A histopathological study of bovine ganglia

Abstract

One hundred and sixty-eight ganglia from 54 cattle aged 10 days to 10 years were examined microscopically. Samples from six autonomic ganglia and one sensory ganglion were represented. Thirteen animals were clinically normal and 41 were submitted for post-mortem examination. Neuronal vacuolation, spheroid formation, lipofuscin accumulation and central chromatolysis were observed sporadically and were of varying magnitude. Neuronal vacuolation and spheroid formation were not age-related changes, while lipofuscin accumulation was more common in older animals and central chromatolysis was more common in younger cattle. Non-suppurative inflammation and neuronophagia were also common findings (23 out of 54 animals, 42.6%) in autonomic ganglia that did not contain herpesvirus DNA as determined by polymerase chain reaction. Renaut bodies, features of peripheral nerves, were most commonly noted in the vagus. None of the histopathological findings were related to any particular disease in which loss of autonomic nervous system function might be expected. Furthermore, all changes were as common in clinically normal animals as in animals with disease.

Keywords: autonomic ganglia; bovine; herpesvirus.

Fig. 1

Cranial cervical ganglion from a clinically normal animal (C7). Satellite cells are loosely arranged between the multipolar neurons. The dark, angular neurons with indistinct nuclei represent handling artefacts. HE. Bar, 50 μm.

Fig. 2

Cranial cervical ganglion from a heifer with megaoesophagus (C20). Central chromatolysis is present in about 35% of the neurons, with occasional peripheral pyknotic nuclei. HE. Bar, 50 μm.

Fig. 3

Cranial cervical ganglion from a heifer with megaoesophagus (C20). Central chromatolysis (arrows) is present in about 35% of the neurons. Cresyl violet stain. Bar, 50 μm.

Fig. 4

Cranial cervical ganglion from a cow with chronic ragwort poisoning (C29). There is multifocal intraneuronal vacuolation. HE. Bar, 50 μm.

Fig. 5

Trigeminal ganglion from a clinically normal animal (C6). Densely packed large unipolar neurons surrounded by concentrically arranged satellite cells. HE. Bar, 50 μm.

Fig. 6

Cervicothoracic ganglion from an animal with Johne's disease (C31). There is moderate multifocal perivascular, subcapsular and parenchymal mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration. HE. Bar, 250 μm.

Fig. 7

Cervicothoracic ganglion from an animal with Johne's disease (C31). This is a higher magnification of Fig. 6 showing areas of lymphocytic infiltration. HE. Bar, 50 μm.

Fig. 8

Cervicothoracic ganglion from a clinically normal animal (C9). There is multifocal neuronophagia (arrows). HE. Bar, 25 μm.