CONCENTRAÇÕES SÉRICAS DE CISTATINA C EM MACACOS-DA- NOITE (Aotus azarai infulatus) (Serum Cystatin C in owl monkeys (Aotus azarai infulatus))

In veterinary medicine, renal function is usually assessed through urea and creatinine determinations. However, these markers show poor sensitivity for early detection of renal failure by altering when most of the kidney function is compromised. More sensitive biomarkers have been used, among which stands out the cystatin C (CysC). However, for several species of non-human primates concentration and reference values for CysC still need to be established. The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of CysC in Aotus azarai infulatus and evaluate the effects of age, sex and body mass on the values obtained. Twenty-nine monkeys (15 males and 14 females) were divided into three age groups: AG1 (1 to 3 years old, n = 9); AG2 (4 to 6 years, n = 6), and AG3 (over 10 years, n = 14). The CysC concentrations ranged from 0.63 to 1.60 mg/l. The sex and age of the animals did not influence the results for CysC, urea, and creatinine. Body mass in AG3 (1.17 ± 0.22 kg) was greater (p < 0.05) compared to those observed in AG1 (0.99 ± 0.07 Kg), but was not significant to AG2 (0.98 ± 0.10 kg). However, it is noteworthy that CysC is not influenced by body mass, so it is a good biomarker for renal function. This is the first study on the determination of CysC in the genus Aotus and the values obtained can be used as reference for this species. Keyword: Renal function; Non-human primates; Biomarker.