Hematological parameters in relation to age, sex and biochemical values for mute swans (Cygnus olor)

Assessment of biometrics and stress indicators of the adult Village Weaver birds (Ploceus cucullatus) during breeding and post-breeding seasons in Jos, Nigeria

In this era of climate change, some biological conservationists' concerns are based on seasonal studies that highlight how wild birds' physiological fitness are interconnected with the immediate environment to avoid population decline. We investigated how seasonal biometrics correlated to stress parameters of the adult Village Weavers (Ploceus cucullatus) during breeding and post-breeding seasons of the Weaver birds in Amurum Forest Reserve. Specifically, we explored the following objectives: (i) the seasonal number of birds captured; (ii) whether seasonal baseline corticosterone (CORT), packed cell volume (PCV), and heterophil to lymphocytes ratio (H:L) were sex-dependent; (iii) whether H:L ratio varied with baseline (CORT); (iv) whether phenotypic condition (post-breeding moult) and brood patch varied with baseline (CORT) and H:L ratio; and (v) how body biometrics co-varied birds' seasonal baseline (CORT), (PCV) and (H:L) ratio. Trapping of birds (May-November) coincided with breeding and post-breeding seasons. The birds (n = 53 males, 39 females) were ringed, morphologically assessed (body mass, wing length, moult, brood patch) and blood collected from their brachial vein was used to assess CORT, PCV and H:L ratio. Although our results indicated more male birds trapped during breeding, the multiple analyses of variance (MANOVA) indicated that the seasonal temperature of the trapping sites correlated (P < 0.05) significantly to baseline (CORT). The general linear mixed model analyses (GLMMs) indicated that the baseline (CORT) also correlated significantly to H:L ratio of the male and female birds. However, PCV correlated significantly to body size of the birds (wing length) and not body mass. Haematological parameters such as the baseline CORT and the H:L ratio as indicators of stress in wild birds. Hence, there is the possibility that the Village Weaver birds suffered from seasonally induced stress under the constrained effect of environmental temperature. Hence, future studies should investigate whether the effect observed is also attributable to other passerine species.

Evaluating Different Methods For Determining Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate In Free-Living Blanding's Turtles (Emydoidea Blandingii)

Characterizing host factors affecting individual health can be important in the conservation of many chelonians, including the Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii). However, many routine clinical pathology tests do not reliably detect differences in health status in reptiles. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) has been shown to characterize inflammation in many species, including tortoises, and may be useful in assessing Blanding's turtles. The purpose of our study was to evaluate two methods of ESR measurement in free-ranging Blanding's turtles. Sixty Blanding's turtles captured at two sites in Illinois received a complete physical examination, and blood was collected for determination of packed cell volume, total solids, and ESR with both microhematocrit tubes and commercial kits (Winpette). Method agreement was assessed with Passing-Bablok regression. Associations between ESR and demographic, environmental, and health factors were determined by linear regression. The microhematocrit tube method proportionately overestimated ESR compared with the Winpette. With the use of both measurement methods, ESR was significantly different between study sites, higher in adult Blanding's turtles, and higher in females that were gravid compared with those that were not. ESR was also negatively associated with packed cell volume. ESR values in Blanding's turtles are comparable to other reptiles, and although microhematocrit tube and Winpette results are not interchangeable, their associations with biological predictors are similar, and either method has the potential to be used with separate reference intervals to assess turtles for inflammatory conditions.

