Reference values for the haemotology profile of conventional grade outbred albino mice (Mus musculus) in Nsukka, Eastern Nigeria

This study established reference values for the haematology profile of the conventional grade out-bred albino mice (Mus musculus) in Nsukka, Eastern Nigeria. A total of 336 apparently healthy mice, made up of 168 males and 168 females, were used for the study. Mice of 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 30 and 40 weeks of age (eight age sets) were studied, and for each age set the haematology profile of 21 males and 21 females were assessed following standard manual procedures immediately upon blood sample collection from the orbital sinus. Results showed that there were significant (p < 0.05) age related variations in the erythrocyte counts (EC), haemoglobin concentrations (HbC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), total leukocyte counts (TLC) and absolute lymphocyte counts (ALC) of males and females and mean corpuscular haemoglobin of males only. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) between the males and females in their TLC at weeks 4 and 40 of age, ALC at week 24 of age and absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) at weeks 4, 20 and 24 of age. The absolute values obtained in this present study were for some parameters different from the reference values documented for mice in the temperate countries, but the trend of age related variations and differences between the sexes were nearly the same except for the ANC.Keywords: Haematology, Reference values, Mice, Mus musculus, Nsukka, NigeriaAnimal Research International (2012) 9(2): 1601 – 161