Monkeyfaced lambs are born in a flock of sheep in Spanish Forks, Utah Scenario

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Monkey-faced lambs are born in a flock of sheep
in Spanish Forks, UtahScenario 2 Lab 12
Due November 29, 2006

• Melissa Hayden
• Erich Roush
• Laura Statz
• Harpreet Singh

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Scenario 2

• We have been asked to consult with a sheep
  rancher, Larry Spikes, in Spanish Forks, Utah.
• Lambs are being born with birth defects, as well
  as motor nerve paralysis

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What we know from Mr. Spikes

• Because of the drought, the sheep herds had been
  left on mountain pastures (7500-9500 ft) later
  into the fall breeding season than usual.

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Problem

• Mr. Spikes is complaining of "monkey-faced"
  lambs. The lambs have a distorted upper jaw,
  cleft palate, cyclopia or pronounced proboscis
  above the eyes. The rancher also relates that
  some of the lamb crop had motor nerve paralysis.

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Problem

• Many of the surviving lambs have shortened legs

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Plants found in pasture area
Corn Lily
Lupine
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Teratogen-Corn Lily

• Corn Lily Veratrum californicum
• The highest concentration of toxins are in the
  roots.
• Originally used medicinally by Native Americans
  for external use as a local anesthetic.
• Veratrum induces various craniofacial defects,
  specifically induced in lambs after pregnant ewes
  graze on the plant on the 14th day of gestation.

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Corn Lily Toxicity

• Poisoning may occur in 2 to 3 hours after the
  animal eats the plant.
• Signs of Poisoning
• Excessive salivation with frothing
• General body weakness - animal may be unable
  to stand
• Irregular gait
• Fast, irregular heartbeat
• Slow, shallow breathing
• Convulsions
• Ewes carrying monkey-faced lambs may fail to lamb
  at the end of gestation. The fetus may grow to an
  abnormal size and it could kill the ewe unless
  the lamb is delivered by surgery.

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Corn Lily Inhibitor mechanism

• Steroidal alkaloids cyclopamine and jervine
  isolated from Veratrum primarily responsible for
  the malformations.
• Cyclopamine and jervine are potent teratogens
  that inhibit Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling
  during gastrulation-stage of embryonic
  development
• Shh normally encodes a signal vital for
  patterning the early embryo.

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Teratogen-Lupine

• All parts of the lupine plant are toxic
• Cows and goats that eat lupines can pass toxins
  through their milk
• Toxicity can cause bone abnormalities in the
  forelimbs, spine and skull (scoliosis and cleft
  palate)
• Livestock that eat lupine in great quantities may
  die.
• Mothers that graze on lupine during days 4070 of
  gestation may have affected lambs.

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Lupine Toxicity

• Quinolizidine alkaloids cause neurologic problems
  in sheep and acute death.
• The teratogenic alkaloid, anagyrine, was
  identified and was shown to inhibit fetal
  movement, causing the limbs and spine to develop
  in abnormal positions.
• Signs of Poisoning
• Excessive salivation frothing at the mouth
• Difficulty in breathing
• Loss of all muscular control
• Convulsions
• Cleft palate and skeletal defects in fetus
  when grazed 40-70 days gestation

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Management (Corn Lily)

• Avoid grazing Veratrum for 30 days after breeding
• Reverse the grazing pattern so that the pregnant
  ewes are not in the Veratrum patches during early
  pregnancy.
• Herbicidal application of amine salts of 2,4-D at
  the rate of 1 kg per acre of acid equivalent
  after the last leaves have expanded and before
  bud stage. A second treatment may be required the
  following year.

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Management (Lupine)

• Prevent grazing of lupine patches in the early
  growth stage and in late summer when the plant is
  in the highly toxic seed stage, and from dense
  plant stands at all times. Supplemental feeding
  is beneficial.
• Lupine can be controlled with 2,4-D (1 kg ae/Ac),
  2,4-D dicamba (0.5 0.25 kg ai/Ac), or
  trichlopyr (0.25 to 0.75 kg ae/Ac).
• Spray actively growing plants after they are 10
  cm high but before they bloom. Reinvasion is
  rapid and retreatment may be necessary every 4 to
  5 years. 

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References

• Important poisonous plants on Rangelands
• vol. 27 Issue 5 Oct.2005 pg 3-9 BioOne Journal
• Reproductive toxicology in livestock. J.Anim Sci
  199068403-4 James L.F.
• Development of an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent
  Assay for the Veratrum Plant Teratogens
  Cyclopamine and Jervine J. Agric. Food Chem., 51
  (3), 582 -586, 2003. 10.1021/jf020961s
  S0021-8561(02)00961-5

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References

• http//extoxnet.orst.edu/newsletters/n23_81.htm
• http//sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/especiallypublic.htm
  l
• http//extension.usu.edu/conference/events/isopp7/
  plants.cfm
• http//pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/20
  03/51/i03/abs/jf020961s.html
• http//www.cybergoat.com/cyclopia/cyclopia.htm