Morphometric characterization of red blood cells in healthy and tumor-affected rats: toward quantitative markers of systemic pathology

Abstract

Red blood cells (RBCs) are widely recognized as sensitive indicators of both physiological status and
pathological alterations. Their geometric properties, particularly size and shape, can provide valuable
diagnostic information when analyzed quantitatively.
In this study, RBCs from healthy rats were compared with those from rats bearing experimentally
induced tumors. Bright-field images were obtained using an optical microscope (ZEISS Axio Lab.A1 with
a ZEISS EPILA ×40/0.6 objective and Thorlabs CMOS camera). Pixel calibration was performed with a
precision micrometer, and cell morphometry was analyzed with ImageJ. The parameters included cell
area, major and minor ellipse axes, Feret diameters, as well as the derived k-factor and eccentricity. In
total, 131 RBCs were studied in the control group and 115–138 in the tumor-bearing groups.
The results showed a pronounced decrease in RBC area in pathological groups compared to healthy
controls. Average values dropped from 38.13 μm² in the control to 18.58–20.42 μm² in tumor-bearing
rats, reflecting a reduction of about 45–50%. In contrast, the k-factor (0.89–0.93) and eccentricity
(0.32–0.40) remained within a narrow range across all groups. This indicates that tumor progression
strongly reduces RBC size while largely preserving their elliptical geometry.
Overall, the findings demonstrate that quantitative RBC morphometry can reveal subtle but systematic
changes associated with disease. The approach may serve as a sensitive marker of systemic alterations
and a useful complementary tool for evaluating tumor progression and related pathological conditions.
The study was supported by a grant Russian Science Foundation No. 25-22-00144, https://rscf.ru/project/25-22-00144/

Speaker

Arsenii Fashchevskii
Saratov State University, Saratov, Russia
Russia

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