The pathogenesis of reproductive failure induced in sheep by the ingestion of Ateleia glazioviana.

Abstract

Seventeen pregnant ewes were orally fed variable amounts of either green or dried leaves of Ateleia glazioviana in 1 through 24 daily doses. All 17 ewes manifested some form of reproductive failure. Nine (52.9%) aborted their fetuses at 4 through 36 d after starting being fed the leaves of the plant; 1 had a stillbirth and in another 1 intrauterine fetal death was diagnosed. The other 6 ewes delivered 8 weak lambs, 7 of which died from few min to 48 h after birth. Three ewes had neurologic disturbances and loss of weight. Thirteen ewes were euthanatized 1-48 h after lambing or pregnancy loss; 2 of them had gross and histopathological changes related to the A glazioviana. Gross and histopathological changes observed in 7 lambs and in a stillborn, and histopathological changes found in 4 aborted fetuses from A glazioviana-fed ewes, were similar to those found in spontaneous poisoning by A glazioviana in adult cattle. It is concluded that A glazioviana has a powerful abortifacient activity whether ingested green or dried. The abortions caused by A glazioviana were not due to placental damage, but rather to transplacental induced fetal lesions consisting of toxic cardiomyopathy and spongy degeneration of the white matter of the brain. Fetuses succumbing to these lesions were expelled from the uterus; those not lethally affected are born weak with meager chances to survive.