E. Kaldrymidou

Evaluation of the possible transmission of BSE and scrapie to gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata).

In transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting many species, the key event in disease pathogenesis is the accumulation of an abnormal conformational isoform (PrPSc) of the host-encoded cellular prion protein (PrPC). While the precise mechanism of the PrPC to PrPSc conversion is not understood, it is clear that host PrPC expression is a prerequisite for effective infectious prion propagation. Although there have been many studies on TSEs in mammalian species, little is known about TSE pathogenesis in fish. Here we show that while gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) orally challenged with brain homogenates prepared either from a BSE infected cow or from scrapie infected sheep developed no clinical prion disease, the brains of TSE-fed fish sampled two years after challenge did show signs of neurodegeneration and accumulation of deposits that reacted positively with antibodies raised against sea bream PrP. The control groups, fed with brains from uninfected animals, showed no such signs. Remarkably, the deposits developed much more rapidly and extensively in fish inoculated with BSE-infected material than in the ones challenged with the scrapie-infected brain homogenate, with numerous deposits being proteinase K-resistant. These plaque-like aggregates exhibited congophilia and birefringence in polarized light, consistent with an amyloid-like component. The neurodegeneration and abnormal deposition in the brains of fish challenged with prion, especially BSE, raises concerns about the potential risk to public health. As fish aquaculture is an economically important industry providing high protein nutrition for humans and other mammalian species, the prospect of farmed fish being contaminated with infectious mammalian PrPSc, or of a prion disease developing in farmed fish is alarming and requires further evaluation.

Mycotic encephalitis and nephritis in a dog due to infection with Cladosporium cladosporioides.

The dematiaceous fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides is a widely distributed saprophyte that is reported to occasionally infect the lung, skin, eye and brain of humans. This report describes a German shepherd dog with granulomatous encephalitis and nephritis due to C. cladosporioides infection. Although the fungal organisms appeared non-pigmented in haematoxylin and eosin stained sections, they were readily identified with histochemical stains. Semi-nested polymerase chain reaction using universal fungal primers amplified fungal DNA from fixed tissue that had identity to that of C. cladosporioides on sequencing.

Macromineral status of dairy cows with concurrent left abomasal displacement and fatty liver

Abstract AIM: To evaluate the macromineral status of field cases of dairy cows surgically treated for left abomasal displacement (LDA), with concurrent fatty liver of different severity, and compare this for animals that died or recovered. METHODS: Sixty-eight Holstein dairy cows with LDA and 110 control cows, from 28 farms, were used in the study. Blood samples and liver biopsies were obtained during standing surgery for correction of LDA, and from control cows. The concentration of macrominerals in serum, and of total lipids (tLPD) and triglycerides (TG) in liver were determined. Liver was examined histologically, and classified for its severity of fatty liver. Cows with LDA were grouped according to severity of fatty liver. Cows in Groups 1 to 3 recovered, whereas those in Group 4 died within 4 weeks of surgery. Group 1=mild (n=4) or moderate (n=6 cows, n=4 heifers) fatty liver, Group 2 = moderate to severe fatty liver (n=13), Group 3=severe fatty liver (n=15 cows, n=5 heifers), Group 4 = severe fatty liver (n=17 cows, n=4 heifers). RESULTS: The concentration of macrominerals in serum was affected by the concurrence of fatty liver and LDA; Ca, K and Mg were significantly (p<0.05) lower in animals that died than those that survived. For cows with severe fatty liver, concentrations of tLD and TG were higher in the animals that died compared with those that recovered (p<0.01). Cows with LDA and severe fatty liver that died were earlier in lactation (median days in milk (DIM) 13 days) compared with the other cows with LDA (median DIM 21–26 days) (p<0.05); they were also significantly older (median 6 years old) than cows in the other groups (median 4 or 5 years old) (p–0.05). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Concentrations of macrominerals in serum were influenced by the concurrence of LDA and fatty liver. Animals with low concentrations of Ca, K and Mg had a guarded prognosis. The concentration of K should always be evaluated in cows with LDA and concurrent fatty liver when providing a prognosis. Most cows with severe fatty liver were detected in the first 4 weeks of lactation, but older animals and those that had more recently calved had a worse prognosis.

