Vascular lesions in lungs of Bali cattle with Jembrana disease.

Jembrana disease is an acute infectious disease of unknown etiology enzootic among Bali cattle (Bos javanicus) in Indonesia. Morphologic examination of 75 female Bali cattle between 18 months and 4 years old affected with Jembrana disease consistently revealed pulmonary granulomatous vascular lesions. The lesions were diffusely distributed throughout the lung. The principal lesion was the presence of a large number of intravascular macrophages that filled the lumina of pulmonary veins and pulmonary arteries of a vascular diameter of 20-200 microns, excluding the rest of blood cellular components. Concentric layers of perithelial cells also with plasma cells and macrophages were occasionally present around both veins and arteries. Infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes or small lymphocytes was not seen. Destruction or necrosis of tissues or blood vessels was rarely seen. Because this vascular lesion was found in the lungs of all affected cattle examined, this change is useful for the postmortem diagnosis of Jembrana disease. Moreover, its presence could be used to distinguish Jembrana disease from malignant catarrhal fever and other lymphoreticular proliferative conditions that are frequently found among cattle in Indonesia.

Effect of selenium and mercury on gross morphology and histopathology of chick embryos.

Gross lesions of selenium toxicity in chick embryos included webbed, fused, and curled toes; cracked, crooked, and shortened beaks and gastroschisis. Mercury injection on day 3 of incubation caused leg defects but older embryos were much less susceptible. Histopathological studies showed that injection of selenium as selenite caused dissociation of hepatic cells, particularly around the central veins. Glomeruli of affected kidneys were enlarged, and in each glomerulus the lumen of the capillary tuft was dilated and the space of Bowman widened. Epithelial cells of the proximal convoluted tubules were detached from the basement membranes. Injection of mercury as chloride resulted in liver pathology in the late dead embryos which included dilated central veins and sinusoids. The cytoplasm of many hepatic cells was vacuolated. Foci of hemorrhages were observed in all liver lobes. In the kidneys, the renal corpuscles showed either shrinkage or enlargement. They seemed to be in the process of degeneration and disintegration. Sclerotic glomeruli were characterized by disappearance of Bowman's space and clumping of the glomerular tuft. Combined treatment with selenium and mercury resulted in liver pathology similar to that observed in mercury toxicity. The hepatic cell dissociation seen in selenium treated embryos was not observed following the combined treatment. In the kidneys the combined treatment resulted in typical lesions of both selenium and mercury toxicity.