Toxicity, pathophysiology and pathology in sheep following dosing of the nephrotoxic plant Nolletia gariepina (DC) Mattf.
Ingestion of the plant Nolletia gariepina was confirmed as the cause of acute mortalities in cattle in the Kuruman area of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The aim of this trial was to investigate the toxic effects of this plant with respect to clinical signs, pathophysiology and pathology using the sheep as a model. At dosages of 1.5 g dried, milled plant material/kg body mass there were no detectable abnormal findings, while at dosages of 2.8-3.0 g/kg most of the animals died acutely. In subacutely affected sheep, depression, inappetance, teeth grinding, tachycardia, weak ruminal movements and recumbency were noticed. The most prominent pathophysiological changes observed, included a sharp rise in non-protein nitrogen substances in the plasma, remarkable decline in glomerular filtration rate, increase in sodium and potassium excretion, and a rise in urine gamma glutamyltransferase activity. Macroscopically a severe nephrosis was present in all the animals. The most important findings detected histologically were necrosis of the proximal convoluted tubular epithelium and large numbers of protein casts in the lumens.
Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa. roy.meintjes@up.ac.za
R A
RA
Meintjes
C J
CJ
Botha
L
L
Prozesky
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D019659:Asteraceae / Q000506:poisoning*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000662:veterinary; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007677:Kidney Function Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000097:blood; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000506:poisoning; D010939:Plant Poisoning / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011188:Potassium / Q000652:urine; D011897:Random Allocation; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012964:Sodium / Q000652:urine; D014118:Toxins, Biological / Q000506:poisoning; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine
D010936:Plant Extracts; D014118:Toxins, Biological; D012964:Sodium; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D009584:Nitrogen; D011188:Potassium