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PubMed2006

A dynamic force analysis system for climbing of large primates.

Registering substrate reaction forces from primates during climbing requires the design and construction of customized recording devices. The technical difficulties in constructing a reliable apparatus hinder research on the kinetics of primate locomotion. This is unfortunate since arboreal locomotion, especially vertical climbing, is an important component of the hominoid locomotor repertoire. In this technical paper, we describe a custom-built climbing pole that allows recordings of dynamic 3-dimensional forces during locomotion on horizontal and sloping substrates and during vertical climbing. The pole contains an instrumented section that can readily be modified and enables us to register forces of a single limb or multiple limbs in a broad range of primates. For verification, we constructed a similar set-up (which would not be usable for primates) using a conventional force plate. Data for a human subject walking on both set-ups were compared. The experimental set-up records accurate and reliable substrate reaction forces in three orthogonal directions. Because of its adjustability, this type of modular set-up can be used for a great variety of primate studies. When combining such kinetic measurements together with kinematic information, data of great biomechanical value can be generated. These data will hopefully allow biological anthropologists to answer current questions about primate behaviours on vertical substrates.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Unusual pattern of retinogeniculate projections in the controversial primate Tarsius.

Studies of simian and prosimian primates have demonstrated a remarkable interspecific constancy in the pattern of innervation of the magnocellular and parvocellular layers of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) by retinal afferents. The characteristic organization of this nucleus in primates, as well as its apparent phylogenetic stability, have led to the proposal that the distinct laminar arrangement of the dLGN is one of the diagnostic characters that define the Order Primates. Here, we describe the distribution of retinal afferents to the dLGN of Tarsius, the single contemporary member of an ancient lineage of primates. In this genus, the more superficial layer of the dLGN receives projections from the ipsilateral eye, a unique situation among the members of the Order Primates. This observation adds support to the proposal that Tarsius does not share a more recent common ancestry with simians as compared with lemuriform and lorisiform primates.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Areal, modular, and connectional organization of visual cortex in a prosimian primate, the slow loris (Nycticebus coucang).

