IDENTIFICATION OF TISSUE HYPOXIA IN THE LIVERS OF ASCITIC AND HYPOXIA-INDUCED BROILERS USING TRYPAN BLUE

1. The perfusion of livers with the vital dye trypan blue was performe d to test for evidence of tissue hypoxia in 3 groups of young broiler chickens, namely, ascitic, hypoxia-induced and controls. 2. Hepatocyte s that stained with trypan blue were considered to be dead or dying be fore fixation and represented damaged cells. 3. The proportion of tryp an blue-stained hepatocytes in the livers of ascitic birds was slightl y less than half that observed in the hypoxia-induced birds but signif icantly more than the proportion of stained cells observed in control birds. 4. Liver damage in the ascitic birds was also assessed biochemi cally by an altered enzyme profile. 5. The study demonstrated that inc reased trypan blue uptake in the livers of ascitic birds reared at sea -level may be the consequence of hypoxia stress caused by reduced oxyg en utilisation.