Core Laboratories

Primate Core

The Primate Research Laboratory of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine became operational in 1967. The primate facilities have provided a unique regional resource for the study of reproductive processes in the monkey, an experimental model which serves as an excellent surrogate for humans. Since its inception, the Primate Research Laboratory has facilitated the acquisition of important information regarding the physiology of GnRH secretion and action, the control of the onset of puberty, the regulation of folliculogenesis and corpus luteum function, the control of spermatogenesis and the influences of metabolic demands upon reproductive function in males and females.

Of major importance has been the development of a remote sampling system for use in monkeys in which continuous access to the venous system and cerebrospinal fluid is maintained in the absence of restraint or pharmacological sedation. With this system, blood samples can be collected from conscious animals and exogenous hormones and pharmacological agents can be delivered intravenously or directly to the central nervous system.

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