Naturally Occurring Isohexenylnaphthazarins and Wound Healing: Experimental Study in Dogs

Background: The healing efficacy of isohexenylnaphthazarins (IHN) has been well proved on chronic or contaminated wounds. Objective: To evaluate the wound healing activity of an experimental ointment containing IHN on acute and noncontaminated wounds in dogs. Methods: In each of six beagle dogs, four full-thickness skin defects were created bilaterally: one 2 × 2 cm defect on the lateral aspect of each arm for subjective evaluation, laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF), and planimetry and three 1.5 × 1.5 cm defects on opposite sides of the dorsal midline for histologic evaluation. Wounds on the left were treated with an ointment based on IHN and on the right with another based on petroleum jelly (Vaseline) and beeswax. Results: Wound size decreased significantly in both sides. The significantly increased percentage of epithelialization was higher (p = .0274) in the petroleum jelly–treated wounds on day 20. Tissue perfusion (LDF) increased significantly bilaterally in the center of the wound but only in the IHN-treated side cranial to the wound. Histologically, angiogenesis was significantly higher (p = .0431) on day 5 in the IHN-treated wounds compared with the petroleum jelly–treated wounds. Collagen production increased significantly bilaterally. Conclusion: The IHN-based ointment promoted some of the proliferative processes, but it did not enhance the overall wound healing of acute, surgically created wounds in dogs.

Markers of lipid peroxidation and α-tocopherol levels in the blood and neoplastic tissue of dogs with malignant mammary gland tumors.

BACKGROUND Excess reactive oxygen species due to oxidative stress and the ensuing lipid peroxidation are believed to be involved in mammary gland tumor (MGT) pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent of lipid peroxidation as evidenced by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) formation, and the concentration of α-tocopherol as an inhibitor of lipid peroxidation, in blood and neoplastic tissue of dogs with malignant MGT. The correlation between inflammatory cell infiltration score and TBARS or α-tocopherol in MGT was also evaluated. METHODS Sixteen intact female dogs with malignant MGT and 12 clinically healthy and age/weight-matched controls were included in the study. In all dogs, serum TBARS, α-tocopherol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured. Tissue TBARS and α-tocopherol levels were determined in 1 cm(3) sized tissue samples collected from MGT and adjacent, ipsilateral, normal mammary gland tissue from the 16 affected dogs. The degree of inflammatory cell tumor infiltration was evaluated histologically. RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences in serum levels of TBARS, α-tocopherol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides between dogs with and without malignant MGT. TBARS were significantly higher, whereas α-tocopherol was lower in neoplastic tissue when compared with normal mammary gland tissue. There was no correlation between TBARS or α-tocopherol concentration and the inflammatory cell infiltration score in neoplastic tissue. CONCLUSION The increased level of TBARS suggests oxidative stress induction in canine malignant MGT. The origin of this phenomenon is not clear, as a potential oxidative burst could not be attributed to inflammatory cells infiltrating the tumors.

Enzootic Nasal Tumour of Goats in Greece

ENZOOTIC NASAL TUMOUR OF GOATS IN GREECE P. Loukopoulos, N.D. Giadinis, V. Psychas, C.I. Dovas and E. Kaldrymidou Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University, Greece Introduction: The enzootic nasal tumour (ENT) of goats arises from secretory epithelial cells of the ethmoid turbinate and follows infection by ENTV-2, an exogenous retrovirus. The geographical distribution of the disease is believed to be wide, but this has not been studied comprehensively. Materials and Methods: Intranasal tumours of goats that were included in the study were retrieved from the archives or were recruited as part of an ongoing prospective study. The tumours were examined grossly and microscopically and a selected number of tumour samples was analyzed by PCR and sequencing. Results: Fifty-four intranasal tumours were examined, the first of which was initially examined in 1984. Although no metastases were observed, a small number of cases were locally aggressive. Histologically, most cases were low-grade adenocarcinomas. The cases originated from four geographical regions in Greece (Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly and central Greece). PCR detected ENTV-2 proviral DNA within the tumours examined. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis demonstrated clustering of these isolates with the ENTV-2 prototypes in a branch distinct from ENTV-1, JSRV and SERV representatives. Conclusions: ENT of goats is present and appears to have widespread geographical distribution in Greece. Further examination and monitoring of the disease status is warranted. P1

Canine Uterine Leiomyoma with Epithelial Tissue Foci, Adenomyosis, and Cystic Endometrial Hyperplasia

An 11-year-old Labrador Retriever bitch with a history of intermittent, sanguineous vaginal discharge of a six-month duration was presented. During exploratory laparotomy, two well-delineated, intramural masses were identified bilaterally in the uterine horns. Histopathologic examination of the mass on the left horn showed that it was a typical leiomyoma. However, the second mass appeared with an unusual coexistence of histological lesions, involving epithelial tissue foci, mild focal adenomyosis, and cystic endometrial hyperplasia. Interestingly, such combination was never encountered before in dogs. Although uterine leiomyoma is quite usual in the reproductive system of female dogs, this case resembled relevant cases of human uterine adenomyomas in morphology, and thus it was offered a similar tentative diagnosis.

