Whole Blood Hemoglobin Concentration Research Articles

Parental Males of the Plainfin Midshipman Are Physiologically Resilient to the Challenges of the Intertidal Zone.

The decision of where to rear young is influenced by both the needs of offspring and the costs parents incur in certain rearing environments. Plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus) provide extended paternal care in rocky intertidal zones, where they experience regular bouts of aquatic hypoxia and air exposure during low-tide events. We investigated the physiological responses of plainfin midshipman males to three conditions for 6 h that simulate what these fish naturally experience during tidal cycles while nesting: normoxia, progressive hypoxia, or air exposure. Hypoxia- and air-exposed fish exhibited shifts in energy metabolites, driven largely by elevated lactate and glucose content and reduced glycogen content in several tissues (muscle, heart, liver, and brain), but the magnitude of these changes was relatively modest. Hematocrit increased most in air-exposed fish relative to normoxia-exposed fish, contributing to an increase in whole-blood hemoglobin concentration. Air exposure reduced swim bladder oxygen content, suggesting that internal O2 stores are drawn on during air exposure. In a second experiment, we found that aquatic surface respiration and gill ventilation frequency increased in hypoxia-exposed fish relative to normoxia-exposed fish. Overall, our results suggest that plainfin midshipman overcome the challenges of the intertidal environment through a variety of physiological strategies and exhibit little physiological disturbance in response to the fluctuating and extreme conditions created by regular low tides.

Hemoglobin In An Ancestral Hibernator, The Common Tenrec, Tenrec ecaudatus

Common tenrecs, Tenrec ecaudatus, are medium‐sized mammalian tropical hibernators endemic to Madagascar. Tenrecs are capable of effectively hibernating at temperatures between 12 and 28°C and do not undergo periodic arousals during hibernation, a feature common to all other known hibernators. Interestingly, these tenrecs can also experience spontaneous bouts of torpor during the active season known as facultative torpor (FT). During hibernation and FT, oxygen consumption rates are 1.1–14% of active rates depending on ambient temperature. We have observed marked variation in hematocrit (between 15 and 50%). We asked what happens to hemoglobin concentration and type across the annual cycle and state. A colorimetric assay was performed for hemoglobin concentration in whole blood. Isoelectric focusing was used to assay for changes in hemoglobin type (e.g. fetal vs adult types) across the physiological states. These data will serve as an initial step in helping to determine how tenrecs are able to achieve low metabolic rates without concomitant decreases in body temperature.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Lipopolysaccharide-induced hemolysis: Evidence for direct membrane interactions

While hemolysis in patients with sepsis is associated with increased mortality its mechanisms are unknown and Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 mediated effects, complement-mediated hemolysis, or direct cell membrane effects are all conceivable mechanisms. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that toxic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as well as non-toxic RS-LPS evokes hemolysis (1) by direct membrane effects, and (2) independent of the complement system and TLR-4 activation. We found, that incubation with LPS resulted in a marked time and concentration dependent increase of free hemoglobin concentration and LDH activity in whole blood and washed red cells. Red cell integrity was diminished as shown by decreased osmotic resistance, formation of schistocytes and rolls, and a decrease in red cell membrane stiffness. Non-toxic RS-LPS inhibited the LPS-evoked increase in TNF-α concentration demonstrating its TLR-4 antagonism, but augmented LPS-induced increase in supernatant hemoglobin concentration and membrane disturbances. Removal of plasma components in washed red cell assays failed to attenuate hemolysis. In summary, this study demonstrates direct physicochemical interactions of LPS with red cell membranes resulting in hemolysis under in vitro conditions. It might thus be hypothesized, that not all effects of LPS are mediated by TLR and may explain LPS toxicity in cells missing TLR.

