Spontaneously Arising Tumours and Tumour-like Lesions of the Cervix and Uterus in 83 Pet Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus).

Tumours and tumour-like lesions are rare findings in the genital system of guinea pigs. The aim of the present study was to characterize nodular lesions in the cervix and uterus of guinea pigs submitted for histopathological diagnosis. Samples from 83 pet animals were investigated.

Cutaneous and Subcutaneous Soft Tissue Tumours in Snakes: A Retrospective Study of 33 Cases.

Cutaneous and subcutaneous soft tissue tumours have been rarely described in detail in snakes. Several malignant entities show strikingly similar histological patterns and therefore the term soft tissue sarcoma (STS) has become a standard histopathological diagnosis. The present study characterizes soft tissue tumours in 33 snakes.

Cardiac pathology in Irish wolfhounds with heart disease.

Objectives: To evaluate gross and histopathologic lesions in Irish wolfhounds (IWs) with atrial fibrillation (AF) and/or primary dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in different stages of disease.

Methods: Twenty-six formalin-fixed IW hearts were studied. Clinical diagnosis was based upon results of their most recent cardiovascular examinations including electrocardiography and echocardiography and categorized as normal (n = 4); preclinical (asymptomatic) DCM with AF (n = 6); DCM with congestive heart failure and AF (n = 4); AF with left ventricular reverse remodeling after DCM diagnosis (n = 3); AF without DCM (n = 7); and DCM with sinus rhythm (n = 2).

Morphological Pulmonary Diffusion Capacity for Oxygen of Burmese Pythons (Python molurus): a Comparison of Animals in Healthy Condition and with Different Pulmonary Infections.

A qualitative and quantitative morphological study of the pulmonary exchange capacity of healthy and diseased Burmese pythons (Python molurus) was carried out in order to test the hypothesis that the high morphological excess capacity for oxygen exchange in the lungs of these snakes is one of the reasons why pathological processes extend throughout the lung parenchyma and impair major parts of the lungs before clinical signs of respiratory disease become apparent. Twenty-four Burmese pythons (12 healthy and 12 diseased) were included in the study. A stereology-based approach was used to quantify the lung parenchyma using computed tomography.

Alpha-smooth muscle actin and serotonin receptors 2A and 2B in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease.

Canine Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is an age-related disease. Serotonin (5-HT) is implicated in the pathogenesis as locally-produced or platelet-derived. Involvement of the 5-HT2A receptor (R) and 5-HT2BR in the induction of myxomatous-mediating valvular myofibroblasts (MF) has been suggested.

[Bone tumours in lizards and snakes. A rare clinical finding].

Objective: This article presents the pathological findings of 13 bone and cartilage tumours in lizards (n=8) and snakes (n=5) within the clinical context.

Material And Methods: Within a 12-year period (2001-2013), 13 cases of bone tumours in reptiles were diagnosed from 358 submitted tumour specimens. Pathological examination was performed on eight excisions, two biopsies, two amputates and four carcasses.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in advanced canine myxomatous mitral valve disease.

This study investigated mitral valve and myocardial protein and gene expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and plasma MMP and TGF-β concentrations in age-matched dog groups euthanized due to either advanced myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) or other reasons. Furthermore, echocardiographic data and lumen/area ratio were correlated with tissue and plasma levels of MMPs, TIMPs and TGF-βs. Mitral valve and myocardial gene expression of MMP2, MMP14, TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 were increased and plasma MMP9 was decreased in advanced MMVD dogs.

Histological study of the external, middle and inner ear of horses.

Clinical, anatomical and histological aspects of the equine acoustic organ have been poorly investigated and illustrated in literature so far. It is understood that an intact acoustic organ and hearing function are of vital importance for the well-being of flight animals like horses. The knowledge of the acoustic organ is usually transferred analogously from other mammals to horses.

The reverse remodeling effect of mesenchymal stem cells is independent from the site of epimyocardial cell transplantation.

Objective: The transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represents a promising approach for treating the ischemic and the nonischemic diseased heart. The positive effects of transplanting these cells could be shown, but the exact mechanisms remain unknown. We evaluated whether the injection site affects the improvement in left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) and angiogenesis in doxorubicin (Dox)-induced failing hearts.

First description of Mycobacterium heckeshornense infection in a feline immunodeficiency virus-positive cat.

A 13-year-old cat was presented to the veterinary clinic with poor condition, vomiting and a reduced appetite. A painful abdomen was diagnosed because of tension and defence reactions on palpation. Diagnostic laparotomy showed a thickening of the colon and caecal intestinal wall.

Malignant lymphoma of T-cell origin in a Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) and a pink-backed pelican (Pelecanus rufescens).

Multicentric T-cell lymphomas were diagnosed in two birds from separate zoological collections: one in a 27-year-old female Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) and the second in an adult pink-backed pelican (Pelecanus rufescens). The main clinical sign in the penguin was dysphagia caused by lymphoma formation in the esophagus. Besides the esophageal lymphoma, neoplastic lymphoid cells were observed in the adrenal glands, liver, kidneys, lung, proventriculus, and gizzard.

Morphological respiratory diffusion capacity of the lungs of ball pythons (Python regius).

This study aims at a functional and morphological characterization of the lung of a boid snake. In particular, we were interested to see if the python's lungs are designed with excess capacity as compared to resting and working oxygen demands. Therefore, the morphological respiratory diffusion capacity of ball pythons (Python regius) was examined following a stereological, hierarchically nested approach.

Xenogenic esophagus scaffolds fixed with several agents: comparative in vivo study of rejection and inflammation.

