Size Matters: Zoo Data Analysis Shows that the White Blood Cell Ratio Differs between Large and Small Felids.

Animals (Basel)

Veterinary Department, Moscow Zoo, Bolshaya Gruzinskya str. 1, 123242 Moscow, Russia.

Published: May 2020

The total number of white blood cells (WBCs) is related the immune system. In mammals, it is affected by the body mass, but it is unclear how the numbers of different WBC types correlate with this parameter. We analyzed the effect of body mass on WBC number and ratio in felids, where species are similar in diet (warm-blood vertebrates) and reproductive strategy (promiscuity). Based on zoo veterinary data (ZIMS database) we analyzed the effect of body mass on WBC number and neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio in 26 species of felids. The number of WBCs correlated with the body masses of animals: large cats had more WBC, which may be due to greater risks of infection associated with larger body surface, lifespan and home range size. For the first time we found obvious differences in the number of WBC types. Large cats also had more neutrophils and monocytes but fewer lymphocytes than smaller cats. The ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes is greater in large felids. This phenomenon may be related to diet (relative prey size and kill utilization time), which suggests regular contact of large cats with bacterial and protozoal pathogens in contrast to the small cats.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7341519PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani10060940DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

body mass
12
large cats
12
white blood
8
wbc types
8
analyzed body
8
mass wbc
8
wbc number
8
large
5
number
5
body
5

Similar Publications

Aims: To explore the relationship between weight loss and insulin sensitivity in response to tirzepatide or semaglutide.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a post hoc exploratory analysis of a 28-week, double-blind, randomized trial in people with type 2 diabetes treated with metformin, randomized to tirzepatide 15 mg, semaglutide 1 mg or placebo. We evaluated the relationship between change in body weight and change in insulin sensitivity determined from hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp (M value), or from mixed-meal tolerance testing (Matsuda index).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pre-pregnancy BMI modifies the associations between triglyceride-glucose index in early pregnancy and adverse perinatal outcomes: a 5-year cohort study of 67,936 women in China.

Diabetol Metab Syndr

January 2025

The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 910, Hengshan Rd., Shanghai, 200030, China.

Background: Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index was suggested as a possible surrogate for insulin resistance and a predictor for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in the non-pregnant population. However, the relationship between TyG index in early pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs), and the contribution of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) was still illusive.

Methods: A large retrospective cohort study involving 67,936 pregnant Chinese women between 2017 and 2022 was conducted.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Medical therapy to treat obesity and optimize fertility in women of reproductive age: a narrative review.

Reprod Biol Endocrinol

January 2025

Departments of Internal Medicine and Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, 330 Cedar St, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.

Background: Overweight and obesity-chronic illnesses in which an increase in body fat promotes adipose tissue dysfunction and abnormal fat mass resulting in adverse metabolic, biomechanical, and psychosocial health consequences-negatively impact female fertility. Adverse conception outcomes are multifactorial, ranging from poor oocyte quality and implantation issues to miscarriages and fetal health issues. However, with the advent of novel pharmacologic agents, significant weight loss can be achieved, improving the chances of healthy pregnancies, and their use should be considered during periconceptual counseling.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers account for over a quarter of all cancer-related deaths in the United States; however, the latest trends in their prevalence remain unclear.

Methods: Data on GI cancers were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) were estimated across various states, sexes, ages, and risk factors, and annual percentage changes were calculated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental contaminants that can cause a variety of health problems. This study sought to determine whether there was a relationship between PAHs and current asthma in adults.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2016 and employed multifactor logistic regression, subgroup analyses, and smoothed curve fitting to examine the linear and nonlinear associations between PAHs and current asthma.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!