Histologic lesions in broiler chicks given cyclopiazonic acid orally

Cyclopiazonic acid dissolved in corn oil was administered by gavage to broiler chicks (n = 80) daily, from the day of hatching for 23 days. Chicks were assigned to 3 groups (1, 2, or 4 mg of cyclopiazonic acid/kg of body weight); a control group was given corn oil. Each group was composed of 10 male and 10 female chicks. Surviving chicks were euthanatized and necropsied on day 24. Histologic examination revealed that the most common lesions consisted of necrosis and hemorrhage or hyperplasia of the mucosa of the proventriculus and hepatocellular vacuolation. Skeletal muscle degeneration, characterized by myofiber swelling or fragmentation accompanied by an infiltrate of macrophages and heterophils, was detected in the group given 4 mg/kg. This degeneration was associated with an increase of plasma creatine kinase activity. Focal hepatocellular and splenic necrosis also developed in the groups given 4 mg/kg.