Brena P. Rocha

Avaliação da toxicidade das favas de Stryphnodendron fissuratum (Mimosoideae) em vacas gestantes

To evaluate the toxicity of different concentrations of pods of Stryphnodendron fissuratum to pregnant cows, the pods of this tree were grounded, mixed in a commercial food and given to eight pregnant cows in total doses of 6.5g/kg, 7.5g/kg, 9g/kg and 10g/kg. The animals that received doses of 6.5g/kg delivered normal calves and those that received 7.5g/kg delivered weak calves that did not survive. Doses of 9g/kg resulted in the birth of an immature calf and another with congenital bilateral distichiasis, corneal opacity, and microphthalmia. Both cows that ingested 10g/kg died, and one of these aborted before death. In the dead cows, the gross and histological lesions of the digestive system and liver were similar to those previously described in S. fissuratum poisoning. No significant lesions were observed in the calves and in the aborted fetus. The phytochemical analysis of methanol extracts from pods of S. fissuratum revealed the presence of soluble tannins, proanthocyanidins, leucoanthocyanidins and the triterpenoid saponin β-amyrin. Triterpenoid saponins had been associated with the toxicity of Stryphnodendron spp. and Enterolobium spp., which cause clinical signs similar to those observed in the poisoning by S. fissuratum. The results presented herein confirmed the toxicity of S. fissuratum to bovines. However, the abortive effects of this plant was not confirmed; thus because the abortion and neonatal deaths could be due to the toxicity of the pods to the cows. New research should be done to demonstrate if S. fissuratum is a cause of malformations similar to those observed in one of the calves born from the treated cows.

Intoxicação espontânea por Prosopis juliflora (Leguminosae) em ovinos

Almeida V.M., Rocha B.P., Pfister J.A., Medeiros R.M.T., Riet-Correa F., Chaves H.A.S., Silva Filho G.B. & Mendonça F.S. 2017. Spontaneous poisoning by Prosopis juliflora (Leguminosae) in sheep. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 37(2):110-114. Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros s/n, Dois Irmãos, Recife, PE 52171-900, Brazil. E-mail: fabio.mendonca@pq.cnpq.br The aim of this paper is to describe the first report of spontaneous poisoning by Prosopis juliflora in sheep. From flock of 500 sheep at risk, four adult male sheep were affected. One died spontaneously and three other were examined, euthanized and necropsied. Neurologic examination focused particularly on motor and sensory-cranial nerve function, complete blood counts, serum biochemistry and urinalysis were done. The evolution of the disease was chronic and to present signs of poisoning, sheep had to ingest a diet containing at least 80% of P. juliflora pods during 21 months. The biochemistry revealed a substantial increase in creatine phosphokinase levels. Clinical signs included drooling of saliva, dropped jaw, tongue protrusion and loss of food from the mouth. Gross and histological lesions were similar to those previously reported in cattle and goats. Sheep are more resistant to poisoning by P. juliflora considering that it took 21 months of pod consumption to show clinical signs. There is no specific treatment for P. juliflora poisoning in ruminants.

Fibrose cardíaca associada à intoxicação por Amorimia septentrionalis em bovinos

Amorimia (Mascagnia) septentrionalis contains sodium monofluoracetate and when consumed by ruminants cause outbreaks of sudden death. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology, clinical and pathological signs of outbreaks of sudden deaths in cattle caused by A. septentrionalis in the states of Pernambuco and Paraiba. For this, technical visits where made on various properties in the regions of Medio Capibaribe/PE and Itabaiana/PB. Eight cattle were necropsied. Tissues were collected from abdominal and thoracic cavities, besides brain and spinal cord. The clinical changes consisted in apathy, prolonged sternal recumbency, reluctance to move, fatigue, tachypnea, tachycardia and positive venous pulse. The animals that were forced to move showed instability, muscular tremors and then a single fall followed by vocalizations, paddling and death in 5-7 minutes. Macroscopic changes consisted in pulmonary edema, globular heart with whitish areas, petechiae and ecchymosis in the epicardium, myocardium and papillary muscles. Microscopically there was an increase of eosinophilia of cytoplasm of cardiomyocytes, picnosis, cariorrexia, karyolysis, loss of striations and multifocal areas of cardiac fibrosis. In the kidney, there was hydropic vacuolar degeneration and necrosis of epithelial cells in convoluted tubules. The clinical signs presented by the cattle poisoned were similar to those previously described by plants containing MFA. The macroscopic and microscopic lesions described in the heart and kidneys are of great diagnostic value. A. septentrionalis is the main toxic plant of livestock interests in the studied regions due to direct and indirect economic losses in livestock that causes.

Doença de depósito lisossomal induzida pelo consumo de Ipomoea verbascoidea (Convolvulaceae) em caprinos no semiárido de Pernambuco

The aim of this paper was to reproduce the poisoning of Ipomoea verbascoidea in goats and describe the epidemiological, clinical and pathological aspects of spontaneous poisoning by this plant in Pernambuco. For this, we studied the epidemiology of the disease in seven municipalities in the semiarid region of the State. Three spontaneously poisoned goats were examined and then euthanized and necropsied (Group I). To reproduce the disease, the dried leaves of I. verbascoidea containing 0.02% swainsonine were supplied at doses of 4g/kg (0.8mg swainsonine/kg) to two groups of three animals. The goats in Group II received daily doses of the plant during 40 days and were euthanized on the 41st day of the experiment. Goats from Group III received daily doses of the plant during 55 days and were euthanized on the 120th day of the experiment. Other three goats constituted the control group (Group IV). In experimental groups, the brain lesions were evaluated by histopathology; additionally the cerebellar lesions were evaluated by morphometry, by measuring the molecular layer thickness, the number of Purkinje cells and the area of the cell bodies of these cells. The main clinical signs and microscopic lesions in goats poisoned were similar to those reported by swainsonine containing plants. In goats of GII and GIII, the first nervous signs were observed between 22th and 29th days; clinically, the disease developed by these animals was similar to the spontaneous cases. The goats of GIII did not recover from the neurologic signs. These results show that the consumption of the plant by 26-28 days after observation of the first clinical signs is enough to cause irreversible damage. By morphometric analysis, the molecular layer of the cerebellum of the goats of Group I and III were thinner than those of goats in the control group, and Purkinje neurons were atrophic. It is suggested that these changes are responsible for the neurological picture observed in goats that stop eating the plant and have sequelae of poisoning.

