HISTOPATHOLOGICAL STUDY OF EXPERIMENTAL ACUTE-POISONING OF CATTLE BY AUTUMN CROCUS (COLCHICUM-AUTUMNALE L.)

Crude or dehydrated bulbs of autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale L.) we re fed to eleven calves. All the calves developed severe diarrhea and died or euthanized within 63 hr. At necropsy, the gastro-intestinal mu cosa was edematous and hemorrhagic. Histologically, necrosis and degen eration with karyopyknosis and karyorrhexis were shown in the basal ce ll layer of the tongue, esophagus, forestomach, renal pelvis, urinary bladder, neck cell layer of the abomasal gastric glands, and intestina l cryps. These findings were also seen in Kupffer cells, renal tubular epithelial cells, and lymphocytes in the lymphoid and hemopoietic sys tems. The lesion of the present acute crocus poisoning of cattle close ly resembled those reported in humans with colchicine intoxication. Re fined acetone extract of organs of poisoned cattle proved to contain c olchicine and demecolcine by high performance liquid chromatography.