Photosensitisation and Crystal-Associated Cholangiohepatopathy in Sheep Grazing Brachiaria decumbens

Abstract

Two outbreaks of photosensitivity and jaundice in sheep grazing the grass, Brachiaria decumbens, in West Java in 1983 and 1990 are described. Aggregates of acicular clefts and crystals were present in bile canaliculi, bile ducts, Kupffer cells, hepatocytes and in kidney tubules. The number of crystals increased with the length of exposure to the plant and sheep that died had the largest accumulations. These crystalline structures have not been reported before in this syndrome, but are similar to those seen in Tribulus terrestris and Panicum spp toxicities.