FATTY LIVER HEMORRHAGIC SYNDROME IN HENS OVERFED A PURIFIED DIET - SELECTED ENZYME-ACTIVITIES AND LIVER HISTOLOGY IN RELATION TO LIVER HEMORRHAGE AND REPRODUCTIVE-PERFORMANCE

A nutritionally adequate, purified diet was developed and used in stud ies to characterize selected aspects of laying hens in which fatty liv er hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) was induced by overfeeding. Hens consum ing the diet ad libitum or intubated with the diet in quantities equiv alent to usual daily energy intake maintained normal rates of lay, did not become obese, and did not develop liver hemorrhage. Overfed hens had a 33% incidence of FLHS, as indicated by the presence of severe li ver hemorrhage score, and displayed the full range of symptoms associa ted with spontaneous outbreaks of FLHS, including definitive lesions o f hepatic reticulin. Among four groups of hens clinically classified a ccording to rates of liver hemorrhage and egg production, there were n o differences noted in total liver fat, liver fat concentration, or fi nal body weight. Liver hemorrhage was associated with the degree of in duction of liver lipogenic accessory enzymes. Serum enzyme activities indicate that overfed hens, unlike the overfed goose, retain hepatocel lular membrane integrity. overfeeding caused altered reproductive perf ormance in 72% of hens. Alterations included erratic laying, increased incidence of double ovulations, shell defects, follicular collapse, a nd oviduct involution. Pattern of lay preceding necropsy seemed to inf luence follicle weight at necropsy. The data presented re-emphasize th e interdependence among liver, ovary, and oviduct function in the etio logy of FLHS.