Hepatitis viruses in non-human primates

BACKGROUND: Previous epidemiological studies of rural human populations in Gabon reveal a high prevalence of human hepatitis A, B, C and D viruses. In order to investigate the prevalence of the blood-born hepatitis viruses in apes and monkeys living in the same area, we performed an epidemiological survey of HBV, HCV and HDV in wild-born non-human primates. METHODS: We tested 441 wild-born non-human primates from Gabon and Congo and 132 imported monkeys for the presence of serological markers of HBV, HCV and HDV infections. RESULTS: None of Cercopithecidae monkeys were reactive against HBV/HDV and HCV. In contrast, 29.2% of wild-born great apes (154 chimpanzees and 14 gorillas) were positive for HBV serological markers. Nine chimpanzees were in the replicative phase of HBV infection. None of these HBV infected chimpanzees exhibited symptoms or significant changes in serum clinical chemistry related to HBV infection. CONCLUSIONS: The negativity to HCV-related viruses and the negativity of the Cercopithecidae species tested against HBV/HDV do not allow us to definitively rule out the presence of an animal counterpart of human hepatitis viruses in non-human primates.     

Myeloablative irradiation in non-human primates

Purpose  We used total body irradiation (TBI) as conditioning for cord blood transplantation studies in pigtailed macaques. In these studies, different doses of TBI were explored to obtain optimal myelosuppression with acceptable radiation-related side effects.
Methods  Four macaques received TBI ranging from 800 to 1320 cGy, followed by standard post-transplant care. Hematopoietic recovery was monitored by CBC and donor contribution by variable number of tandem repeats analysis.
Results  Animals receiving 800 or 1020 cGy TBI tolerated the irradiation well with autologous recovery of neutrophils within 24 days. At a dose of 1200 cGy, neither autologous recovery nor extramedullary toxicity was observed. A fourth animal received 1320 cGy of TBI and suffered significant toxicity necessitating termination of the study.
Conclusions  We conclude that previously considered myeloablative doses of TBI allowed for autologous recovery in the pigtailed macaque, and that a dose of 1200 cGy may be most appropriate, providing both myeloablation and acceptable non-hematopoietic toxicities.     

DNA PCR typing of non-human primates

Human beings and non human primates show similarities in the non coding DNA range too, but up to now there are only a few data. This paper presents first results of a study dealing with a larger spectrum of species and individuals, considering the genetic marker HLA-DQA1, LDLR, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8, GC (partionally coding) and VWA, FES, F13B, TH01, CD4, FGA (not coding). The results show that not only the apes can be typed but also Macaca sylvanus as a member of the Cercopithecoidea. In contrast to earlier publications there is an unexpected larger similarity between the allele ranges of the apes studied and those of human beings.     

Use of florfenicol in non-human primates

Studies were undertaken to determine if florfenicol, an antimicrobial agent structurally similar to chloramphenicol, could be used as an effective broad spectrum antibiotic for the treatment of bacterial infections in primates. Florfenicol was developed as an injectable antibiotic for use in cattle on an every other day dosing schedule. Its broad spectrum activity, long duration of action following i.m. administration, and its safety as compared with chloramphenicol made it an attractive antibiotic for use in non-human primates. Previous studies had shown that florfenicol is effective against common primate pathogens such as Salmonella, Klebsiella, Escherichia coli, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus spp., and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. We performed experiments on a total of 15 macaques. The animals were given florfenicol at 50 mg/kg i.m. and blood samples taken at various time points. Serum was evaluated for florfenicol absorption. Necropsies were also performed to determine if major organs were affected and to determine the effects of i.m. injection of florfenicol. We determined that florfenicol given every 48 hours in rhesus macaques results in blood levels that were acceptable for therapeutic use. The effect on muscle tissue of i.m. injection was similar to ketamine and normal saline. There were no gross lesions observed and no changes with tissues submitted for histology. Our work shows that with further studies, florfenicol may be useful when injectable antibiotic therapy is required in non-human primates.     

Voice processing in human and non-human primates

Humans share with non-human primates a number of voice perception abilities of crucial importance in social interactions, such as the ability to identify a conspecific individual from its vocalizations. Speech perception is likely to have evolved in our ancestors on the basis of pre-existing neural mechanisms involved in extracting behaviourally relevant information from conspecific vocalizations (CVs). Studying the neural bases of voice perception in primates thus not only has the potential to shed light on cerebral mechanisms that may be--unlike those involved in speech perception--directly homologous between species, but also has direct implications for our understanding of how speech appeared in humans. In this comparative review, we focus on behavioural and neurobiological evidence relative to two issues central to voice perception in human and non-human primates: (i) are CVs 'special', i.e. are they analysed using dedicated cerebral mechanisms not used for other sound categories, and (ii) to what extent and using what neural mechanisms do primates identify conspecific individuals from their vocalizations?     

