Liver histopathological changes in breeding bullfrogs / Alterações histopatológicas do fígado de reprodutores de rã-touro

In order to complement the histopathological study of juveniles and tadpoles of the bullfrog, Lithobathes catesbeianus, fed commercial diet used by frog farms in Rio de Janeiro, containing 40% crude protein, we performed necropsy and histopathology of the liver to establish a relationship between the quality of crude protein in the diet and animal health. For this, it was used twenty breeding male bullfrogs, with average weight 591.30 g (± 91.90 g) and length 165.02 mm (± 14.22 mm), and ten females with average weight and length of 629.80 g (± 134.47 g) and 169.32 mm (± 21.82 mm). The liver histopathology showed hyperemia, high number of elanomacrophages and cytoplasmic rarefaction, probably due to protein deficiency and fatty liver degeneration and presence of inflammatory processes. These lesions indicate a degenerative nutritional process. These findings suggest that the animals were fed with proteins of low biological value, indicating poor quality of feed, undermining the sanity. The impairment of liver function by these injuries will lead to reduced availability of precursors of sex hormones, since the liver is important in the metabolism of the same, and reproductive performance of these animals may be impaired.

Em complementação ao estudo histopatológico de girinos e imagos da rã-touro, Lithobates catesbeianus, alimentados com ração comercial utilizada pelos ranários do Rio de Janeiro, contendo 40% de proteína bruta, realizou-se necropsia e histopatologia do fígado de reprodutores, procurando uma relação entre a qualidade de proteína bruta na ração e a sanidade do animal. Foram utilizados 20 reprodutores de rã-touro, dez machos com peso de 591,30 g (± 91,90 g) e comprimento médios de 165,02 mm (± 14,22 mm), e dez fêmeas com peso e comprimento médios de 629,80 g (± 134,47 g) e 169,32 mm (± 21,82 mm). Os resultados da histopatologia mostraram que o fígado dos reprodutores, tanto machos quanto fêmeas apresentavam hiperemia, grande número de melanomacrófagos e rarefação citoplasmática provavelmente por deficiência proteica e quadro de degeneração hepática gordurosa. Tais lesões indicam quadro degenerativo nutricional. Também presente processos inflamatórios focais. Estes achados sugerem uma alimentação com proteínas de baixo valor biológico, indicando má qualidade da ração, comprometendo sua sanidade. Pode-se inferir que o comprometimento das funções hepáticas, irá diminuir a disponibilidade de precursores dos hormônios sexuais, pois o fígado é importante na metabolização dos mesmos, e a performance reprodutiva destes animais poderá ser prejudicada.

Histochemical study of fibrillar proteins of the extracellular matrix in benign and malignant mammary neoplasms in dogs

The aim of the present study was to study some of the proteins that form the extracellular matrix of 54 benign and malignant mammary neoplasms in dogs, using histochemical methods: Picrosirius and polarization microscopy for collagenous fibers, Gordon -Sweats's method for reticular fibers and Weigert's fucsine-resorcine method for elastic fibers. A large variability in quantity, distribution and characteristics of the matrix components was observed in the different types of neoplasms. Collagen type I, III and elements of the elastic system had different distribution in benign and malignant neoplasms. The simple Picrossirius method and under polarization enabled visualization of collagen as thick fibers irregularly distributed in the stroma of carcinomas and in a more orderly and regular fashion in benign neoplasms. A smaller amount of thin fibers was observed in an irregular and random disposition in carcinomas and in a regular disposition in benign neoplasms . Under polarization, the fibers present different lengths, were yellowish or reddish and strongly birefringent, what suggested that they were collagen type I and in the middle of these fibers, other ones, pale, greenish and weakly birefringent, some of them thinner, possibly collagen type III were observed. In the stroma of carcinoma, fibers were mostly thick, strongly birefringent, yellowish or reddish, disposed in an irregular and random fashion, mainly in the central areas. In condrometaplasic areas, both in malignant and benign neoplasms, there was a collagen population composed by thin fibers in a parallel disposition, limiting narrow regions where condrocytes were aligned. Around this area, there was a collagen population formed by bundles of thick anastomosed fibers, irregularly disposed in carcinomas and orderly, in a parallel fashion in benign neoplasms. Under polarization demonstrated that this population, among condrocytes, was formed by weakly birefringent fibers, pale and yellowish, what suggested a collagen type II pattern. The use of reticular fibers staining by Gordon & Sweats, enabled a visualization of collagen as thin fibers disposed not only in the dense stromas but also in the loose ones. These fibers presented variable density, but were found mainly around acini and tubules. In relation to the presence elements of the elastic system in benign and malignant tumors, it may be observed that they predominate in the malignant ones, mainly in the pseudocapsule and around acini...

Retrospective review and systematic study of mammary tumors in dogs and characteristics of the extracellular matrix

The aim of the present study was to perform a retrospective review, from 1932 to 1999, in order to establish the number of cases of mammary tumors in dogs in the records at the Pathology Department of Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - USP, as well as the presence of desmoplasia and cartilaginous and bone metaplasia in 578 of these tumors. Among the 537 malignant tumors, 13.05 percent were simple tubular adenocarcinomas, 3.91 percent were complex tubular adenocarcinomas, 7.26 percent simple papillary adenocarcinomas, 4.28 percent complex papillary adenocarcinomas , 23.27 percent simple papillary cystadenocarcinomas ,8.37 percent complex papillary cystadenocarcinomas,16.38 percent simple solid adenocarcinomas ,6.70 percent complex solid adenocarcinomas, 2.04 percent simple spindle cell carcinomas, 1.11 percent simple spindle cell carcinomas ,2.79 percent mucinous carcinomas ,8.19 percent anaplastic carcinomas ,0.93 percent squamous carcinomas, 1.30 percent fibrosarcomas,.0.18 percent chondrosarcoma, 0.18 percent osteosarcoma and among the 41 benign tumors ,51.21 percent were adenoma, 12.19 percent papillary cystadenoma,7.31 percent papilloma, 4.87 percent cystic fibroadenoma and 24.39 percent were fibroadenoma. Both desmoplasia and metaplasia were frequent findings in benign and malignant neoplasms, but they were more frequent among complex tubular adenocarcinomas: 38 percent presented desmoplasia, 57 percent cartilaginous metaplasia and 28 percent bone metaplasia. Among the benign neoplasms, adenoma presented the more frequency: 14 percent presented desmoplasia, 29 percent cartilaginous metaplasia and 24 percent bone metaplasia. Results of this study emphasize the complexity of the inter-relationship between the macromolecules in the extracellular matrix and tumoral cells