Arterial endothelial dysfunction in baboons fed a high-cholesterol, high-fat diet.

BACKGROUND: Endothelial dysfunction signals the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. Elevated LDL-cholesterol concentrations have been suggested to induce endothelial dysfunction, but direct in vivo evidence for the relation is still lacking. OBJECTIVE: We examined the hypothesis that a high-cholesterol, high-fat (HCHF) diet can directly cause endothelial dysfunction in vivo. DESIGN: We measured inflammatory and endothelial dysfunctional markers in circulating blood and directly in endothelial cells, which were collected by femoral artery biopsies, in 10 baboons before and after a 7-wk HCHF dietary challenge. RESULTS: We found that the HCHF diet induced a high inflammatory status, as indicated by increased concentrations of interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1. Although the concentrations of endothelial dysfunctional markers, such as soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1, were not increased by the HCHF diet, membrane-bound VCAM-1 and membrane-bound E-selectin on endothelial cells were highly increased after 7 wk of the HCHF diet (P < 0.01). In contrast, the concentrations of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in endothelial cells were significantly reduced by the 7-wk HCHF diet (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the dietary challenge attenuated endothelial cell responses to TNF-alpha, lipopolysaccharide, native LDL cholesterol, and oxidized LDL-cholesterol stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that an HCHF diet can directly induce inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Prior in vivo exposure to an HCHF diet attenuates the in vitro responses of endothelial cells to atherogenic risk factors. This preconditioning phenomenon may have significant clinical relevance.

Peripheral insulin resistance and impaired insulin signaling contribute to abnormal glucose metabolism in preterm baboons.

Premature infants develop hyperglycemia shortly after birth, increasing their morbidity and death. Surviving infants have increased incidence of diabetes as young adults. Our understanding of the biological basis for the insulin resistance of prematurity and developmental regulation of glucose production remains fragmentary. The objective of this study was to examine maturational differences in insulin sensitivity and the insulin-signaling pathway in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue of 30 neonatal baboons using the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp. Preterm baboons (67% gestation) had reduced peripheral insulin sensitivity shortly after birth (M value 12.5 ± 1.5 vs 21.8 ± 4.4 mg/kg · min in term baboons) and at 2 weeks of age (M value 12.8 ± 2.6 vs 16.3 ± 4.2, respectively). Insulin increased Akt phosphorylation, but these responses were significantly lower in preterm baboons during the first week of life (3.2-fold vs 9.8-fold). Preterm baboons had lower glucose transporter-1 protein content throughout the first 2 weeks of life (8%-12% of term). In preterm baboons, serum free fatty acids (FFAs) did not decrease in response to insulin, whereas FFAs decreased by greater than 80% in term baboons; the impaired suppression of FFAs in the preterm animals was paired with a decreased glucose transporter-4 protein content in adipose tissue. In conclusion, peripheral insulin resistance and impaired non-insulin-dependent glucose uptake play an important role in hyperglycemia of prematurity. Impaired insulin signaling (reduced Akt) contributes to the defect in insulin-stimulated glucose disposal. Counterregulatory hormones are not major contributors.

A novel adenovirus species associated with an acute respiratory outbreak in a baboon colony and evidence of coincident human infection.

Adenoviruses (AdVs) are DNA viruses that infect many vertebrate hosts, including humans and nonhuman primates. Here we identify a novel AdV species, provisionally named "simian adenovirus C (SAdV-C)," associated with a 1997 outbreak of acute respiratory illness in captive baboons (4 of 9) at a primate research facility in Texas. None of the six AdVs recovered from baboons (BaAdVs) during the outbreak, including the two baboons who died from pneumonia, were typeable. Since clinical samples from the two fatal cases were not available, whole-genome sequencing of nasal isolates from one sick baboon and three asymptomatic baboons during the outbreak was performed. Three AdVs were members of species SAdV-C (BaAdV-2 and BaAdV-4 were genetically identical, and BaAdV-3), while one (BaAdV-1) was a member of the recently described SAdV-B species. BaAdV-3 was the only AdV among the 4 isolated from a sick baboon, and thus was deemed to be the cause of the outbreak. Significant divergence (<58% amino acid identity) was found in one of the fiber proteins of BaAdV-3 relative to BaAdV-2 and -4, suggesting that BaAdV-3 may be a rare SAdV-C recombinant. Neutralizing antibodies to the other 3 AdVs, but not BaAdV-3, were detected in healthy baboons from 1996 to 2003 and staff personnel from 1997. These results implicate a novel adenovirus species (SAdV-C) in an acute respiratory outbreak in a baboon colony and underscore the potential for cross-species transmission of AdVs between humans and nonhuman primates. IMPORTANCE Adenoviruses (AdVs) are DNA viruses that infect many animals, including humans and monkeys. In 1997, an outbreak of acute respiratory illness from AdVs occurred in a baboon colony in Texas. Here we use whole-genome sequencing and antibody testing to investigate new AdVs in baboons (BaAdVs) during the outbreak, one of which, BaAdV-3, came from a sick animal. By sequence analysis, BaAdV-3 may be a recombinant strain that arose from a related BaAdV found in baboons nearby in the colony (who were not sick) and yet another unknown AdV. We also found antibodies to these new BaAdVs in baboons and staff personnel at the facility. Taken together, our findings of a new AdV species as the cause of an acute respiratory outbreak in a baboon colony underscore the ongoing threat from emerging viruses that may carry the potential for cross-species transmission between monkeys and humans.

Bone marrow-targeted liposomal carriers: a feasibility study in nonhuman primates.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Recently, we described a novel surface-modified lipid vesicle formulation (liposome) that had very high targeting to bone marrow in normal rabbits. Because the bone marrow is the site of hematopoiesis, bone marrow-targeted drug-delivery systems have many potential applications. In this study we investigated whether these bone marrow-targeted vesicles are also similarly effective for bone marrow targeting in rhesus monkeys, a primate animal model that is more relevant to humans. MATERIALS & METHODS: The preformed vesicles encapsulating 30 mM glutathione were labeled with technetium-99m ((99m)Tc) for scintigraphic imaging. The vesicles were 216 +/- 21 nm in diameter with a negative surface charge composed of DPPC, cholesterol, anionic amphiphile and poly(ethylene glycol)-DSPE (1:1:0.2:0.013 molar ratio). RESULTS: The whole-body images of rhesus monkeys receiving intravenous (99m)Tc vesicles revealed high uptake of the (99m)Tc vesicles in bone marrow. Based on image analysis, we estimated that approximately 70% of the injected dose of the (99m)Tc vesicles was taken up by the bone marrow. CONCLUSION: This finding increases the feasibility of using this bone marrow-specific drug-delivery system for clinical applications.

Pseudo-hydrodynamic delivery of helper-dependent adenoviral vectors into non-human primates for liver-directed gene therapy.

Helper-dependent adenoviral vectors (HDAds) are attractive for liver-directed gene therapy because they can mediate long-term, high-level transgene expression without chronic toxicity. However, systemic delivery requires high vector doses for efficient hepatic transduction, resulting in dose-dependent acute toxicity. Clearly, strategies to improve hepatic transduction with low vector doses are needed. In this regard, we have previously shown that hydrodynamic injection of helper-dependent adenoviral vectors into mice results in increased hepatic transduction, reduced systemic vector dissemination, and reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines compared with conventional injection and thus has the potential to improve dramatically the therapeutic index of helper-dependent adenoviral vectors. Unfortunately, the rapid, large-volume injection used in this method cannot be applied to larger animals. Therefore, we have developed a novel balloon occlusion catheter-based method to mimic hydrodynamic injection of helper-dependent adenoviral vectors into non-human primates that does not require rapid, large-volume injection. Using a low, clinically relevant vector dose, this minimally invasive method results in high-efficiency hepatic transduction with minimal toxicity and stable long-term transgene expression for at least 413 days.

Blood-sucking lice may disseminate Trypanosoma cruzi infection in baboons

Trypanosoma cruzi (Schyzotrypanum, Chagas, 1909), and Chagas disease are endemic in captive-reared baboons at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, Texas. We obtained PCR amplification products from DNA extracted from sucking lice collected from the hair and skin of T. cruzi-infected baboons, with specific nested sets of primers for the protozoan kinetoplast DNA, and nuclear DNA. These products were hybridized to their complementary internal sequences. Selected sequences were cloned and sequencing established the presence of T. cruzi nuclear DNA, and minicircle kDNA. Competitive PCR with a kDNA set of primers determined the quantity of approximately 23.9 18.2 T. cruzi per louse. This finding suggests that the louse may be a vector incidentally contributing to the dissemination of T. cruzi infection in the baboon colony