Johns Jennifer L, Baumgartner Trinity R, Sanchez Carlos R, Dolan Brian P
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
Oregon Zoo, Portland, OR 97221, USA.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Aug 7;14(16):2297. doi: 10.3390/ani14162297.
Optimal veterinary care of managed elephant populations is vital due to the continued decline of wild populations. Appropriate health monitoring and accurate disease diagnosis include hematologic evaluation. Elephant hematology is distinctive in that elephants have high percentages of monocytes in health. Elephant monocytes also have unusual morphology, a feature shared with manatees and rock hyraxes. Manual white blood cell counting is used for elephant hematology, as analyzers are generally inaccurate. The aims of this study were to evaluate basic cell isolation and functional testing protocols for use in elephant monocyte research, and to test several available antibodies via flow cytometry for use in elephant monocyte identification. Peripheral blood samples from five Asian elephants () were used. Methods for monocyte isolation and evaluation of phagocytic function were established. Putative lymphocyte and monocyte populations were identified using a scatter on flow cytometry. Antibodies against CD11b, CD11c, CD14, and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (IBA1) were tested, with IBA1 showing the highest apparent diagnostic utility in labeling monocytes. Combined flow cytometric scatter and IBA1 positivity appear to identify Asian elephant monocytes. These data provide a methodologic basis for further investigation into elephant monocyte function and immune response to infection.
由于野生大象种群数量持续下降，对人工饲养大象种群进行最佳兽医护理至关重要。适当的健康监测和准确的疾病诊断包括血液学评估。大象血液学具有独特性，因为健康大象的单核细胞百分比很高。大象的单核细胞形态也不寻常，这一特征与海牛和蹄兔相同。由于分析仪通常不准确，大象血液学采用手工白细胞计数。本研究的目的是评估用于大象单核细胞研究的基本细胞分离和功能测试方案，并通过流式细胞术测试几种可用抗体以用于大象单核细胞鉴定。使用了来自五头亚洲象的外周血样本。建立了单核细胞分离和吞噬功能评估方法。通过流式细胞术的散射图鉴定假定的淋巴细胞和单核细胞群体。测试了针对CD11b、CD11c、CD14和离子钙结合衔接分子1（IBA1）的抗体，其中IBA1在标记单核细胞方面显示出最高的表观诊断效用。流式细胞术散射图和IBA1阳性相结合似乎可以识别亚洲象单核细胞。这些数据为进一步研究大象单核细胞功能和对感染的免疫反应提供了方法学基础。
