Towards phenotyping adaptive traits in camels: A study of the influence of hypotonic saline solutions on blood cell area

Single-humped camels are livestock of physical, physiological, and biochemical adaptations to hot desert environments and to water scarcity. The tolerance of camels to water deprivation and their exceptional capacity for rapid rehydration requires blood cells with membranes of specialized organization and chemical composition. The objectives of this study are to examine the changes in the area (a proxy for volume) of camel blood cells in solutions with decreasing concentrations of NaCl and consequently identify the conditions under which blood cells can be phenotyped in a large population. Whole-blood samples from three healthy adult female camels were treated with four different concentrations of NaCl and examined at six incubation-periods. Observationally, red blood cells in all treatments remained intact and maintained their elliptical shape while white blood cells experienced some damage, lysing at concentrations below 0.90%. Average basal (in 0.90% NaCl) RBC area was similar to 15 mu m(2) and swelled in the various treatments, in some cases reaching twice its original size. Excluding the damaged cells, the average area of combined WBCs, similar to 32.7 mu m(2), expanded approximately three times its original size. We find that camel WBCs, like their RBCs, are adapted to hypotonic environments, and are capable of expanding while maintaining their structural integrity.