The leukocyte blood count of 16 species of five families of semi-aquatic turtles from the Samara Zoo was determined. A comparison of the leukogram of representatives of two genera of the family Emydidae revealed a reduced proportion of heterophils and an increased proportion of basophils in Graptemys (G. pseudogeographica, G. nigrinoda) compared with Terrapene (T. triunguis, T. ornata). The leukocyte profile of Cuora mouhotii (Geoemydidae) was characterized by an increased content of heterophils, which showed a higher activation of innate immune responses. The most similar in leukocyte composition are the species of the Kinosternidae family of three genera: Kinosternon, Sternotherus and Staurotypus. The clade Trionychia (Trionychidae) differed from the clade Durocryptodira (Emydidae, Geoemydidae and Kinosternidae) by an increased number of heterophils and monocytes, and a low content of eosinophils. The Pleurodira suborder (Chelidae) differed from the Cryptodira suborder (Emydidae, Geoemydidae, Kinosternidae, Trionychidae) by an increased content of agranulocytes. Positive significant correlations of the length of the carapace with the content of heterophils and the values of leukocyte indices (index of the eosinophils and lymphocytes ratio, index of the heterophils and eosinophils ratio, index of the heterophils and lymphocytes ratio) reflecting the increased role of nonspecific resistance of the turtle organism during ontogenesis and negative significant correlations with the content of eosinophils were revealed. The index of the heterophils and lymphocytes ratio, which is an indicator of physiological stress, had the minimum value among the studied species in Sternotherus odoratus (Kinosternidae), the maximum value in C. mouhotii (Geoemydidae).
Our study of the peripheral blood leukogram of grass snake and dice snake females (Samara region) has revealed changes in the blood of these snakes before and after their laying eggs, associated with the natural immunity activation in these animals. Natural, innate immunity reactions were mediated by mononuclear cells (monocytes and lymphocytes). An increase in the lymphocyte fraction in the dice snake female blood is shown to reduce the leukogram shift index. Interspecific differences were revealed, manifested themselves as a significant increase in the monocyte fraction in the peripheral blood of dice snake females as compared with grass snake females after laying eggs.
The identification and evaluation of the qualitative composition of the leukocyte cell number in the peripheral blood of the grass snake ( Natrix natrix ) and diced snake ( N. tessellata ) habitated in the National Park «Samarskaya Luka» were studied. At the interspecific level leukogram¢s significant differences were not found. In the blood of the grass snake intraspecies differences of leukograms were found in content of basophiles (males females) and heterophiles (males immatures).
We have determined the concentration of immune complexes in the blood serum, cytogenetic homeostasis and the stability of development by the fluctuating asymmetry (FA) on samples from green frog (species Rana) populations inhabiting the reservoirs of Nizhni Novgorod City and the Nizhni Novgorod region. The level of immune complexes in the frog blood serum testified to an unfavorable situation in all the investigated reservoirs. The physiological reaction on stressful environmental influence is manifested by an increase in the number of cells with attached-type micronuclei.
