Cynomolgus monkeys, one of a number of primates phylogenetically close to humans, are commonly used in animal studies. The purpose of this study was to assess biological variations in hematological and serum biochemical parameters in cynomolgus monkeys. Summary statistics and reference intervals were calculated using data from 95 male and 95 female Chinese-bred cynomolgus monkeys aged 3 to 7 years showing no abnormalities during the breeding period. Within- and between-animal variations were estimated using a random-effect analysis of variance (ANOVA), then, a simple method that applies prior information was proposed to estimate individual reference intervals. Parameters including MCV, MCH, PT, ALP, total cholesterol, and creatinine appeared to show a large between-animal variation; thus, it is considered that individual reference intervals for these parameters would be relatively small in comparison with overall reference intervals.

SummaryRecent progress in the understanding of thrombus formation has suggested an important role of glycoprotein (GP)VI. In contrast to its pivotal role in collagen-induced platelet activation, it has been suggested that its blockade does not induce massive bleeding tendency. To demonstrate the dissociation between inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation and bleeding by GPVI blockade, we examined the effects of Fab fragment of OM2, an anti-human GPVI monoclonal antibody on ex vivo collagen-induced platelet aggregation and skin bleeding time after intravenous injection in cynomolgus monkeys. In a dose-escalation study, OM2 potently (>80%) inhibited collagen-induced platelet aggregation at the cumulative dose of 0. 2 mg/kg with a slight prolongation of bleeding time (1. 3 times baseline value). Furthermore, at 18. 8 mg/kg, the highest dose tested, prolongation of bleeding time was still mild (1. 9 times). In contrast, abciximab, Fab fragment of anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibody prolonged bleeding time by 5. 0 times at 0. 35 mg/kg, the lowest effective dose on platelet aggregation. Ina pharmacodynamic study,a bolus injection of OM2 at 0. 4 mg/kg produced potent inhibition of collagen-induced aggregation up to six hours after injection, showing longer half-life than that of abciximab. The injection of OM2 Fab did not induce thrombocytopenia and GPVI depletion in monkeys. These results suggest that blockade of GPVI by antibody can exerta potent inhibitory effect on collagen-induced platelet aggregation with a milder prolongation of bleeding time than blockade of GPIIb/IIIa. This study indicates that OM2 has the potential to be developed as a new class of therapeutic tool.

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-The objective of this study was to investigate the availability of novel urinary biomarkers (BMs) such as total protein, albumin, β 2 -microglobulin, clusterin, cystatin C, neutrophil gelatinaseassociated lipocalin (NGAL) for the detection of acute nephrotoxicity in cynomolgus monkeys. Animals (total 9 males/3 groups) were administered gentamicin (GM) subcutaneously at 40 mg/kg for 7 days, cisplatin (CDDP) intravenously at 3 mg/kg once and puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) intravenously at 20 mg/kg for 7 days. Two-hr urine on Days 0, 3, and 6, and 16-hr urine and blood on Days 1, 4, and 7 were collected. Novel urinary BMs and conventional clinical pathology parameters were evaluated in parallel to histopathological and electron microscopic examinations on the kidneys at termination. Urinary BMs and enzymes increased earlier than serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, particularly in 2-hr urine after dosing on Day 0, urinary albumin was increased in all groups and urinary NGAL with the highest magnitude of change rate among urinary BMs was observed in the GM and CDDP groups. Degeneration/necrosis and hyaline droplet of renal tubule, cellular cast and dilatation of renal tubule, and hypertrophy of podocytes were observed in the GEN, CDDP, and PAN groups, respectively. These results showed that the increases of urinary BMs reflected the agent-specific renal damages and these urinary BMs could be useful for the detection of segment-specific nephrotoxicity. Urinary albumin and NGAL are the most useful BMs to estimate glomerular and distal tubular damages, respectively, as well as proximal tubular damage in cynomolgus monkeys.

-Recently, troponin T (TnT) and troponin I (TnI) have been reported as suitable biomarkers of myocardial injury for pre-clinical toxicity studies. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the characteristics of troponins as myocardial damage biomarkers in cynomolgus monkeys. Initially, tissue distribution of biomarkers was investigated in nine organs (including the heart, liver, and kidneys) -cally in the heart, and were not detected in other tissues. Secondly, changes in blood biomarker levels and histopathological changes in cardiac tissue were investigated following myocardial injury induced by concomitant administration of isoproterenol (ISO) and vasopressin (VASO). Compared with pre-dosing, TnT and TnI were markedly increased in the ISO + VASO groups, in which severe histopathological changes -lated between C max and AUC and necrosis and vacuolation scores in the heart. A high correlation between necrosis and vacuolation in the heart and TnT and TnI levels was noted. These results suggest that TnT useful biomarkers for detection of drug-induced myocardial injury in cynomolgus monkeys.