Ocular findings in two colonies of gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus)

Abstract

We report a high incidence of acquired, slowly progressive, bilateral cataracts in two colonies of mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus). Further studies need to be conducted to determine the cause of this disease in this species.

A review on ocular findings in mouse lemurs: potential links to age and genetic background

“…Using the classification system by Thylefors et al (2002) these stages represent grade COR-0. Incipient cataracts was also the most frequent form (37 out of 218) described by Beltran et al (2007). In our screening, bilateral mature cataracts (grade NUC-9 Thylefors et al, 2002) was diagnosed in five animals (out of 100 animals) ranging from 7.8 years to 13.6 years (see Fig.…”

“…Keywords which have been used for searching in different combinations were mouse lemur, lemur, primate, Cheirogaleidae, pathology, disorder, impairment, disease, ocular, ocular disease, eye and eye disease. This search resulted in one publication, describing a study on 218 grey mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus) in two different colonies belonging to the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris and in Brunoy (Beltran et al, 2007) and two published studies from our group (Dubicanac et al, 2016(Dubicanac et al, , 2017.…”

“…The relatively high life expectancy in captivity (compared to animals living in the wild) makes these animals vulnerable to a variety of eye diseases and injuries. Some of these pathologies have already been described (Beltran et al, 2007), but it is unknown whether the described ocular findings are limited to two colonies originating from the same founder individuals or are more widespread across aging colonies of this species. With regard to the increasing relevance of mouse lemurs for evolutionary and biomedical research, an updated overview of known ocular disorders and their potential impact on vision as well as their respective medical treatment is necessary.…”

Primate aging in the mammalian scheme: the puzzle of extreme variation in brain aging

“…Signs and symptoms of aging appear within the first decade of life. For instance, 50% of animals have cataracts by age 7 and substantial cognitive decline is evident by age 10 (Beltran et al 2007;Picq 2007). Older mouse lemurs contract a wide range of tumors (Remick et al 2009).…”

Optimization of Volumetric Computed Tomography for Skeletal Analysis of Model Genetic Organisms

“…Because of its size similarities to mouse and rat, Monodelphis domestica is also emerging as a useful tool for preclinical studies (Chan et al, 2002). Among primates, the mouse lemur Microcebus murinus is the smallest of the extant primates and is well known for its utility in the study of aging, both for the physiological (Genin and Perret, 2003;Cayetanot et al, 2005;Beltran et al, 2007) and psychological effects (Bons et al, 2006;Picq, 2007) that arise at the onset of senescence. With the advent of microCT as an investigative tool for skeletal research, these two species can be further used in comprehensive morphological studies.…”