Hematological and biochemical reference intervals in healthy, sedated Nancy Ma’s night monkeys (Aotus nancymaae) in captivity
TL;DR
These highly powered, sedation-contextualized RI provide a definitive, species-specific diagnostic framework that will significantly enhance veterinary care, colony management, and the interpretation of translational research utilizing A. nancymaae.
Abstract
Comprehensive hematological and biochemical reference intervals (RIs) are valuable for accurate clinical evaluation and translational reliability in non-human primate models, yet robust data for Nancy Ma’s night monkey ( Aotus nancymaae ) remain scarce. This study aimed to establish empirical baseline physiological profiles for healthy, captive A. nancymaae . We retrospectively analyzed 1170 blood samples collected over a 15-year period (2007–2022) under standard chemical restraint (ketamine/acepromazine). Non-parametric methods were used to calculate 95% RIs (2.5th–97.5th percentiles) and evaluate the effects of age and sex. Fold-change analysis revealed that age profoundly drives physiological variance, highlighted by massive > 2-fold elevations in alkaline phosphatase and significantly lower adaptive immune cell counts (lymphocytes and monocytes) in juveniles compared to adults. Sexual dimorphism was subtle, primarily reflected in slightly higher erythrocytic mass (RBC, Hb, HCT) in males. Systemic electrolytes and protein markers remained robustly stable across all demographic and dietary cohorts. These highly powered, sedation-contextualized RI provide a definitive, species-specific diagnostic framework that will significantly enhance veterinary care, colony management, and the interpretation of translational research utilizing A. nancymaae .
