Multifocal cutaneous histiocytic sarcoma in a young dog and review of histiocytic cell immunophenotyping

A 9‐month‐old male Great Dane had progressive generalized nodular dermatopathy for several months. There were > 100 raised, alopecic, firm, painful nodules throughout the skin. Aspirates from several lesions yielded moderate numbers of irregularly round or polygonal to spindle‐shaped cells with mild to moderate anisocytosis and few inflammatory cells, and the cytologic interpretation was proliferation of mesenchymal or histiocytic cells. On histopathologic examination, nodules were composed of densely packed sheets of round to spindle‐shaped cells with mild anisokaryosis and low mitotic activity. Multifocal histiocytic sarcoma with a spindle‐cell pattern was diagnosed based on morphologic features and intense expression of CD18. Additional immunophenotypic analysis on frozen sections of tissue confirmed the diagnosis of histiocytic sarcoma; expression of CD18, CD45, CD1a, CD11b, and CD11c, limited expression of Thy‐1 (CD90) and CD80, and lack of expression of CD4, CD11d, and CD86 indicated that the cells were likely interstitial dendritic cells; a review of reactive and neoplastic dendritic cells is provided. Based on staging, internal organs were not affected. Sequential treatment with lomustine and doxorubicin failed to prevent progression of the cutaneous lesions, and the dog died 3 months after initial diagnosis. At necropsy, a focus of neoplastic cells was present in one lymph node, but except for skin other organs were not involved. The clinical presentation of histiocytic sarcoma may be unusual, and neoplastic cells may lack overt features of malignancy on cytologic and histopathologic examination. In some instances, immunophenotyping is required to differentiate histiocytic sarcoma from other histiocytic disorders.     

Cytologically atypical anal sac adenocarcinoma in a dog

A 10-year-old intact female Shetland Sheepdog with tenesmus had a subcutaneous mass at the left ventral aspect of the anus. On cytologic examination, 2 types of cells were observed. Most of the cells were oval to polygonal and had elliptical or elongate nuclei and a moderate amount of pale to basophilic cytoplasm. The remaining cells had round to oval nuclei and pale to basophilic cytoplasm. Cells of both types were loosely adhered to each other and were arranged in rosette-like structures. Both neoplastic cell types had fine homogenous chromatin and either a small indistinct nucleolus or no visible nucleolus. Mild anisokaryosis and anisocytosis were observed. Histologically, the mass consists of glandular structures formed by cuboidal cells admixed with bundles of spindle cells. Eosinophilic PAS- and Alcian blue-positive secretory material was found in the center of some glandular structures. Both neoplastic cell types had positive staining with paradoxical concanavalin A and expressed cytokeratin, but not vimentin, S-100, α-smooth muscle actin, or desmin. Based on location and histologic and immunohistochemical features, the final diagnosis was adenocarcinoma of the apocrine gland of the anal sac, which should be included as a cytologic differential diagnosis when spindle cells and typical epithelial cells are observed in masses in the region of the anal sac of dogs.     

Laryngeal rhabdomyoma in a dog

A 3‐year‐old, female spayed Australian Shepherd dog was presented to Veterinary Healthcare Associates in Winter Haven, FL with a history of respiratory stridor, difficulty swallowing, and a change in bark for approximately 3 months. Radiographs revealed a soft tissue mass caudal to the epiglottis. Oral and computerized tomographic (CT) examinations were performed under general anesthesia and revealed a small firm mass in the caudal larynx on the right side. Cytologic evaluation of a fine‐needle aspirate of the mass revealed cells consistent with a rhabdomyoma, oncocytoma, or granular cell tumor. Histopathologic interpretation was rhabdomyoma or oncocytoma. Histochemical staining with periodic acid‐Schiff was mostly negative with a low number of weakly positive cells and with phosphotungstic acid‐hematoxylin was strongly positive with visible cross striations. Tumor cells did not express pancytokeratin AE1/AE3, were strongly immunoreactive for myoglobin and muscle‐specific actin, and did not express vimentin except for a low number of weakly immunoreactive cells. These findings confirmed a diagnosis of rhabdomyoma. Primary neoplasia of the larynx is rare, and widely varying types of neoplasms have been documented in this location. Due to the cytologic and histologic similarities between rhabdomyoma, oncocytoma, and granular cell tumor, these neoplasms should be differentiated using histochemical staining and immunohistochemical analysis.     

