Immunohistochemical Expression of FXR1 in Canine Normal Tissues and Melanomas

Fragile X mental retardation-related protein 1 (FXR1) is a cytoplasmic RNA-binding protein highly conserved among vertebrates. It has been studied for its role in muscle development, inflammation, and tumorigenesis, being related, for example, to metastasizing behavior in human and canine uveal melanoma. Anti-FXR1 antibodies have never been validated in the canine species. To investigate FXR1 expression in canine melanocytic tumors, the present study tested two commercially available polyclonal anti-human FXR1 antibodies, raised in goat and rabbit, respectively. The cross-reactivity of the anti-FXR1 antibodies was assessed by Western blot analysis, and the protein was localized by IHC in a set of normal canine tissues and in canine melanocytic tumors (10 uveal and 10 oral). Western blot results demonstrated that the antibody raised in rabbit specifically recognized the canine FXR1, while the antibody raised in goat did not cross-react with this canine protein. FXR1 protein was immunodetected using rabbit anti-FXR1 antibody, in canine normal tissues with different levels of intensity and distribution. It was also detected in 10/10 uveal and 9/10 oral melanocytic tumors. The present study validated for the first time the use of anti-FXR1 antibody in dogs and highlighted different FXR1 protein expression in canine melanocytic tumors, the significance of which is undergoing further investigations

Lymph node metastasis in feline cutaneous low-grade mast cell tumours

Objectives This retrospective study aimed to determine the incidence of nodal metastatic disease in cats affected by low-grade cutaneous mast cell tumours (MCTs) in our study population. Methods The clinical records of two centres were retrospectively searched for cats with cutaneous MCTs that had undergone lymphadenectomy of enlarged and non-enlarged lymph nodes. All primary tumours were histologically reviewed by two experienced pathologists and graded as high- or low-grade based on the grading system for feline cutaneous MCT. We graded the lymph nodes based on the grading scheme used for canine MCTs and considered HN2 and HN3 nodes to be metastatic. The number of patients with nodal metastasis was calculated. Results We identified 17 cats with cutaneous MCT resection and concurrent lymphadenectomy. All 21 MCTs were graded as low grade and 30 nodes were removed, with 12 being considered early or overtly metastatic (HN2 or HN3, respectively). Based on nodal status, 10/17 (59%) cats were affected by nodal metastasis in our population. Conclusions and relevance In contrast to previous reports, high percentage of cats with cutaneous MCTs in which lymphadenectomy was performed were presented with metastatic lymph nodes. The clinical relevance of this finding and a potential benefit of lymphadenectomy must be determined in future studies

Evaluation of Acid Detergent Fibre, Sulphuric Acid Lignin and N-Alkanes as Markers for Estimating Ruminal Digestibility in Cattle

Most of the published studies on estimating organic matter (OM) rumen digestibility (OMRD) use research animals fitted with simple t-type cannulas and an external or inter-nal marker for estimating the duodenal digesta flow. Although there is not an ideal or standard marker, com-pared to external markers, internal markers have the advantage of occurring naturally in the diet and, conse-quently, they flow intimately associated with digesta (Titgemeyer 1997). In digestibility studies where total faec-es output is measured, duodenal digesta flow may be estimated based on both faeces output and the ratio of a marker concentration in faeces and in duodenal digesta. Sulphuric acid lignin (ADL) has been commonly used as an internal marker in this approach. However, its low concen-trations in duodenal digesta usually compromises estimate precision. The objective of this study was to evaluate acid detergent fibre (ADF) in comparison with ADL, as well as with n-alkanes, as a marker for estimating OMRD in cattle

Immunohistochemical investigation of PNL2 reactivity of canine melanocytic neoplasms and comparison with Melan A

