Spontaneous poisoning of goats by the plant Ipomoea sericophylla (Convolvulaceae) in Brazil – a case report

The aim of this study was to report a neurological disease in goats caused by the plant I. sericophylla. The epidemiology, clinical signs, histological findings and the results of the lectin histochemistry analysis of a nervous cells and epithelial cells are also reported. Five goats that remained with neurological signs were examined in more detail. Two goats were necropsied. Histological lesions consisted of neurons with thin cytoplasm vacuolation, presence of axonal spheroids and vacuolation in pancreatic acinar cells, thyroid folliculars cells, hepatocytes and renal tubular cells. On lectin-histochemical analysis, cerebellar cells, pancreatic acinar cells and follicular thyroid cells showed positive staining for Concanavalia ensiformis, Triticum vulgaris, succinylated Triticum vulgaris and Lens culinares, which indicate the storage of α-D-mannose, α-D-glucose, β-D-N-acetyl-glucosamine, and acetyl-neuraminic acid. It is concluded that I. sericophylla is an important toxic plant that causes lysosomal storage disease in goats at semi-arid region of Pernambuco, Brazil.

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Pathological findings in fetuses of goats and cattle poisoned by Sida carpinifolia (Malvaceae)

Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira ◽

10.1590/s0100-736x2012000300008 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 227-230 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Pedro M.O. Pedroso ◽

Edson Moleta Colodel ◽

Anderson Luiz Seitz ◽

Gabriel L.F. Correa ◽

Mauro Pereira Soares ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neurological Diseases ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Lectin Histochemistry ◽

Purkinje Neurons ◽

Pancreatic Acinar Cells ◽

Renal Tubules ◽

Pathological Findings ◽

Lysosomal Storage ◽

Follicular Cells ◽

Thyroid Follicular Cells

In Brazil, the consumption of Sida carpinifolia by livestock has been associated with neurological diseases linked to lysosomal storage disorders. This paper describes the pathological findings in two caprine fetuses from dams that were experimentally poisoned with S. carpinifolia. The goats were orally dosed with 10 and 13g/kg of a paste of green chopped S. carpinifolia for 30 days and were observed for an additional 15 days period after the last dosage with the plant; thereafter they were euthanized and necropsied. The dams showed only slight clinical signs. The study also includes the findings in one bovine fetus from a naturally S. carpinifolia poisoned cow which showed mild incoordination, generalized tremors, staggering, and frequent falls. The cow was euthanized and necropsied. While there were no significant histopathological changes in the goats, in the cow vacuolation of Purkinje neurons of the cerebellum, pancreatic acinar cells, and thyroid follicular cells were observed. The main microscopic changes observed in the caprine and bovine fetuses were vacuolation in the epithelium of renal tubules, thyroid follicular cells, and Purkinje neurons of the cerebellum. Transmission electron microscopy of sections from CNS of the cow and its fetus revealed vacuoles containing fine granular material surrounded by membrane. Lectin-histochemistry of CNS sections from goat fetuses marked lightly to sWGA lectins, WGA, and Con-A.

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Spontaneous poisoning by Sida carpinifolia (Malvaceae) in horses

Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira ◽

10.1590/s0100-736x2017000900005 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 37 (9) ◽

pp. 926-930 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Daniele M. Bassuino ◽

Guilherme Konradt ◽

Matheus V. Bianchi ◽

Matheus O. Reis ◽

Saulo P. Pavarini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽

Neurological Diseases ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Lectin Histochemistry ◽

Lysosomal Storage ◽

Con A ◽

Indolizidine Alkaloids ◽

The Central Nervous System ◽

Progressive Weight Loss ◽

Gross Lesions

ABSTRACT: Sida carpinifolia poisoning causes a chronic neurodegenerative disorder associated with lysosomal storage by indolizidine alkaloids (swainsonine). The epidemiological, clinical, pathological and lectin histochemistry findings of an outbreak of natural poisoning by S. carpinifolia in horses in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, are described. Five horses from a total of 15 that were kept on native pasture with large amounts of S. carpinifolia presented during 90 days clinical signs of progressive weight loss, incoordination, stiff gait and ramble, in addition to exacerbated reactions and locomotion difficulty after induced movement. Four horses died, and one of them was submitted for necropsy. At necropsy, no significant gross lesions were observed. Histological findings observed in the central nervous system were characterized by swollen neurons with cytoplasm containing multiple microvacuoles; these abnormalities were more severe in the thalamus, hippocampus, cerebellum and pons. Using lectin histochemistry, the pons and hippocampus sections stained positive for commercial lectin Con-A, sWGA and WGA. This study aimed to detail S. carpinifolia poisoning in horses to be included in the differential diagnoses of neurological diseases of horses.