Biópsia hepática como método diagnóstico para intoxicação por plantas que contém swainsonina

With the aim to investigate the use of hepatic biopsies for the diagnosis of poisoning by swainsonine-containing plants, dry leaves of Ipomoea marcellia containing 0.02% of swainsonine were administered to goats. Group I, with six goats, ingested 4g/kg of dry plant (0.8mg of swainsonina/kg) daily until the observation of the first neurologic signs. Two goats that did not receive the plant were used as control (Group II). Hepatic biopsies with the Menghini needle were performed by the percutaneous technique at day zero and at weekly intervals after the start of the administration of I. marcellia. Biopsy samples were fixed in 10% formaline, processed routinely, and stained by hematoxilin-eosin and by lectins histochemistry. Hepatocellular vacuolization similar to those described in cases of lysosomal storage disease were identified in all goats of Group I from the seven day of plant consumption in the samples satained with hematoxylin-eosin. Using lectin histochemistry, consistent labellings were observed with Concanavalia ensiformis (Con-A) e Triticum vulgaris (WGA). It is concluded that routinely histological evaluation of liver biopsies can be used in the diagnosis of poisoning by swainsonine containing plants, even in goats without clinical signs, and lectin histochemistry which can be used as supplementary diagnostic method.

Spontaneous poisoning by Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae) in cattle

O objetivo deste trabalho e relatar casos de intoxicacao espontânea em bovinos por Ricinus communis (mamona) na Paraiba, regiao semi-arida do nordeste do Brasil. Os casos foram observados em dois rebanhos de propriedades vizinhas no ano de 2013. Os primeiros sinais clinicos se desenvolveram dentro de 6-24 h e consistiam em fraqueza, taquicardia, dispneia, diarreia aquosa profusa, desidratacao, depressao, instabilidade, colicas, decubito lateral permanente e morte em 48-72h. Dos 60 bovinos sob risco, 19 foram afetados e 14 morreram. Cinco bovinos se recuperaram totalmente apos um periodo de 12 dias. Tres bovinos foram necropsiados. As principais lesoes macroscopicas foram hemopericardio, hemotorax, edema pulmonar, petequias no epicardio e endocardio, equimoses nos musculos papilares e sufusoes nos os musculos intercostais. Hemorragias tambem foram observadas na cavidade abdominal, baco e na mucosa do abomaso e intestino delgado. O conteudo ruminal estava liquido, e continha grande quantidade de sementes de R. communis. No parenquima hepatico havia areas circulares, esbranquicadas e distribuidas focalmente. As principais lesoes microscopicas consistiam em necrose miocardica coagulativa multifocal com a presenca de infiltrado de celulas mononucleares e graus variados de hemorragias entre as fibras musculares cardiacas. O abomaso e a mucosa e submucosa do intestino delgado apresentavam edema discreto e infiltrado de celulas inflamatorias mononucleares e polimorfonucleares. O diagnostico da intoxciacao por R. communis foi baseado na historia de consumo de planta, sinais clinicos, patologia da doenca e pela presenca de grandes quantidades de sementes de R. communis no sistema digestorio dos bovinos.

Hybanthus calceolaria poisoning in cattle

Hybanthus calceolaria, also known as “papaconha” or “ipepacuanha,” is a herbaceous plant found in northeastern Brazil, which is often implicated by farmers as the cause of neurological signs in livestock grazing. Several poisoning outbreaks associated with the ingestion of this plant were observed in cattle in the municipalities of Colônia de Gurguéia in the state of Piauí and Sirinhaém in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. The main clinical signs were ataxia, recumbency, and myokymia. No significant lesions were observed during necropsy or on histological examination. The disease was experimentally reproduced by the administration of 2 daily doses of 40 g/kg/body weight of the fresh green plant containing fruits. The plants without fruits were nontoxic, which is in accordance with the farmers’ information, as it was stated that the poisoning only occurs when the plant is fruiting.

Congenital malformations caused by Stryphnodendron fissuratum (Leg. Mimosoideae) in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of Stryphnodendron fissuratum pods in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) and test the hypothesis that this plant has teratogenic effects. Thus, sixteen guinea pigs were randomly divided into four groups of four animals each. Groups 10, 20 and 40 consisted of guinea pigs that received commercial food that contained crushed pods of S. fissuratum at concentrations of 10, 20 and 40 g/kg, respectively, during the period of organogenesis. Control group consisted of guinea pigs under the same management conditions that did not receive crushed pods of S. fissuratum in their food. In all experimental groups, the main clinical signs of poisoning consisted of anorexia, prostration, absence of vocalizations, alopecia, diarrhea, and abortions within the adult guinea pigs. Those that did not abort gave birth to weak, malnourished pups, some of which had fetal malformations. The main teratogenic changes consisted of eventration, arthrogryposis, amelia of the forelimbs, anophthalmia, microphthalmia, anotia and agnathia. The reductions in the number of offspring and the malformations observed in the experimental groups suggest that S. fissuratum affects fetal development and is teratogenic.