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Clinical Pathology of Renal Amyloidosis in a Captive Population of Tree Shrews (Tupaia belangeri)

Natalie Steiner,Tina Brezzina,Felix Felmy,Frederik Kiene,Yara Silberstein,Małgorzata Ciurkiewicz,A. Beineke,Jan Hinrich Bräsen,R. P. Linke,Claudia Busse,M. Pees,Ute Radspiel,Maximilian Reuschel

Published 2026 in Journal of Lab Animal Research

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Captive tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri) are widely used as experimental models for neurological, visual, and infectious disease studies. Despite evidence suggesting a genetic or physiological predisposition to systemic amyloidosis in this species, its clinicopathological characteristics are still poorly understood. The present study aimed to characterize clinicopathological changes associated with systemic amyloidosis in a captive breeding colony of Tupaia belangeri (T. belangeri) and to explore potential early ante-mortem indicators in blood indices, imaging, or clinical examination of the disease.Materials and methods: Nineteen T. belangeri were included in the present study (seven males, 12 females) with a mean age of 3.3 years from a single institutional breeding colony at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany. Fifteen animals underwent standardized ante-mortem clinical assessment, including physical and ophthalmic examination, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, radiography, and abdominal ultrasonography, followed by necropsy and histopathology. Four animals were included solely on the basis of pathological and histological examination due to long intervals between the prior clinical evaluation and necropsy. Amyloid was identified histologically by Congo red staining and confirmed as AA-type by immunohistochemistry.Results: Systemic AA-amyloidosis was detected in 74% of the examined T. belangeri (14/19), predominantly affecting the kidneys and intestines. A significant association was observed between renal cysts and amyloid deposition. An association with urine specific gravity was observed, while no significant associations were identified between amyloidosis and other biochemical, urinary, radiographic, or ultrasonographic parameters, nor with sex, body weight, or age.Conclusion: Systemic AA-amyloidosis appeared to be common in captive T. belangeri, predominantly affecting the kidneys and intestine, while lacking reliable ante-mortem clinical or laboratory indicators, highlighting the need for improved diagnostic approaches.

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