Pyometra Associated With Staphylococcus Pseudintermedius in Two Bitches.

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a commensal bacterium residing on the mucosae and skin surfaces of dogs. Under favorable conditions, the organism may cause serious infections, primarily involving the skin, but it is also isolated in eye and ear infections. This report describes pathologic findings of pyometra associated with S pseudintermedius in two bitches. One bitch was a 6-year-old Pomeranian bitch who died after three days of diarrhea, vomiting, and depression. During necropsy, the uterus of the bitch was diffusely enlarged and filled with 30 mL of thick, yellow, creamy pus. Histology revealed acute to subacute, diffuse, severe, purulent endometritis with intralesional Gram-positive round cocci revealed as S pseudintermedius. The cause of death was pyometra with subsequent septic shock. The other bitch was a 2-year-old West Highland White Terrier who underwent diagnostic laparotomy due to suppurative peritonitis of unknown cause. During the procedure, about 100 mL of yellow, opaque exudate from the abdominal cavity was removed. The distended uterine horns noted during the procedure were removed and submitted for histopathology which revealed necrosis of endometrium with the accumulation of pus and numerous, intralesional S pseudintermedius in the uterine lumen. Focally, uterine wall necrosis was evident, with a spread of bacteria and purulent inflammation into the adjacent mesometrium causing purulent peritonitis. Although S pseudintermedius presents a common cause of skin and mucosal infection, it should be considered a possible etiological agent of canine pyometra.

Endometrial Mucinous Adenocarcinoma in a Bitch With Pyometra-A Case Report.

Endometrial adenocarcinomas present rare neoplasia of bitches. This case report describes mucinous endometrial adenocarcinoma in a bitch with concurrent pyometra for the first time. A mass on the uterine stump was removed during surgery of a 13-year-old bitch with clinically suspected pyometra. Histopathology revealed mucinous endometrial adenocarcinoma. The tumor was classified according to human classification, responding to women's type I (endometrioid carcinoma). Immunohistochemistry showed a positive expression of estrogen receptor α, progesterone receptor, p53, and p16 gene, while vimentin was not expressed.

Canine testicular tumors: two types of seminomas can be differentiated by immunohistochemistry.

BACKGROUND: Testicular tumors are the most common genital neoplasms in male dogs, with Leydig cell tumors (LCT), seminomas (SEM), and Sertoli cell tumors (SCT) the most common forms. Human SEM are classified as classical (CSEM) or spermatocytic (SSEM). Intratubular germ cell neoplasia of undifferentiated origin (IGCNU) is another form of human testicular tumor. The aim of this study was to verify that CSEM/SSEM classification is valid in dogs and confirm the existence of canine IGCNU. RESULTS: Testicular tumors were found in 46% of dogs at necropsy and accounted for 7% of tumors biopsied. The median age of dogs with tumors at necropsy was 10.16 years; median age at positive biopsy was 10.24 years. The most common tumors, in decreasing order, were LCT, mixed tumors, SEM and SCT at necropsy, and SEM, SCT, mixed tumors, LCT, peripheral nerve sheath tumor, and teratoma in the biopsy group. IGCNU was found in 3% of testicles at necropsy and in 3% of biopsy samples. Two dogs had testicular tumor metastasis. Expression of c-KIT was most common in SEM and seminomatous components of mixed tumors. PLAP was mostly expressed in IGCNU, SEM, teratoma, and some mixed tumors. Cytokeratin was mainly expressed in SCT. CD30 expression was low in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The high tumor incidence at necropsy can be attributed to older age. Tumor incidence in biopsy samples, dog age, and histological classification were consistent with previous studies. The higher incidence of SEM and SCT in the biopsy group probably resulted from the obvious clinical expression of these tumor types. The low incidence of metastasis confirmed the predominance of benign tumors. Low CD30 expression confirmed the low incidence of testicular embryonal carcinoma. Cytokeratin helps differentiate stromal tumors, especially SCT, from germ cell tumors. Histology and c-KIT and PLAP expression indicate that IGCNU exists in dogs. Expression of c-KIT and PLAP confirmed that CSEM and SSEM classification is valid in dogs.

Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and anaphylactoid reaction in rats and mice after intravenous dextran and white egg administration.

