General Revision Flashcards
When is the liver a haematopoietic tissue?
During foetal life
Outline the metabolic roles of the liver
The portal venous blood runs through the liver - allows for synthesis of:
- fatty acid –> triglyceride –> VLDL
- proteins, steroids
- glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis –> carboydrate synthesis
What does the liver secrete?
Bile, bilirubin
What happens to the end-products of protein catabolism/ammonia in the liver?
Converted into ammonia for excretion
What is synthesised in the liver?
Globulins, albumins, prothrombin, clotting factors, bile acids, anti-clotting factors, acute phase proteins, sugars, lipids, urea, ketone bodies
What is stored in the liver?
Glycogen, fat, some protein, some vitamins (A, B12), Cu, Fe
Where and what is found in the hilus?
The Hilus is found on the visceral surface of the liver
It contains the hepatic artery, nerves, lymphatic vessels. portal vein and common bile duct
On what border does the oesophagus and vena cave pass the liver?
The dorsal border.
What attaches the liver to the diaphragm?
R&L coronary process
R&L triangular
is the falciform ligament attached to anything other than the liver?
No - has a free edge at the ventral wall of the abdomen
What does the umbilical ligament transform into?
The round ligament, postnatally
Outline the bile duct system from canaliculi to the duodenum
Microscopic canaliculi –> hepatic ducts –> through porta of liver –> common hepatic ducts –> cystic duct –> Gall Bladder
with contraction of Gall Bladder:
Cystic duct –> common bile duct –> major duodenal papilla (most species in conjunction with pancreatic duct)
What causes the Gall Bladder to release its contents?
CCK (fat in duodenum)
vagal stimulation
Where does the hepatic artery stem from - what does it provide the liver with?
From the celiac artery.
Supplies the liver with blood (1/5) and oxygen (3/5)
How is the liver haemopoietic in utero?
Cells from yolk sac (endoderm derived) migrate into the liver = blood islands
Outline the development of the liver in utero
Diverticulum from primitive gut (endoderm) –> through (mesoderm) septum transversum –> endodermal buds for bile duct, gall bladder
Does a dogs bile duct open alone on the major duodenal papilla?
No opens with pancreatic duct
What kind of angle does the horse kidney form? Where is it found, how many lobes and what does the falciform ligament do? Does the bile duct open alone or in conjunction?
Oblique angle
higherst pt. right kidney, two thirds in right plane
Four lobes prom (l,r, q, c)
Falciform ligament: divides quadrate lobe from left
Bile duct with pancreatic duct
What kind of angle does the horse kidney form? Where is it found, how many lobes and what does the falciform ligament do? Does the bile duct open alone or in conjunction?
Oblique angle
higherst pt. right kidney, two thirds in right plane
Four lobes prom (l,r, q, c)
Falciform ligament: divides quadrate lobe from left
Bile duct with pancreatic duct
Describe the cow liver, how is it different to smaller ruminants?
- almost all to right, rotated 90 degrees (=right lobe dorsal)
- gallbladder extends past lat. margin of right lobe
- bile duct alone on duodenal papilla
Sheep/Goat: similar but bile duct with pancreatic duct
What does the pig lack in terms of processes? How is it identified?
No papillary process
Prominent liver lobules (interlobular fibrous tissue)
Alone on duodenal papilla
What two animals bile ducts open alone on duodenal papilla?
Cow and Pig (and birds)
Why does the birds liver embrace the heart?
How many bile ducts does it have
No diaphragm
Two bile ducts, one on each lobe
Enter alone, close to pancreatic ducts
Do sinusoids have a basement membrane?
No they are only lined by fenestrated epithelium - they are blind ending capillaries
What is the sphincter of Oddi and where is it found?
At the end of the common bile duct, controls emptying
opens with gall bladder emptying - CCK, vagal stimlation
What makes up bile?
Bicarb bile salts cholesterol lecithin bilirubin
Describe the production of bile pigments
hbbagus
Breakdown of harm –> biliverdin –> bilirubin(unc) bound to albumin –> hepatocytes: conj. with glucuronic acid –> bile
Duodenum w bacteria –> urobilinogen –> stercobilin –> faeces
What is taken up by the portal system?
Bile salts, vitamins, drugs
Describe the differences between periportal and periacinar hepatocytes in terms of function and organelles/enzymes
Periportal: zone 1: youngest, high mitotic rate, synthesis (protein, glycogen storage/release), high RER
Periacinar: zone 3: oldest, subject to least oxygen, high SER and cytochrome p450 – oxidising function/biotransformation
What cells are found in the sinusoidal lumen - what is their role?
