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Renal disease in the pigtailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina)
Abstract:
Spontaneous renal disease in the pigtailed macaque was evaluated in a prospective study of 20 apparently healthy monkeys that were killed and a retrospective study of 674 monkeys that died of spontaneous disease. Many apparently normal pigtailed macaques have a mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis of slight to moderate severity. Deposition of immunoglobulin, particularly IgM, was common in renal glomeruli and did not seem to correlate with renal disease. Glomerulonephritis was found in 14% of the adult monkeys that died of spontaneous disease; in 4.2% it was severe enough to have caused renal failure. Tubular nephrosis was the most common renal lesion (22.6% of adults) and was usually a nephrotoxicity resulting from treatment of diarrhea with nephrotoxic antibiotics. Other lesions found were incidental or were secondary to disease processes in other organs. Pigtailed macaques that have been in our colony at least six months have a higher incidence of renal disease than is reported elsewhere in Old World monkeys.
Insights
Spontaneous renal disease is common in pigtailed macaques, with many showing mild glomerulonephritis. Tubular nephrosis, often antibiotic-induced, is also frequent in these non-human primates.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Pathology
- Primate Medicine
- Nephrology
Background:
- Spontaneous renal disease evaluation in pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina).
- Assessing renal pathology in a non-human primate model.
- Understanding kidney disease prevalence and causes in captive macaques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the incidence and types of spontaneous renal disease in pigtailed macaques.
- To identify factors contributing to renal lesions in this species.
- To compare renal disease incidence with other Old World monkeys.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 20 healthy, euthanized macaques.
- Retrospective study of 674 macaques that died from spontaneous disease.
- Histopathological examination of renal tissues.
Main Results:
- Mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis was common, often mild.
- Glomerulonephritis occurred in 14% of adult macaques, causing renal failure in 4.2%.
- Tubular nephrosis (22.6%) was frequently linked to nephrotoxic antibiotic treatment for diarrhea.
Conclusions:
- Pigtailed macaques exhibit a higher incidence of renal disease compared to other Old World monkeys, especially after six months in captivity.
- Immunoglobulin deposition (IgM) in glomeruli was common but not correlated with disease severity.
- Tubular nephrosis is a significant renal lesion, often iatrogenic.