Anesthetized mice or rats received intravenously 6%, 10%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 90% dextran and/or white egg (1ml/rat or 0.15ml/mouse) into their tails. Medication (/kg b.w., 5ml/kg) was given intraperitoneally (BPC 157 10µg, 1µg, 10ng, and 10pg/kg, chloropyramine 20mg/kg, and cimetidine 10mg/kg intraperitoneally, alone or in combination while controls received an equivolume of saline), immediately after challenge or, alternatively, at 5min after or 24 or 48h before challenge. The effect was assessed at 5, 10, 20 and 30min after dextran and/or white egg challenge. We commonly noted prominent edema involving the face, upper and lower lip, snout, paws and scrotum (presented with extreme cyanosis), poor respiration and the number of fatalities after dextran and/or white egg application. Contrary, BPC 157 regimens (10µg, 1µg, 10ng, and 10pg/kg) effectively, may both prevent anaphylactoid reactions that may arise from dextran and/or white egg application and furthermore, rescue already advanced reactions when given after the challenge. Chloropyramine and cimetidine given alone were only moderately effective. When given together with BPC 157, the observed effect correlates with the strong effect of BPC 157 given alone.

Eccrine carcinoma in the foot of an Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).

A case of eccrine carcinoma of the interdigital foot glands in a 39-yr-old female Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) from Zagreb Zoo is described. The tumor between the toenails of the right forefoot was surgically removed 3 yr before postmortem examination (2003), and the histopathologic diagnosis was compound eccrine carcinoma characterized with glandular tubular and papillary proliferations, mild cellular pleomorphism, proliferation of the myoepithelial cells with mucoid secretions, and necrosis. Immunohistochemistry revealed strong immunoreactivity to S-100 protein, estrogen, and high-molecular weight cytokeratin. This elephant also had chronic renal fibrosis with uremia.

Chlamydia in canine or feline coronary arteriosclerotic lesions.

BACKGROUND: There are numerous reports linking Chlamydia infection to human coronary atherosclerosis. However, there is a lack of data regarding this correlation in dogs and cats, and there are no reports investigating coronary arteriosclerosis and Chlamydia in these species. The aim of the present study was to examine whether there is a correlation between canine and feline spontaneous atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis and the presence of Chlamydia. Archived histopathological samples of dogs (n = 16) and cats (n = 13) with findings of atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis in heart tissue were examined for the presence of Chlamydiaceae using real-time PCR, ArrayTube Microarray and immunohistochemistry. Additionally, arteriosclerotic lesions of all cases were histologically classified and graded. RESULTS: Both canine atherosclerotic cases, and all 14 canine arteriosclerotic cases were negative for Chlamydia. Only one of the 13 arteriosclerotic feline cases was positive for Chlamydia by real-time PCR, revealing C. abortus by ArrayTube Microarray. To our knowledge, this is the first description of C. abortus in a cat. Overall, the type and grade of canine and feline arteriosclerotic lesions revealed similarities, and were predominantly moderate and hyperplastic. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that there is no obvious correlation between canine and feline coronary arteriosclerosis and the presence of Chlamydia. In order to draw final conclusions about the correlation between Chlamydia and canine atherosclerosis, examination of more samples is required.

The impact of L-NAME and L-arginine chronic toxicity induced lesions on ascites--pulmonary hypertension syndrome development in broiler chickens.

The impact of L-arginine (LA), a precursor for synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), and N-omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, LN), a non-selective inhibitor of the enzyme producing nitric oxide (nitric oxide synthase; NOS) chronic toxicity induced lesions on Ascites - Pulmonary hypertension syndrome (PHS) development was investigated in 140 one-day-old male broiler chickens (ROSS) during the first 5 weeks of life. Every second day the animals were treated intraperitoneally (ip) with L-NAME (10 mg/kg of body weight; BW), L-arginine (100 mg/kg BW), L-arginine and L-NAME in combination (100 mg/kg BW and 10 mg/kg BW respectively), and with physiological saline (0.90% w/v of NaCl; 0.5 mL/kg BW). Seven birds from each group were euthanized every week. The histopathological examination of the heart, the liver, the lungs, the blood vessels and the lymphoid organs, was performed. Also the organ index values were determined. At the end of the experiment the pre-ascitic condition or ascites - PHS was confirmed in five dead animals in the L-NAME-treated group. In the same group the edema was the most prominent histopathological change confirmed in the heart and in the lungs of the sacrificed chickens. In L-arginine-treated group the congestion and the haemorrhages were the striking changes in the same organs with the highest degree in the last two weeks of trial. While the focal disruption of myocardiofibriole and hepatocytes were predominant lesions in L-NAME-treated chickens (5th and 4th weeks, respectively), in L-NAME/L-arginine-treated group only the mild focal myocardial degeneration was seen. According to the most of the results of present investigation, it was concluded that the consecutive treatment with L-NAME provoked ascites - PHS, while L-arginine has protective effect in this animal model of disease.

