Variation in haematological parameters among inbred strains of rat

Haematological determinations were carried out on 7 inbred strains of rats using a standardized procedure. Significant genetic variation was found for many of the parameters although none of the strains had values which could be termed pathological. Measurements also varied significantly from day to day. Factorial analysis of variance is shown to be a powerful method for the investigation of variation in haematological parameters.