Histopathological Effects of Tilletia fungus Spores Causing Wheat Smut on the Stomach, Intestines and Heart of Experimental Mice

Oral dose and intraperitonial injection of 30 experimental mice with spore suspension of Tilletia fungus revealed different clinical signs, included decrease in body weight, emaciation, general weakness, dyspenia, and ataxia. Severity of these changes depend upon concentration of spore suspension. While histopathological effects on heart, stomach and intestine of these experimental mice, were seen at concentration of 0.1 milligram / 0.5 milliliter PBS of spore suspension. Oral dose revealed more histopathologic damage in stomach, and intestine tissue than intraperitonial injection. Oral dose of 0.1 milligram /0.5 milliliter PBS caused mucous epithelium sloughing or detachment squamation accompanied with formation of ulcers oedema damage and necrosis, on the other hand, intraperitonial injection caused epithelium detachment with ulceration.