An abdominal teratoma in a yearling Irish Cob with a strangulating obstruction of the small intestine

A yearling Irish Cob stallion was presented to De Morette Equine clinic for severe acute abdominal pain, nonresponsive to analgesics and sedatives. Rectal palpation and a limited transabdominal ultrasonographic examination led to the presumptive diagnosis of a strangulated obstruction of the small intestine. The painful behaviour of the pony did not allow conservative treatment and surgical exploration was denied by the owners for financial considerations. On necropsy, a large cystic mature teratoma was adhered to the ventral body wall, the mesenteric root, omentum and intestines. Teratomas are rare in man and animals, and an extragonadal intraperitoneal location has not previously been reported in the equine species.     

Assessment of yeast cell wall as replacements for antibiotic growth promoters in broiler diets: effects on performance, intestinal histo-morphology and humoral immune responses

The study compared the effects of an antibiotic growth promoter (AGP), yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and yeast cell wall (YCW) on performance, microbiology and histo-morphology of the small intestine and humoral immune responses in Ross 308 broilers. The treatments (eight replicates/treatment, n = 12/replicate) were negative control (NC, without AGP), positive control (PC, supplemented with bacitracin methylene disalicylate, 400 mg/kg), Y and YCW (supplemented with yeast and YCW, respectively, 1000 mg/kg). Live weight at 42 days improved (p = 0.086) in the PC, Y and YCW groups. Feed conversion ratio was better (p = 0.039) in the YCW group compared with the other groups. Antibiotic growth promoter in the PC group shortened the villi in duodenum (p = 0.044). Mucosal Escherichia coli number was higher in the PC group (p < 0.001), whereas in the digesta E. coli number was lower (p = 0.001) in the PC, Y and YCW groups in relation to the NC. Mucosal Salmonella populations increased (p = 0.0001) in the PC group, whereas in the digesta, all treatments reduced the Salmonella (p = 0.0001). Following oral challenge with Salmonella pullorum, YCW increased E. coli numbers on the mucosa (p < 0.001) whereas in the digesta the Y group had lower (p < 0.0001) number of E. coli. In the digesta, Salmonella count was lower in the YCW group compared with the other treatments (p < 0.01). Yeast cell wall -treated birds exhibited better (p < 0.05) humoral immune response against Newcastle disease which was far more persistent over time than in any other treatments. It was concluded that the yeast and the yeast cell wall may have effects identical to BMD on performance of broilers and thus may constitute an effective replacement strategy in the dietary regimens for broiler chickens.     

牦牛颈上神经节对其生境适应的形态学机制

本研究旨在研究牦牛颈上神经节(SCG)对其生境适应的形态学特征,以探讨高原动物交感神经系统对青藏高原生态环境适应的形态学机制.运用常规HE及尼氏染色法,并采用形态计量学和SPSS16.0统计软件,对成年牦牛和黄牛SCG的形态学特征进行比较研究.结果表明:牦牛SCG的长、宽和厚度均显著地小于黄牛的相应数据(P＜0.01);牦牛的SCG主要由表面被膜、神经节单元、神经纤维、血管及结缔组织组成,被膜较黄牛的薄,结缔组织所占比例较黄牛的少,但节内组织较黄牛的致密;牦牛的神经节单元主要包含神经节细胞、卫星细胞、成纤维细胞、毛细血管和神经纤维,该组成特征与黄牛的相似;其神经节单元单个视野内节细胞、卫星细胞及成纤维等细胞与黄牛的基本相同(P=1),但牦牛节细胞间的神经纤维较黄牛的少,而血管数显著多于黄牛的(P＜0.01);牦牛SCG的头部以神经节单元为主,尾部以神经纤维为主,其特征与黄牛的相似.结果提示,在青藏高原高寒、低氧的极端生态环境中,牦牛在半放野、全年放牧的状态下,其SCG经长期进化形成了体积较小,神经节细胞、卫星细胞及其细胞间神经纤维较少,但血管十分丰富等形态学特征以适应极端生境.     

柔嫩艾美耳球虫棒状体颈部蛋白2基因真核表达载体的构建及在293T细胞中表达

为构建柔嫩艾美耳球虫棒状体颈部蛋白2(Eimeria tenella rhoptry neck protein 2,EtRON2)基因的重组质粒pCAGGS-EtRON2,并转染293T细胞进行表达,以柔嫩艾美耳球虫孢子化卵囊cDNA为模板,经PCR扩增其核心编码区的一部分,将其克隆至pGEM-Teasy载体,构建pGEM-Teasy-EtRON2质粒,双酶切出目的片段后与相应酶切的真核表达载体pCAGGS连接,构建真核表达质粒pCAGGS-EtRON2。该重组质粒经酶切和测序鉴定后转染293T细胞进行表达,分别用免疫印迹和间接免疫荧光鉴定EtRON2基因的表达情况。所构建的真核表达质粒pCAGGS-EtRON2经过双酶切鉴定,可见一条大小约为1172 bp的目的条带,测序结果与GenBank所登录序列完全一致;免疫印迹实验可见大小约为43 kDa的目的蛋白条带,间接免疫荧光实验可以检测到特异性红色荧光。研究结果表明已成功构建了EtRON2的真核表达质粒pCAGGS-EtRON2,并在真核细胞中获得表达,为深入研究EtRON2的生物学功能奠定了基础。     

