Aortic Rupture, Body Weight, and Blood Pressure in the Turkey as Influenced by Strain, Dietary Fat, Beta-aminopropionitrile Fumarate, and Diethylstilbestrol

INTRODUCTION SINCE the first detailed report of dissecting aneurysm (aortic rupture) in the turkey by McSherry et al. (1954), continuing attempts have been made to elucidate this syndrome. Aortic rupture occurs as a sporadic, spontaneous, and fatal hemorrhage with no predisposing clinical signs. A longitudinal rent is usually found in the ventral wall of the abdominal aorta in the region of the kidneys. Dietary supplementation with beta- aminopropionitrile (BAPN) and implantation with diethylstilbestrol (DES) have each been used to induce ruptures and thereby provide a laboratory means of investigation. BAPN was isolated from Lathyrus ordoratus by McKay et al. (1954). Barnett et al. (1957) fed this compound to turkey poults and obtained aortic ruptures. Waibel and Pomeroy (1958) observed ruptures in older birds with lower concentrations of BAPN which were grossly similar to natural cases. While the BAPN-induced and natural ruptures are grossly similar, the former induces skeletal deformities, a nearly…