[Clinical effects and morphological changes after administration of low doses of ochratoxin A to broiler chicks]

Ochratoxin A (OA) was fed to HYBRO broiler chicks at a relatively low levels of 850 micrograms/kg up age 42 days. The effects of OA on chick development, health state and the patho-morphological lesions in internal organs were investigated in this experiment. The chicks exposed to the relatively low OA levels were observed to lag behind in their growth; this was confirmed by their regular weekly weighing when the lower liveweight in comparison with the control group was recorded from the age of 14 days. A decrease in the liveweight was statistically significant at the age of 21, 28 and 35 days. The patho-anatomic finding was negative. A histological examination of kidneys and liver revealed the pathological lesions typical for ochratoxicosis. The lesions observed included the dystrophy of the tubular epithelial cells (Fig. 1), eosinophil granules in the tubulus lumen (Fig. 3), dystrophic lesions in the glomerules (Fig. 2) and cellulization of the connective tissue of intertubular spaces (Fig. 1). The lesions of liver (Fig. 4) show to allergic responses and defense reactions of the organism to the OA action. On the basis of results it can be concluded that the relatively low ochratoxin levels cause histopathological lesions in the kidneys and liver of chicks, and in this way they can negatively influence their development and performance.