Simultaneous measurement of phagocytosis and respiratory burst of leukocytes in whole blood from bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) utilizing flow cytometry

Phagocytic and respiratory burst activity was simultaneously measured by flow cytometry in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and monocytes in whole blood from bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Blood was collected from 16 adult dolphins, 12 males (6–34 years of age) and 4 females (11–30 years) and subsequently incubated with a bacteria-to-leukocyte ratio of 25:1 and 10 μl of 500 μM 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate for 70 min at 37 °C. PMN (44.5 ± 3.2%) and monocytes (33.5 ± 3.0%) were positive for propidium iodide-labeled Staphylococcus aureus, indicating phagocytosis. Respiratory burst activity after 70 min as measured by the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) was 68.0 ± 14.4 in PMN and 47.0 ± 10.3 in monocytes. There were no significant differences in MFI or percentage of phagocytizing PMN (p > 0.094) or monocytes (p > 0.275) after storage at 4 °C for 24 h when compared to activity measured in fresh blood. Nor was there an effect of storage on respiratory burst activity (MFI or percentage) in PMN (p > 0.420) or monocytes (p > 0.301). This assay may be particularly useful to assess the ability of dolphins to effectively combat bacterial pathogen challenges with minimal amounts of blood.