Myopathy associated with Thermopsis Montana ingestion in cattle

Abstract

The plant T. montana has been found to be responsible for a syndrome of clinical recumbency and occasionally death when cattle graze pastures that are infested. The recumbency has associated skeletal muscle degeneration and necrosis without myocardial injury that can be produced experimentally by administration of either the whole plant or a mixed alkaloid extract from the plant. The mechanism by which these alkaloids cause injury to muscle is unknown; however, 2 of the alkaloids have nicotine-like activity in muscle.