Acute respiratory distress syndrome in an uromastyx (uromastyx acanthinura nigriventris, 1820)

This article describes a case of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a 3-year-old Uromastyx acanthinura gravinensis. The lizard was presented to the veterinary hospital with an 8-day history of respiratory distress. After the initial physical examination, the patient was treated for the respiratory condition for three weeks and subsequently discharged. The bearded dragon died two weeks following release from the veterinary hospital, after an episode of acute dyspnea. Acute respiratory syndrome was diagnosed following histological examination of submitted tissue samples. The authors believe the condition was caused by possible environmental exposure to volatile organic compounds

Idiopathic Eosinophilic Pneumonia with Associated Pulmonary Vasculitis in Horse: A Case Series

Various eosinophilic lesions and their association with diseases have been described in horses. Multisystemic Eosinophilic Epitheliotropic Disease (MEED) characterized by eosinophilic granulomas in various organs represent the most diffuse manifestation. In the present study, we describe the gross and microscopic lesions of idiopathic eosinophilic pneumonia with associated pulmonary vasculitis in 11 horses without systemic involvement. Lungs were enlarged, pale pink, poorly collapsed with white-reddish nodules, randomly distributed throughout the parenchyma. Histologically the lesions ranged from mild eosinophilic bronchointerstitial pneumonia to severe eosinophilic lobular bronchopneumonia associated with eosinophilic necrotizing vasculitis affecting small to medium-size vessels. There was no histologic evidence of parasites within the lesion of any of these horses. Eosinophilic pneumonia with vasculitis and without intralesional parasites have not been previously reported in horses. The current histologic findings are similar to pathologic lung findings observed in Churg-Strauss syndrome of man

Air Sacs Trematodiasis and Related Pathology in Two Common Blackbirds (Turdus merula)

Air sacs trematodiasis is rarely reported in birds. Necropsy of two free-ranging common blackbirds (Turdus merula), found dead in central Italy, revealed the presence of a large number of flukes in the coelomatic cavity. Histologically air sac walls were covered with a mild fibrinous exudate containing degenerate heterophils, fibrin, some bacterial colonies (grampositive cocci), and trematodes. The superficial bronchi and parabronchi were markedly distended with mucoid material containing bacterial colonies, and the adjacent pulmonary parenchyma was congested and collapsed. Large numbers of trematodes, surrounded by a mild to moderate suppurative to pyogranulomatous inflammatory reaction, were observed on the intestinal, pericardial, and hepatic serosal surfaces. The parasite number and bacterial bronchopneumonia, aerosacculitis, and serositis were of sufficient intensity to have resulted in death of these birds. At microscopical examination, flukes showed a tongue-shaped elongate body of 2,088-2,314 μm in with and 8,268 -11,830 μm in length, tapered anteriorly and rounded at the posterior end. The mouth was slightly oval and sub-terminal with a weakly developed oral sucker. The oval and well developed pharynx measured 250-309 μm and the two caeca joined posteriorly. Two large (550-702 μm x 450-520 μm), globular testes were situated obliquely to each other, while the intertesticular ovalar (250 x 300 μm) or round (about 334 μm) ovary was placed in a longitudinal straight line with the testes. The ootype was about 110 μm in diameter, while the brown-yellow eggs measured 131.52 x 73.86 μm in mean. The genital pore was post-pharyngeal, while the vitelline glands were arranged symmetrically and were not confluent posteriorly. For morphology and dimensions, the species here examined was identified with Morishitium (Cyclocoelum) polonicum as described by Machalska (1980) in T. merula (1,2). This fluke species typically inhabits the air sacs of blackbirds and in its life cycle terrestrial snails are intermediate hosts. In Italy, this species was previously reported in T. merula from an area neighboring that where the blackbird here examined lived (3). Dimensions and morphology of the species reported by Visconti (1988) are similar to that of the species here examined. In our knowledge, this is the first description of pathological lesions caused by M. polonicum in Turdus merula

Severe Idiopathic Eosinophilic Pneumonia and Vasculitis in 11 Horses

Introduction: Various eosinophilic lesions have been described in horses. Multisystemic eosinophilic epitheliotropic disease (MEED) characterized by eosinophilic granulomas in various organs represents the most diffuse manifestation. In the present study we describe the gross and microscopical lesions of idiopathic eosinophilic pneumonia and vasculitis in 11 horses without systemic involvement. Materials and Methods: During a 2-year period (2010–2011), lungs from 88 horses with gross signs of pulmonary disease were collected at a slaughterhouse. Lung sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin, Giemsa and periodic acid–Schiff. Results: In 11 horses, lungs were enlarged, pale pink and collapsed, with multifocal to coalescing, white–red, 0.4–4.0 cm diameter nodules distributed throughout the parenchyma. Histologically, the lesions ranged from severe eosinophilic bronchointerstitial pneumonia to severe eosinophilic lobular bronchopneumonia associated with eosinophilic necrotizing vasculitis affecting small to medium sized vessels. Mild interstitial fibrosis was also present. The other part of the parenchyma appeared emphysematous. There was no histological evidence of parasites within these lesions. Conclusions: Eosinophilic pneumonia and vasculitis without intralesional parasites are rarely described in horses. Histological findings do not resemble the typical eosinophilic granulomas observed in lungs of horses with MEED, but are similar to the findings in idiopathic chronic eosinophilic pneumonia of man and of Churg–Strauss syndrome of man

