Premium
Characterization of obesity in Japanese monkeys ( Macaca fuscata ) in a pedigreed colony
Author(s) -
Takahashi Tomoko,
Higashino Atsunori,
Takagi Kaori,
Kamanaka Yoshiro,
Abe Masamitsu,
Morimoto Mayumi,
Kang Kyung Hwa,
Goto Shunji,
Suzuki Juri,
Hamada Yuzuru,
Kageyama Takashi
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of medical primatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.31
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1600-0684
pISSN - 0047-2565
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0684.2005.00138.x
Subject(s) - obesity , leptin , adiponectin , primate , triglyceride , biology , medicine , endocrinology , cholesterol , insulin resistance , ecology
Background Japanese monkey, Macaca fuscata , is recognized as the monkey species inhabiting the northernmost area in the world, and thus likely to possess unique fat‐depositing mechanisms to resist cold weather in winter. We report that obese females are present in the Wakasa group of Japanese monkey reared in an open enclosure of the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University. Methods and Results Eight of 12 females were categorized as obese, showing percentage body fat of over 22%. The levels of serum leptin (mean ± SD, 4.9 ± 2.3 ng/ml) measured in these obese monkeys were significantly higher than those of non‐obese peers of the same group (n = 4; 1.2 ± 0.5 ng/ml) and another Japanese monkey group (Takahama, n = 14; 0.8 ± 0.25 ng/ml); however, serum levels of adiponectin, insulin, glucose, hemoglobin A 1c , and fructosamine did not differ between obese and non‐obese monkeys. Few serum lipid parameters such as triglyceride and cholesterol showed lower levels in obese monkeys than their non‐obese peers. Conclusions These results show that these obese monkeys in the Wakasa group have not developed obesity‐related diseases/disorders such as diabetes. In the Wakasa group, the frequency of obese individuals was high in some maternal lineages, suggesting that genetic factors responsible for obesity may have been inherited in these lineages.