Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 8, 2026
Longitudinal In Vivo Imaging of the Cerebrovasculature: Relevance to CNS Diseases
Published on: December 6, 2016
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy in an aged sooty mangabey (Cercocebus atys)
Olivia M D'Angelo1, Jeromy Dooyema, Cynthia Courtney
1Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Abstract:
A 26-y-old male sooty mangabey (Cercocebus atys) was found at necropsy to have a moderate degree of cerebral amyloid β (Aβ) angiopathy in superficial and parenchymal blood vessels of the brain. Senile (Aβ) plaques were absent, as were neurofibrillary tangles and other signs of neurodegeneration. Affected blood vessels were arterial, capillary, and, less frequently, venous in nature. Histologically, the Aβ40 isoform was more prevalent than was Aβ42. As in humans but unlike in squirrel monkeys, the density of lesions in this mangabey increased along a rostral-to-caudal gradient. Therefore mangabeys appear to conform to the general tendency of nonhuman primates by developing cerebral Aβ angiopathy in the absence of other indices of Alzheimer-type neuropathology.
Insights
Sooty mangabeys can develop cerebral amyloid-beta (Aβ) angiopathy, a condition affecting brain blood vessels. This finding in nonhuman primates shows Aβ angiopathy without Alzheimer-type neurodegeneration.
Area of Science:
- Neuropathology
- Primate Neuroscience
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
Background:
- Cerebral amyloid-beta (Aβ) angiopathy is a common finding in aging humans and some nonhuman primates.
- Alzheimer-type neuropathology, including neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques, is often associated with Aβ accumulation.
- Understanding Aβ deposition in nonhuman primates can provide insights into human brain aging and disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and characteristics of cerebral amyloid-beta (Aβ) angiopathy in a sooty mangabey.
- To determine if Aβ deposition in this species is associated with other markers of neurodegeneration.
Main Methods:
- Necropsy and histological examination of the brain of a 26-year-old male sooty mangabey.
- Assessment of cerebral blood vessels for amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition.
- Histological analysis to identify senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.
Main Results:
- Moderate cerebral amyloid-beta (Aβ) angiopathy was observed in superficial and parenchymal blood vessels (arterial, capillary, and venous).
- Senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, indicative of neurodegeneration, were absent.
- The Aβ40 isoform was more prevalent than Aβ42.
- Lesion density followed a rostral-to-caudal gradient, similar to humans.
Conclusions:
- Sooty mangabeys can develop cerebral amyloid-beta (Aβ) angiopathy.
- Cerebral Aβ angiopathy in this species occurs independently of other Alzheimer-type neuropathological signs.
- Mangabeys represent a relevant model for studying cerebral Aβ angiopathy in nonhuman primates.
