Prognostic Labs Value in Horses Poisoned by Crotalaria spectabilis

There is helpful information in this study for dealing with horses that have been poisoned by Crotalaria and perhaps other plants that contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Serum GGT levels above 95 U/l is a specific and sensitive indicator for the risk of death due to liver failure from Crotalaria toxicity.
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Hematological and Serum Biochemical Changes and Their Prognostic Value in Horses Spontaneously Poisoned by Crotalaria spectabilis

Front Vet Sci. 2022 Jan 14;8:741530. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.741530. eCollection 2021.
Authors
Antonio Carlos Lopes Câmara 1 , Verônica Lourença de Sousa Argenta 1 , Daniella Dianese Alves de Moraes 2 , Eduardo Ferreira Fonseca 2 , Tayná Cardim Moraes Fino 1 , Giane Regina Paludo 3 , Benito Soto-Blanco 4
Affiliations

1 Large Animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital, College of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.
2 Secretaria de Estado da Agricultura, Abastecimento e Desenvolvimento Rural Do Distrito Federal, Brasília, Brazil.
3 Veterinary Clinical Pathology Laboratory, College of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.
4 Department of Veterinary Clinics and Surgery, Veterinary College, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Abstract

Determining the prognosis of poisoning by plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids is usually challenging. This study aimed to identify important prognostic parameters that can determine the severity of spontaneous poisoning by Crotalaria spectabilis in horses. Blood samples from 42 horses spontaneously poisoned by oats contaminated with C. spectabilis seeds were evaluated. Complete blood counts (CBC) and serum biochemical tests [urea, creatinine, total protein, albumin, total and direct bilirubin concentrations, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and creatine kinase (CK) activities] were performed. Horses were followed up for 12 months to determine the long-term survival rate; after 12 months, they were divided into two groups: survivors (n = 30) and non-survivors (n = 12). Horses spontaneously poisoned with C. spectabilis had higher levels of urea, globulin, bilirubin (total, direct, and indirect), AST, GGT, and CK than the reference values. Non-survivor horses showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) values of hemoglobin, GGT, and direct bilirubin than the survivor horses. Horses with serum GGT activity higher than 95 U/l had 14.0 times the risk of death compared to animals showing activities equal to or lower than this value, whereas horses with serum direct bilirubin concentration higher than 0.6 mg/dl (10.26 μmol/L) had 5.78 times the risk of death compared to the others. In summary, serum GGT activity and direct bilirubin concentration may be useful prognostic indicators for assessing the severity of C. spectabilis-poisoned horses. Keywords: direct bilirubin; gamma-glutamyl transferase; liver failure; poisonous plants; pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Copyright © 2022 Câmara, de Sousa Argenta, de Moraes, Fonseca, Fino, Paludo and Soto-Blanco.