Plumage quality mediates a life-history trade-off in a migratory bird

BackgroundMoult is one of the most costly activities in the annual cycle of birds and most avian species separate moult from other energy-demanding activities, such as migration. To this end, young birds tend to undergo the first post-juvenile moult before the onset of migration, but in some species the time window for the pre-migratory feather replacement is too narrow. We hypothesized that in such species an increased investment in the structural quality of juvenile feathers may allow to retain juvenile plumage throughout the entire migratory period and delay moult until arriving at wintering grounds, thus avoiding a moult-migration overlap.MethodsThe effect of juvenile plumage quality on the occurrence of moult-migration overlap was studied in a migratory shorebird, the common snipe Gallinago gallinago. Ca. 400 of first-year common snipe were captured during their final stage of autumn migration through Central Europe. The quality of juvenile feathers was assessed as the mass-length residuals of retained juvenile rectrices. Condition of migrating birds was assessed with the mass of accumulated fat reserves and whole-blood hemoglobin concentration. Path analysis was used to disentangle complex interrelationships between plumage quality, moult and body condition.ResultsSnipe which grew higher-quality feathers in the pre-fledging period were less likely to initiate moult during migration. Individuals moulting during migration had lower fat loads and hemoglobin concentrations compared to non-moulting birds, suggesting a trade-off in resource allocation, where energetic costs of moult reduced both energy reserves available for migration and resources available for maintenance of high oxygen capacity of blood.ConclusionsThe results of this study indicate that a major life-history trade-off in a migratory bird may be mediated by the quality of juvenile plumage. This is consistent with a silver spoon effect, where early-life investment in feather quality affects future performance of birds during migration period. Our results strongly suggest that the juvenile plumage, although retained for a relatively short period of time, may have profound consequences for individuals’ fitness.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12983-016-0179-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Age effects on reproductive success, nest-site location, and offspring condition in the Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis

Breeding performance of many vertebrate species is known to improve over the early stages of the life cycle, which has been commonly attributed to the progressive improvement in competences and increasing investment in reproduction. While there is a large body of evidence for age-related variation in fecundity within bird populations, much less is known on whether and how age affects other traits related to reproduction. The aim of this study was to test for age-related patterns in fecundity, nest-site location, offspring condition and brood sex ratio in a long-lived colonial waterbird, the Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis). For this purpose we collected data on 180 breeding attempts of 100 Great Cormorants aged two to 11 years. We found a progressive increase in reproductive output with age and we showed that older individuals nested closer to the colony centre and in higher nesting densities. We also found that parental age was positively related to physiological condition of offspring (measured with whole-blood haemoglobin concentration and plasma glucose concentration). There was no indication for age-related adjustments in brood sex ratio in our cormorant population. Our results indicate a great complexity of the processes which produce age-related improvements in reproductive performance within avian populations.

Ecological, physiological, and morphological correlates of blood hemoglobin concentration in a migratory shorebird.

The information on the phenotypic and ecological factors that influence hemoglobin concentration in free-living birds is scarce. In order to recognize sources of variation in hemoglobin levels of migratory shorebirds, we measured whole-blood hemoglobin concentration in 553 juvenile and 166 adult common snipe Gallinago gallinago during autumn migration through central Poland. Among the intrinsic determinants of hemoglobin concentration in common snipe, we identified traits such as age, wing morphology, developmental stability, nutritional condition, and molt. We found that adult birds had higher hemoglobin concentrations than juveniles. Hemoglobin concentration was not related to body size, but it correlated with wing morphology. In adult males there was also a positive relationship between hemoglobin concentration and developmental stability, measured by fluctuating asymmetry in wing shape. The process of molt was found to affect blood hemoglobin concentration in both juvenile and adult common snipe, as the lowest concentrations were recorded in the initial stages of molt. Finally, we recorded a gradual increase in hemoglobin concentration of juvenile and adult snipe over the course of the autumn migratory season, and this trend was attributed to higher fat loads carried by late migrants. Hemoglobin concentration also correlated with other indices of nutritional state, such as plasma concentrations of proteins. All this clearly indicates that hemoglobin concentration may reflect a wide range of physiological processes, but in spite of this immense variation, it is likely to reliably indicate phenotypic quality of birds.

Are haematocrit and haemoglobin concentration reliable indicators of body condition in adult Welcome Swallows?

Parent birds often have substantial fat reserves that are critical in successful breeding. Erythrocyte variables, particularly haematocrit and haemoglobin concentration in peripheral blood, are increasingly being used as avian body-condition indices (BCIs) but problems can arise if such variables are used and interpreted uncritically. We investigated whether there were significant relationships between three size-adjusted BCIs thought to reflect the magnitude of fuel reserves, and four erythrocyte variables in free-living, adult Welcome Swallows (Hirundo neoxena) in south-eastern Australia over two breeding seasons. Haematocrit was not correlated with body-mass and condition. Whole-blood haemoglobin concentration, mean cell haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit-haemoglobin residuals were significantly related to body-mass and all the BCIs but the correlations were modest and negative (r ≤—0.39). Thus none of the erythrocyte variables was convincing as a reliable indicator of estimated fuel reserves in breeding adults. Currently the utility of haematocrit and haemoglobin concentration as reliable BCIs in adult birds cannot be assumed and needs to be validated for each population or species being investigated.

