[The influence of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on the behavior in old non-human primates].

At present time there is a lack of satisfactory understanding of how DHEA affects cognition and nervous system function. Aim of the present study to evaluate effects of long-term DH EA administration of physiological doses on the Higher Brain Activity (HBA) in rhesus macaques (RM) at the limits of their biological age. The study included 9 male RM aged 24-30 years. Five of them were given im injections of DHEA (1 mg/kg each two days for 3 months). 4 control monkeys were administered the vehicle alone. Cortisol, testosterone, and free thyroxin were measured by chemiluminescent immunoassay. HBA was studied by classical motor-food conditioning (to estimate long-term memory) and by determining delayed response time (a measure of short-term memory). RM had to respond to a positive signal (1000 Hz) and no bar-pressing was required in response to a negative signal (400 Hz). MR were free to move in the cage during the experiment. Their behavior was tested before, within 1, 2, 3 months of DHEA administration and 3 months after its termination. The HBA increased of all 5 RM within 1, 2, and 3 month after the beginning of DHEA administration. Both long- and short-term memory stably improved while response time decreased from 5 to 1-1.5 s. The behavior of RM changed radically from passive one to enhanced motor activity and food motivation. These effects of DHEA persisted as long as 3 months after DHEA treatment. During DHEA treatment the steady tendency to rising in a blood concentrations of a free thyroxine, testosterone and DHEA was observed. DHEA administration caused a rise in testosterone, free thyroxin levels and DHEAS levels. In three months after DHEA treatment the hairs lost in the old monkeys was restored and this effect remained within one years of observation. Conclusion. Administration of physiological doses of DHEA to old RM induced a stable increase of Higher Brain Activity with harmonization of excitation and inhibition processes; radically enhanced motor and food activity; completely restored body hairiness which already remained within one year.

[Experimental whooping cough of nonhuman primate].

Despite considerable success in study of Bordetella pertussis virulence factors, pathogenesis of whooping cough, duration of B. pertussis bacteria persistence, types and mechanisms of immune response are still keep underinvestigated. It can be explained by the absence ofadequate experimental animal model for pertussis study. Our study estimates clinical and laboratory parameters of whooping cough in non-human primates of the Old World in the process of intranasan infection by virulent B. pertussis bacteria. Also the duration of B. pertussis bacteria persistence in animals was investigated. 14 animal units of 4 species of non-human primates of the Old World were used for intranasal infection. The examination of infect animals included: visual exploration of nasopharynx, thermometry, clinical and biochemical blood analyses, identification ofB. pertussis, using microbiologic and molecular genetic analyses, estimation of innate and adoptive immune factors. The development of infectious process was accompanied by generation of B. pertussis bacteria, catarrhal inflammation of nasopharyngeal mucosa, leucocytosis, hypoglycemia specific for pertussis, and activation of innate and adaptive immunity for all primates regardless of specie were seen. While repeated experimental infection in primates single bacterial colonies were registered during only first week after challenge. It occurs like the absence of inflammation of nasopharyngeal mucosa and the lack of laboratory marks of whooping cough, recorded after first challenge. The evident booster effect of humoral immunity was observed. As a model for investigation of B. pertussis bacteria persistence and immune response against whooping cough we suggest the usage of rhesus macaque as more available to experiments.