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Alejandro J, Yamanashi Y, Nemoto K, Mouri K, Huang CW, Bercovitch FB, Huffman MA. Reducing stress and stereotypic behaviors in captive female pygmy slow lorises (Nycticebus pygmeaus). Am J Primatol 2023:e23495. [PMID: 37128737 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Improving captive conditions of pygmy slow lorises (Nekaris and Nijman have recently suggested that the pygmy slow loris should be called the pygmy loris and is distinctive enough to warrant a new genus, Xanthonycticebu) (Nycticebus pygmeaus) poses many challenges because detailed aspects of their lives in the wild are incomplete. This hinders efforts to replicate sustainable environments for them. To improve their well-being in captivity, eight rescued female pygmy slow lorises at the Japan Monkey Center (JMC) were socially housed in two types of groups following their solitary housing: two pairs and one group of four individuals. They spent much of their time in affiliative behaviors, as well as sharing sleeping sites after placement in a social group. The purpose of my study was to examine whether social housing helped in reducing stress by comparing fecal glucocorticoids and stereotypic behaviors when housed alone and when with conspecifics. Overall, the levels of fecal glucocorticoids were significantly lower when socially housed than when kept alone. One individual exhibited stereotypic behavior when housed alone, but this behavior disappeared after social housing. These findings support recent evidence that pygmy slow lorises are social animals and will benefit from group housing in captivity. We conclude that social housing of pygmy slow lorises improves their well-being by reducing stress levels, and that their group housing in captivity can provide dividends for the conservation of this endangered nocturnal primate because lorises intended for release should find it easier to adapt to natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josue Alejandro
- Wildlife Research Center (WRC), Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yumi Yamanashi
- Wildlife Research Center (WRC), Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
- Center for Research and Education of Wildlife (CREW), Kyoto City Zoo, Kyoto, Sakyo-ku, Japan
| | - Kei Nemoto
- Japan Monkey Centre (JMC), Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| | - Keiko Mouri
- Wildlife Research Center (WRC), Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| | - Ching-Wen Huang
- Institute of Wildlife Conservation (IWC), Pingtung County, Taiwan
| | - Fred B Bercovitch
- Wildlife Research Center (WRC), Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| | - Michael A Huffman
- Wildlife Research Center (WRC), Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
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Castell N, Guerrero-Martin SM, Rubin LH, Shirk EN, Brockhurst JK, Lyons CE, Najarro KM, Queen SE, Carlson BW, Adams RJ, Morrell CN, Gama L, Graham DR, Zink C, Mankowski JL, Clements JE, Metcalf Pate KA. Effect of Single Housing on Innate Immune Activation in Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Pigtail Macaques ( Macaca nemestrina ) as a Model of Psychosocial Stress in Acute HIV Infection. Psychosom Med 2022; 84:966-975. [PMID: 36162063 PMCID: PMC9553260 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of macaques recapitulates many aspects of HIV pathogenesis and is similarly affected by both genetic and environmental factors. Psychosocial stress is associated with immune system dysregulation and worse clinical outcomes in people with HIV. This study assessed the impact of single housing, as a model of psychosocial stress, on innate immune responses of pigtailed macaques ( Macaca nemestrina ) during acute SIV infection. METHODS A retrospective analysis of acute SIV infection of 2- to si6-year-old male pigtailed macaques was performed to compare the innate immune responses of socially ( n = 41) and singly ( n = 35) housed animals. Measures included absolute monocyte count and subsets, and in a subset ( n ≤ 18) platelet counts and activation data. RESULTS SIV infection resulted in the expected innate immune parameter changes with a modulating effect from housing condition. Monocyte number increased after infection for both groups, driven by classical monocytes (CD14 + CD16 - ), with a greater increase in socially housed animals (227%, p < .001, by day 14 compared with preinoculation time points). Platelet numbers recovered more quickly in the socially housed animals. Platelet activation (P-selectin) increased by 65% ( p = .004) and major histocompatibility complex class I surface expression by 40% ( p = .009) from preinoculation only in socially housed animals, whereas no change in these measures occurred in singly housed animals. CONCLUSIONS Chronic psychosocial stress produced by single housing may play an immunomodulatory role in the innate immune response to acute retroviral infection. Dysregulated innate immunity could be one of the pathways by which psychosocial stress contributes to immune suppression and increased disease severity in people with HIV.
