells from Non-Human Primate Embryonic Stem Cells

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a small New World primate that has been used as a non-human primate model for various biomedical studies. We previously demonstrated that transplantation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PCs) derived from mouse and human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) promote functional locomotor recovery of mouse spinal cord injury models. However, for the clinical application of such a therapeutic approach, we need to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pluripotent stem cell-derived NS/PCs not only by xenotransplantation, but also allotransplantation using non-human primate models to assess immunological rejection and tumorigenicity. In the present study, we established a culture method to efficiently derive NS/PCs as neurospheres from common marmoset ESCs. Marmoset ESC-derived neurospheres could be passaged repeatedly and showed sequential generation of neurons and astrocytes, similar to that of mouse ESC-derived NS/PCs, and gave rise to functional neurons as indicated by calcium imaging. Although marmoset ESC-derived NS/PCs could not differentiate into oligodendrocytes under default culture conditions, these cells could abundantly generate oligodendrocytes by incorporating additional signals that recapitulate in vivo neural development. Moreover, principal component analysis of microarray data demonstrated that marmoset ESC-derived NS/PCs acquired similar gene expression profiles to those of fetal brain-derived NS/PCs by repeated passaging. Therefore, marmoset ESC-derived NS/PCs may be useful not only for accurate evaluation by allotransplantation of NS/PCs into non-human primate models, but are also applicable to analysis of iPSCs established from transgenic disease model marmosets.     

Expanding whole exome resequencing into non-human primates

Background  

Complete exome resequencing has the power to greatly expand our understanding of non-human primate genomes. This includes both a better appreciation of the variation that exists in non-human primate model species, but also an improved annotation of their genomes. By developing an understanding of the variation between individuals, non-human primate models of human disease can be better developed. This effort is hindered largely by the lack of comprehensive information on specific non-human primate genetic variation and the costs of generating these data. If the tools that have been developed in humans for complete exome resequencing can be applied to closely related non-human primate species, then these difficulties can be circumvented.     

The chimpanzee and other non-human-primate models in HIV-1 vaccine research

Animal models are of great importance for the study of disease pathogenesis, particularly non-human-primate models of infectious diseases. The role of non-human primates in HIV-1 research is continually discussed and debated. Here, we examine three primate models: chimpanzee-HIV-1, rhesus macaque-simian immunodeficiency virus and rhesus macaque-SHIV, and discuss immunological similarities and differences, safety and monetary issues, and ethical concerns.     

The non-human primate oocyte and embryo as a model for women, or is it vice versa?

The role of the non-human primate (NHP) oocyte and embryo in translational research is considered here including both in vitro activities directly involving oocytes or embryos as well as animal studies that impact reproductive function. Reasons to consider NHPs as animal research models along with their limitations are summarized. A case is made that in limited instances, such as in the development and application of the assisted reproductive technologies or in the study of embryonic stem cells, the human oocyte and embryo have acted as models for the monkey. The development of strategies for the preservation of fertility is used as an example of ongoing research in the non-human primate that cannot be conducted in women for ethical reasons. In animal studies, monitoring reproductive potential, responses to embryonic stem cell transplantation, along with translational research in the field of contraceptive development for women are considered as subjects that benefit from the availability of a NHP model.     

Failure to detect simian immunodeficiency virus infection in a large Cameroonian cohort with high non-human primate exposure

Hunting and butchering of wildlife in Central Africa are known risk factors for a variety of human diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Due to the high incidence of human exposure to body fluids of non-human primates, the significant prevalence of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in non-human primates, and hunting/butchering associated cross-species transmission of other retroviruses in Central Africa, it is possible that SIV is actively transmitted to humans from primate species other than mangabeys, chimpanzees, and/or gorillas. We evaluated SIV transmission to humans by screening 2,436 individuals that hunt and butcher non-human primates, a population in which simian foamy virus and simian T-lymphotropic virus were previously detected. We identified 23 individuals with high seroreactivity to SIV. Nucleic acid sequences of SIV genes could not be detected, suggesting that SIV infection in humans could occur at a lower frequency than infections with other retroviruses, including simian foamy virus and simian T-lymphotropic virus. Additional studies on human populations at risk for non-human primate zoonosis are necessary to determine whether these results are due to viral/host characteristics or are indicative of low SIV prevalence in primate species consumed as bushmeat as compared to other retroviruses in Cameroon.     

Efficient regulation of viral replication by siRNA in a non-human primate surrogate model for hepatitis C

RNA interference (RNAi) represents a new technology which could offer potential applications for the therapeutics of human diseases. RNAi-mediated therapy has recently been shown to be effective toward infectious diseases in in vitro and rodent models, however, it remains unclear whether RNAi therapy with systemic application could be effective in primates. In this study, we examined if RNAi therapy could be effective toward infectious diseases by using a non-human primate surrogate model for hepatitis C. Administration into marmosets of cationic liposome-encapsulated siRNA (CL-siRNA) for GB virus B (GBV-B), which is most closely related to hepatitis C virus, repressed GBV-B replication in a dose-dependent manner. Especially, 5 mg/kg of the CL-siRNA completely inhibited the viral replication. Since the serum interferons (IFNs) were induced by CL-siRNA in vivo, inhibition of viral regulation by anti-GBV-B CL-siRNA may include an antiviral effect of IFN. However, contribution of induced IFN may be partial, since the control CL-siRNA which induced a stronger IFN response than GBV-B CL-siRNA could only delay the viral replication. Our results suggest the feasibility of systemic administration of CL-siRNA as an antiviral strategy.     

非人灵长类局部脑缺血动物模型研究现状

非人灵长类动物在种系发生上较啮齿类更接近于人类,用来制备局部脑缺血模型可以更好的拟合临床症状和机理。通过对国内外非人灵长类动物局部脑缺血模型的制备方法和应用现状进行收集、分类和述评,展望非人灵长类动物模型的应用前景,尤其是利用低等灵长类动物树鼩研究缺血性中风的优势。