| dc.description.abstract | Cynomolgus macaques and rhesus macaques are important for scientific studies on life-threatening diseases for humans. Nonhuman primates are the closest comparison to humans, as they are comparable in terms of genetics, anatomy, psychology and behaviour. Haematological and biochemical parameters are important parameters for pathology, toxicology and physiology studies. The Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC) conducts research into life-threatening human diseases, using rhesus and cynomolgus macaques. The reference values of the haematological and biochemical parameters have previously been determined, assuming that all values were normally distributed. Currently more data is available, which gives the opportunity to check and possibly update the reference values. It is also examined whether different conditions, such as sex, age, indoor/outdoor housing, obesity and pregnancy have an influence on these values. The study collected data of 1702 rhesus and cynomolgus macaques of which a total of 4083 measurements are available. A total of 24 haematological and 22 biochemical parameters were determined. Because the values of most parameters did not show normal distribution, non-parametric methods were used to calculate differences. The animals were divided into 4 different groups: juvenile female (age under 4), juvenile male (age under 4), and adult female (age 4 years and older) and an adult male (age 4 years and older). These 4 groups were compared to analyse the effects of age and sex. For rhesus macaques, age and sex have significant effects on many of the haematological parameters. In cynomolgus macaques this was less clear, likely due to the fewer available observations.
Analysis of all data show that sex, age, bodyweight, housing with or without outdoor access and pregnancy affect several haematological and biochemical parameters. These findings must be taken into account when screening animals for their health or in studies. This revised extensive and systematic reference values for biochemical and haematological parameters for cynomolgus and rhesus macaques at the BPRC will facilitate health monitoring and further refinements of biomedical studies employing cynomolgus and rhesus macaques as animal models. | |
