Spontaneous aortic arteriosclerosis in layer chickens.
Aortas of 21 grower chickens (both sexes) aged 30-130 days and of 51 layer hens aged 500 days were examined histopathologically. Aortic sclerotic lesions were classified histopathologically into six stages. As early as 30 days, the abdominal aortas of growers had cellular-fibrous plaques that became more severe with advancing age. The majority of the abdominal aortas of all the 500-day-old layers had a conspicuous increase of collagen fibres, with atheromatous lesions in 23 (45.1%). These sclerotic changes were most severe in the distal aortas.
Orita
S
S
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Gifu University, Japan.
Masegi
T
T
Itou
K
K
Kawada
M
M
Yanai
T
T
Ueda
K
K
D000818:Animals; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000473:pathology*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002645:Chickens; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies