Demographic analysis of the washington regional primate research center pigtailed macaque colony, 1967-1996.

This work presents the results of a demographic analysis of 30 years of breeding records from the University of Washington's recently closed Primate Field Station at Medical Lake, Washington. Summaries of population growth, age-specific fertility and mortality rates, first-year survival, and seasonality of reproduction are presented, as well as an analysis of survival by decade. In addition, we present data on interbirth intervals in this population. In general, pigtailed macaques represent a typical Old World monkey pattern of age-specific fertility and mortality, with a few minor exceptions. We suggest that pigtailed macaques are most similar to rhesus and Barbary macaques, and that Japanese and bonnet macaques differ somewhat in their demographics.

Acylcarnitine analogues as topical, microbicidal spermicides.

Acylcarnitine analogues, (+)-6-Carboxylatomethyl-2-alkyl-4,4-dimethylmorpholinium (Z-n, where n = the number of carbons in the alkyl chain), synthesized in multi-gram quantities show in vitro activities as spermicides, anti-HIV agents, and inhibitors of the growth of Candida albicans. Activity improves with increasing chain length. Compound Z-15 is a candidate for further study as a topical, microbicidal spermicide.

Social housing and pregnancy outcome in captive pigtailed macaques.

We present a retrospective analysis of 30 years of breeding records from a colony of pigtailed macaques at the University of Washington's Regional Primate Research Center, specifically examining the effects on pregnancy outcome of sire presence, presence of other pregnant females, group stability, overall group size, and dam age and parity. Data on 2,040 pregnancies (1,890 live births) of socially housed pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) were obtained from the Washington Regional Primate Research Center's animal colony records from 1967 to 1996. Our results suggest that the presence of the sire and other pregnant females, fewer moves, and lower parity increases the probability of a viable birth. In viable and nonviable births, gestation length was positively related to contact with the sire and other pregnant females, number of moves, and dam age. Once the effect of gestational age was taken into account, birthweight increased with increasing parity and decreased with dam age. Clinical treatment of the dam decreased as sire presence and group size increased and number of moves decreased. The length of treatment was dependent on the number of moves experienced by the dam, with more moves associated with longer treatments. Sire presence was the single most important factor in nearly all measures of reproductive outcome.

Fetal, infant, and maternal toxicity of zidovudine (azidothymidine) administered throughout pregnancy in Macaca nemestrina.

The toxicity of azidothymidine (AZT) was studied in monkey dams and fetuses that were exposed to the drug over the entire gestational period. Fourteen virus-free female macaques (Macaca nemestrina) were randomly assigned to AZT or control groups. AZT animals received the drug through a gastric catheter at a dose of 1.5 mg/kg every 4 hours, which produced plasma concentrations similar to those in humans taking 500 to 600 mg/day of AZT. Control animals received water placebo, also through gastric catheter. Some animals participated in both groups. All females were mated with the same male; 41 matings produced 20 pregnancies, of which 16 were carried to term (9 in AZT females; 7 in control females). The AZT animals developed an asymptomatic macrocytic anemia, but hematologic parameters returned to normal when AZT was discontinued. Total leukocyte count decreased during pregnancy and was further affected by AZT administration. AZT-exposed infants were mildly anemic at birth. AZT caused deficits in growth, rooting and snouting reflexes, and the ability to fixate and follow near stimuli visually, but the deficits disappeared over time. These data indicate that early exposure to AZT in utero should have no irreversible adverse effects on the fetus.

Ontogeny of human brain dopamine receptors. I. Differential expression of [3H]-SCH23390 and [3H]-YM09151-2 specific binding.

Dopamine receptor expression in human fetal forebrain (between 6 and 20 weeks of gestation) was measured using tissue-slice receptor autoradiography with the D1-like and D2-like antagonists [3H]-SCH23390 and [3H]-YM09151-2, respectively. Tissue sections were assayed in saturation studies and examined for age- and sex-related changes in Bmax. We made the following observations: (1) the ages at which D1- and D2-like receptors were first expressed in whole forebrain sections could be reliably identified but were not significantly different from one another (gestational age 65 days for D1- vs. 72 days for D2-like receptors); (2) age-related increases in both D1- and D2-like receptors were demonstrated in forebrain and, from the middle of the first to the middle of the second trimester, the Bmax for each ligand increased by an order of magnitude after the onset of the specific binding site's expression; (3) age-related increases in D1-like receptors, but not D2-like receptors, could be demonstrated in cortex; and, (4) in one case of trisomy 18, the Bmax for [3H]-SCH23390 was significantly elevated above the 95% confidence interval when compared to an age-regressed normal sample. Although D2-like receptor density significantly increased with age in forebrain, age-regressed changes in D2-like receptor expression in cortex and striatum did not reach statistical significance. Likewise, a comparison of the mean Bmax's by sex for both ligands in midgestational striatum failed to reach significance. These data corroborate the findings of other investigators who have delineated the ontogeny of dopaminergic systems in other animal species. The regional differences in the expression of dopamine receptor families may be relevant to the role which dopamine may play during normal gestational brain development. Moreover, significant deviations in dopamine receptor expression during gestation (as seen in this one case of trisomy 18) may signify underlying pathological processes that ultimately are manifested by abnormal psychological development and/or cognitive functioning.

Climbing test to measure gross motor development in monkeys.

This report describes an apparatus, protocol, and coding procedure to quantify gross motor skills in infant Macaca nemestrina, and presents data obtained from this system. The apparatus consists of a 1.8-m-tall Plexiglas tube extending from the top of a standard stainless steel cage. Animals climb the tube to reach a food reward. Measures of climbing ability included time and number of contacts with the tube. Data were collected on 336 climbs to the highest level (1.5 m) on eight normal infants. Three subjects began training at two months of age, three began at three months, and two began at four months. Exploratory data analysis revealed that Time Up was the best measure due to low variability between and within subjects, high motivation of the subjects to reach the food reward, and ease of measurement. Though this pilot study is based upon a limited sample size, two-month-olds were consistently slower and more variable than the three- and four-month-olds. Relatively few sessions are required to train the subject and obtain measures of a subject's motor ability. The advantages of the climbing tube are that it is inexpensive to operate, provides a large amount of data, and appeals to the subject's natural propensity to climb. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The development of verbal and nonverbal factorially derived memory measures.

Sets of verbal and nonverbal memory tests were subjected to a factor analysis, and the factor composite scores were used to discriminate between 57 brain-damaged and 34 non-brain-damaged subjects. The derived factors clearly represented verbal and nonverbal factors. The brain-damaged group performed significantly less well on both the verbal and nonverbal factor composite scores. It is suggested that a battery of verbal and nonverbal scales be used to discriminate left and right lateralized brain-damaged patient groups.

The relationship between the Marlowe-Crowne Form C and the validity scales of the MMPI.

The study examined the construct-related validity of a 13-item short form of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale advanced by Reynolds (1982), using the validity scales of the MMPI. With a sample of 481 Basic Military Trainees, the short form of the Marlowe-Crowne replicated the correlations between the standard Marlowe-Crowne and the MMPI validity scales initially reported by Crowne and Marlowe (1960). The results further support the short form of the Marlow-Crowne Social Desirability Scale as an economical measure of social desirability.