Experimental aflatoxicosis in swine: morphological and clinical pathological results

The morphological changes in livers of 30 feeder pigs fed diets containing corn contaminated by aflatoxins (0.0 microgram aflatoxins/g feed, 0.4 microgram aflatoxin/g feed, and 0.8 microgram aflatoxin/g feed) were compared with changes in hematology, liver specific serum enzymes, serum proteins, and lymphocyte stimulation indices. Histologically, the livers were classified into five groups. Pigs fed the 0.8 microgram/g diets had the most severe histological lesions of karyomegaly, bile ductule proliferation and hepatocellular degeneration plus elevated gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase. This group also had significantly lower total protein and albumin values compared to the control pigs. Variation in the severity of the histological lesions was seen in pigs fed 0.4 microgram/g diets as well as variation in lymphocyte indices, liver specific serum enzymes, and electrophoretic results in the affected pigs in that group.