Estudo clínico-patológico de bovinos intoxicados experimentalmente por Solanum paniculatum

Abstract

Lysosomal storage diseases (LSD) cause neurological disorders in humans and animals and are classified as genetic or acquired. The acquired type result of ingestion of plants containing specific inhibitors of catabolic lysosomal enzymes causing neuronal metabolic substrates accumulation. Among these plants, in Brazil best known neurolipidosis are caused by some species of Solanum, responsible for intoxication in ruminants clinically distinguished by cerebellar disorders. They are commonly known as "Jurubebas" and are widely used in folk cooking and medicine, the Solanum paniculatum is the predominant species in the Northeast and considered the true jurubeba. From 2005 to 2008 outbreaks of poisoning in cattle occurred in properties located in Pernambuco, where animals were kept in pastures invaded by this species. In southern Brazil, the best known species to cause neurological poisoning in cattle is the S. fastigiatum var. fastigiatum. Several species of Solanum cause similar diseases in other countries: S. kwebense in South Africa, S. dimidiatum in the U.S. and S. bonariense in cattle in Uruguay and S. viarum, S. cinereum cause similar poisoning in goats in Australia and the U.S. respectively. This poisoning in ruminants is considered low morbidity and mortality and is characterized by clinical signs restricted to the central nervous system with seizures or epileptiform periodic and transient, especially when the animals are excited, with intention tremors, opisthotonos, nystagmus and loss of balance. These attacks can be induced by the Head Raising Test. At necropsy no gross lesions are found in specific poisoning, but can be observed lesions associated with injuries from falls. Histological lesions are located mainly in the cerebellum, characterized by degeneration, with thin diffuse vacuolation of the perikaryon and loss of Nissl granules in Purkinje cells and multifocal areas of loss or disappearance of these cells. The diagnosis of poisoning is based on clinical signs, epidemiological data, in the presence of the plant can be confirmed by characteristic pathological lesions. There is no known treatment and prophylaxes of poisoning are difficult. As S. paniculatum is the predominant species in the Northeast and responsible for spontaneous intoxication outbreaks described in the State of Pernambuco, is of utmost importance to perform an experimental study of S. paniculatum in cattle developing the clinical and pathological criteria to describe the location of the lesions in the CNS, measure changes in cerebrospinal fluid and perform morphometry of cerebellar damage.