Veno-occlusive disease of the liver in captive cheetah.
Liver tissues from 126 captive cheetah were evaluated by light microscopy and histochemistry; eight animals were evaluated by electron microscopy. The main hepatic lesion, a vascular lesion resembling veno-occlusive disease (VOD) of the liver and characterized by subendothelial fibrosis and proliferation of smooth muscle-like cells in the central veins, was seen in 60% of the sexually mature cheetah. Although this hepatic vascular lesion was seen in cheetah as young as 1 year of age, the most severe lesions, usually associated with liver failure, were found in cheetah between the ages of 6 and 11. There was no sex predisposition, and in approximately 40% of the VOD cases, liver disease was not suspected clinically or at necropsy. VOD was found in other felidae, especially in the snow leopard. High levels of vitamin A in livers, as well as in diets of the cheetah, could be a contributing factor in the development of VOD in some groups of cheetah.
Gosselin
S J
SJ
Merrell-Dow Research Institute, Cincinnati, OH.
Loudy
D L
DL
Tarr
M J
MJ
Balistreri
W F
WF
Setchell
K D
KD
Johnston
J O
JO
Kramer
L W
LW
Dresser
B L
BL
D002612:Acinonyx; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002335:Carnivora; D005260:Female; D006504:Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000032:analysis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000032:analysis
D014801:Vitamin A