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Background: Adiponectin is an adipocyte-derived hormone that affects regulation of metabolic syndrome such as insulin resistance, type-2 diabetes, and obesity. It functions via seven transmembrane domain receptors [i.e.,adiponectin receptors 1 (AdipoR1) and 2 (AdipoR2)] that have been scarcely investigated in non-human primates., Methods: Molecular cloning of cDNAs for adiponectin, AdipoR1, and AdipoR2 that included the whole protein-coding region in the Japanese monkey, Macaca fuscata, was carried out. Tissue-specific expression of respective genes was analyzed with Northern blot hybridization., Results: The essential Cys36 and four lysine residues in adiponectin, and transmembrane-spanning domains in AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 appear well conserved. While adiponectin mRNA is expressed only in adipose tissues, AdipoR1 mRNA was found to be expressed in various tissues including the brain., Conclusions: These results significantly add to the understanding of the molecular basis of obesity-related adipokines and their receptors in nonhuman primates.

Background: For veterinary management of non-human primates in captivity, and conservation of wild-living primates, management of their health risks is necessary. Incidences of pathogenic bacteria in the fecal specimens are considered as one of the useful indicators for non-invasive health monitoring., Methods: We carried out the detection of Clostridium perfringens in feces from captive and wild chimpanzees by the rapid polymerase chain reaction method., Results: The bacterium was detected in most fecal specimens (80%) in captive chimpanzees. Contrarily, the detection rate in the wild chimpanzees was low, with 23% (n = 12) of 53 fecal samples from the Bossou group, Guinea, and 1.2% (1/81) in the Mahale group, Tanzania., Conclusions: These results show that the intestinal microflora differs between Pan populations under various living conditions, being influenced by their diet and environment.

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 A1c, 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.

Pepsinogen levels in ape stomachs were comparable to those in macaques and significantly higher than those in the stomachs of other mammals, including carnivores and ruminants. The occurrence of multiple forms of pepsinogens was remarkable. Nine, sixteen, eight, and fourteen pepsinogens were purified or partially purified from the gastric mucosa of a gibbon, orang-utan, gorilla, and chimpanzee, respectively. Most of these were type-A pepsinogens, and only one type-C pepsinogen was identified in each ape. The two types could be readily distinguished by staining for proteolytic activity on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) in the presence/absence of pepstatin. Type-A pepsinogens were further divided into two subtypes. One subtype, constituting a major group of pepsinogens in apes, exhibited high hemoglobin-digestive activity. The other subtype was specified by a relatively high content of Lys and low hemoglobin-digestive activity. It is likely that pepsinogen-A genes have been duplicated several times as hominoids, including humans, evolved in the primate lineage. The presence of multiple pepsinogens in apes might be advantageous in the efficient digestion of a wide variety of foods.

Five pepsinogens were purified from the gastric mucosa of eight species of Asian macaques. The chromatographic behavior of each pepsinogen was essentially the same but differed from human and other mammalian pepsinogens. The major pepsinogen in each species was pepsinogen A-1, accounting for 29-48% of the total. Amino acid compositions and some enzymatic properties of derived pepsins were similar for the various monkey species. This high degree of similarity confirms that these species are closely related to one another.