Preanalytical factors such as storage time and temperature are proved to induce marked artifactual changes in hematological parameters in horses, small animals and humans. These errors can mirror findings typical of endotoxemia, leading to dangerous misdiagnosis. Since donkeys are common in warm climates and remote regions, blood samples from this species can be subjected to long lasting travels from the farm to the nearest laboratory, frequently under suboptimal conditions. Moreover, as other equids, donkeys are prone to suffer endotoxemia. Nonetheless, stability has not been evaluated in samples for hematology in this species. The aim of this study was to characterize the effect of temperature and storage time in hematological parameters from healthy donkeys and donkeys with induced endotoxemia. Blood samples were collected from six healthy female Andalusian donkeys and stored for 6, 12, 24, and 48 h at several temperatures (4, 24, and 35°C). Endotoxemia was induced in the same animals by an intravenous LPS infusion and samples obtained 30 min post-infusion were handled similarly. Hematological analysis was performed using a laser-based analyzer and blood smear examination. Storage at 24°C caused significant neutropenia after 48 h as well as morphological changes typical of endotoxemia in blood from healthy donkeys as soon as 24 h post-storage. Samples kept at 35°C displayed more profound and earlier artifactual variations. Conservation at 4°C did not cause any significant change in blood parameters. Prolonged (48 h) storage of samples from animals with induced endotoxemia at 24 and 35°C accentuated pre-existing leukopenia and neutropenia. These findings highlight that donkey samples should be stored at 4°C, instead of 24°C as recommended for horses. Moreover, blood smear interpretation should be cautious in samples stored for longer than 24 h and could be misleading when blood is kept at 35°C.

事实证明，分析前的因素（例如储存时间和温度）会在马，小型动物和人类中引起血液学参数的明显人为变化。这些错误可以反映出内毒素血症的典型发现，从而导致危险的误诊。由于驴在温暖的气候和偏远地区很常见，因此从该物种采集的血液样本可能会长期处于次优条件下，从农场到最近的实验室旅行。此外，像其他动物一样，驴容易遭受内毒素血症。但是，尚未对该物种的血液学样本评估稳定性。这项研究的目的是表征温度和储存时间对健康驴和内毒素血症驴的血液学参数的影响。从六只健康的安达卢西亚母驴身上采集血液样本，并在几种温度（4、24和35°C）下保存6、12、24和48小时。通过静脉内LPS输注在同一只动物中诱发内毒素血症，对输注后30分钟获得的样品进行类似处理。使用基于激光的分析仪和血液涂片检查进行血液学分析。储存后24小时，储存在24°C下48小时后会引起显着的中性粒细胞减少以及健康驴血液中内毒素血症的典型形态变化。保持在35°C的样品显示出更深远的和早期的人为变化。在4℃下保存并没有引起血液参数的任何显着变化。长时间（48小时）在24和35°C诱发内毒素血症的动物样品的贮藏会加剧先前存在的白细胞减少症和中性粒细胞减少症。这些发现表明，驴样品应在4°C下储存，而不是马匹建议的24°C下储存。此外，对于保存时间超过24小时的样本，血液涂片解释应谨慎，当血液保持在35°C时可能会产生误导。