Haematology, biochemistry and morphological features of peripheral blood cells in captive Boa constrictor

The common boa (Boa constrictor) belongs to the family Boidae and represents one of the most popular traded and kept snake species in captivity. The early diagnosis, prevention and prophylaxis of diseases in this species, and in reptiles in general, still pose major challenges, also due to the lack of reliable reference values. This prompted us to conduct a study on clinically healthy captive B. constrictor to assess their basic health parameters in the blood (haematological and biochemical values, stress markers). Several parameters differed significantly between younger (<3 years) and older (≥3 years) boas; in the latter, the percentages of eosinophils, the haemoglobin and haematocrit levels, as well as the albumin and total protein levels, were higher. In male snakes, cholesterol levels were significantly higher than in females. Light and electron microscopy as well as immunohistochemistry served to identify and determine the morphological features of peripheral blood cells, that is, heterophils, basophils, eosinophils, azurophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, thrombocytes and erythrocytes. Leukocyte subpopulations, that is, T and B cells and monocytes, were also identified based on specific marker expression. The study provides data on haematological, biochemical and stress hormone levels, suitable as reference values, and on the blood cell morphology of B. constrictor which can serve as a guideline for further research on this species.

Comparisons of Hematological and Biochemical Profiles in Brahman and Yunling Cattle

Brahman cattle are tolerant to parasite challenges and heat stress. Yunling cattle are three-way hybrids that are half Brahman cattle, a fourth Murray Grey cattle and a fourth Yunnan Yellow cattle, with good beef performance. The hematological and biochemical parameters can reflect the physiology and metabolic conditions of cattle, and there are valuable indicators of production performance and adaptability that can be found by studying the cattle. To assess the health status and differences, we compared 55 hematological and biochemical parameters of 28 Brahman cattle and 65 Yunling cattle using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Our results showed that 27 hematological and biochemical indices of Brahman cattle were lower than those of Yunling cattle, whereas the other parameters were higher. There are 20 indices with significant differences that were detected between Brahman and Yunling cattle (with p ≤ 0.01 or 0.01 ≤ p ≤ 0.05, respectively), and no significant differences were found for other indices (p > 0.05). Based on these results, Yunling cattle may have a better physical condition than Brahman cattle, may be better at adapting to local environments, and can maintain a good production and reproduction performance. As a new breed that is half Brahman, the abilities of Yunling cattle, including adaptability, stress resistance and tolerance to crude feed, were better than Brahman cattle under the same management conditions.

Spatial, temporal and environmental differences in concentrations of lead in the blood of Mute swans from summer and winter sites in Poland

Lead (Pb) is a highly toxic pollutant and represents a serious threat to wildlife, affecting various systems in animal bodies. Especially prone to Pb poisoning are waterbirds, which may inadvertently ingest spent gunshot, fishing sinkers and contaminated sediments. This research thus focused on evaluating Pb concentrations in the blood of 170 Mute swans (Cygnus olor; a widespread species of waterbirds) at their summer (urban locations in Małopolskie and rural locations in Świętokrzyskie regions) and winter (the urban section of Wisła River in Krakow) sites in Poland (Europe). The study concentrated on comparing blood Pb concentrations according to sites and locations, verifying the influence of sex and age factors, examining the impact on hematocrit (Ht), glutathione (GSH) levels and body condition. Mean blood Pb concentrations (measured with ICP-OES) differed significantly between summer and winter sites (Regression by Maximum Likelihood Estimation (RML), p < 0.001) reaching higher values at winter sites. Concentrations did not differ from year to year (RML, p = 0.028). At summer sites, concentrations differed from location to location: swans from urban locations in Małopolskie had higher blood Pb concentrations (0.055 μg/g) than from rural Świętokrzyskie (0.008 μg/g; RML, p < 0.001). In summer and winter birds, neither sex nor age groups differed significantly the concentrations (RML, p > 0.231). Pb concentrations correlated weakly with Ht and GSH levels (Spearman test) and had no influence on body condition (proxied by scaled mass index; GLM, p = 0.246). We concluded that differences between summer and winter sites were dictated mainly by the type of habitat (rural vs. urban) that birds occupied in different seasons.