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Pomerantz O, Baker KC, Bellanca RU, Bloomsmith MA, Coleman K, Hutchinson EK, Pierre PJ, Weed JL. Improving transparency-A call to include social housing information in biomedical research articles involving nonhuman primates. Am J Primatol 2022; 84:e23378. [PMID: 35365857 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The social setting of animal subjects in the research environment has known effects on a variety of dependent measures used in biomedical research. Proper evaluation of the robustness of published research is dependent upon transparent, detailed, and accurate reporting of research methods, including the animals' social housing conditions. However, to date, most research articles utilizing nonhuman primates (NHPs) provide only partial data on this topic, hampering transparency, and reproducibility. Therefore, we call for the inclusion of information pertaining to the social aspects of the animals' housing conditions in publications involving NHPs to improve transparency. We argue that including this information in scientific publications is crucial for the interpretation of research findings in the appropriate context and for understanding unexplained variability in study findings. Finally, the inclusion of this information in publications will additionally familiarize scientists with how other researchers conducting similar studies are housing their animals and will encourage them to consider the implications of various housing conditions on their research outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ori Pomerantz
- Population and Behavioral Health Services, California National Primate Research Center, Davis, California, USA
| | - Kate C Baker
- Division of Veterinary Medicine, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA
| | - Rita U Bellanca
- Behavioral Management Services, Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Mollie A Bloomsmith
- Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kristine Coleman
- Division of Comparative Medicine, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Eric K Hutchinson
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter J Pierre
- Behavioral Services Unit, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - James L Weed
- Division of Veterinary Resources, Office of Research Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Charbonneau JA, Amaral DG, Bliss-Moreau E. Social housing status impacts rhesus monkeys' affective responding in classic threat processing tasks. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4140. [PMID: 35264698 PMCID: PMC8907189 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08077-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals’ social contexts are broadly recognized to impact both their psychology and neurobiology. These effects are observed in people and in nonhuman animals who are the subjects for comparative and translational science. The social contexts in which monkeys are reared have long been recognized to have significant impacts on affective processing. Yet, the social contexts in which monkeys live as adults are often ignored and could have important consequences for interpreting findings, particularly those related to biopsychiatry and behavioral neuroscience studies. The extant nonhuman primate neuropsychological literature has historically tested individually-housed monkeys, creating a critical need to understand how social context might impact the outcomes of such experiments. We evaluated affective responding in adult rhesus monkeys living in four different social contexts using two classic threat processing tasks—a test of responsivity to objects and a test of responsivity to an unfamiliar human. These tasks have been commonly used in behavioral neuroscience for decades. Relative to monkeys with full access to a social partner, individually-housed monkeys had blunted reactivity to threat and monkeys who had limited contact with their partner were more reactive to some threatening stimuli. These results indicate that monkeys’ social housing contexts impact affective reactivity and point to the potential need to reconsider inferences drawn from prior studies in which the impacts of social context have not been considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joey A Charbonneau
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California Davis, Davis, USA.,California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
| | - David G Amaral
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, USA.,The MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, USA
| | - Eliza Bliss-Moreau
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, USA. .,Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, USA.
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Berro LF, Pareek T, Reeves-Darby JA, Andersen ML, Howell LL, Platt DM, Rowlett JK. Influence of Pair-housing on Sleep Parameters Evaluated with Actigraphy in Female Rhesus Monkeys. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE : JAALAS 2022; 61:165-172. [PMID: 35012705 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-jaalas-21-000027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Rhesus monkeys are naturally social animals, and behavioral management strategies have focused on promoting pairhousing in laboratory settings as an alternative to individual or group housing. In humans, co-sleeping can have a major impact on bed partners' sleep, raising the possibility that pair-housing also may influence sleep parameters in monkeys. In the present study, we investigated if pair-housing would impact home-cage partner's sleep in female rhesus monkeys, and if nighttime separation using socialization panels would alter this pattern. Sleep parameters of 10 experimentally naïve adult female rhesus monkeys (5 pairs) were evaluated for 7 consecutive days using actigraphy monitors attached to primate collars. Paired animals then were separated by socialization panels during the night, and sleep-associated measures were evaluated for 7 consecutive days. The data showed that sleep efficiency was significantly lower when monkeys were pairhoused as compared with when they were separated. On the nights when subjects were pair-housed, a positive correlation was detected for sleep measures (both sleep latency and efficiency) of both members of a pair (R2's = 0.16-0.5), suggesting that pair-housing influences sleep quality. On nights when subjects were separated, no correlations were observed for sleep measures between members of the pairs (R2's = 0.004-0.01), suggesting that when separated, the home-cage partner's sleep no longer influenced the partner's sleep. Our results indicate that pair-housing has a strong impact on the home-cage partner's sleep, and that this pattern can be prevented by nighttime separation using socialization panels. Studies evaluating sleep in pair-housed monkeys should consider the effects that the partner's sleep may have on the subject's sleep. Sleep is a biologic phenomenon and experimental outcome that affects physical and behavioral health and altered sleep due to pair-housing may affect a range of research outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lais F Berro
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Tanya Pareek
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Jaren A Reeves-Darby
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Monica L Andersen
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Leonard L Howell
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta
| | - Donna M Platt
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - James K Rowlett
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
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Pomerantz O, Capitanio JP. Temperament Predicts the Quality of Social Interactions in Captive Female Rhesus Macaques ( Macaca mulatta). Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:2452. [PMID: 34438912 PMCID: PMC8388696 DOI: 10.3390/ani11082452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous reports suggest that female macaques with greater similarity in emotionality and nervous temperament, as evaluated in a well-established BioBehavioral Assessment (BBA) at the California National Primate Research Center, were more likely to form successful pairs. We tested whether the same measures can also predict the quality of social interactions among 20 female rhesus macaque pairs. We correlated the pairs' emotionality and nervous temperament scores obtained in infancy and the levels of behaviors recorded systematically during the pairing process years later. Supporting previous findings, partners with similar emotionality scores were more affiliative, and pairs with similar nervous temperament expressed less dominance/submissive behavior. Exploratorily, we found that pairs that were better at processing social information (part of BBA) were also more anxious. Such animals should be prioritized to be introduced in rooms that house calmer, less aggressive animals and provide opportunities for hiding to alleviate their anxiety. Indeed, positive social experiences not only promote animal welfare, but also reduce stress related confounds and unexplained data variability. Therefore, by incorporating the animals' temperament into the pair configuration process we increase the likelihood of forming high-quality pairs, both in terms of welfare and the research of which they are a part.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ori Pomerantz
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA;
| | - John P. Capitanio
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA;
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Cassidy LC, Hannibal DL, Semple S, McCowan B. Improved behavioral indices of welfare in continuous compared to intermittent pair-housing in adult female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23189. [PMID: 32890432 PMCID: PMC7944647 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Limiting opportunities for captive nonhuman primates (NHPs) to express species-specific social behaviors may disrupt the adaptive drive for social companionship and may lead to increases in coping behaviors and inactivity. While captive NHPs show improved welfare when moving to pair-housing from single-housing, the impact of daily separation of pair-mates, as is implemented in intermittent pair-housing, is not fully understood. We compared behavioral indices of welfare exhibited by adult female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in two conditions: (1) intermittent pair-housing, involving daily overnight separation of pair-mates, and (2) continuous pair-housing, involving little separation of pair-mates. A within-subjects study design tested two groups of females experiencing both pairing conditions in an alternate order, switching either from continuous to intermittent pair-housing, or from intermittent to continuous pair-housing. Behavioral observations, recording activity state, self-directed, abnormal, and social behaviors, were conducted at midday when all females were paired, and in the afternoon when intermittent pairs were separated. Females exhibited higher levels of inactivity and self-directed behavior when separated due to intermittent pair-housing in comparison to continuous pair-housing. In addition, intermittently paired females showed higher levels of grooming and other types of affiliation when paired, than during the same time frame when they were continuously paired. These results suggest that females in the continuous presence of a social partner experience improved levels of activity and do not need to elevate levels of behavioral coping mechanisms (e.g., self-scratching, increased affiliation) as they receive the benefits associated with social companionship consistently throughout the day. Overall, this study provides the first evidence that continuous pair-housing affords better welfare than intermittent pair-housing in adult female rhesus macaques. Pair-housing options, such as continuous pairing, that reduce reliance on behavioral coping mechanisms and promote adaptive social behavior throughout the entirety of the day should be prioritized over husbandry care scheduled for convenience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren C. Cassidy
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center–Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center & University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Darcy L. Hannibal
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Stuart Semple
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary, Social and Interdisciplinary Anthropology, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom
| | - Brenda McCowan
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, University of California Davis, Davis, California
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