α-Viniferin (AVF), a trimer of resveratrol, is known to have an anti-inflammatory effect via inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). It has been reported that up-regulated COX-2 and iNOS are expressed in colon cancer tissues of humans and rodents as well as pre-neoplastic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) of rodents. In this study, chemopreventive effects of AVF were assessed in Caco-2 cells as well as azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colorectal tumorigenesis in mice. Anti-tumor effect of AVF with regards to apoptotic induction was assessed by TUNEL and caspase-3 expression in human colon cancer Caco-2 cells. For development of ACF, AOM was administered with to mice intraperitoneally at a dose of 10 mg/kg once a week for 3 weeks. To induce colitis-related colon cancer, mice were administered a single dose of AOM (10 mg/kg) and 2% dextran sodium sulfate in drinking water. Mice treated with 0.05 and/or 0.1 mg of AVF by gavage showed significantly reduced development of ACF and colorectal tumors. Immunofluorescence detection in Caco-2 cells showed reduced COX-2 and iNOS expression, whereas cleavage of caspase-3 and apoptotic cell numbers increased upon AVF treatment. Immunostaining showed reduced expression levels of COX-2 and iNOS expression along with increased cleaved caspase-3 expression increased upon AVF treatment. These results suggest that AVF has chemopreventive effects on colorectal cancer via anti-inflammatory potential and pro-apoptotic activity.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is defined as a gradual, interstitial fibrous disease of the lung parenchyma. PF causes collapse of the lung lobe, which can lead to lung lobe torsion of the other side. A 14-year-old male Pekinese dog was referred to the Veterinary Medical Center, Chungbuk National University. The chief complaint was acute dyspnea. The dog had a history of chronic cough, which lasted for 18 months, and the cough had recently deteriorated. Tachypnea was observed on physical examination. As a result of thoracic radiographs, ultrasonography, and computed tomography, lung lobe torsion and collapse were diagnosed. A postmortem examination revealed lung lobe torsion of the left cranial lobe and carnification of the right cranial lobe. Histologically, severe and diffuse interstitial fibrosis with distortion of alveolar architecture and severe congestion and/or hemorrhage were observed in the right cranial lobe and left cranial lobe, respectively. Although the cause of pulmonary fibrosis was undetermined, this case showed a typical lung lobe torsion caused by pulmonary fibrosis.

Canine heartworm disease is typically characterized by the presence of heartworms in the pulmonary artery and, to a lesser degree, the right ventricle. Systemic arterial dirofilariasis is an unusual manifestation of heartworm disease of dogs that results from aberrant migration of Dirofilaria immitis into the peripheral arterial circulation. A three-year-old Jindo dog was referred to the Veterinary Medical Center because of hindlimb lameness, paresthesia of hindlimbs, and interdigital ischemic necrosis. Angiography and ultrasonography were performed, resulting in diagnosis of heartworm infestation. In necropsy, entangled heartworms were present throughout the body, including lungs, kidney, small intestinal lumen, and arteries, in addition to the right ventricle and pulmonary artery. Histologically, lung showed adult heart worms in vessels, organized thrombotic vessels, and interstitial pneumonia featuring type II pneumocyte hyperplasia, thickened alveolar wall, and compressed alveolar spaces. Chronic parenchymal lesions, such as focal or diffuse necrosis, fibrosis, and dystrophic calcification were remarkable in liver and kidney. The current case showed a typical canine systemic heartworm disease caused by aberrant migration of Dirofilaria immitis.

A six-year-old male Pekinese dog was referred to the Veterinary Medical Center, Chungbuk National University because of intermittent vomiting, anorexia, alopecia, and pruritus. Generalized alopecia, pigmentation, and papular erythema in the skin were observed on physical examination. Hematological studies indicated a severe pancytopenia and hypoalbuminemia. A hormone analysis indicated a hyperestrogenemia. A circumscribed mass, measuring approximately 3-4 cm in diameter, was observed on abdominal radiographs. Grossly, the cryptorchid testis was enlarged by a firm and white spherical mass, measuring approximately 3 cm in diameter, which, on its cut surface, was creamy white with hemorrhage. The normal scrotal testis was markedly atrophic and soft. Histologically, the intra-abdominal cryptorchid testis contained abundant fibrous tissue stroma and the stromal tissues were arranged in a tubular pattern in which the neoplastic cells tended to palisade. The cells had poor and pale eosinophilic cytoplasm streaming into the center of the tubules. The nuclei were round to oval and tended to be in a basilar location. Regions of hyperplasia and marked squamous metaplasia were observed in many areas of the prostate. Based on the histological findings, we were able to identify these masses as Sertoli cell tumors, and made a final diagnosis as Sertoli cell tumors through immunohistochemistry methods using inhibin-α, vimentin, and neuron-specific enolase.

Histologic and immunohistochemical features of canine skin tumours originated from epithelial stem cells were described. The tumors were trichogenic trichoblastoma, trichoepithelioma, sebaceous adenoma, hepatoid gland adenoma and epithelioma, and basal cell tumour. All of the tumors expressed both AE1/AE3 and cytokeratin 5/8, whereas cytokeratin 7 and vimentin not at all. Neuron-specific-enolase was strongly positive in follicular tumours, whereas slightly in basal cell tumour. Moreover, chromogranin A was expressed slightly only in trichogenic trichoblastoma and trichoepithelioma. Since the morphological similarities between these tumors, immunohistochemistry is one of useful tools for differential diagnosis. From the immunohistochemistry data, we conclude that cytokeratins, vimentin and NSE play a main role in the evaluation of canine skin tumours originated from epithelial skin stem cells histogenesis.

Immunohistochemical localization of vimentin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), myelin basic protein (MBP), neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were performed to confirm the canine schwannoma diagnosed histologically. Biopsy samples from skin masses occurred on a 6 year old female dog and a 13 year old female dog were used for immunohistochemical analysis. Histologically, the tumor tissues showed the characteristics of schwannoma mainly composed of predominantly fusiform or spindle cells. The cells are arranged in small interwoven bundles with intervening fibrous and mucinous stroma that imitate a herringbone pattern. The cell nuclei have an elongated, wavy, buckled appearnce and closely bunched together. In high magnification, mitotic figure, nuclear hyperchromatism, pleomorphism and poorly defined cytoplasms were noted. the vimentin was highly expressed in the cytoplasm of all neoplastic cells. Positive reactions against NSE and GFAP, widely used to suggest a neural origin of cell types, are observed in cytoplasms of tumor cells. These results can be used as a reference data for definitive diagnosis of canine schwannoma.