Refinement of Non-human Primate Use in Toxicology: Evaluation of Genetic Diversity in Three Geographical Sources of Cynomolgus Monkey (Macaca fascicularis)

Pharmacologic and toxicologic responses to new agents can be greatly influenced by a number of factors, including background genetic variability. The refinement of rodents through breeding of known strains has provided a supply of genetically homogeneous animals that yield consistent responses to the challenges of new agents. Some rodent animal models are selected based upon their well-understood characteristics for a particular use. For example, the Fisher 344 rat is preferred over the Sprague Dawley rat for metabolism studies due to their similar metabolic pattern for some classes of structures. Conversely, the Sprague Dawley rat is a better model for reproduction studies, as they have a greater fertility rate and an increased number of offspring.