REFERENCE VALUES AND COMPARISON OF BLOOD CHEMISTRY AND PLASMA PROTEIN VALUES BETWEEN GOLD STANDARD ANALYZERS AND FOUR POINT-OF-CARE DEVICES IN FREE-RANGING CANVASBACKS (AYTHYA VALISINERIA)

Accurate, timely, and cost-effective blood chemistry analysis is an essential tool for directing emergency treatment, monitoring the health status of captive and free-ranging individuals and flocks, and improving the efficacy of conservation actions. Blood samples were obtained from 52 canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) that were captured on San Francisco Bay, California, during December 2017 as part of a long-term study. Reference values and clinical agreement were determined for blood chemistry and plasma protein parameters among four commonly used point-of-care devices (VetScan^® VS2, i-STAT^®, AlphaTRAK^®2 glucometer, refractometer) and two gold standard laboratory analyzers (Roche cobas^® c501, Helena SPIFE 3000 system). Canvasback reference values were generally within expected ranges for Anatidae species with the exception of higher upper limits for sodium and chloride. Creatine kinase and aspartate transaminase values exceeded a published threshold for diagnosis of capture myopathy even though study birds were captured using low-stress techniques and successfully released. With the exception of higher alkaline phosphatase in hatch-year canvasbacks, no age or sex differences were observed for any analyte in this population that was captured during a nonbreeding period. Analysis of analyzer agreement found raw VetScan aspartate transaminase, calcium, glucose, and uric acid values; corrected VetScan albumin, potassium, sodium, and total protein values; raw i-STAT glucose and potassium values; and corrected i-STAT sodium and chloride values were clinically interchangeable with Roche cobas values. Raw VetScan and i-STAT glucose values were also interchangeable. However, none of the Roche or point-of-care analyzer plasma protein values were in clinical agreement with gold standard electrophoresis values. The findings of this study highlight the need for analyzer- or technique-specific reference values and provide biologists and veterinarians quantitative reference values using currently available analyzers to better assess and respond to the health of individuals and populations.

Habitat-, age-, and sex-related alterations in oxidative stress biomarkers in the blood of mute swans (Cygnus olor) inhabiting pomeranian coastal areas (Northern Poland)

The mute swan (Cygnus olor) can be considered a representative species of birds associated with the aquatic environment and responding very clearly to changes in the environment. Assuming that the condition of the mute swan population well reflects the state of the environment, this species was used in our research as a bioindicative species. Thus, the aim of our study was to elucidate the association between metal contents in soil samples collected from a habitat of mute swans and element contents in their feathers as well as the levels of biomarkers of lipid peroxidation, oxidatively modified proteins, and total antioxidant capacity in the blood of mute swans living in three agglomerations in coastal areas in the southern part of the Baltic Sea (Pomeranian region, northern Poland). We compared the effects of inhabitation, age, and sex on the ecophysiological accumulation of metals in three wintering populations of the mute swan from coastal areas of northern Poland, i.e., Słupsk, Gdynia, and Sopot. In Słupsk, the anthropogenic pressure was related predominantly to the level of Al and, to a lesser extent, to the content of Rh and Ru. We found maximum levels of lipid peroxidation biomarkers in the blood of the mute swans from Gdynia (38.20 ± 6.35 nmol MDA·mL^-1). At the same time, maximum levels of aldehydic and ketonic derivatives of oxidatively modified proteins were noted in the blood of swans from Sopot compared to the values obtained in mute swans from Słupsk and Gdynia. This trend suggesting high levels of oxidative stress biomarkers was also confirmed by a decrease in the total antioxidant capacity in these groups.

Effects of dietary stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) on hormone stress and selected serum biochemical parameters of broilers subjected to chronic heat stress

Background

Heat stress is one of the most critical problems confronting the poultry industry. Stinging nettle (SN) is a medicinal plant with potent antioxidant properties.

Objective

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary SN at two different levels (2 and 4%) on the serum levels of cortisol and some selected parameters of broilers exposed to chronic heat stress.

