Effect of Storage at 4°C vs. 23°C-25°C on Complete Blood Counts in Dunkin Hartley Guinea Pigs

Dunkin Hartley guinea pig is a common guinea pig strain used by researchers, but studies about the stability of Dunkin Hartley guinea pig blood samples stored at different temperatures are limited.

The study aimed to evaluate storage factors of complete blood count (CBC) in Dunkin Hartley guinea pigs.

We collected 2 mL blood samples from 20 Dunkin Hartley guinea pigs (weighted 250-300 g, 5-6 weeks, 10 males and 10 females) with 2 EDTA-K₂ vacuum tubes and performed CBC with a Hemavet 950FS analyzer at 0, 4, 8, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h after storage at 4°C and 23°C-25°C, respectively. Analysis of the effect of the testing time, storage temperature, and sex on CBC was carried out by three-way repeated measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA).

The results showed that white blood cells (WBCs), heterophil, lymphocyte, and monocyte counts, and red blood cells (RBCs) remained stable over time in 4°C storage. Only WBC, monocyte counts, and RBC remained stable over time with storage at 23°C-25°C. No differences were observed between 4°C and 23°C-25°C for WBCs and platelet count (PLT), but PLT was significantly increased from 96 h to 120 h at 4°C storage and at 72 h and 96 h at 23°C-25°C storage.

When CBC in Dunkin Hartley guinea pigs has to be delayed, storing samples at 4°C is preferred, and the storage time should not exceed 24 h.