This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Spontaneous diabetes mellitus has been reported in several nonhuman primate species, but has not been documented for the mangabey. The Yerkes National Primate Research Center has a colony of mangabeys with a high prevalence of diabetes. A review of pancreatic tissues, collected at necropsy from 1969-2008, revealed a greater than 50% incidence of insular amyloidosis, a hallmark of diabetes in nonhuman primates, in animals over ten years of age. We believe the screening of our colony of over 200 mangabeys for clinical diabetes, as well as, an investigation of the clinical, genetic, and diagnostic manifestation of the disease, would provide important information about diabetes mellitus and its pathogenesis in the sooty mangabey. To date, we have collected samples from approximately 115 mangabeys to screen for diabetes as well as 50 samples to evaluate insulin levels in these animals. Initial anaylsis of these samples confirms the high incidence of diabetes and pre-diabetics within the colony. In addition, characterization of normal serum chemistry and complete blood count reference ranges for mangabeys will aid in clinical evaluation of diabetes and other diseases affecting the population. We have collected over 100 CBC and serum chemistry samples from mangabeys to build a database of normal values. These samples demonstrate some values for mangabeys that are differ from the normal chemistry values of other species of non-human primates. Finally, identifying which is the best clinical test for diabetes melltus in the mangabey would allow for early diagnosis and clinical management of the disease in our colony. We have collected approximately 75 samples for 2 specific tests (fructosamine and glycosylated hemoglobin) that are used to diagnose and evaluate diabetic control.
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