Diagnostic immunohistochemistry of primary and secondary central nervous system neoplasms of dogs and cats.

The diagnosis of primary and secondary CNS neoplasms of dogs and cats relies on histologic examination of autopsy or biopsy samples. In addition, many neoplasms must be further characterized by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for a more refined diagnosis in specific cases. Given the many investigations assessing the diagnostic and prognostic IHC profile of CNS neoplasms in the veterinary literature, it may be difficult for the diagnostic pathologist or pathology trainee to narrow the list of reliable diagnostic IHCs when facing a challenging case.

Effects of autolysis and prolonged formalin fixation on histomorphology and immunohistochemistry of normal canine brain tissue: an experimental study.

CNS tumor diagnosis in dogs often relies on immunohistochemistry (IHC) given similar histologic features among tumors. Most CNS tissue samples encountered by diagnostic pathologists are collected during autopsy, and postmortem specimens can be susceptible to autolysis and prolonged formalin fixation, both of which have the potential to influence IHC results and interpretation. Here we evaluated the effects of experimentally controlled autolysis induced by delayed tissue fixation (sections of brain held for 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h in 0.

Disease modification upon brief exposure to tofacitinib during chronic epilepsy.

All current drug treatments for epilepsy, a neurological disorder affecting over 50 million people( ) merely treat symptoms, and a third of patients do not respond to medication. There are no disease modifying treatments that may be administered briefly to patients to enduringly eliminate spontaneous seizures and reverse cognitive deficits( ). Applying network approaches to rodent models and human temporal lobectomy samples at both whole tissue and single-nuclei resolutions, we observe the well-characterized pattern of rapid induction and subsequent quenching exhibited of the JAK/STAT pathway within days of epileptogenic insult.

Case report: The first description of a Dieulafoy's lesion in the gastric mucosa of a dog.

An approximately 12-year-old, 31 kg, male neutered Labrador Retriever was presented to the referring hospital with an acute onset (less than 1 day) of hematemesis and melena. The dog was treated supportively for a presumptive gastric ulcer for 4 days with intravenous fluids, gastro protectants, such as pantoprazole, misoprostol, sucralfate, and barium, as well as an anti-emetic (maropitant) and analgesics (fentanyl, gabapentin, and tramadol). Throughout medical management, the dog continued to require blood transfusions approximately every 24 h.

Generating primary murine vaginal fibroblast cell lines.

Primary human vulvovaginal fibroblast cell lines are useful for studying biological mechanisms underlying genital pain, pelvic organ prolapse, and the spread of sexually transmitted infections. However, the vaginal biopsies necessary for establishing these cell lines are invasive and relatively difficult to obtain. Primary mouse fibroblast cell lines derived from pre-clinical animal models of these conditions can be used for better controlled experiments that can help us dissect disease mechanisms.

Volume and Infusion Rate Dynamics of Intraparenchymal Central Nervous System Infusion in a Large Animal Model.

Thalamic infusion of adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors has been shown to have therapeutic effects in neuronopathic lysosomal storage diseases. Preclinical studies in sheep model of Tay-Sachs disease demonstrated that bilateral thalamic injections of AAV gene therapy are required for maximal benefit. Translation of thalamic injection to patients carries risks in that (1) it has never been done in humans, and (2) dosing scale-up based on brain weight from animals to humans requires injection of larger volumes.

Differential Expression of miRNAs in Hypoxia ("HypoxamiRs") in Three Canine High-Grade Glioma Cell Lines.

Dogs with spontaneous high-grade gliomas increasingly are being proposed as useful large animal pre-clinical models for the human disease. Hypoxia is a critical microenvironmental condition that is common in both canine and human high-grade gliomas and drives increased angiogenesis, chemo- and radioresistance, and acquisition of a stem-like phenotype. Some of this effect is mediated by the hypoxia-induced expression of microRNAs, small (~22 nucleotides long), non-coding RNAs that can modulate gene expression through interference with mRNA translation.

Comparative Molecular Life History of Spontaneous Canine and Human Gliomas.

