Urinary enzyme concentrations in the owl monkey (Aotus nancymae)

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Primate Research
• Nephrology

Background:

• Urinary enzyme analysis is a non-invasive method for assessing kidney health.
• Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) are enzymes found in urine.
• Owl monkeys are a relevant model for studying primate renal physiology and disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the activity of urinary ALP, AST, and NAG in adult owl monkeys.
• To determine the correlation between urinary enzyme levels, urinary enzyme to urinary creatinine ratios (UE:UCr), and renal function.
• To assess the utility of these biomarkers in identifying renal dysfunction in owl monkeys.

Main Methods:

• Collected urine samples from 71 adult owl monkeys (56 with normal renal function, 15 with renal dysfunction).
• Measured the activity of urinary ALP, AST, and NAG.
• Calculated urinary enzyme to urinary creatinine ratios (UE:UCr).
• Performed regression analyses to correlate enzyme activities and ratios with indices of renal damage.

Main Results:

• Urinary NAG activity was comparable to other species, while ALP and AST activities were higher in owl monkeys.
• Significant correlations (P < or = 0.0001) were found between urinary enzymes, UE:UCr, and indicators of renal damage.
• Urinary enzyme levels and UE:UCr effectively identified animals with active renal disease.

Conclusions:

• Urinary ALP, AST, and NAG are sensitive biomarkers for detecting renal dysfunction in owl monkeys.
• UE:UCr provides a valuable metric for assessing kidney health in this species.
• This study supports the use of urinary enzyme analysis as a diagnostic tool for renal disease in primates.