Pathomorphology of experimentally induced acute nitrate toxicity in goats

Acute toxicity of nitrate was induced in Black Bengal goats by a single oral administration of potassium nitrate @1200 mg/kg body weight in deionized water through stomach tube. The characteristic gross pathological changes in treated goats were accumulation of serosanguinous fluid in the abdominal cavity, brownish discolouration of lungs, marked enlargement of liver, thyroid glands and lymph nodes and petechial haemorrhages in the lungs, liver, spleen, intestine and lymph nodes. Histopathologically, lesions suggestive of toxic hepatitis and nephrosis accompanied by necrotic enteritis with cellular infiltrations, degeneration of cardiac muscles and depletion of lymphocytes in the mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen were noticed. Ovaries showed hyaline degeneration, calcification and follicular atrophy.