Experimental studies of neurotoxic activity in blood fractions from acute cases of grass sickness.
Plasma, serum and  cells were prepared from blood taken from acute cases of grass sickness, and plasma was fractionated by gel  filtration and salt precipatation. These preparations were all tested for neurotoxic activity by injection into ponies. Plasma and serum were found to produce the neurohistological changes seen in grass sickness, as was a plasma  protein fraction of molecular weight  30,000 or greater. Activity was retained following storage at--75 degrees C for 15 months. Plasma given orally to a pony produced no detectable effect, nor was activity demonstrated following the injection of plasma or the high molecular weight fraction to mice, rats, guinea-pigs or rabbits.
D000818:Animals; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D005725:Ganglia, Autonomic / Q000473:pathology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D006736:Horses; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D010939:Plant Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006109:Poaceae; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats