Background and Aim: Canine monocytotropic ehrlichiosis (CME), a tick-borne disease, leads to a systemic inflammatory response syndrome; it is thus important to assess the intensity of inflammation in order to treat it appropriately. The current study was designed to evaluate hematological, biochemical, and inflammatory parameters in dogs naturally infected with Ehrlichia canis compared with those in healthy dogs. We also assessed the relationship among several inflammation-related parameters and considered these parameters for use as inflammatory biomarkers of CME. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight dogs were divided into two groups based on the results of nested polymerase chain reaction for detecting E. canis, comprising a healthy group (n=11) and an infected group (n=17). A blood sample was collected from each dog to evaluate hematological, biochemical, and inflammatory parameters, with the obtained results being statistically compared between the groups. Moreover, the correlations of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were investigated in the 28 dogs. Results: In the infected group, the mean levels of red blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were significantly lower than in the healthy group, while the mean lymphocyte and monocyte counts were higher. The mean levels of ESR and CRP were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the infected group, whereas no significant differences were found in IL-6 levels between the two groups. In the correlation analysis, ESR and CRP levels were highly correlated (p<0.01, r=0.531). Conclusion: Elevated ESR and CRP levels were found in dogs naturally infected with E. canis, which also presented mild to moderate inflammation in this study. Moreover, CRP was significantly correlated with ESR, so ESR and CRP may serve as inflammatory biomarkers for monitoring CME.

Global warming is increasing the frequency of acute temperature fluctuations that may threaten ectothermic reptiles, but the underlying physiological and cellular mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study investigated physiological changes, oxidative imbalance, antioxidant systems, nitric oxide, iron metabolism, and red blood cell morphology in butterfly lizards (Leiolepis belliana belliana) under acute temperature elevation. Physiological responses were evaluated in vivo in butterfly lizards exposed to temperatures of 27–37 °C, whereas biochemical responses in red blood cells were examined in vitro at 27–39 °C, and red blood cell morphology was evaluated at 27–37 °C. Body temperature (p = 0.00000107) and pulse rate (p = 0.00000147) increased significantly with increasing temperature, whereas respiratory rate (p = 0.4185) and blood oxygen saturation (p = 0.7672) were not significantly affected. In blood cells, cellular metabolic activity (p = 0.00000674), malondialdehyde (p = 0.000256), protein oxidation (p = 0.0000526), ferric iron (p = 0.000000105), and vitamin E (p = 0.000464) increased significantly, whereas total antioxidant capacity (p = 0.0000000896), glutathione (p = 0.000453), nitric oxide (p = 0.000000252), and ferrous iron (p = 0.0000000182) decreased significantly. Hydrogen peroxide (p = 0.000181), glutathione peroxidase activity (p = 0.000000169), and catalase activity (p = 0.00000182) also showed significant temperature-dependent changes. Red blood cell elongation increased significantly (p = 0.0005), whereas nucleus size remained unchanged (nucleus length, p = 0.6800; nucleus width, p = 0.8814). Acute temperature elevation increased cellular metabolic activity and was accompanied by impaired antioxidant defense, oxidative damage, disruption of nitric oxide homeostasis, and iron dysregulation in butterfly lizard red blood cells. These findings improve our understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying acute heat stress in ectothermic reptiles.