Affordable Method for Hematocrit Determination in Murine Models

Abstract

Hematocrit (Hct) is a powerful tool often used in a clinical setting for the diagnosis of blood conditions such as anemia. It is also used in the research field as a hematological parameter in both human and mouse models. Measuring Hct, however, involves the use of expensive standardized equipment (such as a CritSpin™ Microhematocrit Centrifuge). Here, we describe a novel, simple, and affordable method to determine the Hct in untreated wild‐type (WT) mice and phenylhydrazine (PHZ)‐induced anemic mice with reasonable accuracy, using a benchtop centrifuge commonly available in laboratories. Hct of murine samples processed with a benchtop centrifuge, when compared to the standardized method CritSpin™, showed comparable results. This approach for determining Hct of murine can prove useful to research laboratories that cannot afford specialized equipment for Hct studies. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.Basic Protocol 1: Affordable Method for Hematocrit Determination in Murine ModelsBasic Protocol 2: Murine Sample ValidationSupport Protocol: Phenylhydrazine‐induced anemia in wild‐type (WT) mice