title: The role of the chimpanzee in the evaluation of the risk of foreign chemicals to man.
abstract: Various species of laboratory animals are used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of drugs in man. However, the extrapolation of data from animals to man is often complicated by species differences in the disposition of foreign chemicals. The findings of comparative metabolism studies are used to illustrate species differences in metabolic pathways, rates of biotransformation, kinetics, and excretion routes. Biochemical and structural consequences of the significant differences in enzyme induction between rodents and primate species are discussed. Among the primates, the chimpanzee has been shown to be the most closely related to man not only in the disposition of xenobiotics, but also in the aspects of endocrinology, serology, and immunology. It would, therefore, be the best possible model to predict the fate and effects of foreign chemicals in man. Due to the limited availability of chimpanzees, however, they can only be used for the evaluation of the most critical chemicals and drugs. Comparative metabolism and disposition studies, e.g., of compounds representative of classes of chemicals in chimpanzees and other animals. Only when the pertinent differences between the selected test species and man are known can correct extrapolations to man be made.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001711:Biotransformation; D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000502:physiology*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000378:metabolism; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D012306:Risk; D013045:Species Specificity; D014116:Toxicology
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations