Hematology and Ultrastructure of Blood Cells in Large-toothed Ferret-Badger (Melogale personata)

Nual-Anong Narkkong1, Chaleow Salakij2 and Piyawan Suthunmapinuntra2 1 Central Instruments Center, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakarm University, Mahasarakarm 44150, Thailand. 2 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Kamphaengsaen, Nakorn Pathom 73140, Thailand Address correspondence to Nual-Anong Narkkong (e-mail : narkkong@hotmail.com )

Large-toothed or Burmese ferret-badger (Melogale personata) is one in four species of ferret-badger found in the South-east Asia. It occurs from Nepal through Thailand and Vietnam. Mainly nocturnal, sleep in burrows of crevices during days [1] So this endangered species in the zoo has been studied intensively to determine the health status of the individuals. Hematology serves as a screening procedure to assess general health and patient evaluation or diagnosis [2]. Differential white blood cell count is very useful not only in numbering the white blood cells but also provide evidence of anemic condition or reveal the pathogenesis of the problem. Blood smear examinations provide more information on morphology of all blood cell [3]. Blood cells from a male large-toothed ferret-badger were examined and measured after stainning with Wright-Giemsa stain. The scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) procedures were processed the same method as those in King cobra [4]. Red blood cells (RBC) were anisocytosis, not prominent central pallor and easily to form rouleaux. By SEM, some RBCs were crenated, some abnormal RBCs (Fig. 2a), echinocytes, keratocytes were also detected. Neutrophils have tight constricted and multilobulated nuclei which mostly occupied the cells (Fig. 1a). By SEM, there were many microvilli and some micropores (Fig. 2b). Ultrastructurally, they contained many small specific granules and some microvilli. Their granules were smaller than those in Asian elephant [5]. Eosinophils contain numerous small round red refractive granules (Fig. 1b). By SEM, the surfaces of eosinophil quite smooth with granule contour and few microvilli (Fig. 2c). Ultrastructurally, they contained large round granules with homogeneous content without the bar-shaped structructure which found in eosinophilic granules of Asain elephant [5] and Asiatic black bear [6]. Basophils had variable numbers of intensely basophilic rod-shaped granules which do not obscure the very long lobed nucleus and contained some vacuoles (Fig. 1c). Some basophils containes vacuoles which similar to those in reindeer [7]. By SEM, the surfaces of basophil quite smooth with smaller granule contour than those in eosinophil (Fig. 2d). Ultrastructurally, they contained larger round granules and more electron-dense than those of neutrophils. They also contained more RER, ribosomes than those in neutrophils. Most lymphocytes are small and medium size. Ultrastructurally, their nuclei contained hetero-chromatin at periphery which did not different from the other mammals [8]. Monocyte were variably-shaped and had wide oval nuclei with lacy chromatin and blue-grey cytoplasm. By SEM, the surfaces of monocyte quite elastic folding. Some of them were rather spherical and large which maybe macrophage. Ultrastructurally, they contained many mitochondria and ribosomes similar to most mammals [8]. These results add information on morphology and ultrastructure of blood cell in large-toothed ferret badger. REFFERNCES [1] Francis CM. 2001. Mammals of Thailand & south-East Asia. Asia Books. Bangkok. 128 p. [2] Jain NC. 1993. Essentials of Veterinary Hematology. Lea and Febiger. Philadelphia, 417 p. [3] Mills J. 1998. Aust Vet J. 76 : 596-600. [4] Salakij C, et al. 2002. Vet Clin Path.31:116-126. [5] Salakij J, et al. 2004. p. 937-938. Proceeding of the 8th Asia Pacific Electron Microscopic

Conference, June 7-11, 2004. Kanazawa, Japan.

[6] Salakij C, et al. 2004. p. 935-936. Proceeding of the 8th Asia Pacific Electron Microscopic Conference, June 7-11, 2004. Kanazawa, Japan.

[7] Henkel KA, et al. 1999. Vet Clin Path. 28:8-15. [8] Steffens III WL. 2000. p. 326-336. Schalm's Veterinary Hematology. 5thed. Lippincott

Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia. Figure 1 Blood cells in large-toothed ferret-badger a. Two segmented netrophils with some vacuoles (11 µm) b. A 14 µm eosinophil. c. A 14 µm basophil, Wright-Geimsa.

Figure 2 SEM of blood cells in large-toothed ferret-badger a. Abnormal-shaped RBC. b. A neutrophil with small microvilli and some micropores. c. An eosinophil. d. A basophil.

1 a b c

a b

c d