Blood Cell Morphology and Plasma Biochemistry in Russian Tortoises (Agrionemys horsfieldi)

Abstract

Morphological characteristics of peripheral blood cells and plasma biochemistry profile were examined in twenty clinically healthy Russian tortoises (Agrionemys horsfieldi). Blood samples were collected from dorsal coccygeal vein. The Pappenheim staining method was used as the basal method for the classification of the blood cells. For enriching staining panel the commercial kits Rapidiff, Lysocolor, Lymphocolor, Monocolor, Granulocolor and Neutrocolor were used. Ten different types of blood cells were determined: erythrocytes, thrombocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, type-I cells (heterophils), type-II cells (eosinophils), type-III cells (azurophils), type-IV cells (basophils), type-Ia cells (toxic heterophils) and type-V cells (polychromatophil erythrocytes). Stained with Lysocolor, the positive reaction emerged in type-IV cells and less in type-III cells. Granulocolor stained positively type-I, Ia and II cells. General purpose stain Rapidiff was less vivid than the classical Pappenheim method. The differential count of leukocytes in the peripheral blood of clinically healthy tortoises was determined as follows: 0.372 0.089 heterophils, 0.048 0.011 eosinophils, 0.051 0.020 azurophils, 0.050 0.009 basophils, 0.467 0.125 lymphocytes and 0.012 0.006 monocytes. Plasma concentrations of total protein, glucose, uric acid, cholesterol, natrium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and activities of ALP, ALT, AST were: 45.1 6.8 g/l, 11.4 1.3 mmol/l, 95.0 20.1 mol/l, 4.0 1.7 mmol/l, 143.0 6.5 mmol/l, 3.8 0.9 mmol/l, 2.5 0.9 mmol/l, 1.4 0.4 mmol/l, and 4.5 2.0 kat/l, 0.8 0.4 kat/l, 1.1 0.3 kat/l, respectively. The differential count of leukocytes and biochemical values may be used as a standard profile for healthy Russian tortoises kept in captivity.