Nitrosative tissue damage and apoptotic cell death in kidneys and livers of naturally ethylene glycol (antifreeze)-poisoned geese.

Three naturally ethylene glycol (EG)-intoxicated geese were investigated for pathological changes, nitrosative tissue damage and apoptotic cell death. Severe degeneration of kidney tubular epithelium and congestion of kidney and liver tissues were observed. Immunohistochemical staining for inducible nitric oxide synthase and nitrotyrosine revealed strong immunoreactivity with both antibodies in kidney and liver tissues compared with the weak immunostaining in the control animals. In both tissues of the EG-intoxicated geese, erythrocytes were also highly immunoreactive with nitrotyrosine antibody. A high degree of apoptotic cell death was present in the kidney tubule epithelium of EG-intoxicated geese. Some apoptotic cells were also observed in the liver. These results show that nitrosative tissue damage and apoptotic cell death takes place in kidney and liver during EG intoxication in geese.