Slow lorises (Nycticebus coucang) are nocturnal prosimian (i.e. strepsirhine) primates, closely related to bushbabies (Galago spp.). We examined the organization of visual cortex in four hemispheres from two slow lorises, using connectional and architectonic techniques. All hemispheres were flattened and sections stained for myelin and cytochrome oxidase (CO). Our results indicate, first, that the primary visual area (V1) in slow lorises has a system of small CO-dense blobs, as has been described in most other anthropoid and prosimian primates examined to date. The second visual area (V2) is characterized by broad, stripe-like zones of dense CO staining separated by zones of lighter staining. Loris V2 stripes are less distinct than those of anthropoid primates, and separate classes of thin and thick dark stripes are not apparent. However, V2 stripes are much better developed than in Galago, where they are virtually absent. Injections of wheat-germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) in area V1 revealed reciprocal connections with area V2, and the middle temporal (MT) and dorsolateral (DL) extrastriate areas. Area MT was also identified by its distinctive, dense myelination. As has been reported in anthropoids, DL can be divided into separate caudal and rostral divisions, which differ in myelin and CO staining, and in the strength of their connections with V1. Taken together, our results suggest that many of the features that characterize visual cortex organization in anthropoid primates are present in prosimians and thus probably evolved early in primate history, prior to the diversification of modern primate groups.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Specific IK1 blockade: a new antiarrhythmic mechanism? Effect of RP58866 on ventricular arrhythmias in rat, rabbit, and primate.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of blockade of the inwardly rectifying K+ current (IK1) in prevention of arrhythmias is unknown. We have examined the antiarrhythmic potential of a new selective IK1 blocker, RP58866, in rat, rabbit, and primate (marmoset) isolated hearts in the settings of acute ischemia and reperfusion. METHODS AND RESULTS: In concentration-response studies (n = 12 per group), the drug reduced ischemia-induced ventricular fibrillation (VF) in rat from control incidence of 100 to 50%, 17% (p < 0.05), and 0% (p < 0.05) at 1, 3, and 10 mumol/L, respectively. RP58866 produced significant bradycardia at the 3- and 10-mumol/L concentrations and significant QT interval widening at all three concentrations (p < 0.05). When rat hearts (n = 12 per group) were paced (5 Hz) via the left atrium to prevent bradycardia, the antiarrhythmic effects of 10-mumol/L RP58866 were unmodified (ischemia-induced VF incidence was reduced by drug from 83% in control hearts to 8%; p < 0.05). Similarly, pacing did not prevent the drug's QT-widening activity at 90% repolarization (QT90 was 64 +/- 3 msec in control hearts versus 128 +/- 17 msec in the presence of 10 mumol/L of drug after 10 minutes of ischemia; p < 0.05). These values are similar to equivalent values in unpaced hearts (65 +/- 3 msec in control hearts versus 159 +/- 15 msec with 10 mumol/L of drug; p < 0.05). In separate groups of rat hearts (n = 10 per group) subjected to 10 minutes of ischemia, reperfusion-induced VF incidence was reduced from 90% in control hearts to 10% (p < 0.05), 0% (p < 0.05), and 0% (p < 0.05) by 1-, 3-, and 10-mumol/L RP58866. To examine whether drug actions were species-specific, we performed further studies in rabbit and primate using the middle concentration of RP58866 (3 mumol/L). Ischemia-induced VF incidence was too low in these species to assess the effects of the drug. However, RP58866 widened QT interval (p < 0.05), slowed heart rate (p < 0.05), and reduced the incidence of reperfusion-induced VF from 67% to 8% (p < 0.05) in rabbit. Furthermore, in the more clinically relevant primate species (marmoset; n = 9-12 per group), RP58866 (3 mumol/L) abolished ischemia-induced VT (36% incidence in control hearts; p < 0.05) and significantly reduced the incidence of ischemia-induced ventricular premature beats from 91% to 33% (p < 0.05). The drug was also effective against reperfusion VF in primates (incidence reduced from 64% in control hearts to 11%; p < 0.05). As in rat and rabbit, RP58866 significantly widened QT interval in primate and caused bradycardia before and during ischemia. RP58866 had no significant influence on coronary flow in any species. Finally, in further studies on rat, QT widening by RP58866 was found to persist relatively unmodified in nonischemic hearts perfused with solution containing K+ elevated to 8 mmol/L to mimic the early ischemic milieu. CONCLUSIONS: RP58866, a selective IK1 blocker, is a potent and efficacious new antiarrhythmic drug in ischemia and reperfusion in rat, rabbit, and primate. When tested in rat, pharmacological activity was undiminished by cardiac pacing or elevation of extracellular K+.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

The effects of prostaglandin E1 on the adult respiratory distress syndrome in septic primates.

The effects of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on the adult respiratory distress syndrome were studied in the septic primate (Macaca fascicularis). A 30-min infusion of Escherichia coli (1 X 10(10)/kg) resulted in severe septic shock and adult respiratory distress syndrome. Primates, if living, were killed 4 h after completion of the E. coli infusion. Three groups of primates were studied (n = 4 in each group). The control group (Group 1) received PGE1 at 100 ng/kg/min throughout the experiment. The septic group (Group 2) received a 30-min infusion of E. coli. The treatment group (Group 3) received a continuous PGE1 infusion (100 ng/kg/min) along with the E. coli infusion which was begun 30 min after the PGE1 infusion was started. Control primates had hemodynamic changes consistent with the vasodilatory effect of PGE1 (heart rate and cardiac output increased; blood pressure and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) decreased). All control animals survived the experiment and had no evidence of pulmonary damage. Primates given E. coli developed severe hypotension, decreased SVR, and lung injury evidenced by pulmonary edema, decreased oxygenation, and increased extravascular lung water. Primates treated with both PGE1 and E. coli developed similar cardiovascular and pulmonary changes as the septic group. There was no statistically significant difference between Group 2 and Group 3 animals with regard to mean arterial blood pressure, SVR, extravascular lung water, alveolar-arterial oxygen difference, or survival.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alprostadil↗
PubMed2006

Fast and non-invasive PCR sexing of primates: apes, Old World monkeys, New World monkeys and Strepsirrhines.

