Hematological changes due to vitamin C deficiency in Channa punctatus Bloch.

Hematological changes in Channa punctatus based on examination of blood at regular monthly intervals in fishes fed a vitamin C-deficient diet for 210 days followed by 30 days' recovery treatment have been reported. Normochromic normocytic type of anemia was observed after 120 days of vitamin C deficiency which developed into a normochromic macrocytic type eventually becoming hypochromic macrocytic during the last 30 days of deficiency. Correlated erythropoietic studies revealed a decrease in small lymphoid hemoblast with simultaneous increase in the later stages of red blood cell development. Deficiency also resulted in leukocytosis, basically due to thrombocytosis. Differential leukocyte counts revealed relative decrease in all other cell types particularly neutrophils and lymphocytes. Recovery treatment was found effective in arresting and in most cases reversing the pathological trends set in by the deficiency.