Hematological indices in copper-poisoned rats.

The effects of 30 days oral administration of a sublethal daily dose (0.1 g/kg body weight) of copper sulfate on the blood constituents of albino rats were studied. Percent hemoglobin, number of red blood corpuscles, plasma corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular volume were decreased significantly. No marked alteration was observed in the number of white blood corpuscles, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and alkaline phosphatase activity. The concentrations of blood glucose, cholesterol, bilirubin and urea were elevated in the copper-fed rats. The activities of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase and lactate and glutamate dehydrogenases were increased significantly, but blood total protein and acid phosphatase activity were reduced.