Hematological parameters of Ameiva ameiva (Reptilia: Teiidae) naturally infected with hemogregarine: Confirmation of monocytosis

Abstract

Little is known on how hematozoan infection changes reptile hematology. The lizard Ameiva ameiva is widely distributed in the Americas and is infected by hematozoan parasites. Previous studies on this lizard have shown that the parasite of monocytes causes a variety of ultrastructural changes in infected host cells. The present study reports that this infection does not cause any change to the erythrocytic values. However, a marked increase in the number of leukocytes (especially monocytes) was detected. This indicates that the hemogregarine not only modulates the infected monocyte, but also increases the blood pool of this leukocyte. A Plasmodium sp was also found infecting erythrocytes of one lizard.

Leukocyte differential counts and morphology from twelve European lizards

“…Therefore, further analyses basing on a repeated blood sampling of individuals in different period of the breeding season would be necessary to fully understand the causes of the difference in parasite loads among species we found in our survey. Finally, we did not find any parasite infecting other blood cells than erytrocytes, contrary to the recent confirmation that haemogregarines are able to infect monocytes (Bonadiman et al 2010).…”

Blood differential count and effect of haemoparasites in wild populations of Pyrenean lizard Iberolacerta aurelioi (Arribas, 1994)

“…This is in agreement with other studies carried out with haemoparasites in crocodilians (GLASMANN et al, 1979) and tortoises (LAWRENCE et al, 1985). In our study, monocytosis was neither associated with haemoparasitism, contrary to the results obtained in the lizard Ameiva ameiva parasitized with the protozoan Plasmodium (BONADIMAN et al, 2010). Moreover, animals with higher number of erythroblasts also show erythrocytes in mitosis, which although not rare, is neither very common in reptiles.…”

Leukocyte Profiles for Western Fence Lizards,Sceloporus occidentalis, Naturally Infected by the Malaria ParasitePlasmodium mexicanum

“…For example, .90 species of Plasmodium have been described from lizards and snakes (Telford, 2008). Although much work has been conducted on hematozoan infections in mammals, little is known about the hematological changes that take place during these infections in reptiles (Bonadiman et al, 2010;Zimmerman et al, 2010). Particularly of interest is any change in the leukocyte population because such changes indicate an immune response initiated by the reptilian host (Bonadiman et al, 2010).…”

“…Although much work has been conducted on hematozoan infections in mammals, little is known about the hematological changes that take place during these infections in reptiles (Bonadiman et al, 2010;Zimmerman et al, 2010). Particularly of interest is any change in the leukocyte population because such changes indicate an immune response initiated by the reptilian host (Bonadiman et al, 2010). Although many hematozoan infections are considered nonpathogenic for their reptilian hosts (Brown et al, 2006;Jacobson, 2007;Sperry et al, 2009;Stacy et al, 2011;Xuereb et al, 2012), some parasites do cause a variety of negative effects, including reduced fecundity, anemia, and reduced weight (Schall, 2002;Ujvari et al, 2004;Amo et al, 2005;Ujvari and Madsen, 2005;Vardo-Zalik and Schall, 2008;Motta et al, 2011).…”