Sleep Profile and Longevity in Three Generations of a Family of Captive Bolivian Aotus

The daily total sleep time (TST) of the only nocturnal simian primate, Aotus spp., remains little studied under controlled conditions. We conducted 3 experiments in 4 owl monkeys (Aotus sp.), aged 1–27+ yr, to determine the daily TST. We housed 3 their—a nuclear family—in 1 cage and the remaining senescent female in an adjacent separate cage. We monitored their activity-sleep pattern longitudinally for 15–20 d via actigraphy: by tagging an acclerometer-type miniature transmitter (Actiwatch-MINIMITTER) sensitive to omnidirectional movement, to the owl monkey's neck. The TST (9.5–12.5 h) was ca. 4.5–7 h less than the 17 h Perachio reported for owl monkeys in 1971 by polysomnography, under similar 12-h-light; 12-h dark conditions. Our finding corroborates well with the TST for other nonhuman primates. Four members of the Aotus colony at our facility reached 20 yr in captivity; the oldest (wild-born female) is still living at >27 yr, and the second oldest (captive-born male), is 23 years now.     

Sleep quantitation in common marmoset, cotton top tamarin and squirrel monkey by non-invasive actigraphy

Sleep quantitation data on the Neotropical primate species, apart from the squirrel monkey, are still sparse. As such, we have quantitated sleep in the common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), cotton top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) reared in one primate facility simultaneously, by non-invasive actigraphy. The range in total sleep time/24h measured for male adult common marmosets, cotton top tamarins and squirrel monkeys were 713-793 min (n=4), 707-889 min (n=4) and 459-475 min (n=2) respectively. The range in sleep episode length /12h dark phase for marmosets, tamarins and squirrel monkeys were 21-52 min (n=3), 10-28 min (n=4) and 9-15 min (n=2) respectively. Since vigilance is a critical evolutionary adaptive feature of predator avoidance among Callitrichid monkeys and squirrel monkeys, the shorter ranges in sleep episode length recorded, even under captivity, in this study could be interpreted as probable indicators of such vigilance behavior during the rest phase. We hypothesize that the vigilance behavior when it exists during a primate's active phase should also prevail when it is at rest (sleep). This hypothesis deserves additional testing in female Callitrichid monkeys.     

Metal accumulation in two contiguous eutrophic peri-urban lakes,Chivero and Manyame,Zimbabwe

Concentrations of aluminium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, nickel and zinc were determined in surface water, benthic sediments, and the gills, liver and stomach muscle tissues of Oreochromis niloticus and Clarias gariepinus in peri-urban lakes Chivero and Manyame, Zimbabwe. Five sites were sampled in each lake once per month in November 2015, February, May, August and November 2016. Pollution load index detected no metal contamination, whereas the geo-accumulation index reflected heavy to extreme sediment pollution, with Fe, Cd, Zn, Cr, Ni and Cu present in both lakes. Significant spatial temporal variations were detected for Al, Cr, Cu and Pb across sites within and between the two lakes. High Fe, Al and Cr concentrations in water and sediments in lakes Chivero and Manyame derive from geogenic background sources in addition to anthropogenic loads and intensity. Elevated concentrations of Al, Pb, Cu, Cd, Fe and Zn detected in gills, liver and stomach tissue of catfish corroborate concentrations in water and sediments, and pose the highest ecological and health risk for hydrobionts in lakes Chivero and Manyame. Contiguity of peri-urban lakes exposes them to similar threats, necessitating creative water management strategies, which ensure ecological continuity.     

The antidepressant-like effect of Ocimum basilicum in an animal model of depression

We investigated the efficacy of Ocimum basilicum (OB) essential oils for treating depression related behavioral, biochemical and histopathological changes caused by exposure to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) in mice and to explore the mechanism underlying the pathology. Male albino mice were divided into four groups: controls; CUMS; CUMS plus fluoxetine, the antidepressant administered for pharmacological validation of OB; and CUMS plus OB. Behavioral tests included the forced swim test (FST), elevated plus-maze (EPM) and the open ?eld test (OFT); these tests were performed at the end of the experiment. We assessed serum corticosterone level, protein, gene and immunoexpression of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) as well as immunoexpression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), Ki67, caspase-3 in the hippocampus. CUMS caused depression in the mice as evidenced by prolonged immobility in the FST, prolonged time spent in the open arms during the EPM test and reduction of open field activity in the OFT. OB ameliorated the CUMS induced depressive status. OB significantly reduced the corticosterone level and up-regulated protein and gene expressions of BDNF and GR. OB reduced CUMS induced hippocampal neuron atrophy and apoptosis, and increased the number of the astrocytes and new nerve cells. OB significantly increased GFAP-positive cells as well as BDNF and GR immunoexpression in the hippocampus.     

Detection of elevated antibody against calreticulin by ELISA in aged cynomolgus monkey plasma

Calreticulin (Crt) is a molecular chaperone ubiquitously present in the endoplasmic reticulum. In non-human primates, age-related occurrence of anti-Crt antibody has not been reported. We developed an ELISA assay for an anti-Crt antibody and determined the age-related increase in the levels of anti-Crt antibody in three groups of cynomolgus monkeys: juvenile (1.5 yr), young adults (5-10 yr) and aged adults (20-34 yr). Mean ± SD auto-antibody levels at 450 nm in juvenile, young adults and aged groups were 0.23 ± 0.18, 0.30 ± 0.28, and 0.55 ± 0.33, respectively. Statistically significant differences were noted in the autoantibody levels to Crt among the aged group and juvenile or young adults. This is the first report to demonstrate the expression of anti-Crt autoantibody in aged monkeys and indicates that cynomologous monkeys may serve as an appropriate nonhuman primate model for studies of age-related alteration of immune function in elderly humans. Though preliminary, this finding merits further investigation to determine the relationship between immunosenescence and expression of antibodies to Crt.     

Preparation of soybean seed samples for FT-IR microspectroscopy

Typical preparation of seed samples for infrared (IR) microspectroscopy involves imbibition of the seed for varying time periods followed by cryosectioning. Imbibition, however, may initiate germination even at 4° C with associated changes in the chemistry of the sample. We have found that it is possible to section seeds that are sufficiently hard, such as soybeans, on a standard laboratory microtome without imbibition. The use of dry sectioning of unimbibed seeds is reported here, as well as a comparison of different mounting media and modes of analysis. Glycerol, Tissue-Tek, and ethanol were used as mounting media, and the quality of the resulting spectra was assessed. Ethanol was the preferred mountant, because it dried quickly with no residue and thus did not interfere with the spectrum of interest. Analysis in transmission mode using barium fluoride windows to hold the samples was compared with transmission-reflection analysis with sections mounted on special infrared-reflecting slides. The two modes of analysis performed well in different regions of the spectrum. The mode of analysis (transmission vs. transmission-reflection) should be based on the components of greatest interest in the sample.