LESIONS RESULTING FROM ATTEMPTED SHWARTZMAN REACTION IN TURKEY POULTSINOCULATED WITH PASTEURELLA-MULTOCIDA LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE

Five-week-old turkey poults were given two consecutive intravenous inj ections (24 hours apart) of highly purified Pasteurella multocida lipo polysaccharide (LPS) in an effort to induce a generalized Shwartzman r eaction. There were no gross lesions, and microscopic lesions were lim ited to focal hepatic necrosis with heterophil infiltration. Hepatic l esions did not differ qualitatively from lesions in turkeys given a si ngle dose of lipopolysaccharide. Margination of heterophils in the pul monary vasculature was observed in turkeys 4 hours after a single inje ction of LPS, but it was not present in turkeys given the consecutive injections of LPS. To induce a dermal Shwartzman reaction, turkeys wer e given intradermal injections of LPS followed by an intravenous injec tion of LPS 24 hours later. Although no grossly visible hemorrhagic de rmal necrosis occurred, microscopic lesions, including heterophil infi ltration, vasculitis, thrombosis, and necrosis, were present. Thrombos is and vasculitis were observed only in turkeys given the intravenous and intradermal LPS, whereas the other inflammatory changes were obser ved in turkeys given the intradermal injection of LPS and intravenous water. Prominent lymphocytic perivascular cuffing at the site of derma l injection was present in all turkeys given intradermal LPS.