Abstract: Fifty 30-day-old healthy Kunming mice were randomly divided into the control group, the test groups of Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ (n=10). These groups were given copper sulphate 0,20,50,100 and 100 mg/kg body weight by the way of gavage, individually. The group Ⅳ were drank 500 mg/L VC solution, and the other groups drunk distilled water freely. At the beginning of the experiment, 7, 14, 21 and 28 d weighed and collected blood through tail vein blood. The blood routine test was performed. Through the total trial period, compared with the control group, the weight, the number of red and white blood cells, hemoglobin content of the group Ⅰ had no significant difference (P>0.05); on the 28th day, the number of the red blood cells and white blood cells significantly decreased and increased (P<0.05), respectively, and the body weight and hemoglobin content had no significance (P>0.05) in group Ⅱ; On the 28th day, the weight and red blood cells number extremely significantly reduced (P<0.01), the content of hemoglobin significantly reduced (P<0.05), and the white blood cells number had no significance (P>0.05) in group Ⅲ.Compared with the group Ⅲ, the body weight of mice in tested group Ⅳ was significantly increased on 21th and 28th day (P<0.05), but the number of red blood cells, hemoglobin content, white blood cells showed no significant difference (P>0.05). This study indicated that high doses of copper could significantly reduce the growth of mice, the number of red and white blood cells and the content of hemoglobin. Although VC partially reversed the decreased weight due to the high copper, it had no significant effect on the decreased red and white blood cells, hemoglobin caused by high copper.

Key words: copper; mice; red blood cell; hemoglobin; white blood cell