Cortical control of grasp in non-human primates

The skilled use of the hand for grasping and manipulation of objects is a fundamental feature of the primate motor system. Grasping movements involve transforming the visual information about an object into a motor command appropriate for the coordinated activation of hand and finger muscles. The cerebral cortex and its descending projections to the spinal cord are known to play a crucial role for the control of grasp. Recent studies in non-human primates have provided some striking new insights into the respective contribution of the parietal and frontal motor cortical areas to the control of grasp. Also, new approaches allowed investigating the coupling of grasp-related activity in different cortical areas for the control of the descending motor command.     

Social processes and mental abilities in non-human primates

International Journal of Primatology -     

非人灵长类位置行为的辐射适应与研究进展

野生动物在长期进化中形成特定的行为模式以适应特定的生存环境。灵长类的位置行为研究对于理解灵长类进化、适应性的多样化以及生态学和解剖学十分关键。该文对已有文献进行了综述,针对位置行为的分类、季节性、以及具体地点和年龄性别差异性进行了总结,分析了灵长类位置行为的发展、特征以及研究现状,以期对今后非人灵长类位置行为的研究提供借鉴和参考,从而促进我国灵长类行为生态学理论体系的发展。     

Attention to elders' voice in non-human primates

The observed respect and attention to elders'' speech in traditional cultures appears to have a ‘universal’ component which questions its possible biological bases. Animals present differential attention to the vocalizations of other individuals according to their characteristics but little is known about the potential propensity to pay more attention to vocalizations of elders. On the basis of several hundreds of vocal exchanges recorded, here we show that aged female Campbell''s monkeys (Cercopithecus campbelli), despite being significantly less ‘loquacious’ than their younger adult counterparts, elicit many more responses when calling. These findings show that attention to elders'' vocal production appears in non-human primates, leading to new lines of questioning on human culture and language evolution.     

Chromobacterium violaceum infections in 13 non-human primates

Background Recently, an Indian‐origin macaque was found dead and Chromobacterium violaceum was isolated from the skin wound, and hepatic and pulmonary abscesses. Methods By searching the database, a total of thirteen cases of C. violaceum infection in pigtail macaques (n = 8), rhesus macaques (n = 4), and one baboon were identified from 2001 to 2010 at Tulane National Primate Research Center. Medical records were reviewed for breed, sex, age, clinical findings, treatment, outcome, bacteriology, and gross and histological findings. Results Seven pigtail macaques and one Indian‐origin rhesus macaque died of chromobacterial septicemia. All chromobacterial septicemic pigtail macaques were adult with higher incidence in female. Hepatic abscess and thrombosis were typical findings along with pulmonary abscess and thrombosis, renal venous thromboembolism, and necrosuppurative pleuritis, peritonitis, splenitis, myocarditis, pericarditis, and meningoencephalitis. Skin wound, uterine infection, and oral and respiratory exposure were considered the points of entry for these animals. Conclusions This represents the first report of chromobacteriosis in pigtail, rhesus macaque, and baboon. Our experience suggests that chromobacterial infections may be more common in non‐human primates than previously recognized.     

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.     

Grooming-at-a-distance by exchanging calls in non-human primates

The ‘social bonding hypothesis'' predicts that, in large social groups, functions of gestural grooming should be partially transferred to vocal interactions. Hence, vocal exchanges would have evolved in primates to play the role of grooming-at-a-distance in order to facilitate the maintenance of social cohesion. However, there are few empirical studies testing this hypothesis. To address this point, we compared the rate of contact call exchanges between females in two captive groups of Japanese macaques as a function of female age, dominance rank, genetic relatedness and social affinity measured by spatial proximity and grooming interactions. We found a significant positive relationship between the time spent on grooming by two females and the frequency with which they exchanged calls. Our results conform to the predictions of the social bonding hypothesis, i.e. vocal exchanges can be interpreted as grooming-at-a-distance.     

Suffixation influences receivers' behaviour in non-human primates

Compared to humans, non-human primates have very little control over their vocal production. Nonetheless, some primates produce various call combinations, which may partially offset their lack of acoustic flexibility. A relevant example is male Campbell''s monkeys (Cercopithecus campbelli), which give one call type (‘Krak’) to leopards, while the suffixed version of the same call stem (‘Krak-oo’) is given to unspecific danger. To test whether recipients attend to this suffixation pattern, we carried out a playback experiment in which we broadcast naturally and artificially modified suffixed and unsuffixed ‘Krak’ calls of male Campbell''s monkeys to 42 wild groups of Diana monkeys (Cercopithecus diana diana). The two species form mixed-species groups and respond to each other''s vocalizations. We analysed the vocal response of male and female Diana monkeys and overall found significantly stronger vocal responses to unsuffixed (leopard) than suffixed (unspecific danger) calls. Although the acoustic structure of the ‘Krak’ stem of the calls has some additional effects, subject responses were mainly determined by the presence or the absence of the suffix. This study indicates that suffixation is an evolved function in primate communication in contexts where adaptive responses are particularly important.