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[Changes in bone mineral density of lumbar vertebrae during a six-month interval in African green monkeys
1Corporation for Production and Research of Laboratory Primates, National Institute of Health, Ibaraki, Japan.
Abstract:
Changes in measurements of lumbar vertebrae (L3-L5) during a six-month interval in African green monkeys were demonstrated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA, DPX-alpha, Lunar, USA). Area, mean width and bone mineral content (BMC) of L3-L5 were measured, and bone mineral density (BMD) was calculated using 62 laboratory-bred and 23 wild animals. Laboratory-bred animals were divided into 4 groups according to their gender and age, and in addition, two groups of wild animals were constructed according to gender. Although no remarkable change in BMD of laboratory-bred animals aged less than two years was observed at a six-month interval, significant decreases in BMD were detected in laboratory-bred animals aged over 6 years as well as in wild animals. Thus, DEXA seems to be useful for investigating the kinetics of BMD in aged animals during a relatively short period such as six-months.
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