Amylopectinosis in fetal and neonatal Quarter Horses.

Three Quarter Horses, a stillborn filly (horse No. 1), a female fetus aborted at approximately 6 months of gestation (horse No. 2), and a 1-month-old colt that had been weak at birth (horse No. 3), had myopathy characterized histologically by large spherical or ovoid inclusions in skeletal and cardiac myofibers. Smaller inclusions were also found in brain and spinal cord and in some cells of all other tissues examined. These inclusions were basophilic, red-purple after staining with periodic acid-Schiff (both before and after digestion with diastase), and moderately dark blue after staining with toluidine blue. The inclusions did not react when stained with Congo red. Staining with iodine ranged from pale blue to black. Their ultrastructural appearance varied from amorphous to somewhat filamentous. On the basis of staining characteristics and diastase resistance, we concluded that these inclusions contained amylopectin. A distinctly different kind of inclusion material was also present in skeletal muscle and tongue of horse Nos. 1 and 3. These inclusions were crystalline with a sharply defined ultrastructural periodicity. The crystals were eosinophilic and very dark blue when stained with toluidine blue but did not stain with iodine. Crystals sometimes occurred freely within the myofibers but more often were encased by deposits of amylopectin. This combination of histologic and ultrastructural features characterizes a previously unreported storage disease in fetal and neonatal Quarter Horses, with findings similar to those of glycogen storage disease type IV. We speculate that a severe inherited loss of glycogen brancher enzyme activity may be responsible for these findings. The relation of amylopectinosis to the death of the foals is unknown.

Intestinal multinodular A lambda-amyloid deposition associated with extramedullary plasmacytoma in three dogs: clinicopathological and immunohistochemical studies.

Intestinal extramedullary plasmacytomas (EMPs) are rare tumours in dogs. Three cases of canine intestinal EMP with amyloid deposits are described in this report. These tumours, which were located in the rectal submucosa, had variable numbers of well-differentiated plasma cells and fewer multinucleated giant cells of plasmacytoid and histiocytic morphology, admixed with abundant amyloid. Two cases had metaplastic cartilage and bone within the amyloid deposits. Immunohistochemically, the plasma cells of all three tumours reacted for lambda-light chains of immunoglobulins but not for kappa-chains, indicating monoclonality. Plasma cells of two tumours were also positive to CD79a antiserum. Amyloid deposits were labelled with an A lambda (amyloid of immunoglobulin lambda-light chain origin) antiserum but not with antisera against its precursor protein, the immunoglobulin lambda-light chains, indicating possible conformational changes of amyloidogenic proteins during their transformation into amyloid.

Caprine mucopolysaccharidosis-IIID: clinical, biochemical, morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics.

Several animal models have been developed for the mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs), a group of lysosomal storage disorders caused by lysosomal hydrolase deficiencies that disrupt the catabolism of glycosaminoglycans (GAG). Among the MPS, the MPS-III (Sanfilippo) syndromes lacked an animal counterpart until recently. In this investigation of caprine MPS-IIID, the clinical, biochemical, morphological, and immunohistochemical studies revealed severe and mild phenotypes like those observed in human MPS III syndromes. Both forms of caprine MPS IIID result from a nonsense mutation and consequent deficiency of lysosomal N-acetylglucosamine 6-sulfatase (G6S) activity and are associated with tissue storage and urinary excretion of heparan sulfate (HS). Using special stains, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy, secondary lysosomes filled with GAG were identified in most tissues from affected goats. Primary neuronal accumulation of HS and the secondary storage of gangliosides were observed in the central nervous system (CNS) of these animals. In addition, morphological changes in the CNS such as neuritic expansions and other neuronal alterations that may have functional significance were also seen. The spectrum of lesions was greater in the severe form of caprine MPS IIID and included mild cartilaginous, bony, and corneal lesions. The more pronounced neurological deficits in the severe form were partly related to a greater extent of CNS dysmyelination. These findings demonstrate that caprine MPS IIID is a suitable animal model for the investigation of therapeutic strategies for MPS III syndromes.

Caprine beta-mannosidosis. Abnormal thyroid structure and function in a lysosomal storage disease.

Deficient activity of the lysosomal enzyme beta-mannosidase leads to widespread tissue accumulation of oligosaccharides in caprine beta-mannosidosis, an autosomal recessive neurovisceral storage disease. Severe thyroid morphologic abnormalities found in a previous light microscopic survey of tissues from neonatal affected goats suggested the possibility of impairment of function. Since considerable evidence indicates that thyroid hormone plays an important role in regulation of myelination, thyroid hormone deficiency, if present during central nervous system development, could be a factor in the hypomyelination seen in affected animals. Thus, this study was designed to characterize thyroid structure and function in beta-mannosidosis. To investigate developmental aspects of structural abnormalities, thyroids from six pairs of affected and control animals ranging in age from 96/150 days gestation to 3 days postnatal were analyzed by light and electron microscopy. Major findings in thyroids from affected animals, as early as 96/150 days gestation, included follicle irregularities and pronounced presence of lysosomal storage vacuoles in all cell types, particularly in follicular cells. The degree of cytoplasmic vacuolation increased with advancing age. To assess thyroid function, thyroid hormone concentrations were determined in six age-matched, neonatal pairs of affected and control goats. Significantly decreased thyroid hormone concentrations were present in affected animals. It is hypothesized that thyroid hormone deficiency plays a role in the pathogenesis of hypomyelination in affected animals. This study comprises, to our knowledge, both the most complete description of developmental abnormalities and the first report of abnormal function in an endocrine organ in a lysosomal storage disease. Further, this report suggests that systemic perturbations induced by a genetically determined deficiency of a lysosomal hydrolase could be a factor in the pathogenesis of central nervous system lesions.