A LUPINOSIS-ASSOCIATED MYOPATHY IN SHEEP AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENTS TO PREVENT IT

A lupinosis-associated myopathy occurred in 26 of 48 sheep given a crude toxic extract of Phomopsis leptostromiformis, and in 18 of 34 sheep that grazed a toxic lupin stubble. Treatment with selenium or alpha-tocopherol alone neither prevented nor cured the myopathy, but selenium and alpha-tocopherol together may have been partially effective. Among the group of 48 intoxicated sheep, those with myopathy had a significantly lower mean terminal concentration of alpha-tocopherol in their livers than those with no myopathy. There was no relationship between the severity of liver injury and the occurrence of the myopathy. It was considered that this lupinosis-associated myopathy may have a similar pathogenesis to nutritional myopathy. Data on plasma creatine phosphokinase and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activities, plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations and terminal tissue concentrations of selenium and alpha-tocopherol are presented.