Epidermal and Melanocitic Tumors in Dogs and Cats: a Review

Skin is the organ-barrier which assures the isolation and the protection of the organism, but in the same time, it is vulnerable because of its continuous exposure to various environmental factors. Unfortunately, the prevalence of skin cancer in pet animals continues to rise. Several studies have been conducted with the purpose of establishing incidence rates of skin cancer in pets, revealing that regarding dogs, tumors of the skin are the most common, accounting for approximately 30% of all tumors. Similarly, skin tumors in cats are very often diagnosed, accounting for approximately 25% of all tumors (Meuten, 2012; Withrow and Vail, 2007).Considering the importance of deepening the studies related to skin cancer in dogs and cats, this review aims to emphasize the most common types of epidermal and melanocytic neoplastic lesions, highlighting their prevalence, the associated factors, the gross morphology and the histological features

Structural Features in Tunica Media of the Aorta in Lamb

In blood vessels situated just after the heart, an irregular blood flow occurs due to some specific structural elements of the tunica media. The current paper describes the histological aspects of some post-cardiac arterial sections in lamb. The tissue samples were collected from five 30 days old male lambs (Țurcană breed). Histological specimens from different regions of the aorta were harvested (i.e., the ascending aorta, aortic arch, thoracic and abdominal regions of the descending aorta). From the specified regions, small pieces (cca. 0.5 cm) were fixed in neutral 10% buffered formalin. The tissues were subsequently embedded in paraffin wax, sectioned at 5 μm, and stained with Goldner’s trichrome and Verhoeff methods. Tissue analysis was performed using an Olympus system for image acquisition and analysis. Histological appearance of the assessed segments of the aorta in lamb is unusual. Major changes occur in tunica media of the aorta. In the ascending aorta, aortic arch and thoracic regions of the aorta, the histological outline is somewhat the same. The internal region of the media possesses the typical lamellar arrangement. Concerning the outer part of tunica media, the smooth muscle has a tendency to form bundles of various sizes. The muscle islands are not present in the media of abdominal region of the aorta, which exhibits the classic pattern of elastic arteries

Induced sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture in a rat model: hepatic and renal histological features

Animal models have been developed in an attempt to test potential therapeutic agents. The study aims to determine the hepatic and renal histological features induced by sepsis following cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in a rat model. Regarding the material, we used 20 adult-male Wistar rats (control group 1, n=10, and group 2, n=10, that underwent CLP protocol). The experimental protocol was approved by the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Authority, Cluj (Romania), project number 116/11.05.2018. The endpoint of the experiment was pre-set to 10 hours post-surgery. A complete necropsy survey was performed. The main renal lesions detected histologically were: glomerular congestion and edema, hyalinization of glomerular mesangium, presence of hyaline in the urinary space with associated compression atrophy of vascular glomerular tuft, granules of hyaline in the lumen of cortical tubules, and reduction of the urinary space. The hepatic lesion identified histologically was represented by isolated miliary necrotic foci

Presence of Granular Ducts in Mandibular Gland in Rabbit

The present study focuses on the intralobular ducts present in rabbit mandibular gland, from a histological and histochemical point of view. We harvested mandibular gland samples from five rabbits (approximately six month old), which were paraffin embedded and subsequently stained for histological investigation with hematoxylin-eosin. PAS and Alcian blue reactions were used for histochemical assessment. Results show that mandibular gland in rabbit contains one type of acini, namely serous. Concerning the intralobular ducts, there were three types identified: intercalated, granular and striated. Granules present in the cytoplasm of the cells lining the granular ducts appear acidophilic on hematoxylin-eosin staining procedure. Histochemically, granular cells present a moderately PAS positive material (meaning they secrete neutral mucosubstances) and negative staining to Alcian blue reaction (no acid and sulfated mucosubstances were detected). We highlighted the presence of granular ducts in rabbit mandibular gland, which synthesize neutral mucosubstances according to the histochemical reactions applied

