Primate Aging Database (PAD)





Mark A. Lane and Darlene Smucny

Nutritional and Molecular Physiology Unit
Laboratory of Neurosciences
National Institute on Aging, NIH
Baltimore, MD 21224 and
Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center, Madison, WI.




The use of nonhuman primate (NHP) models in biogerontology has increased markedly in recent years. Although the literature in this field is rapidly expanding, it is often difficult for researchers and clinicians to obtain age-specific information on NHP physiology. Several years ago we initiated a project to develop a Primate Aging Database (PAD) that would serve as a resource for scientists interested in primate models of aging. In addition, the database was to serve as a clinical reference for veterinarians charged with treating the ever-increasing numbers of NHP being utilized in research. PAD is a consortium of scientists interested in primate aging whose membership includes representatives from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), NIH-supported Regional Primate Centers, other primate centers, and other research organizations interested in gerontology. At present the database contains over 400,000 data points from more than 15 primate species. The majority of information available at present focuses on blood chemistry and hematology data obtained from macaque. However, several longer- and shorter-lived primate species are represented, including humans. The utility of the database as a scientific resource has been demonstrated in two major projects completed in recent months. The initial project demonstrated that several physiological parameters were altered with aging in rhesus monkeys. Specifically, 15 of 33 physiological parameters analyzed demonstrated significant alteration with age. A second project demonstrated the utility of the a comparative analysis using database for evaluating and confirming serum albumin as a candidate marker of aging in primates. The database will become available for both general and scientific use during 2001. Plans for expansion of the project in the next year include addition of a greater diversity of primate species and inclusion of data in other functional domains such as endocrinology and behavior.







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