Measurement of hemoglobin in whole blood using a partial least squares regression model with selected second derivative near infrared transmission spectral signals

In this work, we propose a signal selection procedure for determination of hemoglobin (Hb) concentration in whole blood using near infrared (NIR) transmission spectral signals. A dataset of 190 whole blood NIR transmission spectra with reference Hb concentrations was used to evaluate the method. Spectral signals were selected based on the squared correlation coefficient (R2) between the signal and the Hb concentration. An improved uninformative variable elimination (UVE) procedure was performed to remove redundant signals from the primary selected signal set. A partial least squares (PLS) regression model was built with the final selected signals and the corresponding Hb concentrations. The results indicate that the proposed method is effective at increasing the predictive power of the NIR–PLS spectral model for determining Hb concentration in whole blood samples.

Micronutrient deficiencies and anemia among preschool children in rural Vietnam.

The prevalence of trace elements deficiencies, vitamin A deficiency, anemia, and their relationships were investigated in a cross sectional study involving 243 children aged from 12 to 72 months in rural Vietnam. Serum levels of copper, zinc, selenium and magnesium were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer and that of retinol by high performance liquid chromatography. Hemoglobin concentration in whole blood was measured by the cyanmethemoglobin method. The prevalence of deficiencies in zinc, selenium, magnesium, and copper was 86.9%, 62.3%, 51.9%, and 1.7%, respectively. On the other hand, 55.6% were anemic and 11.3% had vitamin A deficiency. Deficiency in two or more micronutrient was found in 79.4% of the children. Parameters associated significantly with anemia were selenium deficiency (OR 2.80 95% CI 1.63-4.80, p=0.0002) and serum retinol<1.05 micromol/L (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.10-3.05, p=0.021). Magnesium deficiency (OR 3.09 95% CI 1.36-7.03) was found to be a risk factor for zinc deficiency and vice versa. The results indicate that micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent among preschool children in Vietnam. In addition, the results also demonstrate a strong relationship between selenium deficiency and anemia. Clearly, sustainable strategies are urgently required to overcome the problems in the country.

Relationship of Low Serum Selenium to Anemia among Primary School Children Living in Rural Vietnam

A cross-sectional study of 292 primary school children was conducted in rural Vietnam to investigate the relationship among micronutrient deficiencies, and other risk factors for anemia. Serum levels of iron, copper, zinc, selenium and magnesium were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and that of retinol by high performance liquid chromatography. Hemoglobin concentration in whole blood was measured by the cyanmethemoglobin method. The incidence of low serum zinc, selenium, magnesium, and copper in the children was 91.4, 75.6, 59.5, and 8.6%, respectively. Forty-five percent of the children were anemic and 11.3% suffered from vitamin A deficiency. A parameter significant associated with anemia was low serum selenium and vice versa (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.06-3.24, p<0.05). Other factors associated with anemia were serum retinol <1.05 micromol/L (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.25-3.36, p<0.01), and age in years (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.16-2.18, p<0.01). The study showed that low selenium is associated with anemia among school children in Vietnam. Interventions are required to gain insight into the potential role of selenium on prevention and control of anemia.

Haematological changes during development of the noisy miner: implications for oxygen transport

Changes in erythrocyte numbers and size, haematocrit and blood haemoglobin concentration in noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala) nestlings were documented from measurements taken on wild individuals during development. Haematocrit, whole-blood haemoglobin concentration and erythrocyte count increased during development by factors of 2.0, 2.4 and 3.5, respectively. The increases were continuous and occurred at fairly constant rates throughout development, but typical adult values were not attained at fledging. Mean erythrocyte volume and mean erythrocyte haemoglobin content decreased continuously during nestling development. The estimated 2.4-fold increase in oxygen carrying capacity of the blood during development stemmed primarily from the increase in erythrocyte numbers. The reduction in erythrocyte volume would be expected to enhance oxygen delivery by increasing oxygen-diffusion rates. This pattern of constant change in blood parameters resembled that reported for species with standard, rather than unusually slow, rates of nestling development. We suggest that it reflects the fact that noisy miner nestlings grow relatively rapidly, perhaps because it reduces the exposure of nestlings to predation.

Near Infrared Hemoglobinometry

In this article, near infrared spectroscopic measurements of hemoglobin concentration in whole blood, which are potentially useful in a pulse oximeter modified for non-invasive hemoglobinometry, are presented. The best one-, two-, three- and four-filter calibrations are presented. In addition, a calibration is presented that uses absorbance at three wavelengths, 586 nm, 816 nm and 1300 nm because this calibration is employed by a prototypic non-invasive hemoglobinometer which is under development. For a similar calibration, data is presented that show the relative contributions of the absorbance at each wavelength to the overall measurement. The best three-filter calibration occurred in the longer wavelength near infrared region, and used the absorbance at 1626 nm, 1628 nm and 1638 nm. This calibration gave better performance than the calibrations in the shorter wavelength region.

Toxicity of colchicine towards a marine fish, Dicentrarchus labrax

Abstract 1. Hematology and blood biochemistry parameters were examined in order to determine the metabolic or endocrine disturbances caused by colchicine intoxication in sea bass ( Dicentrarchus labrax ) aged 1 + . The detection of non-lethal effects of colchicine requires the use of a broad concentration range (6.25–1020 mg 1 −1 ). 2. The 48-hr lc 50 , was 1020 mg 1 −1 , a value which is close to that previously reported in the reference fresh water fish Brachydanio rerio . Exposure to 50 and 125 mg −1 colchicine for 48 hr resulted in 100% mortality one week after treatment. 3. Colchicine involves the concomitant increase of packed cell volume and hemoglobin concentration in whole blood, in the concentration range of 12.5–1020 mg 1 −1 . 4. The activity of erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes undergoes low amplitude variations after 48-hr exposure to colchicine, regardless of concentration. Two days after recovery, decreased SOD, and increased catalase and peroxidase activities were shown.

An Evaluation of Hemoglobin Determination Using Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

The standard reference method for hemoglobin determination for years has been the photometric quantitation of cyanmethemoglobin. Other existing methods have not gained popularity in North America. In an attempt to eliminate hazardous cyanide waste, a method to determine the hemoglobin concentration in whole blood using sodium lauryl sulfate has been devised and recently was released as a commercial reagent. The authors compare this new method with the cyanmethemoglobin method using two hematology analyzers. Their results show that there is excellent correlation between the two methods (r2 = 0.996). In addition, other elements of the complete blood count also show good correlation. Thus, it was confirmed that the sodium lauryl sulfate method of estimating hemoglobin concentration is an appropriate alternative to the cyanmethemoglobin method and avoids the generation of toxic wastes.

The indirect estimation of hemoglobin concentration in whole blood

The present conventional methods for determination of Hemoglobin (Hb) concentration in whole blood depend on the direct colorimetric measurement of chemically modified Hb following its release from red cells by lysis. This paper examines an alternative, indirect method which does not require initial red cell lysis, corrects for the falsely elevated Hb due to the lipemic plasma and determines whether elevated WBC count effects a change in the Hb value, without the tedious laboratory manipulations currently required to correct for these artifacts. The method is simple, uncomplicated and is based on the observation of a constant ratio (2.98) between the Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) and the Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) indices obtained from standard electronic counters in use in most laboratories. The Hb concentration is calculated by the equation: [formula: see text]. The resultant Hb measurements show an acceptable degree of accuracy and precision when compared with the direct measurements obtained from a Coulter Model S + I, even in the presence of a high WBC or lipid.

An oximeter for measuring hemoglobin concentration and oxygen content.

We have developed an oximeter that measures both the total hemoglobin concentration in whole blood and the percentage of the hemoglobin saturated with oxygen. The oximeter uses red and infrared light-emitting diodes to illuminate a capillary tube filled with a sample of whole blood. Light scattered by the blood travels a short distance down the length of the capillary tube and reaches a photodetector, the output of which is amplified, digitized, and fed into a microprocessor. The microprocessor computes the total hemoglobin concentration as a nonlinear function of the infrared light intensity. Oxyhemoglobin saturation is computed from the ratio of the logarithms of the intensities of red and infrared light. Our instrument has the following advantages over existing oximeters: 1) it provides a measurement of total hemoglobin concentration, 2) it is immune to the calibration shifts that fluctuations in total hemoglobin concentration cause in other oximeters, 3) it is accurate over a wide range of oxygen saturation, and 4) the blood samples are not diluted and can thus be preserved for further analysis. A detailed parts list and circuit diagram are presented, and sources of error are discussed.

42] Hemoglobinometry in human blood

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses hemoglobimetry in human blood. The hemoglobin concentration in whole blood is a highly expressive parameter in clinical and preventive medicine; therefore the standardization of an assay method with high precision and accuracy has been considered a problem of primary importance in clinical chemistry. A problem arises from the fact that in circulating blood, there is normally a mixture of hemoglobin derivatives with different absorption spectra; therefore, it is necessary to dilute whole blood with an appropriate reagent to obtain a homogeneous solution of only one hemoglobin derivative before spectrophotometric analysis. This condition can be easily obtained for cyanomethemoglobin determination. The determination of hemoglobin as cyanomethemoglobin is considered at present to be the most reliable procedure for many reasons. This chapter further describes hemoglobin determination by electronic counters.

