Effects of Sub-Chronic Aluminum Intoxication on Growth and Morphological Structure of Spleen and Bursa of Fabricius in Chickens

The model of different level´s sub-chronic aluminum intoxication in chickens was established by continuous peritoneal injection different gradient aluminum trichloride (AICI₃). The growth index of spleen and bursa of Fabricius were detected and the structures of them were observed by optical microscope and transmission electron microscope. The results showed that (1) the growth index of spleen and bursa of Fabricius of aluminum toxical group was significant lower than the control group in chickens (P<0.01) and the growth index had dose-effect relationships with AlCl₃. (2) In fact of histopathologically, middle and low dose groups had no apparently pathological changes. Spleen presented changes of apoptotic morphology and germinal center of bursal nodule hyperplasyed in high dose group. (3) In the fact of ultrastructurally, low dose group had no apparently pathological changes. In middle and high dose groups, karyolemma broken, mitochondria swelled, cristae fragmentated or disappeared, rough endoplasmic reticulum dilated, cisternas widen, confluenced vacuole and presented typical mark shape of apoptosis in lymphocyte of spleen; karyolemma broken, caryolysised, myelin bodys appeared, the number of organelles within intracytoplasm decreased significantly in lymphocyte of bursa of Fabricius. The results indicated that aluminum intoxication greatly hindered the development of spleen and bursa of Fabricius, as a consequence obvious pathological injury of spleen and bursa of Fabricius.