Flow-mediated K+ secretion in horses intoxicated with lolitrem B (perennial ryegrass staggers)

AIM: To investigate the effects of lolitrem B intoxication on renal K⁺ secretion in response to increased tubular flow rates.

METHODS: Results are derived from a repeated measure pilot study of seven horses fed non-perennial ryegrass feed for a week prior to exposing them to perennial ryegrass seed and hay that contained an average of 2 ppm lolitrem B. At the end of the control and treatment period frusemide (1 mg/kg I/V) was administered and serial fractional excretion of K⁺(FEK⁺) and fractional excretion of Na⁺(FENa⁺) calculated. Baseline concentration of aldosterone in plasma, serum K⁺concentration and feed K⁺ concentration were also compared.

RESULTS: Key findings included a reduced change in FEK⁺ from 0 to 15 minutes in response to frusemide administration (p=0.022, Wilcoxon signed-rank test) and a reduced baseline concentration of aldosterone in plasma (p=0.022, Wilcoxon signed-rank test) during the treatment period compared with the control.

CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that lolitrem B intoxication reduced flow-mediated K⁺ secretion and interfered with aldosterone production or secretion. However, further investigation is required to validate these findings and to further elucidate the underlying pathophysiology.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Lolitrem B intoxication in horses may cause disruption to electrolyte handling in addition to neurological deficits.     

Young perennial ryegrass staggers in a dairy herd

Ryegrass staggers was diagnosed in a group of young stock on a dairy farm in the Netherlands. The cattle were fed on ryegrass hay originating from a farm in the region. The typical clinical signs observed in this herd were difficulty in rising, hypermetria of especially the front legs, incoordination, and tremors of the head and neck muscles. The morbidity of the illness was about 80 percent and there was no mortality. Four weeks after withdrawal of the hay, the animals recovered completely. The diagnosis was confirmed by demonstrating high concentrations of Lolitrem-B (1.7 ppm) in the hay. This neurotoxin is usually produced by the endophyte Neotyphodium lolii with which ryegrass may be infected. This is the first case of ryegrass staggers in cows reported in the Netherlands since 1992.     

Ergovaline does not alter the severity of ryegrass staggers induced by lolitrem B

AIM: To investigate a possible interaction between lolitrem B and ergovaline by comparing the incidence and severity of ryegrass staggers in sheep grazing ryegrass (Lolium perenne) containing lolitrem B or ryegrass containing both lolitrem B and ergovaline.

METHODS: Ninety lambs, aged approximately 6 months, were grazed on plots of perennial ryegrass infected with either AR98 endophyte (containing lolitrem B), standard endophyte (containing lolitrem B and ergovaline) or no endophyte, for up to 42 days from 2 February 2010. Ten lambs were grazed on three replicate plots per cultivar. Herbage samples were collected for alkaloid analysis and lambs were scored for ryegrass staggers (scores from 0–5) weekly during the study. Any animal which was scored ≥4 was removed from the study.

RESULTS: Concentrations of lolitrem B did not differ between AR98 and standard endophyte-infected pastures during the study period (p=0.26), and ergovaline was present only in standard endophyte pastures. Ryegrass staggers was observed in sheep grazing both the AR98 and standard endophyte plots, with median scores increasing in the third week of the study. Prior to the end of the 42-day grazing period, 22 and 17 animals were removed from the standard endophyte and AR98 plots, respectively, because their staggers scores were ≥4. The cumulative probability of lambs having scores ≥4 did not differ between animals grazing the two pasture types (p=0.41).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There was no evidence for ergovaline increasing the severity of ryegrass staggers induced by lolitrem B. In situations where the severity of ryegrass staggers appears to be greater than that predicted on the basis of concentrations of lolitrem B, the presence of other tremorgenic alkaloids should be investigated.     

Correlation of ergovaline and lolitrem B levels in endophyte-infected perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne).

The varieties of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) infected with the endophytic fungus Neotiphodium lolii contain several classes of toxic alkaloids, including ergopeptide alkaloids and lolitrem alkaloids. Lolitrem B, a potent tremorgen, is generally considered to be the predominant alkaloid in endophyte-infected perennial ryegrass. Ergovaline, a vasoconstrictor normally associated with endophyte-infected tall fescue (Festuca arudinacea), is also present in endophyte infected perennial ryegrass. Clinical signs of animals ingesting endophyte-infected perennial ryegrass are consistent with the presence of lolitrem B. However, clinical signs normally associated with ergovaline poisoning are not usually observed in animals ingesting endophyte-infected perennial ryegrass. A survey was conducted to quantitate both lolitrem B and ergovaline in 459 perennial ryegrass straw samples received at the Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Samples were analyzed for each alkaloid using separate high-performance liquid chromatography analyses. A strong positive correlation between the 2 alkaloids (r2 = 0.7335) was observed, especially in the samples containing <3,000 ppb (ng/g) lolitrem B. The threshold levels above which clinical signs typically occur are 2,000 ppb lolitrem B and 300-400 ppb ergovaline. All of the samples analyzed contained <425 ppb ergovaline.     

