Acute toxicity of gossypol in northern bobwhites

Figures & data

Figure 1. Survivorship (%) of birds from the range-finding and definitive tests from 1 to 10 days post-dosing.

Figure 2. The day birds from the range-finding and definitive tests died. The 585 (n = 3, 2 male and 1 female) and 765 (n = 8, 4 male and 4 female) mg/kg BW doses are from the definitive test, and the 1,000 (n = 9, 5 male and 4 female) mg/kg BW dose is from the range-finding test.

Figure 3. The log₁₀ dose–response curve of gossypol. The probability of mortality (%) is plotted against the log₁₀[Gossypol] (mg/kg BW) curve. The estimated dose–response curve is bound by the lower 95% CI (dark grey) and upper 95% CI (light grey).

Figure 4. Tissue sections of the liver (A and B), pancreas (C and D), and duodenum (E and F) from birds dosed with 1,000 mg/kg BW of gossypol. Liver (A), 200× magnification. Hepatocytes and Kupffer cells contain pigment, and there is marked variability in the size and number of hepatocytes nuclei (arrowheads). Liver (B), 400× magnification. Arrowheads indicate pigment accumulation in hepatocytes. Pancreas (C), 100× magnification. Arrowhead indicates the zonal region in which there is a collapse of exocrine acini, and remaining exocrine acinar cells exhibit increased cytoplasmic basophilia. Pancreas (D), 200× magnification. Arrowheads indicate individual exocrine acinar cell necrosis (apoptosis). Duodenum (E), 200× magnification. Arrowhead indicates cluster of pigment-laden macrophages within a blunted villus tip. Duodenum (F), 400× magnification. Arrowhead indicates cluster of pigment-laden macrophages. A small number of heterophils are present at the base of the arrowhead.

Table 1. Organ weights (g) for control and 1,000 mg/kg BW dosed birds from the range-finding test.

Organ	Control			1,000
	n	Mean ± SD^a	Median (IQR)^b	n	Mean ± SD	Median (IQR)
Liver	11	2.673 ± 0.421		9	2.561 ± 0.447
Ventriculus	11	4.172 ± 0.484		9	4.750 ± 0.736
Lungs	11	0.648 ± 0.097		9	0.702 ± 0.162
Kidneys	11	0.608 ± 0.166		9	0.656 ± 0.114
Ovary	5	0.095 ± 0.037		2	0.096 ± 0.043
Testis	2	0.043 ± 0.033		2	0.041 ± 0.240
Pancreas	9	0.339 ± 0.186		5	0.340 ± 0.065
Brain	11	1.036 ± 0.146		9	1.103 ± 0.132
Heart	11	0.826 ± 0.105	0.837 (0.765–0.879)	9	0.552 ± 0.224	0.479 (0.393–0.628)^c
Spleen	10	0.038 ± 0.014	0.042 (0.029–0.046)	9	0.022 ± 0.005	0.021 (0.020–0.022)^c

^aStandard deviation.

^bInterquartile range.

^cSignificantly different from the control group by Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney rank sum test (P ≤ 0.05).

Table 2. Ventriculus and spleen weights (g) for control and 585 and 765 mg/kg BW dosed birds from the definitive test.

Organ	Control (n = 10)	585 (n = 3)	765 (n = 8)
	Median (IQR)^a
Ventriculus	4.578 (4.345–4.740)	4.756 (4.585–4.998)	4.816 (3.605–6.047)
Spleen	0.053 (0.040–0.065)^b	0.021 (0.018–0.022)^c	0.023 (0.022–0.030)^c

^aInterquartile range.

^b,cMedian values within a row not sharing a common superscript letter were significantly different by Dunn’s test (P ≤ 0.01).