Cytological examination and cellular composition of bone marrow in healthy, adult, cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cellular composition of the bone marrow of cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). Femoral bone marrow smears from 23 healthy, adult animals (11 males and 12 females) were examined. For each animal, three femoral bone marrow smears were prepared immediately after euthanasia and stained with May-Grünwald-Giemsa. On two of the three smears available, and for each of these smears, a 500-cell differential count was performed and the myeloid: erythroid (M:E) ratio established. The M:E ratio for males varied from 0.67∶1.00 to 1.85∶1.00 with a mean of 1.03∶1.00 and for females from 0.67∶1.00 to 1.63∶1.00 with a mean of 1.02∶1.00. The mean percentage of granulocytic, lymphocytic, plasmacytic and erythroid series was 47.60, 5.44, 1.45 and 46.05% for males and 47.28, 5.12, 1.49 and 46.28% for females. No significant differences were noted between males and females. All cell lines were well represented and showed normal maturation in both sexes. Megakaryocytes were adequate in number and morphology in all animals. Cynomolgus monkeys showed a bone marrow composition similar to rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Cytological examination of bone marrow was found to be a simple and rapid procedure, well suited to the toxicological research environment. It provided excellent information on cell distribution, morphology and maturation of the haematopoietic system.