Figure 2.

Microscopic observation of new methylene blue-stained blood cells of (A) saline-injected and (B) ZnSO₄-injected 5/6-nephrectomized rats (27 days post surgery). In (A), most of the blood cells were mature erythrocytes (E) (median cell diameter 7.4 μm), and their cytoplasm was clear. Several smaller cells (R) were also present. In (B), the ZnSO₄-injected 5/6-nephrectomized rats had less mature erythrocytes (E) but had more smaller cells (R) (median cell size 5.1 μm), and these cells (R) had curved linear structures or dark blue dots in the cytoplasm with distinctive staining of the reticulocytes.