Análise histopatológica e de derrames cavitários em condenações por síndrome ascítica e pericárdica em abatedouros de aves no nordeste do Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

The latest data from the Brazilian Animal Protein Association indicates that Brazil produced more than 14 million tons of chicken meat in 2021, consolidating its position as one of the main global producers and exporters of chicken meat. Ascites represents the main cause of condemnation of chicken carcasses in slaughter under state inspection in Rio Grande do Sul and is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the field. The objective of this work was to characterize the cavitary effusions and understand the histopathological alterations of the heart, lungs, and liver of broiler chickens with ascites. 45 carcasses composed an experimental group, retained on inspection lines due to free cavitary effusion in the abdominal cavity, and their respective livers, hearts, and lungs; and 10 carcasses of healthy animals to compose the control group. The effusions were aspirated using syringes and stored in a tube containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The liver, heart, and lung samples were stored in 10% formalin. The effusions were subjected to physical, chemical, and sedimentoscopic examination. The tissue fragments were included in paraffin, cut in a rotary microtome at 5μ, stained by hematoxylin and eosin staining, and subjected to bright field microscopy. In the effusions, there was a predominance of transudates poor in protein and cellular predominance composed of lymphocytes. The histopathological analysis revealed alterations associated mainly with pulmonary hypertension and portal hypertension. The most frequent cardiac alteration was the thickening of the epicardium, which sometimes contained an inflammatory infiltrate, which may indicate an infectious process. All these results confirm the hypothesis that ascites is related to ineffective compensatory mechanisms against tissue hypoxia.