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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Logan, Utah » Poisonous Plant Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #309640
Title: Cardiac fibrosis associated to the poisoning of Amorimia septentrionalis in cattle

Author
item ALBUQUERQUE, S - Federal Rural University Of Pernambuco
item ROCHA, B - Federal Rural University Of Pernambuco
item ALMEIDA, V - Federal Rural University Of Pernambuco
item OLIVEIRA, J - Federal Rural University Of Pernambuco
item RIET-CORREA, F - Federal University Of Campina Grande
item Lee, Stephen
item NETO, J - Universidade De Pernambuco
item MENDOCA, F - Federal Rural University Of Pernambuco

Submitted to: Pesquisa Veterinaria Brasileira
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/16/2014
Publication Date: 5/1/2014
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/62866
Citation: Albuquerque, S.S., Rocha, B.P., Almeida, V.M., Oliveira, J.S., Riet-Correa, F., Lee, S.T., Neto, J.E., Mendoca, F.S. 2014. Cardiac fibrosis associated to the poisoning of Amorimia septentrionalis in cattle. Pesquisa Veterinaria Brasileira. 34(5):433-437.

Interpretive Summary: Amorimia (Mascagnia) septentrionalis contains sodium monofluoracetate and when consumed by ruminants cause outbreaks of sudden death. This purpose of this study was to describe the causes and progression of sudden deaths in cattle caused by A. septentrionalis in the states of Pernambuco ahd Paraiba, Brazil. Eight cattle were necropsied. Tissues were collected from abdominal and thoracic cavities, brain and spinal cord. There were several clinical observations of disease including: apathy, prolonged sternal recumbence, reluctance to move, and fatigue. The animals that were forced to move showed instability, muscular tremors and then single fall followed by vocalizations, paddling and death in 5-7 minutes. Macroscopic changes consisted of pulmonary edema, globular hear with whitish areas. Microscopically there were also lesions in the heart and kidney.

Technical Abstract: 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 Paraíba. For this, technical visits where made on various properties in the regions of Médio 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.