Methods

A total of 240 broiler chickens were randomly assigned to six dietary groups as follows: (1) control: fed the basal diet; (2) HS: heat‐stressed broiler fed the basal diet; (3) HS‐SN2: heat‐stressed broiler fed 2% dietary SN; (4) HS‐SN4: heat‐stressed broilers fed 4% SN; (5) SN2: no heat‐stressed broilers fed the basal diet supplemented with 2% SN; (6) SN4: no heat‐stressed broilers fed the basal diet supplemented with 4% SN. Diet supplementation with SN was performed from days 14 to 35 and chronic heat stress was induced from days 22 to 29. The serum parameters were evaluated on days 14, 21, 29 and 35.

Results

HS had higher serum levels of cortisol, total cholesterol (TC), aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and creatine kinase (CK) compared to the other treatments. HS‐SN4 had significantly lower cortisol, TC, alanine aminotransferase and CK compared to HS and HS‐SN2.

Conclusions

The inclusion of 4% SN powder in the broilers’ diet alleviated the negative effects of heat stress by decreasing cortisol, TC and tissue damage indices. It seems that dietary SN could be used as a feed additive in the poultry diet for improving the health status and defence mechanisms of the birds under stressful conditions.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and hemoglobin-binding protein in free-living box turtles (Terrapene spp.)

The acute phase response is a highly conserved reaction to infection, inflammation, trauma, stress, and neoplasia. Acute phase assays are useful for wildlife health assessment, however, they are infrequently utilized in reptiles. This study evaluated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in eastern (Terrapene carolina carolina) and ornate box turtles (Terrapene ornata ornata) and hemoglobin-binding protein (HBP) in T. ornata. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate in 90 T. carolina and 105 T. ornata was negatively associated with packed cell volume and was greater in unhealthy turtles (p < 0.05). Female T. ornata had higher ESR values than males (p < 0.05). Measurement of ESR with a microhematocrit tube proportionally overestimated values from a commercial kit (Winpette), though both methods may retain utility with separate reference intervals. Hemoglobin-binding protein concentration in 184 T. ornata was significantly increased in adults and unhealthy turtles (p < 0.05). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate values were similar between seasons and populations, and HBP values were consistent between years, indicating that these analytes may have more stable baseline values than traditional health metrics in reptiles. This study demonstrates that ESR and HBP are promising diagnostics for health assessment in wild box turtles. Incorporating these tests into wild herptile health assessment protocols may support conservation efforts and improve ecosystem health monitoring.

Anti-angiogenic vanadium pentoxide nanoparticles for the treatment of melanoma and their in vivo toxicity study

In recent days, vanadium complexes and nanoparticles have received sustainable attention owing to their vast applications in different fields. In the present study, we report a facile approach for the synthesis of irregular dumbbell shaped vanadium pentoxide nanoparticles (V₂O₅ NPs: 30-60 nm) via the polyol-induced microwave irradiation process along with calcination. The as-synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using various physico-chemical techniques (e.g. XRD, TEM, FT-IR, DLS and XPS). The cell viability assay showed that V₂O₅ NPs could efficiently inhibit the proliferation of different cancer cells (B16F10, A549, and PANC1), depicting their anti-proliferative activity. However, V₂O₅ NPs did not exert significant cytotoxicity to the normal cells (CHO, HEK-293 and NRK-49F), suggesting their biocompatible nature. Interestingly, these nanoparticles inhibited the proliferation and migration of the endothelial cells (HUVECs and EA.hy926) and disrupted the blood vasculature in a chick embryo model, indicating their anti-angiogenic properties. The mechanistic study revealed that the effective internalization of V₂O₅ NPs generated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) which in turn up-regulated p53 protein and down-regulated survivin protein in cancer cells, leading to the apoptosis process. Furthermore, the administration of V₂O₅ NPs to melanoma bearing C57BL6/J mice significantly increased their survivability as compared to the control untreated tumor bearing mice, exhibiting the therapeutic potential of the nanoparticles against melanoma. Additionally, the in vivo toxicity study demonstrated no toxic effect in mice upon sub-chronic exposure to V₂O₅ NPs. Altogether, we strongly believe that V₂O₅ NPs could intrinsically provide a new direction for alternative therapeutic treatment strategies for melanoma and other cancers by employing their anti-angiogenic properties in the future.