Most infants with long-gap esophageal atresia receive an esophageal replacement with tissue from stomach or colon, because the native esophagus is too short for true primary repair. Tissue-engineered esophageal conducts could present an attractive alternative. In this paper, circular decellularized porcine esophageal scaffold tissues were implanted subcutaneously into Sprague-Dawley rats.

Pathology, protein expression and signaling in myxomatous mitral valve degeneration: comparison of dogs and humans.

Myxomatous degenerative mitral valve disease (MMVD) is a common heart disease in dogs. Although several morphological similarities occur between human and canine MMVD differences exist. However, in advanced stages the accumulation of proteoglycans is the main finding in both species.

Melanophoromas and iridophoromas in reptiles.

Chromatophoromas are tumours of pigment-producing cells of the skin and are rarely reported in reptiles. These tumours are subclassified on the basis of the type of pigment. The present study characterizes chromatophoromas arising in 26 reptiles, including six snakes, 19 lizards and a tortoise.

Crimping may affect the durability of transcatheter valves: an experimental analysis.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation has gained widespread acceptance to treat elderly high-risk patients with aortic stenosis. We used a subcutaneous rat model to evaluate whether crimping may affect valve long-term durability.

Methods: Standard Sapien transcatheter valves (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA) were crimped for different durations (1 hour, 1 day, 1 month) and uncrimped, and leaflet pieces as well as control tissue (Perimount Magna, Edwards) were then implanted subcutaneously in 15 male weanling Sprague-Dawley rats for 12 weeks.

Fungal contamination of paraffin wax blocks in a pathology archive.

While searching for paraffin wax blocks for research purposes in our archive we detected numerous larval and some dead adult moths. Some wax blocks were riddled with a white-brown crumbling substance. The entire archive was checked and profoundly-infested blocks were separated from unaffected blocks.

An immunohistochemical study of feline myocardial fibrosis.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the pathology of feline myocardial fibrosis. The hearts from 40 cats with myocardial fibrosis were compared with the hearts from 25 normal cats. Clinical data were available in 11 cases.

Cardiac remodeling and MMPs on the model of chronic daunorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy in rabbits.

The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a key role during cardiac remodeling. The aim of the study was to investigate the changes in collagenous proteins and MMPs in the model of non-ischemic, anthracycline-induced chronic cardiomyopathy in rabbits using both biochemical and histological approaches. The study was carried out in three groups of Chinchilla male rabbits: 1) daunorubicin (3 mg/kg, once weekly for 10 weeks), 2) control (saline in the same schedule), 3) daunorubicin with the cardioprotectant dexrazoxane (60 mg/kg, before each daunorubicin).

Disseminated infection with Mycobacterium genavense in a grizzled giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura) associated with the isolation of an unknown Mycobacterium.

Disseminated infection with Mycobacterium genavense was diagnosed in an adult grizzled giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura). Microscopical examination showed granulomatous inflammation in the brain, kidneys, lungs and maxilla with intracellular acid-fast bacilli. M.

Bone marrow-derived stem cells attenuate impaired contractility and enhance capillary density in a rabbit model of Doxorubicin-induced failing hearts.

Background: There is a regenerative potential of bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMCs) in ischemic cardiomyopathy, but little is known of their effects in nonischemic cardiomyopathy. This study evaluates the effects of BMC transplantation on contractility and remote capillary density of doxorubicin-induced failing hearts.

Methods: Heart failure was induced in rabbits by doxorubicin (3 mg/kg; 6 weeks), followed by BMC transplantation (BMC group, 1.

Functional, metabolic, and morphological aspects of continuous, normothermic heart preservation: effects of different preparation and perfusion techniques.

Continuous blood perfusion of donor hearts for transplantation has been the focus of an increasing amount of research, but the optimal preparation and perfusion techniques have not been clearly defined. Therefore, we investigated the effectiveness of different preservation strategies using continuous, normothermic heart perfusion after donor heart harvesting. Hearts of 12 pigs were randomly assigned to two groups receiving a constant pressure perfusion in a modified Langendorff system after different preparation techniques.

Distribution of extracellular matrix components in normal and degenerated canine tricuspid valve leaflets.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the composition and distribution of various extracellular matrix (ECM) components in normal canine tricuspid valves (TVs) and in TVs affected by chronic valvular disease (CVD). The parietal (pTV) and septal (sTV) leaflets of the TVs from 27 dogs were investigated immunohistochemically for expression of collagen types I, III, IV and VI, elastin, laminin, fibronectin and heparan sulphate. Normal pTV consisted mainly of elastin and collagen VI in the atrialis, fibronectin in the thin spongiosa and mixed collagens in the fibrosa.

Expression of genes encoding matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) in normal and diseased canine mitral valves.

The pathogenesis of canine chronic valvular disease (CVD) is not fully characterized. The present study investigates the expression of genes encoding matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) in normal and diseased mitral valves (MVs). Samples from normal (n=15) or diseased (n=10) canine MVs were subject to real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for quantification of mRNA encoding MMP-1, -2, -9 and -14 and TIMP-2, -3 and -4.

Immunohistochemical characterization of the extracellular matrix in normal mitral valves and in chronic valve disease (endocardiosis) in dogs.

This study aimed to characterize the composition and distribution of the extracellular matrix (ECM) components in normal canine mitral valves (MV) and in chronic heart valve disease (CVD). MV of 50 dogs (normal (n=9), mild (n=13), moderate (n=17), severe (n=11) CVD) were investigated macroscopically, histologically (H.-E.