Mapping blood traits to structural organization of the brain in rhesus monkeys

Abstract

Abstract Hematological and biochemical blood traits have been linked to brain structural characteristics in humans. However, the relationship between these two domains has not been systematically explored in nonhuman primates, which are crucial animal models for understanding the mechanisms of brain function and developing therapeutics for various disorders. Here we investigated the associations between hematological/biochemical parameters and the brain’s gray matter volume and white matter integrity derived from T1-weighted and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging in 36 healthy macaques. We found that intersubject variations in basophil count and hemoglobin levels correlated with gray matter volumes in the anterior cingulum, prefrontal cortex, and putamen. Through interactions between these key elements, the blood parameters’ covariation network was linked with that of the brain structures, forming overarching networks connecting blood traits with structural brain features. These networks exhibited hierarchical small-world architecture, indicating highly effective interactions between their constituent elements. In addition, different subnetworks of the brain areas or fiber tracts tended to correlate with unique groups of blood indices, revealing previously unknown brain structural organization. These results provide a quantitative characterization of the interactions between blood parameters and brain structures in macaques and may increase the understanding of the body–brain relationship and the pathogenesis of relevant disorders.