Haematological and haematopoietic responses to starvation in an air-breathing fish Channapunctatus Bloch

Changes in haematological values (RBC numbers, haemoglobin content, haematocrit value, MCV, MCH, MCHC, TLC and DLC) based on weekly samples from a group of starved fish were investigated. After 8 weeks of starvation, the effects of restoration to a normal diet was evaluated. Parallel studies on haematopoietic tissues were also made. Changes in some biochemical values such as blood glucose, liver and muscle glycogen were also examined to correlate biochemical effects with those of haematological changes. Erythrocytes, thrombocytes and neutrophils were found to be most sensitive to starvation. The initial response to deprivation of food was an increase in RBCs and related values and in total leukocyte population. However, from week 5 onwards a sharp decline in these cell populations was noted. The leukocytes and thrombocytes showed a change parallel to RBC and the total leukocyte counts. However, neutrophils were observed to show a consistent increase throughout the starvation period. A blood glucose level below SOmglOOmh¹ appeared critical in relation to blood cell population. Haematopoietic studies revealed that reticulocytes and mesomyelocytes were unable to keep pace with the changing peripheral blood picture. Other stages in development responded to the changes in the peripheral blood.