BACKGROUND: One of the key tools for determining the social structure of wild and endangered primates is the ability to sex DNA from small amounts of non-invasive samples that are likely to include highly degraded DNA. Traditional markers for molecular sex determination of primates are developed on the basis of the human sequence and are often non-functional in distantly related primate species. Hence, it is highly desirable to develop markers that simultaneously detect Y- and X-chromosome specific sequences and also work across many species. RESULTS: A novel method for sex identification in primates is described using a triple primer PCR reaction and agarose gel electrophoresis of the sex-chromosomal isoforms of the ubiquitously transcribed tetratricopeptide repeat protein gene (UTX/UTY). By comparing genomic data from several mammals we identified the UTX/UTY locus as the best candidate for a universal primate sexing marker. Using data from several species we identified a XY-conserved region, a Y conserved region and an X conserved region. This enabled the design of a triple primer PCR setup that amplifies X and Y products of different length in a single PCR reaction. CONCLUSION: This simple PCR amplification of X and Y fragments is useful for sexing DNA samples from all species of primates. Furthermore, since the amplified fragments are very short the method can be applied to fragmented DNA extracted from non-invasive samples.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Testosterone regulates pro-opiomelanocortin gene expression in the primate brain.

Endogenous opioid peptides such as beta-endorphin, derived from proopiomelanocortin (POMC), have been widely implicated as serving an important role in the neuroendocrine regulation of the primate reproductive axis. In both human and nonhuman primates, POMC neurons are thought to mediate, at least in part, the negative feedback action of sex steroids on GnRH. Sex steroids, such as testosterone, are thought to inhibit GnRH secretion by enhancing the inhibitory activity of beta-endorphin; however, the cellular mechanisms by which steroid hormones regulate the activity of POMC neurons in the primate brain are unknown. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that testosterone stimulates POMC gene expression within the primate brain and that this regulation occurs within a specific subset of POMC neurons residing in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. We used in situ hybridization to compare cellular levels of POMC messenger RNA in intact (n = 4), castrated (n = 4), and castrated/testosterone-treated (n = 4) monkeys. We report that after castration of the male macaque (Macaca fascicularis), cellular POMC messenger RNA levels decline significantly (P less than 0.05) in neurons within the arcuate nucleus and that this decline is prevented by replacement with physiological doses of testosterone. Moreover, we found that this testosterone-dependent modulation of POMC gene expression is restricted to a small fraction of the numerous POMC neurons located within the most anterior region of the arcuate nucleus in the brain of this primate species. These observations provide evidence that sex steroids regulate expression of the POMC gene in the primate brain.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Long-term survival of dopamine neurons derived from parthenogenetic primate embryonic stem cells (cyno-1) after transplantation.

Dopamine (DA) neurons can be derived from human and primate embryonic stem (ES) cells in vitro. An ES cell-based replacement therapy for patients with Parkinson's disease requires that in vitro-generated neurons maintain their phenotype in vivo. Other critical issues relate to their proliferative capacity and risk of tumor formation, and the capability of migration and integration in the adult mammalian brain. Neural induction was achieved by coculture of primate parthenogenetic ES cells (Cyno-1) with stromal cells, followed by sequential exposure to midbrain patterning and differentiation factors to favor DA phenotypic specification. Differentiated ES cells were treated with mitomycin C and transplanted into adult immunosuppressed rodents and into a primate (allograft) with out immunosuppression. A small percentage of DA neurons survived in both rodent and primate hosts for the entire term of the study (4 and 7 months, respectively). Other neuronal and glial populations derived from Cyno-1 ES cells showed, in vivo, phenotypic characteristics and growth and migration patterns similar to fetal primate transplants, and a majority of cells (>80%) expressed the forebrain transcription factor brain factor 1. No teratoma formation was observed. In this study, we demonstrate long-term survival of DA neurons obtained in vitro from primate ES cells. Optimization of differentiation, cell selection, and cell transfer is required for functional studies of ES-derived DA neurons for future therapeutic applications.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Cognitive function and its neural mechanisms in nonhuman primate models of aging, Alzheimer disease, and menopause.

Nonhuman primates have been used as animal models in which to study cognitive changes associated with aging and age-related disease for decades. There are many advantages to using nonhuman primates for studies of aging including the capability to examine visual nonspatial cognitive processes and the ability to use operationally similar behavioral tasks to what is used with humans. Because some aspects of aging in humans do not develop naturally in nonhuman primates or do not follow the same course of natural development in monkeys, experimental models are necessary for some investigations. Research in our laboratory has identified similarities in the cognitive profiles of nonhuman primate models of aging, Alzheimer Disease, and menopause with their human counterparts. In addition, through the use of a variety of different techniques we have used these nonhuman primate models to begin to determine the neural substrates of age-related cognitive dysfunction noted with advanced age and age-related disease. In this paper, we review our observations made in nonhuman primate models of aging, Alzheimer Disease, and menopause and indicate areas for future research.