On the mechanisms of the hypoxia-induced increase of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate in erythrocytes. Studies on rat erythrocytes in vivo and on human erythrocytes in vitro.

Hypoxia induces in rats a rather rapid increase of the concentration of 2,3-DPG in red blood cells. This increase is reversed when the animals are returned to normal conditions. Pigeons do not respond to hypoxia with an increase of inositol hexaphosphate concentration in their erythrocytes. In rats exposed for 24 h to gas mixtures containing low oxygen and in addition 5% CO2 the hypoxia induced rise of 2,3-DPG concentration is abolished. The hemoglobin concentration in whole blood is negatively correlated to red cell 2,3-DPG levels in normal as well as in anemic or polycythemic rats. The rate of 2,3-DPG decomposition in human erythrocytes incubated without glucose is the same in the presence and in the absence of oxygen. The incorporation of32P into 2,3-DPG proceeds faster in deoxygenated than in oxygenated human red blood cells and exceeds considerably the concomitant acceleration of the glycolytic flux rate. These findings indicate that the rate of 2,3-DPG synthesis becomes enhanced in deoxygenated cells. This is mainly due to an elevation of the intracellular pH; the relief of product inhibition of DPG mutase brought about by a greater binding of 2,3-DPG to deoxyhemoglobin seems to be of minor importance. The regulation of 2,3-DPG concentration by the intraerythrocytic pH as well as by the oxygenation state of hemoglobin and the significance of these regulatory mechanisms in inducing and limiting the changes of red cell 2,3-DPG during hypoxia and anemia are discussed.

Studies of the toxicity of copper to pigs. 1. Effects of oral supplements of zinc and iron salts on the development of copper toxicosis.

1. Six groups of four litter-mate female Large White pigs of about 17 kg live weight were allocated according to a 2×2 factorial design in each of two experiments in which rations containing 0 or 750 ppm copper were offered with either 0 and 500 ppm zinc, or 0 and 750 ppm iron. 2. Severity of toxicosis was assessed by determining aspartate transaminase activity in serum, observing the incidence of jaundice and determining the hemoglobin concentration in whole blood and Cu concentration in serum and liver. 3. Addition of 750 ppm Cu to the diet caused toxicity in nine out of twelve animals; it was most severe after about 4 weeks when two-to five-fold increases in serum Cu and aspartate transaminase levels were found and seven pigs were jaundiced. Serum Cu and aspartate transaminase concentrations and degrees of jaundice were apparently interrelated and returned to normal levels after 6 weeks, suggesting adaptation to the high Cu intake. Growth depression and a microcytic hypochromic anaemia persisted. 4. Addition of 500 ppm Zn or 750 ppm Fe in the presence of 750 ppm Cu eliminated jaundice and produced serum Cu and aspartate transaminase concentrations similar to control values after 4 weeks. Only supplementary Fe afforded protection against anaemia. 5. Variability in the response of the pig to Cu supplements could be partly due to variations in the intake of Fe and Zn. The addition of Fe and Zn supplements to pig diets supplemented with Cu would probably reduce the small risk of causing Cu poisoning.

SECONDARY POLYCYTHEMIA IN ADOLESCENTS AT HIGH ALTITUDE.

Abstract Significant changes in the production of red Mood cells occur after puberty. The pattern of these changes by age and sex has been well described in populations living near sea level. Since chronic hypoxia might well modify this hematologic pattern the normal adolescents of a population residing at a high altitude were studied. Samples of venous blood were obtained from 355 boys and girls ranging in age from 10 to 18 years and living at an altitude of 10,200 feet in Leadville, Colorado. Whole blood hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, and red blood cell count were determined. Serum from clotted blood was analyzed for iron content unsaturated iron-binding capacity, and bilirubin concentration. The effects of chronic hypoxia were clearly manifest in girls. Throughout the age range of 10 to 18 years, mean values for hemoglobin hematocrit and R.B.C. count were higher than at comparable ages at sea level. However, there was little or no tendency of these parameters to increase with age. Among the boys the effects of high altitude were also obvious, in that all 3 parameters were higher than at comparable ages at low altitudes. Prior to puberty, boys and girls had similar blood values. However, in boys puberty apparently provided an added stimulus to red cell production. From 14 to 18 years of age, there was a progressive and significant increase in all 3 parameters when compared with the data from girls. There was no evidence of iron deficiency in either sex. These data indicate that chronic hypoxia produces a significant erythrocytosis throughout adolescence in both boys and girls living at an altitude of 10,200 feet.