Microcystin poisoning in roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus)

• Published in: Toxicon (Oxford) Vol. 56; no. 6; pp. 1076 - 1078
• Main Authors: Handeland, Kjell, Østensvik, Øyvin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal poisons toxicology. Antivenoms; Animals; Bacterial Toxins - analysis; Bacterial Toxins - poisoning; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Blue-green algae; Capreolus capreolus; Cervidae; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - etiology; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - pathology; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cyanobacteria; Deer; Enzyme Inhibitors - analysis; Enzyme Inhibitors - poisoning; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hepatomegaly - chemically induced; Hepatomegaly - pathology; Hepatotoxicosis; Liver - chemistry; Liver - drug effects; Mass Spectrometry; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Microcystin; Microcystins - analysis; Microcystins - poisoning; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; Roe deer; Toxicology; Wildlife; Blue-green algae; Wildlife; Cyanobacteria; Microcystin; Roe deer; Cervidae; Hepatotoxicosis; Deer; Capreolus capreolus; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Bacteria; Poisoning; Artiodactyla; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0041-0101; 1879-3150
• DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2010.06.023

Acute cyanobacterial hepatotoxicosis in a wild roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus) from Norway is reported. The diagnosis was based upon the demonstration of typical liver lesions and high liver concentrations of microcystins. The liver was markedly enlarged and histopathological examination revealed diffuse hepatocellular dissociation, degeneration and necrosis and perisinusoidal haemorrhage. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry demonstrated the presence of 1361 ng microcystin-YR, -LR and -RR per gram liver (wet weight). This is believed to be the first report of cyanobacterial intoxication in wild mammalian species as confirmed by demonstration of high toxin levels in the animal’s tissues.