Respiratory metabolites in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) can differentiate horses affected by severe equine asthma from healthy horses

The use of an untargeted metabolomic approach to investigate biofluids of respiratory origin is of increasing interest in human and veterinary lung research. Considering the high incidence of equine asthma (>\u200914%) within horse population and the importance of this animal model for human disease, we aimed to investigate the metabolomic profile of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in healthy and asthmatic horses

Immunohistochemical Expression of p62 in Feline Mammary Carcinoma and Non-Neoplastic Mammary Tissue

The p62 protein, also called sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1), is a ubiquitin-binding scaffold protein. In human oncology, although the interest in the function of this protein is recent, the knowledge is now numerous, but its role in tumorigenesis is not yet clear. This preliminary study aims to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of p62 in 38 cases of feline mammary carcinoma with different grades of differentiation and in 12 non-neoplastic mammary gland tissues, to assess the expression level and a possible correlation with malignancy. The expression of p62 was statistically higher in carcinoma compared to non-neoplastic mammary glands: 28 feline mammary carcinomas (73.7%) had a high p62 expression score, three (7.9%) had a moderate expression, while seven cases (18.4%) had a low expression. The grade of the differentiation of the carcinoma was not correlated with the p62 expression. This study represents the first approach in feline oncology that correlates p62 expression in feline mammary carcinoma. Our results, although preliminary, are similar to the results of human breast cancer, therefore, also in the cat, p62 could be considered a possible oncotarget

Recruitment of Oysters by Different Collection Devices at a Longline shellfish Farm in the Central Adriatic Sea

In 2020–2021, a trial to recruit flat oysters was implemented at a longline farm in the central Adriatic, whereby the efficiency recruitment (n. oyster/dm2) of different suspended substrates was evaluated. Two lantern nets (50 cm diameter; 145 cm h) had different substrates composed of 8 mm wide wrinkled ribbon and empty oyster shells positioned in the upper levels of the lanterns. The tumbling evaluation and the presence of mud were also considered. The efficiency recruitment was similar between the wrinkled ribbon and the oyster shell. Recruitment was in the same proportion on the external rough part of the shells as on the internal smooth part of the shells. No significant differences were shown when comparing the different substrates in terms of recruitment efficiency

Ex vivo evaluation of imatinib mesylate for induction of cell death on canine neoplastic mast cells with mutations in c-Kit exon 11 via apoptosis

Several studies of canine spontaneous mast cell tumours have described mutations in the c-kit proto-oncogene. These mutations produce a constitutively activated product and have been suggested to play a role in the malignant transformation of mast cells. We hypothesize that the selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib mesylate inhibits signal transduction and induces apoptosis when tested in cutaneous canine mast cell tumour samples positive for mutation in c-kit exon 11. Three-dimensional ex vivo cultures of canine grade II mast cell tumour treated with STI-571 at 48, 72, and 96 h and tested for signal transduction and apoptosis using appropriate assays were used. There was a progressive and significant increase in caspase-3 and TUNEL-positive mast cells compared to the untreated cultures. Additionally, a concurrent reduced expression of Ki67 and BCL-2 was observed. Furthermore, the treated cultures showed a marked reduction of Kit expression. Our results demonstrate that STI-571 induces Caspase-dependent apoptosis in a canine neoplastic mast cells possessing mutations in c-kit exon 11. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

Understanding the Pathogenesis of Red Mark Syndrome in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) through an Integrated Morphological and Molecular Approach

Red mark syndrome is a non-lethal widespread skin disease mainly reported in rainbow trout and caused by a Midichloria-like organism. Despite extensive research, its etiology and pathogenesis are still uncertain. In the present study, the authors used an integrated morphological and molecular approach, including gene expression, to elucidate the immune response and the complex immune interaction between the host and Midichloria-like organism. The results lead to the conclusions that the most severe skin lesions were characterized by a high level of inflammatory cytokines sustaining and modulating the severe inflammatory process. In contrast, in the moderate form, the response was driven to produce immunoglobulins and IL-10 to control the severity of the disease. Humoral immunity elicited during MLO infection appeared to have a fundamental role in controlling the severity of the skin disease, possibly through bactericidal antibody-mediated mechanisms