Morphological abnormalities of blood and bone marrow leukocytes and age-related changes in different leukocyte counts in the American mink (Neovison vison)

Abstract

The sapphire mink is a unique animal model to study cellular morphology. It demonstrates abnormal leukocytes like in patients with Chédiak-Higashi syndrome. We aimed to determine the morphologic features of blood and bone marrow leukocytes in the sapphire mink and dark-brown mink (wild type). In addition, were assessed age-related changes in total white blood cell (WBC) and differential WBC counts. We conclude that the sapphire mink has a morphological leukocyte defect (abnormal granules). We observed that abnormal granules formed at an early stage of bone marrow leukocyte maturation. It was shown that the leukocyte profile of young mink differs from that of adult animals. The levels of abnormal segmented neutrophils and abnormal lymphocytes were higher in adult mink as compared with puppies (4-, 10-day-old).