Haematology and serum chemistry parameters of the pregnant rat

This study describes the baseline haematology and serum chemistry values found in non-pregnant, pregnant (gestational days [GD] 2-21) and lactating (postnatal days 1-9) Sprague Dawley rats (n= 3-10/day) from the NCTR breeding colony of Cr1:COBS CD(SD)BR strain. Maternal body weights on GD0 ranged from 250 to 300 g. Multiple analytes were measured in both whole blood and serum of dams. Amniotic fluid, fetal serum, and postnatal pup serum analyte values were also acquired. Maternal blood was collected from the heart under sub-terminal carbon dioxide (CO2) anaesthesia. Most pregnant dam blood values were not appreciably different from values for non-pregnant dams until near term; near-term values for some analytes (red blood cells, haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, total protein, glucose, total bilirubin, sodium, and chloride) decreased but returned to near-normal values soon after delivery. The most dramatic change was a three-fold elevation of serum triglyceride levels near term with a subsequent decrease at birth. Most serum chemistry analytes measured in progeny increased after birth except for alkaline phosphatase, calcium and potassium levels which decreased.