Spontaneous poisoning by Solanum subinerme Jack as a cause of cerebellar cortical degeneration in cattle

• Published in: Toxicon (Oxford) Vol. 82; pp. 93 - 96
• Main Authors: Lima, Everton Ferreira, Riet-Correa, Franklin, de Medeiros, Rosane Maria Trindade
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2014
• Subjects: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Brazil; Cattle; Cattle diseases; Cattle Diseases - pathology; Cerebellar Cortex - pathology; Cerebellar Diseases - chemically induced; Cerebellar Diseases - pathology; Cerebellar Diseases - veterinary; Female; Male; Nervous system; Neurodegenerative Diseases - chemically induced; Neurodegenerative Diseases - pathology; Neurodegenerative Diseases - veterinary; Neuronal degeneration; Plant Poisoning - pathology; Plant Poisoning - veterinary; Purkinje Cells - pathology; Solanum - toxicity; Solanum subinerme; Toxic plants; Brazil; Neuronal degeneration; Nervous system; Solanum subinerme; Cattle diseases; Toxic plants
• ISSN: 0041-0101; 1879-3150
• DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.02.007

The present work reports cerebellar degeneration in cattle associated with the ingestion of Solanum subinerme in northern Brazil. The main clinical signs were periodic crises with loss of balance, falls, opisthotonus, and nystagmus. The histological lesions consisted of diffuse vacuolation of the perikaryon of the Purkinje neurons, followed by the loss of these cells and their substitution by Bergman glia. It is concluded that S. subinerme is another species of Solanum that causes cerebellar degeneration in cattle.
•Solanum subinerme causes cerebellar degeneration in cattle in the state of Roraima, northern Brazil.•The main clinical signs are periodic crises with loss of balance, falls, opisthotonus, and nystagmus.•The main histological lesions are diffuse fine vacuolation and loss of the Purkinje neurons.•S. subinerme is another species of Solanum that causes cerebellar degeneration in cattle.