Intoxication with dietary heliotropium dolosum, heliotropium circinatum, and senecio vernalis in calves: pathological and biochemical studies

Intoxication with dietary Heliotropium dolosum, Heliotropium circinatum, andSenecio vernalis in calves: Pathological and Biochemical studies.Ali Osman ÇER BAŞIABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to investigate pathological, biochemical and electronmicroscopical changes in calves fed on the rations supplemented with 10 % dose levelof Heliotropium dolosum, Heliotropium circinatum or Senecio vernalis. For this aim;16 male calves, aged in 3-4 months old, were divided into 4 groups each contain 4calves and the following results were obtained.1- The plant consumption ratio to the body weight was 9.21 % in Heliotropiumdolosum, 19.36 % in Heliotropium circinatum and 17.24 % in Senecio vernalis group.Three animals (at 38th, 42nd and 50th days) from Heliotropium dolosum group and oneanimal (at 39th day) from Senecio vernalis group died throughout the experimentalperiod. Death occurrence was not noted neither in control nor in Heliotropiumcircinatum group.2- Clinical findings were characterized by tenesmus, constipation, alopecia, rectalprolapsus and inco-ordination of walking.3- Hepatic capsular fibrosis, ascites, gastrointestinal edema and testicular atrophy werethe main prominent macroscopical finding detected in experiment groups.4- Microscopically: hepatic lesions including veno-occlusion, megalocytosis,intranuclear inclusion, periportal and periaciner necrosis were detected. Extrahepaticchanges were characterized mainly by interstitial nephritis, tubular megalocytosis,arteriolar hypertrophy in lungs and kidneys. It was demonstrated that the inclusionswere produced by the invagination of cytoplasm through pores to the nucleus.5- Biochemically AST and GGT enzyme activities were high only in certain weeks ofexperiment.6- It was indicated that hepatic mitosis had been supressed in all experiment groups inregard to evaluations made by PCNA staining scores.In conclusion; the most prominent macroscopic and microscopic changesoccurred in Heliotropium dolosum, Senecio vernalis and Heliotropium circinatumgroups, respectively. Biochemical findings did not support to the morphologicalchanges and had no diagnostic value. Hepatic megalocytosis, nuclear inclusion andveno-occlusion were regarded as the specific lesions in calves. Extrahepatic changes,however, might have supportive role in the diagnosis of naturally occurring toxicationswith pyrrolizidine alkaloid containing plants.Key words: Biochemical findings, calf, intoxication, pathologic findings,pyrrolizidine alkaloids.