Morphometric measurements and zootechnical indices of the Pantanal in race horses of different ages and gender.

The aim of this study was to perform linear measurements and assess morphometric indices of equines of the Pantanal race of different ages in the municipality of Poconé-Mato Grosso. Fifty-seven clinically healthy male and female horses between 1 and 19 years of age were selected and divided into groups by sex: 41 animals males and 17 animals femeles, and age groups: group 1 (nine animals up to 12 months of age), group 2 (eight animals from 12 to 24 months), group 3 (15 animals from 24 to 48 months), and group 4 (27 animals older than 48 months). With the aid of a hypometer, the following linear measures were carried out: height at the withers and croup, and body length. The thoracic circumference and cinnamon were measured with a tape. From these measures, the following zootechnical indices were calculated: estimated weight, relationship between height at the whithers and height at the croup (RHC), dactyl thoracic (DTI), body index (BI), forming index (FI), load index 1 (LI1), load index 2 (LI2), body relative index (BRI), compactness index 1 (COI1), compactness index 2 (COI2), load index in cinnamon (LIC). In general, horses of the Pantanal breed are hipometric and longilinear; only the adult group of animals were mediolinear, with a good relationship between the withers and croup. They can be used with a saddle or take traction, with the ability to move their limbs slowing down with age. An influence of sex and age on the analyzed variables was observed.

Histopathological findings in the early diagnosis of granulosa cell tumour in bitches.

Granulosa cell tumour (GCT) is a majorly observed ovarian tumour in female dogs. It is essential to diagnose GCT in its initial phase before any symptoms occur, as histological and physiological differences may be observed based on the evolution of this neoplasia. This study aimed to analyse the anatomic histopathology of GCT in its initial stage, with findings of ovaries not yet with the suspicion of neoplasms in the Canis familiaris. A sample including 55 ovaries presented GCT in 40 female dogs. The histopathological analysis was performed considering the intensity of pleomorphism, vascularization and inflammatory infiltrate. Furthermore, we evaluated the mitoses count in 10 fields using 40× magnification. Out of the 40 animals evaluated, 62.5% (25/40) presented the tumour in only one ovary. The Call-Exner corpuscle was present in 65% (26/40) of the cases. The follicular histological pattern was present in 52.5% (21/40) of the animals. The presence of the Call-Exner bodies and the degree of tumour cell pleomorphism (p = 0.033) were associated. Moreover, the degree of vascularization and the intensity of the inflammatory infiltrate were also related (p = 0.001). In addition, there was a positive relationship between the increase in pleomorphism and the mean age of the animals (p = 0.044). This study confirmed that the appearance of this tumour may precede any clinical symptomatology. In this study, the most frequent histopathological pattern was the follicular. The characteristics of the granulosa cell tumour diagnosed early were poorly pleomorphic cells, low mitotic index and presence of Call-Exner body.

Validation of a low-cost modified technique for constructing tissue microarrays for canine mammary tumor analysis.

Compared with conventional histological paraffin blocks, tissue microarray (TMA) represents a "high-throughput tool" that provides rapid results, a time- and cost-effective approach and simultaneous investigation of several tissue samples under the same conditions. Given the large number of cases of dogs affected with mammary tumors, the complexity of these tumors and their similarity with breast cancer in women, this study aimed to validate a low-cost modified method to construct TMAs for canine mammary tumor analysis using immunomarkers. Carcinoma cases were selected from canine mammary carcinomas in mixed tumors (CMT) because this tumor type is the most heterogeneous among the histopathological types of mammary tumors observed in female dogs. Through a histopathological examination, tumor representativity was compared between conventional sections and histological sections obtained from the TMA block; both were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. An immunohistochemistry analysis was performed to compare the percentages of immunoreactive cells obtained in whole tissue sections versus those obtained from sections from the TMA block. Streptavidin-biotin peroxidase complex and anti-PCNA, anti-vimentin and anti-pancytokeratin antibodies were used. Statistical analysis consisted of the nonparametric Friedman's test (p≤0.05) and descriptive statistical analysis. Histopathological analysis showed tumor representativity in all TMA cores selected for the study. There was no difference between the immunohistochemical analysis of mammary tumors using conventional histological sections or sections obtained from a single 1-mm-diameter TMA core, regardless of the marker used: PCNA (p=0.279), pancytokeratin (p=0.243) and vimentin (p=0.967). The results did not change even when the means of any number of cores were compared among each other and with the conventional histological section: PCNA (p=0.413), pancytokeratin (p=0.177) and vimentin (p=1.0). Therefore, this study validates the use of a low-cost and modified TMA construction technique proposed by Pires et al. for canine mammary tumor analysis.

Identification of Helicobacter sp. in gastric mucosa from captive marmosets (Callithrix sp.; callitrichidae, primates).

The aim of this study was to identify the presence of Helicobacter sp. in the gastric mucosa of captive marmosets (Callithrix sp.). Histologic specimens from the fundic, corpus, and antral gastric regions of six Callithrix jacchus, 12 C. kuhli, and 12 C. geoffroyi specimens were evaluated. The sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and the Warthin-Starry silver impregnation method, and immunostained with rabbit anti-H. pylori polyclonal antibody. Helicobacter-like organisms (HLOs) and coccoid forms were present in silver-stained sections from 29 stomachs, whereas immunohistochemistry (IHC) tests revealed bacterial aggregates in 15 stomachs. No statistical difference relative to the presence of Helicobacter sp. was found among the gastric regions or marmoset species. Gastric lesions were found in the groups of marmosets that had positive and negative IHC results, but no correlation between inflammation and Helicobacter sp. infection was established. These findings demonstrate that marmosets are susceptible to naturally-occurring Helicobacter sp. infection, and open the way to the development of comparative studies on Helicobacter sp. infection in humans.