Hematology and serum biochemistry of farmed bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus during the active and hibernating periods

Abstract

The Bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus is a species of economic important edible frog and often chosen as experimental animal model. Although, some studies in the literatures have reported the parameters of hematology and serum biochemistry in several Rana species, a comprehensive profile of hematology and biochemistry in farmed bullfrogs was very limited, especially during the hibernating period. 140 apparently healthy farmed bullfrogs (70 males and 70 females) were used during the active and hibernating periods to determine the hematology and serum biochemistry parameters including morphometry of erythrocytes, PCV, HGB, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RBC count, WBC count, differential leukocyte count, glucose (Glu), triglycerides (TG), cholesterol (Cho), blood urea nitrogen (Bun), uric acid (UA), creatine (Cre), total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), globulin (Glo), γ-glutam (GGT), total bilirubin (TB), alkaline phosphatase (Alp), a-amylase (Amy), CK, AST, ALT, LDH, K, Na, Cl and nCa (that is, the ionized calcium level when pH=7.4). Differences between sexes showed that male bullfrogs possessed a statistically higher LDH activity level, and statistically lower levels of Cre, Na and Ca concentrations. Additionally, it was noted that bullfrogs during the active period had significantly lower values for HGB, PCV, MCV, ALT, Glo, Bun, Na, Cl and surface areas and volumes of RBCs and their nuclei, and significantly higher values for WBCs counts and Cre than the hibernating ones. These baseline data could be used for health monitoring and disease diagnostics in bullfrogs artificial farming and serve as general reference values for future studies on the physiology of this species.

Transport of American bullfrogs in plastic boxes with and without moistened foam: plasma biochemistry and erythrogram responses

“…The elevation of plasma protein levels occurred due to the increase in globulins observed in frogs shortly after transportation in both evaluated conditions. Probably, the increase in globulins is involved in enhancing the immune defense of these animals due to the challenging conditions of transportation, as also observed in adult bullfrogs during the hibernation period (Peng et al 2016) and during crowding stress, where adult bullfrogs were kept in a burlap bag for 1 hour and 30 minutes (Alves et al 2022).…”

“…In bullfrogs evaluated immediately after transportation, the increase in hematocrit and hemoglobin occurred due to the higher number of erythrocytes. This is a common response in stressful situations, where there is an increased demand for oxygen by tissues (Peng et al 2016). According to Pakhira et al (2015), the elevation of hematocrit and hemoglobin favors the oxygen transport capacity in the blood and, consequently, the supply of this gas to the main organs in response to increased metabolic demand.…”

Hematologic parameters and the effect of hemoparasites of wild anurans in Northern Sinaloa, Mexico

“…Most hematologic profiles are primarily obtained from captive animals 1,2 . However, these profiles are not sufficiently reliable because of the small sample size and differences in biological (ie, age or sex) or environmental (ie, captivity or climate) conditions 1,2,4‐7 …”

“…3,8 Blood parameters, including erythrocytes, hematocrits, and erythroplastids, indicate the oxygenation capacity or changes in the oxygenation efficiency, [8][9][10][11] while the leukogram may provide information on several conditions, including inflammation, infection, or stress responses. 5,12,13 Most hematologic parameters reported in amphibians come from the most abundant and morphologically large species, 7,[14][15][16][17][18][19] while some threatened species (small or rare) are left behind.…”

“…1,2 However, these profiles are not sufficiently reliable because of the small sample size and differences in biological (ie, age or sex) or environmental (ie, captivity or climate) conditions. 1,2,[4][5][6][7] Hematologic analysis provides information on amphibian health, indicating physiologic processes, the presence of diseases, nutritional status, and the effects of toxins. 3 Some of these changes are primarily observed in hematologic analysis, indicating subclinical physiologic processes.…”