Rationale:

Alterations in the cellular and chemical composition of the peripheral blood are indicative of the overall health status of an animal. In addition, changes in some proteins and metabolites and in the cellular repertoire of the peripheral blood are relevant to specific pathological conditions.

Methods:

Blood was collected via cardiac puncture under Isoflurane anesthesia. The collected blood was allowed to coagulate for 30 minutes at room temperature and then centrifuged at 2000g for 15 minutes at 4°C. The serum was analyzed on an ACE clinical chemistry analyzer (Alfa Wassermann) using the manufacturer's reagents and protocols.