Kupffer cells
phagocytosis/filtering especially in carnivores
What is found in the perisinusoidal space?
Hepatic lymph Pit cells (NK) Stellate cells: fat storing but with hepatic injury --> collagen deposition and myofibroblast role = fibroplasia/capillarisation
What happens to skeletal muscle glycogen if broken down?
Glucose used by skeletal muscle - not put into circulation
Where is pantothenic acid used? Why is it important to have this in the diet?
Needed for coA = enzyme carrier (i.e. acetyl)
Need acutely CoA to be carried into the mitochondria for oxidative decarboxylation for energy
What other dietary needs are there for formation of NADH and FADH2?
niosine
riboflavin
Describe the pathway that releases energy from fat
stored fat –> liver: fatty acids and glycerol
- fatty acids –> blood stream –> tissues: beta oxidation –> acetyl CoA to TCA
- glycerol –> glycolysis in liver/kidney
What happens to the amino groups in protein catabolism?
De/transanimation - form urea and are then excreted in urine
What amino acids are ketogenic
leucine, lysine
What amino acids are both keto and glucogenic?
isoleucine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine
What are the seven intermediates amino acids can go to when catabolised?
pyruvate, acetyl-coA, acetoacetyl-coA, a-ketogluterate, succinyl coA, fumarate, oxaloacetate
How do amino acids get to the liver for gluconeogenesis?
In muscle: protein –> amino acid –> TCA –> oxaloacetate –> pyruvate
pyruvate –> alanine = bloodstream to liver
alanine –> pyruvate –> gluconeogenesis: oxaloacetate –> glucose
Why are ruminants dependent on gluconeogenesis?
Unable to absorb glucose from diet thus need to make it
What are the five substrates for gluconeogenesis?
- glycerol (from lipolysis)
- lactate/pyruvate (incomplete oxidative metab)
- amino acids
- propionic acid (ruminants fermentation product)
What happens in starvation?
Glucagon is high:
Fatty Acids pour out of tissues –> liver overwhelmed cannot make enough fatty acids, low on oxaloacetate –> ketone bodies made - can be used for energy but not by ruminant brain
How do ruminants digest CHO, what are the three end products?
CHO –> simple sugars by extracell. microbial enzyme
simple sugars taken up by microbes –> pyruvate –> VFA’s
1) propionic acid
2) butyric acid
3) acetate
What is special about propionic acid?
Can be absorbed across rumen epithelium and is gluconeogenic
In liver: propionate –> propionyl CoA –> (with biotin and Mg2+) methylmalonyl CoA –> (with B12) succinate/succinyl CoA:
TCA: –> oxaloacetate –> glucose
What four things are necessary for propionic acid to be gluconeogenic and what is this pathway called?
Mg2+, CoA, biotin, VitB12
Methylmalonate Pathway
What happens to butyric acid?
absorbed in rumen and omasum
–> ketone body for energy
then metabolised in liver (acetyl CoA)
What happens to acetate?
Only VFA present in blood
converted by TCA to acetyl coA
- if low in energy = used for energy production
- if high in energy = de novo fatty acids
What is ketosis?
When ruminant is in a state of low energy and brain is using ketone bodies instead of glucose.
How do we detect ketosis and what would distinguish primary from secondary ketosis?
Animal is depressed, dehydrated, inappetent. Often after parturition = low energy state.
Assess: ketostix, biochem: high butyrate, acidic blood, CK high (muscle breakdown)
Secondary ketosis - also have temp increase, hear and respiration rate up
How is ketosis treated?
- increase glucose supply (iv) but short lived, hyperglycaemia stimulates milk production (worsens)
- replenish TCA intermediates to increase oxaloacetate (give PROPYLENE GLYCOL)
- increase propionic acid in diet
How and what from are ketone bodies formed
From acetate
has precursors from: aa, tryglycerides, acetate, butyrate
Normally enter TCA but if low oxaloacetate form ketone bodies
How are glucocorticoids involved in ketosis?
reduce ketone production, increase acetyl coA use for glucose production
What happens if the ruminant has a cobalt deficiency?
Cobalt is needed to make Vit b12
B12 needed for methylmalonate pathway, if unable to make glucose from propionate = ill thrift, ketosis
(Give cobalt injection, soil supplement or cobalt pellets)
What is pregnancy toxaemia?
