A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF COLITIS AND COLON-CANCER IN COTTON-TOP TAMARINS (SAGUINUS-OEDIPUS)

Background & Aims: Spontaneous colitis and colon cancer in the cotton- top tamarin have been shown to resemble human ulcerative colitis and i ts associated cancer, The effect of environment and diet on the evolut ion of the disease was studied in animals from birth to 5 years of age , Methods: Newborn tamarins were assigned to three groups reared in (1 ) a colony in which colitis was highly prevalent and fed a standard di et; (2) an isolation unit and fed a standard diet or one of two semipu rified diets; and (3) a multispecies nursery, returned to the colony, and fed the same semipurified diets, Mucosal biopsy specimens from the descending colon were taken at 4-month intervals. Results: Acute coli tis and chronic mucosal changes were significantly higher in the colon y than in the isolation unit, Diet had no effect on acute colitis, but chronic mucosal changes were significantly higher in animals fed a st andard diet than semipurified diets, Conclusions: Data suggest that ac ute colitis was associated with environment, Factors in the environmen t, including a transmissible agent, are discussed. Chronic mucosal cha nges were modified by diet, Cancer was associated with acute colitis a nd chronic changes and seems to be associated with diet.