Ocular lesions in chickens inoculated with Escherichia coli.

Specific-pathogen-free chickens (two, four and ten weeks of age) which were inoculated via the air sac with Escherichia coli developed ocular lesions. Histologically, the main ocular lesions consisted of hyphema, hemorrhages of the iris, hypopyon, keratitis and uveitis. Hyphema was associated with hemorrhages of the iris, and hypopyon with keratitis and uveitis. Cyclophosphamide treatment enhanced the incidence and severity of hyphema and hemorrhages of the iris in the chickens.     

Cryptosporidiosis of the bursa of Fabricius of chickens.

Light-microscope and electron-microscope studies of a coccidial organism found in the bursa of Fabricius from 3 chickens clearly established the parasite as belonging to the family Cryptosporiidae. Hyperplasia and heterophil infiltration were associated with the presence of organisms attached to the microvillus border of epithelial cells lining the plicae of the bursa of Fabricius. Although there were no clinical signs or gross lesions common to the 3 cases described, all had similar histologic lesions in the epithelium lining the bursa of Fabricius.     

Acute airsacculitis in untreated and cyclophosphamide-pretreated broiler chickens inoculated with Escherichia coli or Escherichia coli cell-free culture filtrate.

Ninety commercial broiler chickens were divided into three equal groups; 30 were injected with brain-heart-infusion broth into the cranial thoracic air sacs (controls), 30 were similarly inoculated with a culture of Escherichia coli, and 30 were similarly inoculated with E. coli cell-free culture filtrate. Birds were examined from 0 to 6 hours post-inoculation. E. coli-inoculated and cell-free culture filtrate-inoculated chickens reacted similarly, with exudation of heterophils into the air sac. Microscopically, heterophils were present in low numbers perivascularly 0.5 hour after inoculation and became more numerous by 3 hours post-inoculation. By 6 hours post-inoculation, there was severe swelling of air sac epithelial cells and thickening of the air sac by proteinaceous fluid and heterophils. Ultrastructurally, air sac epithelial cells were swollen and vacuolated, and interdigitating processes were separated. Histologically and ultrastructurally, all features in control chickens were normal, with only rare heterophils in the air sac interstitium. In E. coli-inoculated and cell-free culture filtrate-inoculated chickens, cell counts (predominantly heterophils) in air sac lavage fluids increased markedly at 3 and 6 hours, with only slight increases in counts from lavages of controls. Heteropenia was observed in E. coli-inoculated chickens, whereas heterophilia was observed in cell-free filtrate chickens and controls. Ninety additional chickens were pretreated with cyclophosphamide, subdivided into three equal groups, and inoculated and examined similarly as above. Cyclophosphamide pretreatment reduced inflammatory changes in air sacs, lowered cell numbers in lavage fluids, and abolished hematologic changes; however, it did not prevent epithelial cell changes. These results indicate that cell-free culture filtrate of E. coli induces changes similar to those induced by cultures of E. coli.     

Studies on the pathogenesis of Escherichia coli in the bursa of Fabricius (cloacal bursa) of the turkey.

Turkey poults were inoculated with avirulent or virulent strains of Escherichia coli by direct application to anal lips and were killed at postinoculation hours (PIH) 0.1, 2, 5, 10, 24, 48, 72, and 96. Bursae of Fabricius (cloacal bursae) were collected, cultured, and examined by light, fluorescent, and electron microscopy. The virulent strain of E coli was not recovered from the bursae after PIH 24, although the avirulent strain was recovered up to PIH 96. The E coli strains neither localized at nor associated with the bursal fold epithelium, passed through the follicular pad epithelium, nor caused cytopathologic changes in the lymphoid follicle. A mild catarrhal bursitis was observed at PIH 48 with the avirulent strain of E coli.     

Action of herbicide "Atrazine" on thymus and bursa in chickens

Changes were induced in the central lymphatic organs of chicken which had been given 150 ppm "Atrazin" in their rations over 21 days, beginning with the third day of age. The substance did not produce toxic phenomena. Thymus and bursa fabricii weights went up in parallel with the glycogen levels of those organs, after 15 days of feeding. Normalisation occurred on the 21st day of treatment and was more conspicuous on the thymus than on the bursa.     

Histochemical and histological evaluations of the effects of high incubation temperature on embryonic development of thymus and bursa of Fabricius in broiler chickens

1.?The effects of experimentally induced heat-stress on the embryonic development of bursa of Fabricius and thymus of the chicken were investigated by means of histological and enzyme histochemical methods.

2.?In the experiments, 250 fertile eggs of the Ross 308 broiler strain were divided into two groups. The control eggs were maintained under optimal conditions (37?8°C and 65 ± 2% relative humidity, RH) during the whole incubation period. Heat stressed eggs were maintained under normal conditions (37?8°C and 65 ± 2% RH) until the 10th d of incubation and then exposed continuously (24 h per d) to high temperature (38?8°C and 65 ± 2% RH). Blood and tissue samples were taken from 10 animals of each group at d 13, 15, 18 and 21 of incubation and at d 2, 4 and 7 post-hatch. Tissue samples were processed for enzyme histochemical methods in addition to routine histological techniques.

