Blood volume increase in salt-induced pulmonary hypertension, heart failure and ascites in broiler and White Leghorn chickens.

In this study we tested the hypothesis that excess dietary salt produces an expansion of extracellular fluid volume which may be associated with pulmonary hypertension-induced right ventricular failure in chickens with rapid growth rates. One-week-old broiler and White Leghorn chickens were given 0.5% salt in their drinking water for three weeks. Saline water had a minimal effect on White Leghorns. The hypothesis appears to be correct since salt-treatment in broilers resulted in up to 30% expansion in blood volume and there was 50% mortality from pulmonary hypertension-induced right ventricular failure and ascites. There was marked (up to 88% in some broilers) right ventricular hypertrophy, an indicator of pulmonary hypertension. There was less left ventricular hypertrophy as shown by an increase in the ratio of the right to total ventricle weight. There was up to 32% decrease in growth rate. There was renal hypertrophy in the salt-treated birds as shown by a higher kidney to body weight ratio.