Objective To establish a method for detecting mRNA expression levels of the fatty acid-binding protein 4 gene (FABP4) in crab-eating macaques, Macaca fascicularis. Methods Six pairs of primers for real-tim quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were designed according to the mRNA sequence of the FABP4 gene. Adipose tissue was collected from Macaca fascicularis, and total RNA was extracted and reverse transcribed into cDNA. RT-qPCR was carried out using the designed primers, and the primers with the most sensitive detection and without non-specific amplification were selected according to the amplification curve and melting peaks. A standard curve for gene expression was constructed using cDNA diluted at 10P>0, 10^-1, 10^-2, 10^-3, and 10^-4. Macacafascicularis were divided into young and old groups to validate the fluorescence RT-qPCR detection method for FABP4expression in Macaca fascicularis adipose tissue. ResultsA pair of primers with the highest detection sensitivity was screened out, and a fluorescence RT-qPCR method for detecting FABP4 expression in Macaca fascicularis adipose tissue was established. Relative expression levels of the FABP4 gene in adipose tissue were higher in elderly compared with young macaques. Conclusions We successfully established a RT-qPCR method for detecting transcription levels of the FABP4 gene in Macaca fascicularis.