Age- and sex- related patterns in hematobiochemical and anthropometric parameters of Macaca monkeys.

Abstract

Nonhuman primates are widely used in preclinical biomedical research, with hematobiochemical values serving as key clinical pathology parameters for assessing health status. In this study, we collected and analyzed 2973 blood samples from 566 cynomolgus macaques and 193 rhesus macaques, along with anthropometric measurements such as BMI, body weight, and waist circumference. Corresponding human data were obtained from the NHANES database and incorporated into the study. Regarding white blood cell composition, neutrophil percentages increased while lymphocyte percentages declined with age, with relatively sharp changes observed during both the early stage near sexual maturity and the late stage near aging onset in our macaque and human datasets. The inflammatory indices, calculated based on these compositions, showed similar age-related trends, reflecting age-associated immune modulation in primates. The inflection points approximately correspond to the ages of sexual maturation and aging onset. The statistical analyses predicted a divergence: human aging is primarily defined by metabolic syndrome caused by excess waste accumulation, whereas aging in cynomolgus macaques is fundamentally linked to nutrient deficiency and physical frailty. Despite this contrast, our findings also revealed convergent aging markers across primates. In summary, this study establishes reference indices for hematological and biochemical parameters in macaques, providing valuable insights into age-related changes in primate blood profiles.