PNL2 is a recently generated monoclonal antibody (mAb) that recognizes normal and neoplastic melanocytes. Although the antigen recognized by PNL2 remains unknown, recent studies of human and mouse melanomas have confirmed its usefulness as a diagnostic marker. In the current study, the immunoreactivity of PNL2 in canine melanomas was tested and compared with Melan A (A103). Validation of PNL2 was performed by Western blot analysis. PNL2 and Melan A immunoreactivity were tested on frozen samples of canine melanomas and on 69 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded melanocytic neoplasms. Normal canine tissues and nonmelanocytic neoplasms were included as negative controls. Western blot confirmed the presence of a protein recognized by the PNL2 antibody in canine melanomas. Immunohistochemically, PNL2 stained the melanocytic neoplastic cells with an intracytoplasmic, granular pattern. Among the melanocytic neoplasms tested, 62% stained positively with PNL2 and 59% with Melan A; 50.7% stained positively with both mAbs. The overall percentage of neoplasms that stained positively with at least 1 of these 2 antibodies was 68%. The extent of staining (i.e., the percentage of cells stained per specimen) was greater with PNL2 than with Melan A. With both mAbs, staining was most intense and diffuse in the epithelioid cell phenotype. Neither nonspecific staining nor staining in cells other than melanocytes was detected with either mAb. In contrast to human granulocytes, canine granulocytes were negative by both Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses. PNL2 mAb proved to be highly specific for the identification of formalin-fixed canine melanocytic neoplasms and should be a valuable diagnostic reagent

Comparação dos danos ocasionados pelas cigarrinhas-das-pastagens (Hemiptera:Cercopidae) em coleção de genótipos do gênero Brachiaria.

Edição dos resumos da 26ª Reunião Anual do Instituto Biológico, São Paulo, 2013 e 11º Congresso de Iniciação Científica em Ciências Agrárias Biológicas e Ambientais - CICAM, agosto, 2013. Resumo 068

Avaliação de dano causado por adultos da cigarrinha-das-pastans Deois flavopicta (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) em genótipos de Panicum maximum

Edição dos resumos da 26ª Reunião Anual do Instituto Biológico, São Paulo, 2013 e 11º Congresso de Iniciação Científica em Ciências Agrárias Biológicas e Ambientais - CICAM, agosto, 2013. Resumo 063

Níveis de infestação de cigarrlnhas-das-pastagens (Hemiptera; Cercopidae), com base no número de massas de espumas, em genótipos promissores do gênero Brachiaria.

Edição dos resumos da 26ª Reunião Anual do Instituto Biológico, São Paulo, 2013 e 11º Congresso de Iniciação Científica em Ciências Agrárias Biológicas e Ambientais - CICAM, agosto, 2013. Resumo 067

Levantamento florístico de um componente arbóreo de mata ciliar do Rio Paraná, Marechal Cândido Rondon, PR

The objective this study was to conduct a floristic survey in the tree component of riparian forest area in the left bank of the Paraná river, Marechal Cândido Rondon, district of Iguiporã, PR. The study was conducted in an area of 600 m2, in six parcels of 20m x 5m, and were used to sample trees with DAP  ≥ 10 cm. Frequency, density parameters and Shannon-Weaver index were calculated for each species. The survey resulted in 54 individuals belonging to ten species, ten genera and eight families. The most frequent and abundant species was Parapiptadenia rigida. The family with greater frequency of species was the Leguminosae-Mimosoideae. The Shannon-Weaver index found was 2.05.Objetivou-se realizar um levantamento florístico no componente arbóreo de uma área de mata ciliar na margem esquerda do rio Paraná, município de Marechal Cândido Rondon, distrito de Iguiporã, PR. O estudo foi realizado em uma área de 600 m2, em seis parcelas amostrais de 5 x 20 m, tendo-se como critério de inclusão um diâmetro à altura do peito (DAP) mínimo de 10 cm. Para cada espécie amostrada foram estimados parâmetros relativos à frequência, densidade e índice de diversidade de Shannon-Weaver. O levantamento resultou em 54 indivíduos pertencentes a dez espécies, dez gêneros e oito famílias. A espécie mais abundante e frequente foi  Parapiptadenia rigida. A família com maior frequência de espécies foi a Leguminosae-Mimosoideae. O índice de diversidade de Shannon-Weaver obtido foi de 2,05

Nível de tolerância em genótipos promissores do g~nero brachiaria quanto aos danos causados por adultos da cigarrinha-das-pastagens deois Flavopicta (Hemiptera: Cercopidae).

Edição dos resumos da 26ª Reunião Anual do Instituto Biológico, São Paulo, 2013 e 11º Congresso de Iniciação Científica em Ciências Agrárias Biológicas e Ambientais - CICAM, agosto, 2013. Resumo 064