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Morphometric studies of pancreatic acinar granule formation in NCTR-Balb/c mice

Journal of Cell Science ◽

10.1242/jcs.102.1.141 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 102 (1) ◽

pp. 141-147

Author(s):

H. Weintraub ◽

A. Abramovici ◽

D. Amichai ◽

T. Eldar ◽

L. Ben-Dor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acinar Cells ◽

Cellular Membrane ◽

Mutant Mice ◽

Pancreatic Acinar Cells ◽

Morphometric Study ◽

Lysosomal Storage ◽

Membrane Flow ◽

Granule Formation ◽

Membrane Function ◽

Time Points

NCTR-Balb/c mice are afflicted with a cholesterol lysosomal storage disorder stemming from a defect in intracellular cholesterol processing. The clinical and biochemical abnormalities expressed in the mice resemble Niemann-Pick type C and D disorders in humans. One of the proposed mechanisms to explain the pathophysiology of the disorder implies a defect in the process of membrane transport that normally takes place in the vesicular movement of cholesterol to specific target sites in the cell. Secretory granule formation in pancreatic acinar cells is one of the biological processes known to involve massive membrane flow. Thus, we have undertaken a morphometric study of the regranulation mechanism in the pancreatic acinar cells of the mutant mice, as a way of studying cellular membrane movement. Electron micrographs of pancreatic acinar cells from mutant and normal mice were taken at several time points after extensive degranulation induced by pilocarpine injection. Two hours after stimulation the pancreatic cells demonstrated a complete loss of granules, and at later time points newly formed granules appeared. Identical unit granule volumes were observed in both groups, indicating that the progranules were of normal size. However, the rate of granule formation and maturation was reduced in the mutant mice, which might be the result of a defect in membrane function.

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Intoxication by Astragalus garbancillo var. garbancillo in llamas

Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation ◽

10.1177/1040638720914338 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 467-470

Author(s):

Raul E. Marin ◽

Juan F Micheloud ◽

Nilda D. Vignale ◽

Eduardo J. Gimeno ◽

Donal O’Toole ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Performance ◽

Storage Disease ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Lysosomal Storage Diseases ◽

Clinical History ◽

Lysosomal Storage ◽

Cell Degeneration ◽

Nervous Disease ◽

Indolizidine Alkaloids ◽

Axonal Spheroids

Lysosomal storage diseases are inherited and acquired disorders characterized by dysfunctional lysosomes. Intracytoplasmic accumulation of undegraded substrates leads to impaired cellular function and death. Several plant species are toxic to livestock because of the presence of indolizidine alkaloids, including swainsonine, which cause a storage disease. Swainsonine-induced nervous disease (i.e., locoism) of sheep and cattle is well recognized in several parts of the world, particularly in the western United States and in parts of Australia. Spontaneous intoxication by Astragalus garbancillo var. garbancillo was suspected in a group of 70 llamas ( Lama glama) in Jujuy Province, northwestern Argentina. The animals grazed an area dominated by stands of A. garbancillo var. garbancillo. Clinical signs were staggering, ataxia, hypermetria, and progressive weight loss. The clinical course in individual animals was ~50 d. The main microscopic changes were Purkinje cell degeneration, necrosis, and loss, associated with intracytoplasmic vacuolation, meganeurite formation, and Wallerian degeneration. Specific positive labeling for ubiquitin was observed in axonal spheroids. Composite leaf and stem samples of A. garbancillo var. garbancillo analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography contained 0.03% swainsonine. Based on the microscopic lesions, clinical history, and plant analysis, a diagnosis was made of storage disease caused by consumption of swainsonine-containing A. garbancillo var. garbancillo.

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