Effect of atmospheric ammonia on the surface ultrastructure of the lung and trachea of broiler chicks

Journal Article · Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1985 · Poult. Sci.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3382/ps.0642056· OSTI ID:5800170

Al-Mashhadani, E H; Beck, M M

The surface ultrastructure of the lung and trachea of 7-week-old broiler chicks were examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to obtain a more accurate understanding of structural changes due to atmospheric ammonia (NH/sub 3/). In the first experiment, four broilers were randomly assigned to each of four chambers, and exposed to 0, 25, 50, 75, or 100 ppm NH/sub 3/ for 7 days. Chickens exposed to 100 ppm NH/sub 3/ exhibited a large number of mucus-secreting cells that were not seen in the other treatments. Ciliary loss from the tracheal epithelium was not a consistent finding in either the exposed or the control groups. There was no evidence of goblet cell disappearance due to ammonia treatment. In the second experiment, four broilers were randomly allocated to each of four chambers and exposed to 0, 50, 75, or 100 ppm NH/sub 3/ for 4 days. There was an increase in the thickness of the atrial walls and a shrinking of air capillaries with increasing NH/sub 3/ concentration; in birds exposed to 75 and 100 ppm NH/sub 3/, wall thickness was one to two times greater than in the control birds. There were no observable differences in gross appearance of lungs and tracheas between control and exposed groups except for hemorrhagic spots on one of the lungs exposed to 100 ppm NH/sub 3/.

• OSTI ID: 5800170
• Journal Information: Poult. Sci.; (United States), Vol. 11
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AMMONIA
TOXICITY
LUNGS
ULTRASTRUCTURAL CHANGES
TRACHEA
AIR POLLUTION
CHICKENS
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
EPITHELIUM
EXPOSURE CHAMBERS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
BIRDS
BODY
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
FOWL
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MICROSCOPY
MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
ORGANS
POLLUTION
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES
560305* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)