Rhabdomyosarcoma associated with the lead wire of a pacemaker generator implant

An 11‐year‐old female spayed Labrador Retriever was presented for a draining, painful subcutaneous mass palpated over a previously implanted pacemaker generator. Infection was suspected and the mass was removed surgically. On cut surface, the mass was friable and mottled tan to brown with firm pale tan nodules, surrounding the pacemaker lead wire adjacent to the pacemaker generator. Cytologic interpretation of impression smears was consistent with a sarcoma, and suggestive of a rhabdomyosarcoma due to the presence of strap‐like cells. On histopathologic examination, a highly invasive nodular mass surrounded the pacemaker lead, composed of pleomorphic round, spindle and strap cells, and multinucleated giant cells. The population exhibited microscopic invasion into the deep portion of the fibrous capsule surrounding the pacemaker generator. There were tumor emboli within small to medium subcutaneous veins adjacent to the mass. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells stained positive for α‐sarcomeric actin and vimentin, and negative for α‐smooth muscle actin, consistent with a rhabdomyosarcoma arising at the site of the pacemaker generator. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a rhabdomyosarcoma associated with the lead wire of a pacemaker generator in a dog.     

Atypical fibrosarcoma in the skin of a Roborovski hamster (Phodopus roborovskii)

A 2.5‐year‐old intact male Roborovski hamster (Phodopus roborovskii) was presented with a large subcutaneous mass overlying the abdomen, affecting the animal's ambulation and access to different compartments of the cage through narrow tubing. Ultrasound examination delineated a well‐circumscribed mass in the subcutis of the caudoventral abdominal region. The mass was surgically excised and on cytologic examination showed, in a background of blood, a small population of individually arranged oval to spindle‐shaped cells that exhibited a moderate degree of anisokaryosis, coarsely stippled chromatin, one or more prominent nucleoli, and lightly basophilic well‐defined cytoplasmic processes. Histologically, the mass was composed of interlacing streams and bundles of pleomorphic spindle cells (ganglion‐like cells) with variable amounts of collagenous stroma. The neoplastic cells exhibited moderate features of malignancy. These cells stained intensely with vimentin, but not with any other markers, including antibodies to cytokeratin AE1/AE3, S100 protein, desmin, smooth muscle actin, synaptophysin, neurofilament, and androgen receptor. Based on histologic features, the mass was diagnosed as an atypical fibrosarcoma. This is the first report of an atypical fibrosarcoma in a Roborovski hamster and one of few reports of atypical fibrosarcoma in domesticated hamsters overall.     

亚硝酸盐和亚硝胺在食品中的作用及其机理

本文综述了亚硝酸盐在肉中的效用、危害及其化学和微生物学机理;食品中亚硝胺的生成、含量及被人体摄入情况;食品中亚硝胺的来源及减少其含量的办法。     

Experimental Researches on Carcinogenesis or Tumorigenicity of MDCK Canine Kidney Cell(CKC) Lines and Analysis of Their Chromosome Karyotypes