When the animal is in a state of negative energy - increases fat catabolism - too much for liver to metabolise –> ketosis
Why does the liver have such a high regenerative capacity? Which cells in the parenchyma have the highest capacity to do so?
Long lifespan of cells that are stable
Periportal hepatocytes - youngest
What is needed for regeneration of liver parenchyma?
Need scaffold (without = scarring, loss of function in that area) Need adequate blood supply and drainage
Where do new hepatocytes come from?
Viable hepatocytes on edge of injury by mitosis
Oval cells/ductal precursors: epithelial stem cells –> cholangiolar epithelial cells or hepatocytes
Periductular liver progenitor cells - from circulating bone marrow stem cells
Why do drugs often exist as a weak acid or base?
Need to be soluble in lipid to diffuse across cell membrane - need to be non-ionised easily. pH dependent
What things determine the ability of absorption of a drug/
pH gut enzyme digestion food binding gastric emptying/trasnit time absorptive capacity of gastric mucosa
What happens in phase 1 metabolism?
- chemical functional group added
oxydation by p450 then conjugation with reduced glutathione
What happens in phase 2 metabolism?
- add water soluble molecule - acetylation, sulphation, glucuronidation, methylation
What there things determine clearance?
glomerular filtration
tubular secretion (drugs can compete for these processes, probenacid banned in sport as will compete with other substances)
tubular reabsorption
What is clearance?
Volume of blood from which drug is removed in given period of time (ml/min)
When and how is steady state reached?
With constant regular dosing (4-5 t1/2) –> absorption = elimination
Why is the peak in an oral dose not as high as in iv dose?
As absorption has to occur and concurrent clearance is already occurring
First pass effect
What is the difference between first and zero order kinetics?
First order: rate is prop to conc in plasma with constant half life
Zero order: rate unprop to conc, variable t1/2
What is liver disease? When does this lead to liver failure?
A process that results in hepatocyte injury or cholestasis or both.
Only failure if >70% of parenchyma lost
What are some processes that can lead to liver injury?
- hypoxia: anaemia, cardiovascular disease
- metabolic: diabetes, cushings, hyperthyroidism
- toxicoses: paracetamol
- inflam: infection, non-infectious
- trauma
- congenital
- bile duct blockage
How can liver disease be detected?
increased activity of ALT, AST, GLDH, SDH, ALP, GGT
What enzymes increase with hepatocyte injury? What does their activity depend on?
ALT, AST, GLDH, SDH
- depend on number injured, severity of injury and their serum t1/2
ALT - from where, what species, what does it indicate? What is it measured with?
- use in dogs and cats (cat t1/2 = 3hrs = v recent)
- cytosolic enzyme - released with hepatocellular injury
- also found in myocytes - measure with CK
AST - from where, what species, what does it indicate? What is it measured with?
- most species but not as tissue specific
- cytosolic and mitochondrial
- also in myocytes and RBC - measure with CK and PCV
GLDH - from where, what species, what does it indicate? What is it measured with?
- most species, especially large as more specific than AST
- mitochondrial = greater damage needed
- acute damage, t1/2 <24hr
SDH - from where, what species, what does it indicate? What is it measured with?
- horses and ruminants
- low stability
What two enzymes are measured with CK?
ALT and AST
What enzymes increase with cholestasis?
ALP and GGT
ALP - what is special about it, what does it indicate, what species is it useful for?
Has three isoforms
L-ALP = cholestasis, membrane bound in hepatocytes and biliary epithelium
B-ALP = bone, up in growing animals, tumour, fracture, resorption
C-ALP = corticosteroid, can be stress or hyperadrenocorticism - dogs specific
v. useful in cats: specific to cholestasis, any increase = significant
dogs: ALP precedes hyperbilirubinaemia but C-ALP decreases specificity
GGT - what is special about it, what does it indicate, what species is it useful for?
Liver - main source but also in Pancreas, kidney, intestine, epididymis, colostrum (identify successful transfer)
Sensitive indicator of cholestasis and/or biliary hyperplasia. All animals especially ruminant and horse
can precede ALP rise in cats
What do elevated enzyme levels indicate? What don’t they indicate?
