Acute aflatoxicosis in genetically resistant and nonselected Japanese quail

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was administered by either oral intubation or intravenous (IV) injection to two lines of Japanese quail selected for aflatoxin resistance (AR2.5 and AR3) and a nonselected control line (NS). Pretreatment feed consumption did not vary significantly between lines; however, normal water intake of AR quail was 25% greater than that of NS quail. Oral AFB1 dosing (1.0 mg/kg body wt) elicited 53 and 25% decreases in feed and water consumption of NS quail within 24 hr. The only postdose change detected in the selected lines was a 10% increase in AR2.5 water intake. Oral AFB1 dosing also caused a significant reduction in excreta dry matter of NS quail. Twenty-four hr after IV AFB1 injection (.75 mg/kg body wt), feed and water consumption of the NS line were depressed by 93 and 75%, respectively, but only feed intake was decreased (13%) in the AR2.5 line. Intravenously injected AFB1 did not affect 24-hr parameters in the AR3 line. Body weight loss was noted in NS quail after both oral and IV dosing, while the AR lines maintained pretreatment body weights. Both AR lines also exhibited resistance to AFB1-induced hepatic lesions observed in NS birds. Biliary output was also studied during a 12-hr period following IV administration of AFB1. Cholecystic bile measurements taken at 1.5- and 3-hr after dosing averaged 34 and 50% higher in the AR lines than in the NS line. These results demonstrate the resistance of the selected quail to AFB1 whether administered orally or intravenously and therefore, indicate the AR line resistance is unrelated to intestinal absorption of the toxin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)