The effect of splenectomy on the hematology and on the activity of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) in hemopoietic tissues of the dogfish, Scyliorhinus canicula (elasmobranchii)

Abstract

1. The effects of splenectomy on some hematological parameters and on the activity of ALA-D in some tissues of the dogfish, Scyliorhinus canicula, were studied. 2. Splenectomy induced an immediate decrease in hematocrit which recovered after 3 weeks. 3. Hemoglobin content and the mean corpuscle hemoglobin concentration did not change during the period. 4. No difference in the total WBC count was observed. However, the relative abundance of spindle cells and blast cells decreased, while neutrophilic and eosinophilic granulocytes increased. 5. In the blood the ALA-D activity decreased during the first 2 weeks, then it increased, reaching the control level after 3 weeks. There was a successive increase of ALA-D activity in the epigonal organ, the organ of Leydig and the kidney.