The magnitude of activity relates to the severity of the damage
Don’t know if reversible, or if local/diffuse
What pigment does bilirubin turn into to cause yellow discolouration of urine?
urobilin
Why might there be evidence of hyperbilirubineamia with anorexia/starvation
High fatty acid mobilisation
interfere with receptor for unconjugated bilirubin uptake into hepatocytes = high Bu in bloodstream
What type of bilirubin do you expect in horses with hyperbilirubineamia?
Bu regardless of pre, hepat, posthepat. causes
What does poikilocytosis mean?
Abnormal morphology of cell
How can extra- and intravascular haemolysis be distinguished by looking at RBC?
extravascular - immune mediated haemolysis: spherocytes (balled up)
intravascular: ghost cells - only see outline
Why do you see bilirubinuria before bilirubineamia in dogs?
They have a low renal threshold for bilirubin, excreted easily
What can bile acids measurements be used for? When would they not be used?
They are produced in the liver and are recycled efficiently. Any increases is of concern.
increases if:
- reduced functional mass = impaired excretion from portal blood
- PSS
- cholestasis = retention and reflux
Don’t measure if know cholestatic = will be up
When would a dynamic BA assay be performed? When only one?
dynamic - in animals with Gall bladder to see BA levels before eating and then after contraction of gall bladder (challenging reabsorption)
only one - horses and camelids - don’t have gall bladder
Why is the measurement of ammonia problematic in assessing hepatic function?
Ammonia usually converted into urea in hepatocytes so if it doesn’t occur = function decrease, PSS, high urease bact, urease toxicosis but ammonia very unstable, has to be measure very fast after plasma extraction
In a serum bicohemistry test what three things indicate hepatic dysfunction?
low albumin (but long t1/2 can take time to show up) low urea decreased glucose (low glycogen and gluconeogenesis)
Why do we screen animals regarding their coagulation status before we perform a biopsy?
Liver involved in synthesis of coag. proteins. With hepatic dysfunction could be very low (synthesis down, DIC, reduced absorption of vit K in cholestasis) and thus very susceptible to haemorrhage
Why would hypostenuria be indicator towards liver dysfunction?
low urea = low concentration gradient in medulla of kidneys –> PU/PD and ammonium bruit chrystals
On an x-ray how do you distinguish between liver and diaphragm? The gall bladder and hepatic vessels?
You can’t - homogenous opacity in health. Apart from the ventral surface of the liver: falciform fat - darker opacity than liver
How can we get an approximate estimate on liver size?
by correlation to gastric axis - should be parallel with ribs - more horizontal with increased liver size, vertical with decrease
What is the echogenicity of normal liver parenchyma on ultrasound?
uniform and hypoechoic (low brightness)
How is the liver distinguished from vessels, kidney and diaphragm? What about the gall bladder
Portal vein - hyperechoic (reflects more)
isoechoic/hyperechoic to right renal cortex
Diaphragm: hyperechoic cranial to liver
Gall bladder: to right of midline, filled with black/anachoic material.
How thick is the normal gall bladder?
~2-3mm
What is the difference between portal and hepatobiliary scintigraphy?
Portal: to evaluate and quantify PSS. Give radiopharmaceutical into colon or spleen
Hepatobiliary: to quantify liver function and potency of bile duct. Radiopharmaceutical is extracted rapidly by first pass
What is technetium?
Scintigraphy used to evaluate Kupffer cell function. It is a sulfur colloid that is taken up by Kupffer cells, its distribution is restricted to sites of functional hepatic mass
Why should patients be fasted prior to FNA or biopsy?
Reduces stomach size - makes it easier to take liver sample
What info does FNA give? What doesn’t it give?
Neoplasia or vacuolar hepatopathies (lipid, steroid) can be identified
Does not give architectural representation of parenchyma
When can hepatogenous photosensitisation occur?
With cholestasis
Photodynamic agent backspins into blood - activated with UV light at skin - oxidative injury
What lesions are found in the brain with hepatic encephalopathy?
Ammonia accumulates in astrocytes causing cytotoxic oedema = swelling if astrocyte nuclei, extensive spongy vacuolation, oedema of myelin –> altered gene expression and neurotransmission
Why might one see Hypoalbuminaemia?
In chronic hepatic failure - 70-80% functional mass lost as liver only source of albumin
In protein loosing nephropathy and enteropathy – lose protein including albumin
Chronic protein malnutrition
is ascites due to hypoalbuminaemia?
No - can contribute but often chronic liver disease won’t cause drop in albumin to <10-15g/L. Ascites due to different causes (increase in pressure)
What is ascites and from what does it develop?