Aging↗
PubMed2002

Evaluation in nonhuman primates of vaccines against Ebola virus.

Ebola virus (EBOV) causes acute hemorrhagic fever that is fatal in up to 90% of cases in both humans and nonhuman primates. No vaccines or treatments are available for human use. We evaluated the effects in nonhuman primates of vaccine strategies that had protected mice or guinea pigs from lethal EBOV infection. The following immunogens were used: RNA replicon particles derived from an attenuated strain of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) expressing EBOV glycoprotein and nucleoprotein; recombinant Vaccinia virus expressing EBOV glycoprotein; liposomes containing lipid A and inactivated EBOV; and a concentrated, inactivated whole-virion preparation. None of these strategies successfully protected nonhuman primates from robust challenge with EBOV. The disease observed in primates differed from that in rodents, suggesting that rodent models of EBOV may not predict the efficacy of candidate vaccines in primates and that protection of primates may require different mechanisms.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Cortical synaptic arrangements of the third visual pathway in three primate species: Macaca mulatta, Saimiri sciureus, and Aotus trivirgatus.

The koniocellular (K) pathway is one of three pathways from the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) to primate visual cortex (V1). K pathway projections to the cytochrome oxidase (CO) blobs of V1 suggest involvement in chromatic processing given reports that the CO blobs in diurnal primates contain cells selective for color. K LGN layers and CO blobs, however, are also well developed in nocturnal primates such as owl monkeys, which are likely to be color blind. Thus, the K pathway plays either different roles in different species or some as yet unidentified common role(s). Because synaptic arrangements underlie functional mechanisms, the purpose of this investigation was to compare the synaptic circuitry related to the K pathway within the CO blobs of two diurnal primates (macaque monkeys and squirrel monkeys) and one nocturnal primate (owl monkey). Presynaptic K axons were labeled with wheat germ agglutinin-HRP, and presynaptic and postsynaptic profiles in CO blobs were identified with post-embedding immunocytochemistry for GABA and glutamate. In all three species, K axon terminals are glutamatergic and larger than local axon terminals, suggesting that they have a greater impact on postsynaptic CO blob targets than signals arriving via layer IV from the P or M pathways. A greater proportion of K axons, however, synapse with larger glutamatergic shafts in the diurnal monkeys than in the nocturnal owl monkey, perhaps reflecting the importance of color within the K pathway of these diurnal species. Alternatively, the loss of color vision in the owl monkey could impact K pathway circuitry earlier in the pathway. The basic similarities between K axon circuitry within the CO blobs of the three primate species examined also could indicate that this pathway plays some common role or roles across species.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Long-term survival of nonhuman primates receiving life-supporting transgenic porcine kidney xenografts.

BACKGROUND: Recently, there has been a resumed interest in clinical xenotransplantation using pig organs. However, no data are available yet regarding the capacity of porcine organs to sustain the life of a primate beyond the first month. We have attempted to obtain long-term survival of nonhuman primates using human decay-accelerating factor (hDAF) transgenic pig organs and an immunosuppressive strategy particularly aimed at neutralizing the humoral component of the immune response. METHODS: hDAF transgenic or control kidneys were transplanted into 14 bilaterally nephrectomized cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) that underwent splenectomy and were immunosuppressed with cyclosporine A, cyclophosphamide, and steroids. All animals also received recombinant erythropoietin. Postoperatively, the primates were monitored daily. Laboratory evaluations included serum biochemistry, hematology, and measurements of hemolytic antipig antibodies. To assess the role of splenectomy in the control of humoral response, historical data were also used from a group of monkeys (n=7) that received the same immunosuppressive regimen and an hDAF transgenic porcine kidney but did not have splenectomy or receive recombinant erythropoietin. RESULTS: This immunosuppressive approach obtained the longest survival time (78 days) described to date of a primate receiving a life-supporting porcine renal xenograft. Furthermore, four of nine animals in this series survived for 50 days or more. Most biochemical measurements in this study (including plasma urea, creatinine, sodium, and potassium concentrations) remained within normal ranges for several weeks in all of the longest-surviving animals. CONCLUSIONS: Normalization of renal function (urea and creatinine) in primate recipients of porcine renal xenografts suggests that pig kidneys may be suitable for future clinical xenotransplantation. Additional immunosuppressive approaches, specifically designed to prevent humorally mediated immunological damage, should be explored to further prolong survival of primates that have received porcine xenografts.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Studies on the Dombrock blood group system in non-human primates.

