Antioxidant status in a squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) with chronic pancreatitis and degenerative myopathy

A squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) presented with wasting, vomiting and diarrhoea. Haematology revealed elevation of creatinine phosphokinase, lactic dehydrogenase, alanine aminotransferase, amylase and lipase, together with azotaemia and hypoalbuminaemia. Prominent findings were chronic pancreatitis with acinar and ductal plugs, granulomatous and necrotizing peripancreatic steatitis, degenerative myopathy, testicular atrophy, candidiasis and bacterial necrotizing glossitis. Antioxidant analyses revealed low concentrations of serum vitamin E (and apparently A), hepatic selenium and hair zinc. Pancreatitis may have caused malabsorption and maldigestion, associated with deficiency of multiple antioxidants.