BLOOD-VOLUME INCREASE IN SALT-INDUCED PULMONARY-HYPERTENSION, HEART-FAILURE AND ASCITES IN BROILER AND WHITE LEGHORN CHICKENS

In this study we tested the hypothesis that excess dietary salt produc es an expansion of extracellular fluid volume which may he associated with pulmonary hypertension-induced right ventricular failure in chick ens with rapid growth rates. One-week-old broiler and White Leghorn ch ickens were given 0.5% salt in their drinking water for three weeks. S aline water had a minimal effect on White Leghorns. The hypothesis app ears to be correct since salt-treatment in broilers resulted in up to 30% expansion in blood volume and there was 50% mortality from pulmona ry hypertension-induced right ventricular failure and ascites. There w as marked (up to 88% in some broilers) right ventricular hypertrophy, an indicator of pulmonary hypertension. There was less left ventricula r hypertrophy as shown by an increase in the ratio of the right to tot al ventricle weight. There was up to 32% decrease in growth rate. Ther e was renal hypertrophy in the salt-treated birds as shown by a higher kidney to body weight ratio.