The Dombrock blood group system consists of five distinct antigens: two antithetical antigens, Doa and Dob, and three high-frequency antigens:Gya,Hy, and Joa. Although the prevalence of Doa and Dob in different populations makes them useful as genetic markers, the scarcity of reliable antibodies to these antigens has prevented this potential from being realized. The gene (DO;ART4) encoding the Dombrock glycoprotein has been cloned and sequenced, and the molecular bases of the various Dombrock phenotypes have been determined. The purpose of this study was to perform DNA-based assays on the DO homolog in non-human primates to determine the degree of conservation in the DO gene. Murine MoAbs to Dombrock protein were developed by standard hybridoma technologies and used to test RBCs from non-human primates by hemagglutination. PCR-RFLP analysis for the six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that have been defined in human alleles were performed on DNA extracted from fresh or frozen blood samples from numerous non-human primates. Hemagglutination tests with six MoAbs to the Dombrock glycoprotein revealed distinct epitopes on RBCs from the non-human primates. The gorillas and orangutans had the same PCR-RFLP digestion pattern for the six SNPs studied as chimpanzees. Old world monkeys (macaques) were identical at nucleotides (nt) 323, 350, 624, and 793 with the chimpanzees, and at nt 898 the digestion pattern was the same as for the HY1 allele in humans. For the new world monkeys (tamarins and squirrel monkeys) the digestion pattern was conserved for nt 793 but different for nt 624; the other SNPs could not be determined because there was no amplification. The presence of epitopes recognized by the MoAbs and PCR-RFLP results among the non-human primates shows considerable conservation of the DO gene. The difficulties we encountered with the amplification of DNA from the non-human primates lower in the phylogenetic tree are probably due to divergence in sequence.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1985

Loa loa: development and course of patency in experimentally-infected primates.

Loa loa infections were studied in baboons, rhesus and patas monkeys. Animals were infected either by s.c. injection of third-stage larvae (L 3) or by surgical implantation of juvenile worms of known age, sex and number. Microfilaremia was first detected in baboons at 140 days following inoculation of L 3 and at 142 days and 143 days in patas and rhesus monkeys, respectively; the mean prepatent period was 151 days in baboons, 149 days in patas monkeys and 169 days in rhesus monkeys. The primary wave of microfilariae (mf) was suppressed by the spleen in all three primate species. In baboons, the initial wave of mf lasted from 11 to 46 weeks (mean: 22 weeks), whereas in patas monkeys it persisted for 47 to 60 weeks, and in rhesus monkeys for 1 to 2 years. Gross and microscopical changes in the spleen were noted in all three primate species and consisted of numerous granulomata in the red pulp underlying the capsule. A resurgence of mf was observed following splenectomy in all three species of monkeys. Postsplenectomy levels of microfilaremia typically exceeded presplenectomy levels. One pair of worms was sufficient to produce patent infections in monkeys for extended periods of time. However, levels of microfilaremia were lower than in monkeys which received 75 and 200 to 300 L 3, although some overlap in microfilaremias between groups did occur. Overall, there was no proportional relationship between levels of microfilaremia and numbers of adult worms recovered from monkeys at necropsy. It was observed that, in the primate host, Loa is a long-lived parasite. Living worms were recovered from the tissues as long as 9 years after inoculation and there was no reason to doubt that patency would have persisted for some time into the future. Adult worms were frequently observed moving freely in the subcutaneous tissues of the primate hosts, although no instance of Calabar swellings or the presence of worms in or around the eye were ever recorded. The primate model of loiasis is an especially useful system because of the predictability of the behavior of the parasite. In most regards, the behavior of L. loa in the primate host is comparable to observations on the parasi e in man.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Nasal and intrathalamic inoculations of primates with Tacaribe virus: protection against Argentine hemorrhagic fever and absence of neurovirulence.

