2019/10/22 by Victoria Strong, Sophie Moittié, Mary N. Sheppard +6 · 25 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Medicine · #Animal Virus Infections Studies #Viral Infections and Immunology Research #Virus-based gene therapy research
paper · pdf · doi:10.1177/0300985819879442
published in Veterinary Pathology 57(1), 183-191 (SAGE Publications)
crossref issued 2019/10/22 · crossref published 2019/10/22 · crossref published-online 2019/10/22 · openalex publication_date 2019/10/22 · crossref created 2019/10/23 · crossref published-print 2020/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref deposited 2026/05/01 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30 · crossref indexed 2026/08/05
Cardiovascular disorders and predominantly idiopathic myocardial fibrosis are frequently associated with mortality among zoo-housed chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes). Formalin-fixed whole hearts of deceased chimpanzees housed in zoos ( n = 33) and an African sanctuary ( n = 2) underwent detailed macroscopic and histopathologic examination using a standardized protocol. Archived histological slides from the hearts of 23 additional African sanctuary-housed chimpanzees were also examined. Myocardial fibrosis (MF) was identified in 30 of 33 (91%) of the zoo-housed chimpanzees but none of the 25 sanctuary-housed chimpanzees. MF was shown to be characterized by both interstitial and replacement fibrosis. Immunophenotyping demonstrated that the fibrotic lesions were accompanied by the increased presence of macrophages, alpha smooth muscle actin-positive myofibroblasts, and a minimal to mild T-cell-dominant leukocyte infiltration. There was no convincing evidence of cardiotropic viral infection or suggestion that diabetes mellitus or vitamin E or selenium deficiency were associated with the presence of the lesion. However, serum vitamin D concentrations among zoo-housed chimpanzees were found to be lower in seasons of low ultraviolet light levels.