Information about the collection (full name, year of creation, size of the collection fund)
A collection of great apes for basic, biomedical and pharmacological research.

The collection was created in 1981 on the basis of the Adler monkey nursery of the NIIEPT Institute of Medical Sciences of the USSR.

The collection consists of 5136 monkeys of 23 species.

Organizational status of the unit directly operating the collection
Zootechnical laboratory and nursery FSBI "NII MP".

Name, position, academic title, academic degree of the head of the work with the collection (structural unit of the basic organization), contact information
Chalyan Valery Gurgenovich
Chief Researcher, Research Institute MP, Doctor of Biological Sciences
Tel.: 8(988) 416-62-24
E-mail: vg_chalyan@mail.ru

Description of the collection, purpose, the main advantages

The main part of the animal collection was born and raised in the cells and enclosures of the nursery. Monkeys are contained in 160 enclosures, 158 group cages and in 12 rooms with cages installed in them for individual maintenance. All animals are identified, have an individual number, inflicted by a tattoo. A strict record of the monkeys of the collection is maintained, according to which the life course of monkeys is recorded in documents on paper and electronic media from birth to death.
The collection is designed to meet the needs of laboratory primates domestic biomedical research.

The collection of the highest primates of the FSI “NII MP” is the only collection of laboratory monkeys in the Russian Federation and the largest in Europe, optimally suited for using a wide range of basic, biomedical and pharmacological studies. Monkeys are the most adequate laboratory animals for conducting almost all biomedical research. As representatives of the primate order, monkeys are genetically, biochemically, and physiologically closest to humans. The advantage of the collection of monkeys when using them to create laboratory models is the fact that they belong to the category of those born and raised in the enclosures and cages of the nursery. The consequence of this is the lack of need for acclimatization, as well as the availability of accurate information about the origin, parents, age of animals, past illnesses, the nature of the content, as well as other information required when conducting various complex studies.

Updatable collection electronic catalog (list)

1. Inventory number;
2. The second number (if available);
3. Nickname (if available);
4. Pol;
5. Kind, species;
6. Date of birth;
7. Place of birth;
8. Parents;
9. Date of delivery;
10.Where came from;
11. Age on delivery;
12. The nature of use;
13. Transit;
14. Weight;
15. Check-out (place, date, reason);
16. Gibel (place, date);
17. Inventory.

The main directions of scientific research conducted using the collection

Using the collection of higher primates, the Institute conducts research in the following areas:
1. Molecular biological and genetic bases of vital activity of bacteria and viruses.
2. Molecular epidemiology, ecology of infectious agents.
3. Disregulation pathology of organs and systems. Pathological integration.
4. The study of pathological anatomy and pathogenesis of socially significant human diseases.
5. Creating standardized biomodels of laboratory animals.
6. Biological diversity.
7. Cell biology, theoretical foundations of cellular technologies.
8. The study of the behavior of monkeys as the biological basis of human behavior.

The most significant scientific results of research

Received at the Research Institute of Medical Primatology, in the course of the implementation of the FNI Program of the State Academies of Sciences for 2016.

The study of the mechanisms of psycho-emotional stress and resistance to it.
The test with fludrocortisone (PK, an agonist of high-affinity mineral corticoid receptors - MR) revealed individual features in the nature of changes during the aging of the feedback mechanism in the regulation of cortisol secretion (COORT): its weakening in old monkeys (Macacamulatta) with depressive and restless behavior (DBA) in the absence of beings age changes in monkeys with standard adaptive behavior (SP). In parallel with the increase in concentrations of COORT in the peripheral blood at different time intervals after the administration of FC in the afternoon time, in old monkeys with DAB, a marked increase in the concentration of ACTH was observed, which closely correlated with the dynamics of the COTE concentration.