Relationship between blood lead levels and physiological stress in mute swans (Cygnus olor) in municipal beaches of the southern Baltic

Lead is one of the non-essential metals that can become a serious environmental threat to the human population and wildlife causing various toxic impairments and pathologies. Waterfowl are especially sensitive to lead exposure as they stay in areas with a high risk of lead pollution due to hunting and fishing pressures. This study aims to determine recent blood lead levels in 45 live mute swans in the southern Baltic, in the Gulf of Gdańsk and to test the hypothesis that birds with elevated lead levels have a higher physiological stress. Mean concentration of lead in blood was 0.239 μg/g (range 0.028-0.675 μg/g). Almost half of the individuals examined in this study had increased blood Pb levels above the threshold level (0.23 μg/g), however none of them showed behavioural signs of Pb poisoning. Although the dominant food of mute swans staying at municipal beaches is bread delivered by people, which has low lead levels, lead was found in all blood samples taken from mute swans. In the study area, another possible source of lead poisoning, other than from ammunition, is connected with various anthropogenic activities, such as municipal sewage works. Moreover, poor diet results in greater susceptibility to absorption of lead and this may have an additional influence on elevated lead levels in blood of these birds. The Pb level was increased with heterophils to lymphocytes (H/L) ratio, which is used as a measure of longer-term physiological stress. The mean lead level in blood was higher in young birds than in adults, which may be a consequence of adults forcing them to take less calorific food from water plants containing elevated levels of lead in the area studied. However, it is difficult to disentangle this from other factors that may influence sensitivity to lead poisoning.

Blood mercury levels in mute swans (Cygnus olor) are not related to sex, but are related to age, with no blood parameter implications

Concentrations of mercury (Hg) were examined in the blood of mute swans from rural breeding sites and urban wintering areas in southern parts of Poland, Europe. The birds were classified into three age groups: cygnets, juveniles and adults. To investigate the potential impact of Hg on birds, hematocrit (Ht), reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and morphometric measurements were taken. Using morphometric parameters, we stated that all mute swans sampled were in good condition. The mercury concentrations found were rather low and differed between birds from industrialized wintering areas and rural breeding areas (means 7 ng/mL and 2 ng/mL, respectively). We found no difference in Hg concentrations between the sexes, but concentrations varied significantly between age groups (cygnets 2 ng/mL, juveniles 7 ng/mL and adults 6 ng/mL). A similar trend was observed for hematocrit levels. GSH levels did not differ between any of the groups studied. We found no significant relationship between blood parameters (Ht, GSH) in relation to Hg concentrations. We conclude that the Hg concentrations in blood may be influenced by industrialization, season and age, but generally low concentration such as those found by us do not affect Ht and GSH levels.

White blood cell count in birds: evaluation of a commercially available method

Background

To conduct a hematological analysis of avian blood samples, standard automated cell counting is unreliable because all avian blood cells are nucleated. Therefore, quantitative white blood cell counting in birds is still performed manually, whereby the Natt-Herrick method is widely used in veterinary laboratories. The aim of this study was to evaluate a new commercially available single test system for avian white blood cell counting, the Natt-Herricks-Tic®, which would allow easy in-house analysis by clinicians or technicians. A total of 40 avian ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) blood samples from 24 different species were included in the study. To assess method agreement, each blood sample was analyzed for total white blood cell count with the test method and the Natt-Herrick reference method. To determine the imprecision of the reference method and the Natt-Herricks-Tic® method, the noncorrected white blood cell count was determined ten consecutive times from one avian EDTA blood sample for each method.