Callithrix jacchus marmosets were inoculated by different routes with two stocks of Tacaribe virus, one from suckling mouse brain and another from human diploid MRC5 cells. All 12 primates inoculated by nasal route developed neutralizing serum antibodies without any clinical signs. All 6 primates receiving the mouse brain-Tacaribe virus were protected against lethal challenge with pathogenic XJ strain of Junin virus, while protection was also conferred in 4 out of 6 primates receiving the diploid cell-Tacaribe virus stock. Intramuscular (i.m.) inoculation also elicited antibodies and conferred protection to 4 primates receiving the diploid cell-virus stock. Intrathalamic (i.t.) inoculation of mouse brain-virus stock caused no clinical signs or histopathologic changes in groups of 3 primates each examined on days 33 and 90 post-infection (p.i.). All primates developed antibody response, but no virus could be detected in their brain. Thus, Tacaribe virus proved harmless and immunogenic in Callithrix jacchus and protected most marmosets against challenge with the lethal XJ strain of Junin virus.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Histopathologic changes in primate spinal cord after single and repeated epidural phenol administration.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Epidural phenol for control of pain and spasticity has been advocated for clinical use. This study determined the histopathologic changes that follow single and repeated epidural administration of phenol in saline in nonhuman primates. METHODS: Nine primates received 0.5 mL of either 3% phenol in saline (n = 4) or 6% phenol in saline (n = 5) via lumbar epidural injection. Two additional primates received three consecutive daily epidural doses of 0.5 mL of 3% phenol in saline. Finally, 5 unoperated primates and 5 primates that received only 2 mL of radiographic contrast material served as control subjects. Two weeks after the epidural injection, spinal cords were removed and processed for histopathologic study by a neuropathologist blinded to the solution administered. RESULTS: None of the control animals demonstrated histopathologic changes. One animal that received 6% phenol died 3 days after injection. All phenol-treated animals demonstrated predominantly posterior root damage. Spinal cord damage was seen in all animals receiving 6% phenol, in 2 animals receiving 3% phenol single doses, and in neither animal receiving 3% phenol multiple doses. Anterior root damage occurred in all phenol-treated animals except the 4 that received single 3% phenol injections. Animals that received 6% phenol demonstrated greater lower extremity motor weakness than those in the other groups, but no clear correlation existed between extent of histopathologic changes and motor weakness. CONCLUSIONS: Motor weakness, anterior root damage, and direct cord injury were noted in primates following epidural administration of phenol in concentrations below what has been reported for clinical use in humans. Since it is more difficult to control the spread of epidural versus subarachnoid phenol, the risks of epidural phenol may outweigh the benefits relative to subarachnoid administration.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Widely varying SIV prevalence rates in naturally infected primate species from Cameroon.

Although it is now well established that a substantial proportion of wild-living primates in sub-Saharan Africa harbor SIV, no study to date has examined to what extent the various species are naturally infected. In this study, we first describe the development and validation of sensitive and specific SIV antibody detection assays representing all major known primate lentiviral lineages on a panel of 207 sera from 11 different primate species with known infection status. The newly developed assays were then used to determine SIV prevalence rates in nine primate species native to Cameroon. Analysis of 722 sera revealed widely varying prevalence rates, ranging from an apparent absence of SIV infection in crested mona (0/70), grey cheeked (0/36) and agile mangabeys (0/92), to prevalence rates of 3%, 4%, 11%, 27%, 39% and 52% for mustached (6/203), greater spot-nosed (8/193), northern talapoin (3/26), mantled guereza (14/52), De Brazza's (9/23) and mandrill (14/27) monkeys, respectively. The epidemiology of naturally occurring SIV infections is thus more complex than previously appreciated and the various non-human primate hosts seem to differ in their susceptibility to SIV infection. The newly developed assays should now permit to define with greater accuracy existing SIV reservoirs and associated human zoonotic risk.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Uniqueness of primate forelimb posture during quadrupedal locomotion.

Among the characteristics that are thought to set primate quadrupedal locomotion apart from that of nonprimate mammals are a more protracted limb posture and larger limb angular excursion. However, kinematic aspects of primate or nonprimate quadrupedal locomotion have been documented in only a handful of species, and more widely for the hind than the forelimb. This study presents data on arm (humerus) and forelimb posture during walking for 102 species of mammals, including 53 nonhuman primates and 49 nonprimate mammals. The results demonstrate that primates uniformly display a more protracted arm and forelimb at hand touchdown of a step than nearly all other mammals. Although primates tend to end a step with a less retracted humerus, their total humeral or forelimb angular excursion exceeds that of other mammals. It is suggested that these features are components of functional adaptations to locomotion in an arboreal habitat, using clawless, grasping extremities.

Adaptation, Physiological↗