Hematological, biochemical, respiratory, cardiovascular and electroneurophysiological parameters in African green monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus). Its use in non-clinical toxicological studies.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to better characterize the hematological, biochemical, respiratory, cardiovascular and electroneurophysiological parameters in young adult Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus of both sexes. The rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys are widely used as experimental primate models. However, only few articles have been published testing toxicological effects of pharmaceuticals on African green monkey. METHODS: The present study was carried out with the recompilation of all parameters recorded before the first drug administration in five sub-chronic or chronic toxicological studies performed on 66 Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus, born in Cuba. RESULTS: This study provides hematological, biochemical, respiratory, cardiovascular and electroneurophysiological data for both choosing animals to be included into experiments and monitoring these parameters during the study. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that this study provides valuable integrated data for determining the health status, including electroneurophysiological parameters, data not previously reported for this species, of the African green monkey.

Systemic and skin toxicity in Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus monkeys treated during 26 weeks with a high intravenous dose of the anti- epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody Nimotuzumab.

Nimotuzumab (h-R3) is a humanized anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody (mAb) registered for treating head and neck tumours. The present study was designed to evaluate the systemic and skin toxicity of chronic intravenous administration of the h-R3 in a relevant species demonstrated by comparing the h-R3 binding affinity constants (Kd) in microsomal placental fractions from Homo sapiens and Cercopithecus aethiops monkeys using an EGF-Receptor radioligand competition assay. The Kd obtained for Nimotuzumab were 9.1 x 10(-8) M for monkeys and 4.5 x 10(-8) M for humans. Monkeys (n = 18) were distributed into 3 groups with 3 animals of each sex in each group. Group I received saline; group II received 2.85 mg/kg of h-R3; and group III received 28.57 mg/kg of the h-R3, which represent 1 and 10 times the human dose, and they were weekly intravenously treated during 26 weeks. During the study there were no deaths. Electroneurophysiological, sanguine chemistry and haematological results did not evidence alterations. Areas of haematomas, probably related with the administration procedure, were observed at the administration zones of all animals. The electrocardiography study showed at the end of the study a slight increase in the cardiac frequency of four treated animals without other signs. Unexpectedly, skin biopsies and a detailed clinical inspection of the animals did not detect the presence of cutaneous rash or any other skin toxicity sign reported for the majority of the anti-EGF-R monoclonal antibodies. It is concluded that doses up to 28.5 mg/kg of h-R3, intravenously administered during 26 weeks to Cercopithecus aethiops monkeys, do not produce considerable toxic effects.