EXPERIMENTAL MITOCHONDRIAL MYOPATHY INDUCED BY CHRONIC INTOXICATION BY SENNA-OCCIDENTALIS SEEDS

Histochemical and electron microscopic studies of biceps femoris, pect oralis major and rectus femoris of chronically treated birds with seed s of the poisonous plant Senna occidentalis (0.2% external/internal te gment), were performed. The muscles had similar features of human mito chondrial myopathy as ragged-red fibers, cytochrome-oxidase negative f ibers, and weak activity of the oxidative enzymes, Fibers with lipid s torage were also present. Acid phosphatase activity in rare muscle fib ers was also detected, and represents probably a secondary degenerativ e process, By electron microscopy, enlarged mitochondria with disrupte d or excessively branched cristae were seen. The present study present s a new experimental model of mitochondrial myopathy that may be usefu l for the best knowledge of this group of diseases and for experimenta l trials of drugs that could reverse the mitochondrial impairment in t he mitochondrial myopathies. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.