Serum prostate specific antigen changes in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) on a high sugar high fat diet

BACKGROUND An inverse relationship between serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels and body mass index (BMI) has been reported in men but not in any animal model. METHODS Serum PSA in a colony of cynomolgus monkeys was assayed and correlated to body weight, prostate weight, and age. In addition, 15 animals were selected and fed a high sugar high fat (HSHF) diet for 49 weeks to increase their BMI and correlate it to PSA RESULTS Serum PSA levels were positively correlated to prostate weight (r = 0.515, P = 0.025) and age (r = 0.548, P = 0.00072) but was not significantly correlated to body weight (r = −0.032, P = 0.419). For the animals on the HSHF diet, body weight, lean mass, fat mass, and BMI were significantly higher at 49 weeks than at baseline (P