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Heinz body anemia and methemoglobinemia in ponies given red maple (acer rubrum L.) leaves.
Abstract: Ponies given dried red maple (Acer rubrum L.) leaves at a dose of 3.0 gm/kg body weight became ill and died one to five days after administration of the leaves. Two clinical patterns of disease were seen. Ponies given dried leaves collected after September 15 died by 18 hours, while ponies given dried leaves collected before September 15 became ill with a hemolytic syndrome and died by three to five days. Freshly harvested leaves administered immediately after collection did not produce disease in ponies, but when dried, they became toxic and remained so for at least 30 days. Overnight freezing did not alter the toxicity of the leaves. Leaves were toxic when administered at doses of 1.5 gm/kg of body weight. The clinical signs of ponies with the hemolytic syndrome included polypnea, tachycardia, icterus, cyanosis, scleral petechiation, and brownish discoloration of the urine and blood. Blood changes of ponies with the hemolytic syndrome included anemia, hemoglobinemia, Heinz bodies, depletion of erythrocyte reduced glutathione, increased erythrocyte fragility, and increased serum levels of aspartate amino transferase, sorbitol dehydrogenase, plasma protein, and bilirubin. Lesions of ponies that died from the hemolytic syndrome included icterus, centrilobular hepatic degeneration, hemoglobinemic nephrosis, and erythrophagocytosis by splenic, adrenal, and hepatic phagocytes. Only brownish discoloration of the blood and mild centrilobular hepatic degeneration were observed in the four ponies that died peracutely.
Publication Date: 1982-09-01 PubMed ID: 7147611DOI: 10.1177/030098588201900507Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research discusses the adverse health effects in ponies when given dried red maple leaves, highlighting two patterns of disease development depending on the time of leaf collection. Surprisingly, fresh leaves didn’t lead to health issues, but dried ones were toxic. Key illness symptoms and blood changes were noted, alongside visible pathological changes in ponies that died from this hemolytic syndrome.
Red Maple Leaf Toxicity
- The study reveals a lethal health issue in ponies caused by the ingestion of dried red maple leaves. Interestingly, the toxicity only manifests when the leaves are dried, still maintaining their toxicity for up to 30 days.
- Different disease patterns were observed based on when the leaves were collected. Dried leaves gathered after September 15 led to deaths within 18 hours, while leaves collected before this date resulted in a hemolytic syndrome, killing the ponies in 3-5 days.
Changes in Health
- The clinical signs in ponies subjected to the hemolytic syndrome included polypnea (rapid breathing), tachycardia (fast heart rate), icterus (yellow-ing of skin due to bilirubin accumulation), scleral petechiation (red or purple spots on white part of the eyes), and brownish discolouration of urine and blood.
- Other changes noted were methemoglobinemia (an increased level of a specific type of hemoglobin that can’t carry oxygen), Heinz bodies (abnormal clusters of protein seen in red blood cells under specific conditions), depletion of erythrocyte reduced glutathione (an antioxidant that protects the body from damage), heightened serum levels of aspartate amino transferase and sorbitol dehydrogenase (enzymes typically indicating liver damage).
Post-Death Observations
- Notable post-death observations in the ponies included icterus, hemoglobinemic nephrosis (kidney damage because of high levels of hemoglobin in the blood), centrilobular hepatic degeneration (damage to central areas of the liver lobes), and erythrophagocytosis by splenic, adrenal, and hepatic phagocytes (consumption of red blood cells by specific immune cells in the spleen, adrenal glands, and liver).
- However, the four ponies that died peracutely (suddenly due to severe disease), only showed signs of blood discoloration and mild liver damage.
Cite This Article
APA
George LW, Divers TJ, Mahaffey EA, Suarez MJ.
(1982).
Heinz body anemia and methemoglobinemia in ponies given red maple (acer rubrum L.) leaves.
Vet Pathol, 19(5), 521-533.
https://doi.org/10.1177/030098588201900507 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Anemia, Hemolytic / blood
- Anemia, Hemolytic / etiology
- Anemia, Hemolytic / veterinary
- Animals
- Heinz Bodies / analysis
- Horse Diseases / blood
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horses
- Methemoglobinemia / etiology
- Methemoglobinemia / veterinary
- Plant Poisoning / blood
- Plant Poisoning / complications
- Plant Poisoning / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Bozorgmanesh R, Magdesian KG, Rhodes DM, Von Dollen KA, Walter KM, Moore CE, Puschner B, Woods LW, Torrisi K, Voss ED. Hemolytic anemia in horses associated with ingestion of Pistacia leaves. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Jan;29(1):410-3.
- Walter KM, Moore CE, Bozorgmanesh R, Magdesian KG, Woods LW, Puschner B. Oxidant-induced damage to equine erythrocytes from exposure to Pistacia atlantica, Pistacia terebinthus, and Pistacia chinensis. J Vet Diagn Invest 2014 Nov;26(6):821-6.
- Pinnell EF, Her J, Gordon D, Kinsella HM, Langston CE, Toribio RE. Successful hemodialysis treatment of a Quarter Horse mare with silver maple leaf toxicity and acute kidney injury. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Jul-Aug;38(4):2399-2403.
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