The hemic response of white-spotted bamboo sharks (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) with inflammatory disease

Abstract

As elasmobranch medicine becomes more commonplace, there continues to be confusion with techniques and evaluation of the shark hemogram and it remains unknown if they are able to mount an inflammatory hemic response. The aims of this study were to compare two total white blood cell (WBC) count techniques, establish a reference interval for captive white-spotted bamboo sharks (Chiloscyllium plagiosum), and determine if elasmobranchs are capable of mounting an inflammatory hemic response. Correlation statistics were performed on hematologic results for healthy female bamboo sharks to assess the use of Natt-Herrick's and phloxine methods. Total WBC counts and differentials were obtained from males with severe traumatic clasper wounds and compared to the healthy females. We elected clasper amputation as the preferred treatment intervention and post-operative hematology was performed one month later. There was poor correlation of leukocyte counts between the two WBC count methods. Hematologic values were established for the females and males pre- and post-operatively. Males with wounds had a marked leukocytosis and heterophilia. Post-operative blood work showed a resolution of total WBC count and a trend toward resolution of the heterophilia. This study provides hematologic values for white-spotted bamboo sharks and confirms that the Natt-Herrick's method is preferred for lymphocytic species. Hematologic differences present in males with clasper wounds suggests that elasmobranchs do mount an inflammatory hemic response. Treatment via clasper amputation proved to be a safe and efficient means for clinical treatment that led to a trend toward resolution of the inflammatory leukogram. Zoo Biol. 35:251-259, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Variability in hematology of white‐spotted bamboo sharks (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) in different living environments

“…The total white blood cell counts were significantly higher in the female sharks under the first set of housing parameters (lower temperature and higher stocking density). The relative numbers of each leukocyte type within the total WBC count, appear to have remained relatively unchanged, unlike the inflammatory changes seen in relative number of heterophils in our previous study (Alexander et al, ). Additionally, the PCV of the female sharks, which was significantly higher than male sharks with inflammation during the previous study (Alexander et al, ), was significantly lower than the PCVs obtained from all sharks during the blood collections in the second study.…”

“…The relative numbers of each leukocyte type within the total WBC count, appear to have remained relatively unchanged, unlike the inflammatory changes seen in relative number of heterophils in our previous study (Alexander et al, ). Additionally, the PCV of the female sharks, which was significantly higher than male sharks with inflammation during the previous study (Alexander et al, ), was significantly lower than the PCVs obtained from all sharks during the blood collections in the second study. The striking observations that neutrophils were identified during the second collection, but not the first, where basophils were only identified in the first time collection, is also worth noting.…”

“…Documenting hematologic reference intervals for elasmobranchs assists veterinarians in better assessing animal health (Ferreira, Field, & Tuttle, ; Persky et al, ). Several parameters have been found that can influence blood results in aquatic species, such as temperature, stocking density, stress, venipuncture site, and salinity, as well as inflammatory lesions (Alexander, Parkinson, Grant, Carlson, & Campbell, ; Frick, Reina, & Walker, ; Mylniczenko, Curtis, Wilborn, & Young, ; Pickering & Pottinger, ; Skov, Larsen, Frisk, & Jokumsen, ; Sulikowski, Treberg, & Howell, ; Tullis & Baillie, ). The state of elasmobranchs’ environments can have large impacts on hematology results, and many studies set out to elucidate the changes these variables cause (Alexander et al, ; Skov et al, ; Sulikowski et al, ; Tullis & Baillie, ).…”

“…The report that follows resulted from observations of elasmobranch hematology performed on the same white‐spotted bamboo sharks ( Chiloscyllium plagiosum ) 1 year apart with the same CBC protocol as they were enrolled in two different research projects. The first study investigated the inflammatory response of these sharks by comparing the CBCs of males with traumatic clasper lesions to those of healthy females and tracked their hematologic changes after clasper amputation (Alexander et al, ). This study revealed that a leukocytosis, heterophilia, and anemia occurred in those males with traumatic lesions and found that these changes mainly resolved one month after surgical amputation of the inflammatory lesions (Alexander et al, ).…”

“…1987; Skov, Larsen, Frisk, & Jokumsen, 2011;Sulikowski, Treberg, & Howell, 2003;Tullis & Baillie, 2005). The state of elasmobranchs' environments can have large impacts on hematology results, and many studies set out to elucidate the changes these variables cause (Alexander et al, 2016;Skov et al, 2011;Sulikowski et al, 2003;Tullis & Baillie, 2005).…”