Pathological studies on experimentally induced chronic nitrate toxicity in goats

Chronic toxicity of nitrate was induced in female Black Bengal goats by oral drenching of one tenth of acute lethal dose 50 (ALD 50) of potassium nitrate (120 mg kg−1 body weight) daily for 60 days. The gross and histopathological changes in the different visceral organs and tissues were investigated. Grossly pathological changes of nitrate induced goats comprised brownish discolouration of subcutaneous tissues, lungs, haemorrhages and necrotic changes in lungs, liver, intestine and atrophy of the thyroid glands. Toxicity produced histophological changes suggestive of haemorrhagic and degenerative or necrotic lesions in the liver, intestines, lymph nodes, spleen and kidneys. In addition, lesions of hyperplastic goitre were observed in the induced goats depicting the goitrogenic effect of nitrate.