[The effect of treatment with vitamin E or selenium on the course of salinomycin poisoning in swine].

Experimentally induced salinomycin toxicosis in weanling pigs showed typical clinical signs of an intoxication with a polyether antibiotic. Severe ataxia and recumbency were the most prominent symptoms, which could be attributed to acute skeletal muscle necrosis by estimation of muscle enzyme activities (creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase) and histopathological examination. Intoxication had neither influence on concentrations of vitamin E and selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase in plasma and different organs nor on contents of fatty acids in skeletal muscles. No signs of increased lipid peroxidation in muscle tissue could be found. Prophylactic application of vitamin E or selenium one day before administration of salinomycin as well as treatment on the following days produced no protective effects. The treated pigs showed equal clinical and pathomorphological alterations as the untreated animals, although applications caused a significant increase of alpha-tocopherol and glutathione peroxidase concentrations in blood and different organs.