Evaluation of the use of coconut to treat chronic diarrhea in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

Background: Chronic diarrhea can be challenging to manage in captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) leading to ongoing diagnostics, medications, monitoring, and potential euthanasia. Coconut has been used as a dietary supplement for people with inflammatory bowel disease, with anecdotal reports of decreased diarrhea following the dietary addition. A dietary trial in rhesus macaques was initiated to evaluate the hypothesis that dietary coconut decreases symptoms of chronic diarrhea in rhesus macaques.

Assessment of progestin-only therapy for endometriosis in macaque.

Background: Endometriosis is a condition where endometrium-like tissue forms lesions at ectopic sites outside the uterus. In women, oral contraceptive pills and progestins are often prescribed as therapy for early stage endometriosis. In contrast, in macaques the disease is frequently advanced at the time of diagnosis and ovariectomy is the standard therapy.

Evaluation of the vervet (Clorocebus aethiops) as a model for the assisted reproductive technologies.

The vervet monkey was evaluated as a primate model for use in assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). Eight adult female vervets were hormonally monitored for their potential use as egg donors and those six females displaying regular menstrual cycles were subjected to controlled ovarian stimulation with recombinant human gonadotropins. Three animals failed to respond while laparoscopic follicular aspiration was performed on the other three females at 27-30 h post-human chorionic gonadotropin administration.

Characteristics and regulation of the ovarian cycle in vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops).

This study was designed to evaluate the timecourse of ovarian and pituitary endocrine events throughout the menstrual cycle in the vervet monkey, and whether circulating luteinizing hormone (LH) or the uterus regulates the functional lifespan of the vervet corpus luteum. Daily saphenous blood samples were collected from adult females (1) during spontaneous menstrual cycles (n = 7), and (2) during cycles in which a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (acyline) was administered for 3 days at midluteal phase (n = 3), and (3) for 30 days following recovery from hysterectomy (n = 4). Estradiol (E) and progesterone (P) levels were assayed using electrochemoluminescent assays.

Assessment of menstruation in the vervet (Cercopithecus aethiops).

Vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) are Old World nonhumans that display attenuated menstruation that requires detection by vaginal swab. The physiology underlying attenuated menstruation in this species has not been previously studied. To fill this gap, we evaluated endometrial cell proliferation, steroid receptor localization and expression of menstruation-associated matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) enzymes in vervets during natural and artificial menstrual cycles.