Pathological changes of xanthinurolithiasis in calves.
Pathological examination was carried out on a male and a female beef calf 3 months old involved in an outbreak of xanthinurolithiasis. This outbreak has been found among indigenous Japanese Black calves in an area of the Kyushu region since 1971. Involved in it, calves were retarded in growth, with the back curved, exhibiting depression and anorexia. A characteristic gross change was the accumulation of yellowish white or yellowish brown sand-grain-like calculi in the urinary passage. Histologically, a number of calculi, as birefractive crystals, were contained mainly in the collecting and distal uriniferous tubules in the renal medulla. In the uriniferous tubules epithelial cells surrounding those crystals presented such reaction as to form syncytia, and the surrounding connective tissue proliferated. Biochemical examination revealed that the calculi were composed of xanthine.
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014970:Xanthines / Q000378:metabolism*
D014970:Xanthines