The chromosomal number variations & structural aberrations of the MDCK cell line, primary feline or canine kidney cell(FKC or CKC) and Hela cell line were investigated and their karyotypes of conventional chromosome bands were analyzed. The carcinogenesis or tumorigenicity testing of these cell lines in about 232 nude mice and for colony formation in soft agarose and for haemagglutination under different concentration of plant lectins of these cells were carried out. Under the prerequisite that the incidence of cancer or tumor in negative-control nude mice inoculated subcutaneously with primary feline or canine kidney cell cultures purified in vitro at passage 3 was 0 (0/22) and 0 (0/10), respectively. The incidence of the progressively-growing malignant tumor(MT) in positive-control nude mice inoculated subcutaneously with Hela cell cultures of KB, X, or NM20/X strain was 10/10, 25/25 and 5/51, respectively. The results showed that the incidence of tumor in nude mice with tetrapioid YA strain of MDCK cell during 20 - 45 passages, with hypodiploid JB strain of MDCK cell on passage 25, with di-and hypoploid JC strain of MDCK cell during 2 - 15passages or with hypoploid M strain of MDCK cell during 9 - 27 passages was 28/58, 1/5, 4/18 and 0/31,respectively. The chromosomal analysis results showed that the ratio of difference in the rate of modal chromosome number between high (mcs + n) and lowest (mcs)passages was not more than 5 % - 15 % and the structure aberrations was generally 0 - 3%. These results proved that the genetic characteristics of chromosomal number of cell lines determines their tumorigenicity, but it is species-specific. MDCK line has tumorigenicity no matter what its chromosome karyotype is, at least it has very low tumorigenicity even when its modal chromosome number is hypoploid. The repeatedly frozen, thawed and split controls of tumorigenicity-positive cell lines(X strain of Hela, M strain of BHK-21, JA strain of Vero, YA strain of MDCK) have much lower tumorigenicity or are even non-carcinogenesis, and the repeatedly frozen, thawed and split controls of very low tumorigenicity cell lines (M or JC strain of MDCK) are certainly non-carcinogenic and never have increased tumorigenicity.It is thus evident that MDCK cell of M, JB or JC strain can be approved as substrate for the preparation of attenuated viral vaccines, but MDCK cell of YA strain can not be approved as substrate for the preparation of comattenuated viral vaccines. In summary, all strains of MDCK cell line have tunorigenicity, at least have low tumorigencity, never have non-cancinogenic MDCK, but very low tumorigenicity MDCK cell strains can certainly be used for the approval production of canine viral vaccines if the DNA content in viral cell cultures was remarkably decreased through conventional means in manufacturing process. Therefore, the master cell stock and working cell bank of MDCK line used for vaccine manufacture were established in China, which are free of infectious agents, and described with respect to cytogenetic characteristics and tumorigenicity. Tests showed that there were correlations among cell line chromosome number variations, anchorage independence in soft agarose, haemagglutination under plant lectins, and tumor-forming ability in nude mice, thus all the in vitro tests are economic, simple and reliable means for monitoring the tumor-forming ability of MDCK line in nude mice.     

Further Report on Carcinogenesis or Tumorigenicity of MDCK Canine Kidney Cell(CKC) Lines and Analysis of Their Chromosome Karyotypes

Using Hela cell cultures as positive control and primary canine kidney cell (CKC) or feline kidney cell (FKC) cultures purified in vitro on passage 3 as negative control, the tumorigenicity of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells was tested in ＞273 nude mice, and colony formation in soft agarose and haemagglutination under different concentration of plant lectins of these cells were carried out at the same time. Subsequently, very low tumorigenicity strains of MDCK line were successfully selected; these were evaluated for the production of canine or feline combination viral vaccines, free of infectious agents, and of known cytogenetic and tumorigenic. It is thus evident that MDCK cell of M, JB, JC, WB or H strain can be approved as substrate for the preparation of attenuated viral vaccines, but MDCK cell of YA, YB and KA strains can not be approved as substrate for the preparation of attenuated viral vaccines. The heritable character of these cell sub-lines is comparatively stable, and shows little significant difference between passages.     

Alteration of apoptotic susceptibility and bcl-2 gene in malignant transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells

AIM: To demonstrate the susceptibility of cell apoptosis varies during the progress of cell malignant transformation from human being in vitro. METHODS: A SV₄₀T-transfected human bronchial epithelial immortalized cell line (called M) was selected in this work, which has acquired some characteristics of malignant transformation at the later passage. The alterations of apoptosis and bcl-2, P53 genes between early and later passage of M cells were investigated by means of TDT labeling in situ, chromosome FISH, RNA and protein testing, etc. RESULTS: Incidence of apoptosis induced by cis-platin was significantly lower in later than in early passages of M. Levels of bcl-2 mRNA and protein in later passages were higher than early passages of M, and overexpression of bcl-2 was accumulated following the development of cellular malignancy. P53 protein level was as high in early as in later passages. CONCLUSION: Overexpression of bcl-2 decreases the cellular sensitivity to apoptotic inductors plays an important role during progress of carcinogenesis in human bronchial epithelial cancers. The inactivation of P53 protein in the SV₄₀-T transfected M cell line may be one of reasons of bcl-2 overexpression, but not associated with the accumulation of bcl-2 expressed level during cell transformation.     