Canine Bite-Mark Evidence in Veterinary Necropsy: Case Studies Featuring the Bite-Mark Examination

Forensic veterinary medicine tends to gain increasing importance in veterinary pathology, the number of such cases being still limited. The paper describes cases with multiple cutaneous wounds, with emphasis on bite-mark analysis. The material was represented by corpses (deer and dogs) brought by local authorities to Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca (Romania), along with preliminary reports issued by the competent organs. A complete medicolegal survey was done. The cases analyzed by us displayed numerous usually symmetrical (opposed) wounds, with angular margins and elongated aspect (somehow specific to bite wounds). All cases assessed presented laceration of the skin from the subcutaneous tissue, rupture of muscle and (in some cases) perforation of internal organs. The features of the bite-marks described were typical for carnivores. Depending on the species involved, the topography of lesions varied. In deer, the ventrolateral area of the neck and the lumbar/dorsal region were more commonly affected. The distribution suggests the hunting instinct of carnivores by trying to induce suffocation of the prey. In the analyzed dog corpses, the most affected areas were the auricular, limbs, sternal region, abdominal region. Investigation of bite-marks is an evolving field of forensic veterinary science and remains a provocation for veterinary pathologists

Intraspecific Differences Regarding Granular Polymorphism in Granular Ducts’ Cells in Rats’ Mandibular Gland

Mandibular gland ducts’ system in rodents consist of intralobular ducts (intercalated, granular, striated) and interlobular one (main excretory duct). Granular ducts are located between intercalated and striated ducts, being present only in mandibular gland of the mouse, rat, hamster and gerbil. The biological material used for this study was represented by two strains from the same species, three Wistar rats and three Brown Norway rats. After the animals were euthanized, the mandibular glands were harvested and then processed for histological investigations. The tissue fragments were sectioned at 5μm thickness and then stained the sections using Tricrom-Goldners method. Our results emphasize that the granular ducts are well developed; regarding the shape, they are convoluted in both Wistar and Brown Norway rats, without any significant differences between the two strains. In Wistar rat, the granules in granular ducts cells are small to medium in size, with discrete polymorphism. In Brown Norway rat, the cytoplasm is loaded with granules as in Wistar rat, but these are several times larger and more polymorphic

Histological Aspects of Brunner’s Glands in Chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera)

Since their discovery, Brunner’s glands have been an attractive subject of research. The study aimed to investigate the structure, the topography, and the degree of development of the Brunner’s glands in chinchillas through light microscopy. Transversal fragments from the duodenum of 5 chinchilla males were histologically processed by classical paraffin technique. Brunner glands are much more developed and proportionally, they occupy at least three times more space than the Lieberkuhn glands. In many places, Brunner glands are clustered, suggesting that more than one such gland spills its secretion product through a common Lieberkuhn gland in the space between villi. We can affirm that Brunner glands, after their disposition, appearance and absence of distinct muscularis mucosae, are disposed into the thickness of the mucosa and submucosa in chinchilla (together with the Lieberkuhn glands) and not strictly in the submucosa as in other mammals

Ascites Syndrome Associated with Hypothyroidism in a Brahma Chicken: a Case Study and Review of the Literature

Ascites syndrome (AS) in chickens represents a major cause of mortality and the most frequent metabolic-related cause of abattoir carcass condemnation in broilers. Susceptibility of broiler chickens to ascites is determined by a complex interaction between genetically-controlled factors (as high-rate metabolism and peculiarity of the cardiovascular system) and exogenous factors such as nutrition, and temperature. Endocrine imbalances, especially thyroid-gland dysfunctions, are currently regarded as key-elements in the development of AS. The current case represents the first spontaneous case of hypothyroidism (goiter) associated with AS in broilers, bringing additional arguments to the theory which claims the role of thyroid dysfunction in this syndrome. Further studies of spontaneous cases which must include assessment of the thyroid hormones need be performed in order to better understand the link between thyroid gland dysfunction and the cardiopulmonary changes in the context of AS in birds