Ascites is non inflam oedema fluid from:
- pre-hepatic: portal hypertension –> transudate
- hepatic: increased hydrostatic pressure in perisinusoidal space –> hepatic lymph production = modified transudate
- post-hepatic: resistance of blood flow out of sinusoids = increased pressure in perisinusoidal space –> lymph production increases = modified transudate
Why does the bodies physiological response to ascites worsen it?
Body responds to fluid drop in vasculature by retaining water and salt (ADH and …) this means higher hydrostatic pressure -> more ascites
What is bilirubinuric nephrosis?
Also known as hepatorenal syndrome
- acute renal failure due to decreased renal perfusion (=degeneration/necrosis) stems from decreased blood volume (bilirubin diuretic effect or ascites)
- kidneys are swollen, wet, yellow-orange
What clinical signs would make one suspicious of liver failure?
- drug intolerance
- foetor hepaticus (musky odour, mecaptans retained)
- stteroid hormone malfunction (normally conjugated/excreted)
- hepatocutaneous syndrome (keratinisation, crusting)
What does hyperammonaemia stem from and what can it lead to with supersaturation of urine?
From PSS or hepatic failure
Can cause formation of ammonium biurate crystals
What might cause displacement of the liver?
- hepatomegaly or space occupying mass in the thorax –> caudal displacement
- diaphragmatic hernia –> cranial displacement (strangulation by ring = conjestion and oedema, venous infarction)
What might cause diffuse atrophy of the liver?
- decrease in nutritional supply,
- congenital/acquired PSS,
- impaired mitotic dividion (chronic pyrrolizidine alkaloids)
Diffuse atrophy how would you describe the liver and parenchyma
liver decreases in size, capsule can become loose and wrinkled. Harder due to contraction of connective tissue.
hepatocytes crowd, sinusoids more prominent and portal areas and central veins are closer
What causes localised atrophy?
local compression/pressure – decreased blood flow
local obstruction – decreased bile drainage (liver fluke, mycotoxin - sporidesmin)
Where is glycogen storage especially prominent in hepatocytes? What stimulates this?
In zone 2 hepatocytes
glycogen synthase stimulates storage (stimulated by glucocorticoids)
Does glycogen accumulation cause hepatic dysfunction?
No not usually and if stimulus stopped - reversible
What is the fate of fatty acids in hepatocytes?
While some fatty acids can be used by the mitochondria (oxidation), or to make ketone bodies, most are esterfied into tryglicerides then packed with apoprotein and then made into a VLDL for excretion into the blood to supply other tissues.
What is a cause of lipidosis in hepatocytes?
- Starvation and fatty acid overload of the liver,
- reduced ATP (apoprotein packaging and VLDL synthesis is very energy expensive),
- decreased protein,
- decreased phospholipids
Is lipidosis reversible?
Yes if it is not associated with remodelling of tissue architecture
What conditions cause lipidosis?
- high energy diets
- fasting obese animals
- pregnancy toxaemia
- ketosis
- deficiencey on cobalt/vitB12
What is tension lipidosis and how might it occur?
sharply demarcated zone - thought that tension on capsule (fibrous adhesion) = impaired blood flow = sublethal hypoxic injury
How can amyloidosis lead to atrophy?
Deposited into perisinusoidal space –> decreases oxygen and nutrients to hepatocytes = atrophy
Where is Iron commonly found in the liver? What is it derived from?
Mainly in Kupffer cells. Mainly from RBC Hg
- if diffuse haemosiderosis: extravascular haemolytic anaemia, Cu deficiency or anaemia
- if local haemosiderosis: areas of haemorrghage, congestion (zone 3)
What is the difference between ceroid and lipofuscin pigment accumulation?
Ceroid - can accumulate intra and extracellular and can cause cellular dysfunction
lipofuscin - intracellularly, zone 3, indigestible residues often incidental
What is telangiectasis?
Enlarged sinusoids after embolism with no scarring
What is the outcome of massive necrosis?
No cells survive in entire acinus = no scaffold –> broad bands of scar tissue with nodular hyperplasia
In the mosaic of necrotic liver - what makes up the red and yellow areas of the tissue?
Red: necrotic and haemorrhage
Yellow: degnerate, surviving
What are anastomoses and when do they occur?