Creation of new cellular technologies
Together with the Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, laboratory primates (hamadryas baboons) conducted experiments to create a tissue-engineering design of the esophagus to replace a damaged organ. Synthetic scaffolds (matrix) 0.5 by 1.5 cm in size were seeded with mesenchymal stem cells obtained from primate bone marrow and after two days of incubation they were transplanted into the esophagus of monkeys. The 2D and 3D artificial frames were made by the laboratory of polymeric materials of the Kurchatov Institute Research Center from a polyamide-6-based fibrous material with an average diameter of 2.9 microns. Transplants gave a good survival rate and successfully integrated into the wall of the esophagus. Postoperative complications were not observed.
When doxirubicin was administered to macaques Rhesus, the clinical picture of intoxication was similar in humans. Pre-transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with moderate doses of doxorubicin fully maintains the normal clinical status of monkeys. Late transplantation of MSCs does not have a protective effect. The protective effect of MSCs depends on the dose of doxorubicin, the total amount of MSC injected and the time of their transplantation.

Molecular epidemiology, ecology of infectious agents
When studying structural polymorphism and the prevalence of some virulence genes of Staphylococcusaureus, it was found that coagulase-positive staphylococci dominated in the species spectrum of the staphylococcal flora of primates. 6 types of staphylococci have been found, of which S.aureusspp.aureus and S.intermedius dominate. The staphylococcal strains are highly sensitive to amoxiclav, benzylpenicillin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, enrofloxacin and show high resistance to ampicillin.
Molecular genetic identification of triple isolates of the hepatitis A virus (HAV) isolated in 2016 from monkeys born at the Adler Primatological Center showed a high degree of homology of the nucleotide sequence of the VP1-2A region between HAV strains from green monkeys brought from Tanzania and Adler nursery monkeys allocated previously (99.9%). The homology of the Adler strains with the prototype AGM-27 strain was 94.8%.

Learning behavior
As a result of the study of the spatial relationships of monkeys in cages and aviaries, the parameters of the minimum and average distance, actively maintained by individuals in groups, were established regardless of the amount of available space in the cells and aviaries, presence or absence of crowding.
For the first time, a comparison was made of the behavior of monkeys in individual cell and group conditions depending on the type of animal temperament. It has been established that the assessment of the behavior of individuals in individual cellular conditions is not a reliable predictor of the individual characteristics of their behavior under group conditions. In particular, animals that demonstrate a violent, aggressive temperament in terms of individual content with a very high probability in group housing conditions demonstrate behavior typical of animals with a passive temperament and occupy low positions in the rank hierarchy of the group.
For the first time, the existence of a link between the hierarchical status of male monkeys and some biochemical blood parameters, in particular, such as alkaline phosphatase activity, ALaT, ASaT, LDH, albumin, creatinine and phosphorus, was shown. It is established that the differences in the magnitude of biochemical parameters in high-ranking and low-ranking monkeys correspond to the severity of the hierarchical relations found in different species.
For the first time, the ability to solve cognitive tests by males and baboons males was investigated. It has been established that with the onset of pubertal males the ability to solve spatial orientation problems sharply increases. Males of hamadryas baboons show significantly higher activity when performing cognitive tests and higher indices of cognitive test solution abilities compared with males of Javanese macaques.

Last year's collection replenishment

In 2016, 947 monkeys of different species were born. The collection was replenished with the following acquisitions: 165 Javanese macaques, 2 macaque magnets, 1 black macaques.
In 2017, 227 monkeys of different species were born during the first 5 months. 90 Javanese macaques, 1 macaque magnets, 1 black macaque, 2 Japanese macaques, 1 golden-bellied mangabey, 1 black mangabey were acquired.

The list of relevant services provided to interested users, taking into account the load

Presented on the NII MP website (www.primatologia.ru) in the “Price list” section of the “OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS” section.

List of main process equipment

Pinch cells in rooms for ind.sod. - 525 pcs.
Clamping cells - 131 pcs.
Paired cells - 27 pcs.
2-tier cells - 11 pcs.
Transport cells - 38 pcs.
Portable cells - 17 pcs.
Electronic scales 12 pcs.
Tattoo machine - 3 pcs.
Irradiator - air recirculator (ionizer) - 4 pcs.
Device for catching - 1 pc.
Vegetable - 1 pc.
Vegetable Cutter - 1 pc.
Bread slicer - 3 pcs

Techniques used

1. Observations (according to standard ethological methods).
2. Cognitive tests.