The effect of glyphosate, paraquat and paclobutrazol on lolitrem B levels in endophyte-infected perennial ryegrass

Two herbicides (glyphosate and paraquat) and a plant growth regulator (paclobutrazol) were applied to endophyteinfected (Acremonium lolii) perennial ryegrass swards. Subsamples of these swards were then chemically analysed at intervals up to 28 days later for lolitrem B, the compound responsible for perennial ryegrass staggers in domestic livestock. Glyphosate and paclobutrazol had no effect on lolitrem B concentrations. Paraquat applications decreased lolitrem B concentrations in the herbage. Because none of the chemicals tested increased the concentration of lolitrem B in the herbage, they are unlikely to be directly implicated in perennial ryegrass staggers in grazing animals.     

Ryegrass staggers in Canadian wapiti deer

Extract

Sir:- We would like to report an outbreak of ryegrass staggers in Canadian wapiti (Cervus elaphus mannitobensis) which occurred at the Invermay Agricultural Research Centre, Mosgiel. As far as we are aware this is the first recorded case of ryegrass staggers in deer associated with grazing perennial rye grass (Lolium perenne L.).     

草坪型多年生黑麦草种子生产性能的研究

采用裂区试验设计,研究了施肥量和播利量及其组合对草坪型多年生黑麦草种子生产性能的影响。结果表明,施肥量处理间以Ｎ·Ｐ·Ｋ比例为８０：３０：３０的种子产量最高;播种量对多年生黑麦草结实性能的种子产量的影响差异不显,因此,在多年生黑麦草种子生产中采用低播种量较好,对种子生产性能而言,施肥量效应与播种量效应间彼此独立。     

The role of Penicillia in ryegrass staggers

Tremorgenic strains of Penicillium verrucosum var cyclopium, P canescens, P janthinellum, P novaezeelandiae and P estinogenum were isolated from the faeces of 15 of 23 affected sheep and cattle in eight of nine field outbreaks of ryegrass staggers. One tremorgenic strain of P griseofulvum was isolated from the faeces of one of 25 sheep grazing in unaffected flocks. Tremorgenic strains of P verrucosum var cyclopium, P canescens, P janthinellum and P estinogenum were also isolated from the A horizon of New Zealand soils. Since a large proportion of experimentally dosed live P verrucosum var cyclopium died during passage through the gut, the faecal evidence from naturally staggering animals suggests that at least some outbreaks of ryegrass staggers are caused by tremorgenic Penicillia and that their source may be soil.     

多年生黑麦草种子萌发及 苗期耐盐性的比较

以6个多年生黑麦草(Lolium perenne)品种为材料,研究了其在不同温度下种子萌发、幼苗生长以及建植阶段的耐盐性。结果表明,温度、品种、盐分及其互作对多年生黑麦草不同生长时期的耐盐性都有一定的影响,且不同生长阶段黑麦草耐盐性并不一致。随着盐分浓度的增加,黑麦草的相对萌发率、相对萌发指数、相对根苗长、相对生物量、相对密度各指标均呈现不同程度的降低。温度为15/25℃(12h光照/12h黑暗)时各品种耐盐性最好,5/15℃和25/35℃都会加剧盐分胁迫。通过隶属函数法对不同品种的黑麦草耐盐性进行综合评价,结果表明耐盐性最好的品种为启明星,最差的为名仕。     

内生真菌侵染对盐胁迫下黑麦草种子萌发的影响

以低内生真菌侵染率和高内生真菌侵染率的多年生黑麦草（Lolium perenne）种子为材料,研究了在不同浓度盐胁迫下内生真菌侵染对种子萌发的影响。结果表明,高内生真菌侵染率和低内生真菌侵染率种子的相对发芽率、相对活力指数、相对根长、相对苗长、相对根苗比均随盐胁迫程度的增加而显著下降。中、低浓度盐胁迫下（≤170 mmol·L-1 NaCl）二者的相对发芽率、相对活力指数、相对根长、相对苗长的差异不显著(P>0.05);高浓度盐胁迫下（255 mmol·L-1 NaCl）,高内生真菌侵染率种子的相对发芽率、相对活力指数、相对苗长均显著大于低内生真菌侵染率的品种(P<0.05)。盐胁迫抑制了多年生黑麦草种子的萌发,但在高浓度盐胁迫下内生真菌对宿主具有增益作用。