Hypomyelinogenesis associated with transplacental poisoning by Sida carpinifolia (Malvaceae) in fetus and newborn calves

Abstract

Sida carpinifolia is a plant responsible for poisoning several species of animals. This paper describes Hypomyelinogenesis in fetuses and neonates of cattle that consumed S. carpinifolia. Neonates manifested ataxia and muscle tremors. Two bovine newborns and four fetuses were necropsied and showed no significant gross changes. Histopathologic findings included vacuolation of pancreatic acinar cells, thyroid follicular cells, hepatocytes, cells of renal tubules and neurons of the fetus and the white matter of the telencephalic frontal lobe of the neonates and also revealed axonal spheroids in the brain of the fetuses and neonates. The lectin-histochemical evaluation shoved staining for the lectins Con-A, WGA and s-WGA. The Luxol Fast Blue staining revealed a marked decrease of myelin in the brain of all the fetuses and a moderate decrease in the neonates. Histologic and lectin-histochemic findings indicate that the consumption of S. carpinifolia by pregnant bovine females can cause hypomyelinogenesis in fetuses and neonates.

Plants causing poisoning outbreaks of livestock in South America: A review

“…In Brazil, in the southern and southeastern regions, poisoning by Sida carpinifolia (Malvaceae) ( Fig. 4 C and D) is frequent, affecting goats, cattle, and, less frequently, horses and sheep ( Driemeier et al, 2000 ; Riet-Correa et al, 2017 ; Reis et al, 2018 , 2019 ; Reis et al, 2019a , Reis et al, 2019b ). In the State of Santa Catarina, S. carpinifolia is the leading cause of neurological alterations caused by plants in cattle ( Furlan et al, 2009 ).…”