Pathomorphological alterations of sub-acute selenium toxicity in broilers

The sub-acute study of sodium selenite was performed in a total number of 120 Vencobb day old healthy broilers randomly divided into four groups of 30 each. Group I broilers were given plain feed and served as control whereas, broilers of group II, III and IV were given sodium selenite @ 2, 6 and10 ppm respectively in diet, daily for 35 days. Pathomorphological changes of induced broilers of mid and high dose groups were more severe than low dose group. Grossly varying degrees of congestion and haemorrhages in trachea, lungs, liver, kidneys, intestine, thymus, brain and heart with hydropericardum and enlargement of bursa of Fabricius and thymus were noticed in treated broilers. Histological alterations consisted of congestive and haemorrhagic changes of liver, lungs, kidneys, heart, spleen, brain and thymus indicating vascular effects of sodium selenite. Treated broilers showed severe vacuolar degeneration and necrotic changes of hepatocytes accompanied by discrete mononuclear cells infiltration which suggested toxic hepatitis. Kidneys of treated broilers had massive degenerative and necrotic changes of lining epithelium of convoluted tubules accompanied by epithelial desquamation and fatty changes indicating toxic nephritis. Lymphoid organs of selenium treated broilers revealed severe depletion of lymphocytes from the germinal centre.