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Abstract. During the last 21 years, 7 adult captive Brazilian agoutis (Dasyprocta leporina) from 4 different zoologic gardens were necropsied and histologically examined at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany. All animals had polycystic kidney disease as the major pathologic change. Except in 1 case, no clinical signs were recognized prior to death. The animals had macroscopic bilateral alterations of the kidneys ranging from granulated surfaces to severe polycystic changes. Microscopic examination revealed multifocal to generalized, moderate to severe cystic dilatations of Bowman's capsules and renal tubules, moderate mesangial and capsular proliferation of the renal corpuscles, mild interstitial fibrosis, and mild to moderate interstitial lympho-plasmacytic infiltrations. Little information is known about the genetic relationships of these animals, but breeding practice indicates a high possibility of inbred agouti zoo populations in Germany. This is the first report on polycystic kidney disease in Brazilian agoutis with possible genetic background.

The phagocytic ability and the proliferative activeity of leukaemic blast cells were investigated in 24 patients with actue leukaemia. A certain phagocytic activity was found in most cases of acute leukaemia. The highest phagocytic activity occurred in monocytic leukaemia. Blast cell populations with a relative high phagocytic activity showed a low proliferative activity and only a few cells in DNA synthesis. The blastcells with phagocytosis are more mature cells. We got the impression that they areresting cells and possibly end cells

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