3.?The results revealed that egg temperatures were higher than incubator air temperature. Long-term heat-stress (40?1–40?6°C egg temperature) retarded development of thymus and bursa of Fabricius. Peripheral blood ACP-ase and ANAE-positive lymphocyte levels of heat-stressed animals were lower than in the controls.

4.?These results give some morphological evidence for immunosuppression induced by high temperature exposure during the embryonic development. Temperature distribution and air circulation in incubator should be questioned in the case of lower broiler flock immunity.     

Developmental process of Cryptosporidium in the intestine and bursa of Fabricius of chickens.

The developmental process of a Cryptosporidium isolated in Japan in the chicken intestine was investigated by scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopies (TEM). The parasites were detected in the ileum, cecum, colon, cloaca and bursa of Fabricius (BF). The intensity of infection tended to peak later in the BF than ileum. Trophozoites and schizonts were detected in all the portions of intestine, and were dominant in the developmental stages. Although macrogamonts were the secondary dominant stage, they were absent in the ileum and cecum at 60 hr postinoculation (PI). A few microgamonts were detected in the ileum at 36 hr PI and in the BF on day 19 PI. Oocysts were observed in the ileum at 48 hr PI and in the BF on day 19 PI.     

Immune-modulatory effects of dietary Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall in broiler chickens inoculated with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide

1. An experiment was conducted to study the effect of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cell wall (YCW) supplemented in diets of broiler chickens challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

2. One-day-old broiler chicks were randomly distributed into 24 cages (6 replicate cages; 8 birds/cage) and were inoculated with 0 or 1 mg/kg body weight E. coli-LPS (d 4 and 9) and 0 or 500 mg YCW/kg feed, resulting in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Experimental diets did not include coccidiostats, in-feed antibiotics or enzymes.

3. On d 21, the inoculation of E. coli-LPS reduced weight gain and feed intake and increased feed conversion ratio (FCR) of birds, an effect maintained until 28 d. In contrast, chickens given diets with YCW improved the FCR at both 21 and 28 d of age.

4. E. coli-LPS challenge reduced the relative weight of bursa of Fabricius, except when chickens were given YCW, which resulted in an interaction. Supplementation of broiler diets with YCW exacerbated the cellular immune response as measured by the delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity response test.

5. The results of this study suggested a benefit on feed efficiency when YCW was added to diets fed to broiler chickens challenged with E. coli-LPS. Part of the mode of action of YCW might be related to better maintenance of immune status in response to microbial challenge.     

Histologic characterization of the involuting bursa of Fabricius in single-comb white Leghorn chickens

Bursas from specific-pathogen-free white leghorn chickens of both sexes were examined at several intervals from hatching to 28 weeks of age. No histologic alterations other than scattered atrophic or cystic follicles were observed through 20 weeks. Obvious involution, first noted at 24 weeks, was in early stages in females and quite advanced in males. Involution was essentially complete by 26 weeks, and only cicatrized vestiges of bursas were present at 28 weeks of age. Gross manifestations included bursal atrophy, variable yellowish discoloration of the mucosa, and matting or total loss of identity of the mucosal plicae. Histologic characteristics of involution are summarized by the following approximate sequence: atrophy and exfoliation of plica epithelium; subepithelial stromal fibrosis; fusion and ultimate collapse of plicae; liquefactive necrosis of first medullary then cortical elements of follicles, which seemed to progress from basal to apical portions of the plicae; progressive proliferation of stromal connective tissue and infiltration of macrophages into areas occupied by necrotic follicles; and, finally, complete fibrous organization of luminal debris, leaving a firm nodule formed by a contracted muscularis surrounding the cicatrized remains of the mucosa.     

Involution of bursa cloacalis (Fabricii) and thymus in Cyclosporin A-treated chickens

Fifty-day-old Arbor Acres chickens received a daily oral dose of 30 mg/kg Cyclosporin A for 21 consecutive days. This treatment induced the striking morphological changes in the bursa cloacalis (Fabricii). The number of bursal follicles did not change, but they were markedly decreased in size. The pars lymphoreticularis was collapsed and contained smaller accumulations of lymphocytes. The pars lymphoepithelialis was almost totally devoid of lymphocytes and it was composed of an empty network of epithelial cells. Interfollicular epithelium, follicle-associated epithelium, basement-membrane-associated epithelium and bursal epithelial cytoreticulum were not changed. The thymus also displayed substantial structural changes, whereby the thymic medulla was strongly reduced in size.     

Pathogenesis of duck plague in the bursa of Fabricius, thymus, and spleen.

White Pekin ducks were inoculated orally with duck plague virus and killed at 24-hour intervals after inoculation. Spleen, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius were collected and examined by light, fluorescent, and electron microscopy. Necrosis of lymphocytes occurred in the bursa of Fabricius, thymus, splenic periarteriolar lymphoid sheath (T lymphocytes), and splenic germinal centers (B lymphocytes). Viral nucleocapsids were present in the karyoplasm of lymphocytes, but these cells necrotized before virions were formed. Periarteriolar reticular sheath cells and sinusoidal lining cells in the spleen, epithelial cells in Hassall's corpuscle of the thymus, epithelial cells between the cortex and medulla of the follicles in the bursa of Fabricius, and macrophages in all 3 tissues contained nucleocapsids in the nuclei and virions in cytoplasmic vacuoles before necrosis occurred.