Abnormal connections in heavily scarred liver, will impair perfusion causing further injury –> cirrhosis
What are four things characteristic of a cirrhotic liver?
- entire liver is affected
- bridging or diffuse fibrosis is present
- regenerative hyperplasia/nodules macro - in dogs)
- permanent distortion of architecture and new anastomoses
What are some of the consequences to portal hypertension?
Congestion of viscera normally drained by portal vein
ascites
acquired PSS
What causes focal hepatitis? And what are these foci?
Foci - abscesses
Caused by:
- direct implantation or extension from lesion in adjacent tissue
- ascending infection up bile duct from duodenum
- haemotogenous infection (portal, umbilical, hepatic)
What can luminal acidosis lead to in the liver?
Portal embolism of bacteria - especially fusobacterium necrophorum = sharply demarcated zone of coagulative necrosis –> survive can form abscess
What does clostridium novyi cause?
Spore that persists in macrophage of liver
migration of liver fluke/decrease in oxygen to liver –> spore germination –> proliferation/exotoxin release –> necrosis of original lesion –> toxin in circulation –> vascular injury = systemic oedema, sudden death
–> Blacks disease
What does Chlostridium haemolyticum cause?
causes hepatic necrosis and intravascular homeless = anaemia, jaundice, haemoglobinaem/uria
What can non toxic/hypoxic agent can cause zonal hepatitis?
uncommon - canine adenovirus 1 and equine serum sickness
What causes chronic hepatitis? What does it progress too?
- breed related, drug, immune (MHC2 aberrant expression), infectious???
progresses to cirrhosis, dog is ill for long period, increased ALT, eventually biochemical evidence for failure/dysfunction
What is Chronic Copper Storage Disease? What is the problem?
Cu is normally stored in hepatocytes - if excessive accumulation - breed related.
Valency of Cu acts as ROS = damage to membranes
What breeds are affected by Chronic Copper Diseases?
Dobermans, Cocker spaniels: zone 1, secondary to cholestasis
Dalmatians, Labs: in periacinar hepatocytes
What does cholangitis mean?
inflam of bile ducts
How would you describe inflammation of bile ducts spreading into hepatic parenchyma?
Cholangiohepatitis
How is an inflamed gall bladder described?
Cholecystitis
What is chronic fasciolisis?
Caused by liver flukes in lumen of bile ducts (often more severe in left)
- suck blood, secrete irritating secretions and mechanical irritation
- obstruct ducts, bile stasis
How does fasciolisis differ between sheep and cattle?
Sheep: not as responsive to it: mild dilation and inflammation of thin bile ducts, little reactive fibrosis
Cattle: bile duct fibrosis, more severe erosion and ulceration, irregular duct stenosis
From where does bacterial cholangitis and cholangiohepatitis come from?
- can be blood borne into liver and then descend into gall bladder (bile ducts)
- commonly up from duodenum by common hepatic bile duct
What animals are especially prone to cholangitis/cholangiohepatitis?
Ruminants who have a constant low level circulation of bacteria in health
With bile stasis these can cause bacterial infection
What type of infection is cholangitis/cholangiohepatitis?
Inflam of bile ducts spreading into hepatic parenchyma.
Mainly suppurative = neutrophil rich
Acute stage: swelling, soft liver with pus in the lumen of intra and extra hepatic bile ducts
Subacute/chronic: fibrosis = narrowing, cholestasis, atrophy with biliary and nodular hyperplasia
How does cholangitis differ from lymphocytic cholangitis?
lymphocytic cholangitis is chronic inflammation with lymphocytes around bile ducts. Incompletely understood why, may be immune mediated.
Similar in that fibrosis develops –> biliary hyperplasia and cholestasis, jaundice and high protein ascites
What toxin causes fascial eczema? What other lesions does the toxin cause?
Sporidesmin - mycotoxin from fungus growing on pasture litter
It is a direct irritant to the bile duct epithelium = cholangitis –> necrosis –> obstructive cholestasis –> jaundice and photsensitisation
Also excreted into urine = mucosal oedema and haemorrhage in urinary bladder
How does Caltrop cause jaundice and photosensitisation?
Has steroidal sapogenins that are metabolised in the rumen and liver
–> salts with calcium ions = fine crystals = obstruction to bile outflow = cholestasis and photosensitisation in herbivores
Why do choleliths develop? Are they a problem to the animal?
Develop secondary to cholecystitis and supersaturation of bile. Not a problem usually as rarely cause obstruction.