Haemorrhagic intestinal necrosis

Haemorrhagic intestinal necrosis has been reported in 2 patients in whom digitalis intoxication was present and no other cause could be found both patients died (17 ). Another patient is reported to have developed gastro-enteritis as a result of digitalis intoxication this led to circulatory collapse with subsequent acute renal failure (18 ). 

Animals became restles s and developed piloerec-tion within 5 min of dosing. There then developed salivation, rapid shallow breathing, extensor spasms and convulsions. In survivors, these effects subsided within 24 h and no abnormalities were seen on sacrifice at 21 days. Animals that died usually did so within 1 to 18 h, although a few survived for 2 to 9 days. Animals that died showed congestion of the liver, small intestine and lungs, with scattered patches of inter-and intra-alveolar haemorrhages. Small circumscribed foci of acute renal tubular necrosis were occasionally seen. 

The toxic effects of aflatoxin in animals includes gross liver damage, development of a necrosis in the periportal zone [246], and haemorrhage in the intestinal tract and peritoneal cavity. Aflatoxins also affect several cell culture systems in vitro [247—249], and cause lesions in chick embryos [249—251 ]. The finding of multiple liver tumours and lung metastases [252] was the first indication of the hepatotoxicity of this group of mycotoxins. This observation has been several times confirmed [253-257] and only 0.005 p.p.m. failed to induce liver tumour in rats [258]. Mice are more resistant [259—261], whereas rainbow trouts are considerably more sensitive to the action of aflatoxins [262—266]. 

---