蔬菜积累的硝酸盐及其对人体健康的影响

 本文针对有关硝酸盐对人体健康影响的两种完全不同的观点，从硝酸盐在蔬菜中的积累、人体摄入硝酸盐的来源、硝酸盐在人体中的转化、代谢产物的致病和生理作用等方面讨论了硝酸盐对人体健康的危害和可能存在的有益作用，以期对硝酸盐对人体健康的影响有进一步的客观认识。     

Anticarcinogenic effects of curry leaves in dimethylhydrazine-treated rats

Curry leaves are one of the spices used in Indian dishes for aroma and preservation. There are no reports on the antioxidant properties of curry leaves. In this study, the antioxidant potential of curry leaves in rats treated with a known chemical carcinogen, dimethylhydrazine hydrochloride (DMH) was investigated. Food intake was reduced in the rats fed curry leaf-supplemented diet but the body and the organ weights were not affected.Vitamin A content in the liver was significantly increased whereas glutathione (GSH) content was not altered. A 50% reduction was seen in the micronuclei induced by DMH and a 30% reduction in the activity of ,-glutamyl transpeptidase when the rats were fed a curry leaf-supplemented diet. These results indicate that curry leaves have highpotential as reducer of the toxicity of DMH.     

Evaluation of feline oral squamous cell carcinomas for p16 protein immunoreactivity and the presence of papillomaviral DNA

Oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) develop commonly in cats. While the cause of the feline neoplasms is unknown, a quarter of human OSCCs are caused by papillomavirus (PV) infection. As PV DNA has been previously detected in a feline OSCC, it was hypothesised that PV infection could be a significant cause of feline OSCCs. Human OSCCs that are caused by PVs contain increased p16^CDKN2A protein (p16), which can be detected using immunohistochemistry. In cats, increased p16 immunoreactivity has been reported within PV-associated skin lesions. This study evaluated p16 immunoreactivity within 30 feline OSCCs. Additionally, PCR was used to amplify PV DNA from the OSCCs. Increased p16 immunoreactivity was present within 2 OSCCs. However, as PV DNA was not amplified from any OSCC in this study, it cannot be confirmed that the increased p16 was caused by PV infection. Therefore, these results do not support the hypothesis that PVs are a significant cause of OSCCs in cats. Loss of p16 expression is considered an important process in the development of human non-PV-induced OSCCs. In contrast, loss of p16 immunoreactivity was only present in 2 feline OSCCs. This suggests that human and feline OSCCs develop due to different molecular mechanisms.     

Microsatellite instability in canine mammary gland tumors

BACKGROUND: Genomic instability is a hallmark of cancer and may be required for the accumulation of cancer-causing mutations within cells. One form of genomic instability occurs in tandem nucleotide repeats and is known as microsatellite instability (MSI). HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesized that MSI can be observed in canine mammary gland tumors (MGT) and represents a potential carcinogenic mechanism in dogs. ANIMALS: Thirty-five dogs with MGTs and 9 dogs with other tumors were recruited from the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center and referring veterinary clinics. METHODS: A panel of 21 canine microsatellite (MS) markers was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from deoxyribonucleic acid obtained from blood and from fresh or formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissues. PCR products were evaluated by using capillary electrophoresis, and the chromatograms were analyzed by using genotyping software. MS genotypes obtained from fresh and formalin-fixed tumor tissues were compared, as were MS genotypes from normal tissue and tumor tissue. RESULTS: Genotypes obtained from formalin-fixed and fresh tissues were identical for all MS in 9 tumors evaluated, suggesting excellent concordance between the 2 sample types. For the 35 canine mammary tumors evaluated, 13 (37%) had stable genotypes; 22 (63%) exhibited aberrations in 1 or 2 MS; and 4 tumors (11%) demonstrated high-level instability, with aberrations in 29 to 61% of MS. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Although some low-level MSI often is observed, high-level MSI is an infrequent finding in canine mammary tumors. Further evaluations are required to better characterize this phenomenon and to determine its relevance to canine carcinogenesis.