Monkeys excluding apes as a model for studies on metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Aim. To summarize the results of research on metabolic syndrome in monkeys excluding apes and to conduct a comparison with humans.A search for full-text publications in PubMed and Scopus databases was carried out using the following keywords: nonhuman primate, monkey, obesity, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, insulin, atherosclerosis, hypertension. Articles were selected that describe studies involving the following monkey species: cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), baboons (Papio sp.), grivets (Cercopithecus aethiops), and common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). The development of various metabolic syndrome criteria was demonstrated in all monkey species reviewed. Many similarities with humans were revealed: macaques with obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus demonstrated an increase in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and free fatty acids and a decrease in the concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Obesity and insulin resistance were precursors to impaired carbohydrate metabolism. Blood pressure increased along with the progression of insulin resistance. The similarity of genetic and environmental risk factors between humans and monkeys is important in the development of metabolic syndrome. The reviewed data suggest that the use of monkeys in biomedical research remains an indispensable resource for the study of pathogenesis and assessment of the efficacy and safety of new therapeutic strategies targeting clinically important metabolic diseases, including obesity, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and, possibly, other conditions associated with metabolic syndrome.