Induced acute aflatoxicosis in goats: Treatment with activated charcoal or dual combinations of oxytetracycline, stanozolol, and activated charcoal

Abstract

SUMMARY Groups of four 6- to 12-month-old male goats were injected intraruminally with a lethal dose (3 mg/kg of body weight) of aflatoxin b 1 ( afb 1 ). Treatments and delay times until start of treatment were: basic activated charcoal slurry in phosphate buffer (8 hours); charcoal slurry + the anabolic steroid stanozolol (8 hours); charcoal slurry + oxytetracycline ( otc ; 8,24, and 48 hours); and stanozolol + otc (8 and 24 hours). A nontreated group and a phosphate buffer- treated group were used as controls. Charcoal slurry decreased severity of illness in all 4 goats, decreased serum aspartate aminotransferase (ast) and bilirubin responses to afb 1 and prevented nearly all pathologic changes (av percentage of hepatic destruction was 3% compared with 31% in phosphate buffer-treated controls); 100% of the goats survived. Duration of illness was not decreased. With charcoal slurry + stanozolol, results were similar to those of charcoal slurry alone, except that 3 of 4 goats did not become ill and the mean duration of illness was only 10 hours compared with 96 hours in control goats. There were no gross lesions. In goats given charcoal slurry + otc 8 hours after afb 1 , results were similar to those of charcoal slurry + stanozolol, except that 2 goats became mildly ill (av duration of illness, 44 hours). With charcoal slurry + otc beginning 24 hours after afb 1 , 3 goats were mildly ill (av duration of illness, 80 hours) and 2 goats had mild gross lesions. Hepatic destruction increased to 13%, but recovery was still 100%. Goats given charcoal slurry + otc beginning 48 hours after afb 1 had mild illness (3 goats) and encephalopathic signs (1 goat). Illness lasted an average of 105 hours. Mild gross lesions were present in 2 goats, and average percentage of hepatic destruction was 11%. Survival decreased to 50%. Goats treated with stanozolol + otc 8 hours after afb 1 had milder respiratory signs than did control goats. Otherwise, their illness was enhanced. Serum ast and bilirubin responses to afb 1 were increased; goats that lived longest had widespread hemorrhages suggestive of a coagulation defect; average hepatic destruction was 70% (compared with 25% in untreated controls). Similar results occurred in goats given stanozolol + otc 24 hours after afb 1 , except that the average percentage of hepatic destruction was 25%. Stanozolol and otc appeared to be mutually antagonistic and to potentiate pathologic changes, especially when given 8 hours after afb 1 . Possibly the best therapy for acute aflatoxicosis in ruminants may be a large oral dose of basic activated charcoal slurry, plus either a once-only im injection of stanozolol (2 mg/kg) or a daily or twice-daily im injection of otc (10 mg/ kg) for 5 days. Treatment should be initiated no later than 24 hours after exposure to aflatoxin for maximum chance of survival. The combination of stanozolol + otc is contraindicated. Other therapies are discussed.