title: Effects of acute ochratoxicosis on blood pressure and heart rate of broiler chickens.
abstract: Male broiler chickens (Hubbard X Hubbard) were placed at hatching into electrically heated batteries with feed and water available ad libitum and maintained to 3 weeks of age under continuous lighting. In Trial 1, two replicate pens of 10 broilers per replicate were fed ochratoxin A from day-old to 3 weeks of age with treatments of 0, 2.0, and 4.0 micrograms/g ochratoxin A in feed (ppm). Trial 2 was identical to Trial 1 except that when the broilers reached 3 weeks of age they were administered an additional intravenous dose of either ochratoxin A, methoxamine, or isoproterenol. Trial 3 broiler chickens were maintained on control feed until they reached 3 weeks of age at which time they were taken off of feed for 2.5 hr and then placed on either control feed or feed containing 4.0 ppm ochratoxin A, and heart rate and blood pressure were measured every half hour through 7 hr. In Trial 1, no effect of ochratoxin A was seen in any treatment on heart rate or diastolic, systolic, or mean blood pressure. However, when an intravenous dose of ochratoxin A was administered to these broilers, a significant (P less than .05) decrease in heart rate and diastolic, systolic, and mean blood pressure occurred. The severity and duration of intravenous ochratoxin A administration were significantly (P less than .05) enhanced as the level of dietary ochratoxin A increased. The response of broilers to isoproterenol was significantly (P less than .05) altered by dietary ochratoxin A, whereas the broilers responded in a predictable manner to methoxamine without significant (P less than .05) ochratoxin A treatment effects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens; D004347:Drug Interactions; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007275:Injections, Intravenous / Q000662:veterinary; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008729:Methoxamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009793:Ochratoxins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000506:poisoning*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D009793:Ochratoxins; C025589:ochratoxin A; D008729:Methoxamine; D007545:Isoproterenol