犬基底细胞癌的病理组织学观察

基底细胞癌(basal cell carcinoma,BCC)是一种常见的低度皮肤恶性肿瘤,又名基底细胞上皮癌、基底细胞癌和侵蚀性溃疡。本文主要探讨皮肤基底细胞癌的临床病理诊断和鉴别诊断要点,为提高基底细胞癌的诊治水平提供依据。通过病理组织学观察,皮肤破溃、出血,肿瘤细胞成团块状增生,由结缔组织分割为不规则小叶状。细胞呈梭形、多边形及近圆形;细胞核圆形,核膜清晰,有一明显核仁,有一定异形性,偶见分裂相,作为确诊基底细胞肉瘤的主要依据,并对疾病的处理和治疗方法进行了归纳和总结。     

Main Anatomy Characteristics in Cell Wall and Lignin Distribution of Bamboo Culms(Pseudosasa amabilis)

The anatomy characteristics of cell wall and lignin distribution in different anatomical regions for 12-month-old bamboo species Pseudosasa amabilis was investigated.The lignin distribution was studied by means of optical microscope and confocal laser scanning microscope and the color reaction. In addition,the distribution of lignin in different tissues(fiber,parenchyma and vessel) was investigated by visible-light microspectrophotometry coupled with the Wiesner and Maule reaction.The cell walls of different tissues were all lignified and the lignin was widely distributed in different tissues, in which there was a difference between tissues and anatomical regions in lignin content.Guaiacyl lignin and syringyl lignin unit could be found in cell wall of fiber,parenchyma and vessel through Wiesner and Maule reaction and the absorbance peak of spectrum. There was no regular variation in lignin content with different radial location of culms and different location in fiber strands.The lamellation of the fiber cell wall was generally had as alternating broad and narrow layers with alternating low and high concentration of lignin.     

苏氨酸对体外培养感染伪狂犬病毒猪空肠上皮细胞免疫相关基因表达的影响

本研究旨在探讨苏氨酸对体外培养感染伪狂犬病毒(PRV)猪空肠上皮细胞免疫相关基因表达的影响.试验选用IPEC-J2细胞为细胞模型,分为4个处理,对照组为未经PRV感染、苏氨酸浓度53.45 mg/L,Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组为试验组,均经PRV感染,苏氨酸浓度分别为53.45、106.90、160.35 mg/L,每组3个重复,每个重复4孔.37℃、5％ CO2培养后1、6、12、24 h每组取1个重复采集细胞,用实时荧光定量PCR方法检测白介素1β(IL-1β)、白介素6(IL-6)、白介素15(IL-15)、肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-α)及转化生长因子β1( TGF-β1) mRNA表达量.结果表明:1)PRV感染极显著降低了IL-1β mRNA表达量(P =0.001),苏氨酸水平(P=0.830)、时间与苏氨酸水平交互作用(P =0.249)的影响均不显著;2)PRV感染对IL-6mRNA表达量影响不显著(P =0.162),随苏氨酸水平升高,IL-6 mRNA表达量极显著地先升高后降低(P=0.002),时间与苏氨酸水平交互作用的影响显著(P =0.012);3)PRV感染极显著提高了IL-15 mRNA表达量(P =0.000),提高苏氨酸水平极显著提高了IL-15 mRNA表达量(P=0.000),时间与苏氨酸水平交互作用的影响亦极显著(P =0.000);4) PRV感染极显著提高了TNF-α mRNA表达量(P=0.000),苏氨酸水平(P =0.113)、时间与苏氨酸水平交互作用(P =0.195)的影响均不显著;5)PRV感染极显著提高了TGF-β1 mRNA表达量(P=0.000),时间与苏氨酸水平交互作用的影响显著(P =0.015),苏氨酸水平的影响不显著(P=0.055).结果提示,补充苏氨酸对感染PRV的IPEC-J2细胞先天性免疫功能具有分子表达水平的调控作用,总体上能够抑制IL-1β、TNF-α、TGF-β1基因表达,加强IL-6、IL-15基因表达,但影响具有时间效应.