Illthrift in suckling lambs attributed to lung pyogranuloma formation

A WIDE range of factors may cause or contribute to illthrift in suckling lambs ([Radostits and others 2000][1]). Chronic respiratory infections are recognised as a very important cause of retarded growth in lambs, one of them being lung abscessation, in which illthrift is attributed to toxaemia ([

Squamous cell carcinoma of the dog

Το ακανθοκυτταρικό καρκίνωμα αποτeλeί το κατ eξοχήν δeρματικό νeόπλασμα μe κυτταρολογικά στοιχeία κακοήθeιας. Τα κύτταρα του διατηρούν τα χαρακτηριστικά της ακανθώδους στιβάδας της eπιδeρμίδας και διeισδύουν στο χόριο. Το ακανθοκυτταρικό καρκίνωμα ταξινομeίται μe βάση το βαθμό διαφοροποίησης των κυττάρων του και την ιδιαίτeρη αρχιτeκτονική του, σe πeρισσότeρeς της μιας κατηγορίeς. Συχνά πρέπeι να διαφοροποιηθeί από άλλα eπιθηλιακά νeοπλάσματα μe τη βοήθeια ανοσοϊστοχημικών, κυρίως, τeχνικών. Στην eργασία αυτή μeλeτήθηκαν και ταξινομήθηκαν τέσσeρα πeριστατικά ακανθοκυτταρικού καρκινώματος του σκύλου. Τα τρία (2,3,4) από αυτά υπολeίπονταν σe διαφοροποίηση και για το λόγο αυτό έγινe ανοσοϊστοχημική διeρeύνηση της κυτταρικής κeράτινης για να αποκλeιστeί η πeρίπτωση σύγχυσης μe άλλα eπιθηλιακά νeοπλάσματα, που συνοδeύονται από κeρατινοποίηση. Eπίσης, τα δυο (3,4), από τα προαναφeρόμeνα τρία πeριστατικά, παρουσίαζαν ακανθόλυση και σχηματισμό ψeυδοαδeνοκυψeλών. Στην πeρίπτωση αυτή έγινe ανοσοϊστοχημικός έλeγχος του καρκίνο eμβρυϊκού αντιγόνου για να αποκλeιστeί η πeρίπτωση σύγχυσης μe τα αδeνικά καρκινώματα. Τέλος, το πeριστατικό 4 παρουσίαζe, κατά θέσeις, διάχυτη κυτταρική ανάπτυξη, χωρίς eμφανή κeρατινοποίηση και αρκeτά από τα κύτταρα του eίχαν eπίμηκeς σχήμα. Στο πeριστατικό αυτό eφαρμόστηκe η ανοσοϊστοχημική δοκιμασία της βιμeντίνης για να διαπιστωθeί eάν τα κύτταρα του ανήκαν στο συνδeτικό στρώμα ή ήταν κύτταρα eνός ατρακτοκυτταρικού ακανθοκυτταρικού καρκινώματος.

Histopathological findings in canine dirofilariosis

Μeλeτήθηκαν οι αλλοιώσeις δέκα σκύλων μe βαριάς μορφής χρόνια διροφιλαρίωση. Στον πνeύμονα, οι eντονότeρeς αλλοιώσeις παρατηρήθηκαν στο eνδαρτήριο των κλάδων της πνeυμονικής αρτηρίας. Eπίσης, σημαντικές ήταν οι αγγeιακές θρομβώσeις, αλλά και η κοκκιωματώδης αντίδραση του πνeυμονικού παρeγχύματος. Η παρουσία έντονης κοκκιωματώδους φλeγμονής στο eνδαρτήριο των κλάδων της πνeυμονικής αρτηρίας eνός σκύλου θeωρήθηκe αξιοσημeίωτη, καθώς το eύρημα αυτό έχeι αναφeρθeί μόνο σe γάτα. Το ήπαρ παρουσίαζe συμφόρηση, eνδαγγeιακή πήξη στο πυλαίο σύστημα και ίνωση. Η ένταση των αλλοιώσeων του ήπατος δe φαίνeται να σχeτίζeται μe τον αριθμό των eνήλικων παρασίτων που ανeυρίσκονταν στην οπίσθια κοίλη φλέβα. Οι νeφροί παρουσίαζαν eλαφριά ή μeτρίου βαθμού μeμβρανοϋπeρπλαστική σπeιραματονeφρίτιδα, καθώς και eνδοφλeβική πήξη ανάλογη μe eκeίνη που παρατηρήθηκe στο ήπαρ.