Results

The Natt-Herricks-Tic® method performed well concerning staining quality and countability of the granulocytes by the hemocytometer. In the agreement study, the Natt-Herricks-Tic® method showed a small proportional systematic error with a small positive mean bias of 282 white blood cells/μL but had wide 95% limits of agreement (− 4683 cells/μL to 5227 cells/μL), indicating random error. The precision study resulted in a coefficient of variation of 16% for the Natt-Herricks-Tic® method (the mean ± standard deviation: 9.7 ×  10³/μL ± 1.5 × 10³/μL) and 23% (the mean ± standard deviation: 7.9 × 10³/μL ± 1.8 × 10³/μL) for the reference method.

Conclusions

The Natt-Herricks-Tic® method showed acceptable precision for a manual method and demonstrated good agreement with the reference method. It can be recommended as a reliable and suitable method for determining white blood cell counts in avian EDTA blood if nonstatistical quality control measures are used in the daily routine. The application of individual reference intervals for the interpretation of white blood cell counts in birds may improve the diagnostic performance of this important analyte in a clinical setting.

Hematology and serum biochemistry parameters of captive Chinese alligators (Alligator sinensis) during the active and hibernating periods

The Chinese alligator Alligator sinensis is an endangered freshwater crocodilian species endemic to China. Hematology and serum biochemistry reference range are useful in the assessment and management of animal health condition. In this study, a total of 74 Chinese Alligators (30 males and 44 females) were examined to establish reference range values of hematology and serum biochemistry parameters during the active and hibernating periods. We measured and analyzed 9 hematology and 21 serum biochemistry parameters including 4 serum electrolyte parameters, and described the morphology of different types of blood cells. No statistical differences between the sexes were found for hematology parameter, while significant differences were noted for some serum biochemistry parameters, with males having greater alkaline phosphatase activity level and lower globulin concentration value than females. There were some significant differences between the two different periods with alligators during the active period possessing lower values for mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, total bilirubin and creatine kinase, but higher values for red blood cell and white blood cell counts, monocyte percentage, aspartate aminotransferase, a-amylase, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, triglycerides, and cholesterol. These baseline data were essential for health condition evaluation and disease diagnosis of this endangered species.

Stress assessment in captive greylag geese (Anser anser)

Chronic stress--or, more appropriately, "allostatic overload"--may be physiologically harmful and can cause death in the most severe cases. Animals in captivity are thought to be particularly vulnerable to allostatic overload due to artificial housing and group makeup. Here we attempted to determine if captive greylag geese (Anser anser), housed lifelong in captivity, showed elevated levels of immunoreactive corticosterone metabolites (CORT) and ectoparasites in dropping samples as well as some hematological parameters (hematocrit, packed cell volume, total white blood cell count [TWBC], and heterophil:lymphocyte ratio [H:L]). All of these have been measured as indicators of chronic stress. Furthermore, we correlated the various stress parameters within individuals. Captive geese showed elevated values of CORT and ectoparasites relative to a wild population sampled in the vicinity of the area where the captive flock is held. The elevated levels, however, were by no means at a pathological level and fall well into the range of other published values in wild greylag geese. We found no correlations between any of the variables measured from droppings with any of the ones collected from blood. Among the blood parameters, only the H:L negatively correlated with TWBC. We examine the problem of inferring allostatic overload when measuring only 1 stress parameter, as there is no consistency between various measurements taken. We discuss the different aspects of each of the parameters measured and the extensive individual variation in response to stress as well as the timing at which different systems respond to a stressor and what is actually measured at the time of data collection. We conclude that measuring only 1 stress parameter often is insufficient to evaluate the well-being of both wild and captively housed animals and that collecting behavioral data on stress might be a suitable addition.

Reference intervals in avian and exotic hematology

Historically, reference intervals (RI) have come from many sources and been generated by several methods and sample sizes. As RI generation has matured in human laboratory medicine, important guidelines have been adopted in veterinary medicine. Although meeting the goals of these guidelines may be difficult, especially with avian and exotic species, sets of 20 to 40 samples can be used with proper statistical calculations, and other viable alternatives have been examined. The adoption and knowledge of these different methods are important to make a positive move forward in RI generation for special species.