USING THE TECHNIQUE OF SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY FOR DETERMINATION OF ERYTHROCYTE ALTERATIONS IN SHEEP EXPERIMENTALLY POISONED WITH COPPER Abstract

Abstract

Sheep have a tendency to accumulate copper in the body. When the liver storage capacity is exhausted, copper is released into the blood causing clinical signs of poisoning. Six lambs fed a basal diet were randomly assigned to 2 groups: G - 1 (control) and G-2 (experimentally intoxicated). The three sheep of the G-2, were drenched initially with 3 mg of CuSO₄. 5H₂O/ kg bw daily for a week. Every week an additional dose of 3mg CuSO₄. 5H₂O/ kg bw was included in the drench until signs of copper poisoning appeared. Before (M0 – M3), during (M4) and after (M5 and M6) to hemolytic crisis, blood samples were collected with EDTA, and prepared for observation in the scanning electron microscope. In the pre-hemolytic there was a predominance of discocytes. At hemolytic and post-hemolytic phases in turn decreased the number of discocytes and predominance of acanthocytes, with the emergence of codocytes, keratocytes and Heinz bodies.