Comparative analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma in men and dogs.

Concerning the important differences in the ethiopathology of hepatocelular carcinomas (HCC) in humans and dogs, our work describes the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr), cytokeratine 19 (CK19), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor beta receptor (TGFbeta-r) in tumors arising in both species. Investigation included 25 cases of human and 8 cases of dog tumors. All human cases were noted in cirrhotic livers, while in dogs the tissue adjacent to tumor was not changed. In humans in two cases hepatitis B virus (HBV) and in one case hepatitis C virus (HCV) were determined. Investigation showed lack of TGFbeta-r reaction in six cases of canine HCC, while in humans only one case was negative. In most tumors specific hepatocyte antigen Hepatocyte Paraffin 1 marker (Hep Par 1) was mainly positive with markedly decreased reaction compared to the normal hepatocytes, while cytokeratine 19 for billiary epithelium was negative. The result of our investigation rise the question about the possible role of tumor suppressor gene TGFbeta-r in the development of HCC in dogs and in the same time emphasizes its importance in human diseases.

Mast cell tumor in dogs--incidence and histopathological characterization.

Incidence of mast cell tumors, their distribution according to sex, breed, age and localisation in Croatia is not established yet. Also, the statistical significance of the various histopathological parameters according to Patnaik's scheme, in the diagnostics of the tumor grade was not performed. Investigation analysed mast cell tumors histopathologicaly characterized at the Department of General Pathology and Pathological Morphology of the Veterinary Faculty Zagreb from January 1st 2002 to December 31st 2006. Sex, age, breed, localisation and tumor grade of each animal with tumor was recorded and statisticaly evaluated. Each histopathological variable was scored and compared with tumor grade. In the analyzed period, totally 1630 tumors were recorded, and mast cell tumors were found in 106 animals or in 6.5% of all cases. With statistically significant difference, this tumor was found in more cases in male dogs, and average age was 6.96 years. Boxers and retrievers were most frequent breeds, and localization was mostly on legs. Grade I tumor was found in 15.09%, grade II in 44.34% and grade III in 28.3% of animals. There were no significant correlations between tumor grade and age, breed, sex or localization. Considering the lesion scores compared with grade, statistically significant differences were found in cell shape, number of nucleoli, anisocytosis, anisokariosis, karyomegaly, mitoses, necroses, hemorrhages, cellularity, cell borders and collagenolysis.

Disseminated tuberculosis in hyrax (Procavia capensis) caused by Mycobacterium africanum.

Tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium africanum was diagnosed in an adult female hyrax (Procavia capensis). Pathologic examination revealed disseminated tuberculous lesions. The same pathologic changes were also found in a male hyrax that died a year later. Both animals were imported from the United Arab Emirates and were held in captivity at the Zagreb Zoo in Croatia. The source of infection remains unknown. The acid-fast bacteria isolated from the lungs of the female hyrax were identifyed by polymerase chain reaction as Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and Geno Type MTBC test confirmed the strain to be M. africanum I.

Yersiniosis in zoo marmosets (Callitrix jacchuss) caused by Yersinia enterocolitica 4/O:3.

The aim of this research was to describe two fatal cases of Yersinia enterocolitica bioserotype 4/O:3 infection in non-human primates and to characterise the isolates by PCR and PFGE. In July 2004, two marmosets (Callitrix jacchuss) born in captivity in Zagreb Zoo, died following a few days of intermittent diarrhoea in intervals of 2 weeks. The pathomorphological diagnosis of the female (born in 1997) and the male (born in 1995) marmoset, was disseminated miliary necrosis of the liver. Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 was isolated from both livers showing that monkeys are susceptible to this bioserotype. The ail gene, which is an essential chromosomal virulence factor in pathogenic Y. enterocolitica isolates, was present in the marmoset isolates. Two different PFGE patterns were obtained from the isolates of the male liver with NotI enzyme. One genotype of the male marmoset isolate was indistinguishable from the genotype of the female marmoset isolate when NotI, ApaI and XhoI enzymes were used indicating a common infection source for the marmosets. The genotypes of the marmoset isolates differed only slightly from one human (of seven Croatian isolates) and from one pig isolate (representing a common genotype found among human and porcine isolates in Germany) suggesting that raw pork fed to the marmoset could have been the infection source.