Sporadic gliomas in companion dogs provide a window on the interaction between tumorigenic mechanisms and host environment. We compared the molecular profiles of canine gliomas with those of human pediatric and adult gliomas to characterize evolutionarily conserved mammalian mutational processes in gliomagenesis. Employing whole-genome, exome, transcriptome, and methylation sequencing of 83 canine gliomas, we found alterations shared between canine and human gliomas such as the receptor tyrosine kinases, TP53 and cell-cycle pathways, and IDH1 R132.

Canine Ependymoma: Diagnostic Criteria and Common Pitfalls.

Reports of canine ependymoma are generally restricted to single case reports with tumor incidence estimated at 2% to 3% of primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors. While most commonly reported in the lateral ventricle, tumors can occur anywhere in the ventricular system and in extraventricular locations. Rosettes and pseudorosettes are a common histologic feature; however, these features can be mimicked by other CNS neoplasms.

A Revised Diagnostic Classification of Canine Glioma: Towards Validation of the Canine Glioma Patient as a Naturally Occurring Preclinical Model for Human Glioma.

The National Cancer Institute-led multidisciplinary Comparative Brain Tumor Consortium (CBTC) convened a glioma pathology board, comprising both veterinarian and physician neuropathologists, and conducted a comprehensive review of 193 cases of canine glioma. The immediate goal was to improve existing glioma classification methods through creation of a histologic atlas of features, thus yielding greater harmonization of phenotypic characterization. The long-term goal was to support future incorporation of clinical outcomes and genomic data into proposed simplified diagnostic schema, so as to further bridge the worlds of veterinary and physician neuropathology and strengthen validity of the dog as a naturally occurring, translationally relevant animal model of human glioma.

A case of basal cell carcinoma of the nictitating membrane in a dog.

A case of a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the nictitating membrane (NM) in a 9-year-old female spayed dachshund is reported. Computed tomography and resection of the NM followed by cryosurgery was performed. Although uncommon, BCC should be considered as a differential diagnosis for tumors of the NM.

Use of a Barbed Knotless Suture for Laparoscopic Ablation of the Nephrosplenic Space in 8 Horses.

Objective: To evaluate use of a knotless suture for laparoscopic closure of the equine nephrosplenic space.

Study Design: Experimental in vivo study.

Animals: Normal horses without previous history of abdominal surgery (n=8).

Creation of an NCI comparative brain tumor consortium: informing the translation of new knowledge from canine to human brain tumor patients.

On September 14-15, 2015, a meeting of clinicians and investigators in the fields of veterinary and human neuro-oncology, clinical trials, neuropathology, and drug development was convened at the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland. This meeting served as the inaugural event launching a new consortium focused on improving the knowledge, development of, and access to naturally occurring canine brain cancer, specifically glioma, as a model for human disease. Within the meeting, a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) assessment was undertaken to critically evaluate the role that naturally occurring canine brain tumors could have in advancing this aspect of comparative oncology aimed at improving outcomes for dogs and human beings.

Evaluation of the genes encoding CD39/NTPDase-1 and CD39L1/NTPDase-2 in horses with and without abnormal hemorrhage and in horses with pathologic evidence of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage.

Background: Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) is a common disorder of equine athletes. The role of polymorphisms in genes encoding hemostasis-regulatory proteins in horses with abnormal hemorrhage is unknown.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate the genes encoding 2 ectonucleotidases, CD39/NTPDase-1 and CD39L1/NTPDase-2, and one ecto-5' nucleotidase, CD73, in horses with abnormal hemorrhage or pathologic changes consistent with EIPH.

Subependymal glioneuronal hamartoma in the mesencephalic aqueduct of a giraffe.

A 1-day-old male giraffe calf (Giraffa camelopardalis) was submitted for necropsy examination after sustaining postnatal head trauma from the cow. In addition to the expected findings of severe cerebral edema and epidural and subarachnoid hemorrhage, there also was present an incidental finding of a subependymal glioneuronal aqueductal hamartoma. Reports of this type of congenital lesion are rare in the human literature, and the lesion has not, to the authors' knowledge, previously been reported in this or any other veterinary species.