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Dirofilaria repens (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) is the causative agent of canine subcutaneous dirofilariosis. Adults of D. repens localize in the subcutaneous tissues and fasciae and most of the infected animals are asymptomatic though dermatological disorders have been described sporadically. In this study, the gonads of 100 male dogs were inspected for D. repens presence from December 2020 to January 2022. All examined dogs were older than 48 months and underwent castration for several reasons. The testes and the superficial layers were examined with the aid of stereomicroscope; in addition, the blood of all included dogs was collected and analysed by Knott's test to assess the presence of microfilariae. Six out of 100 (6 %, CI95%, 2.2-12.6 %) examined dogs were positive for D. repens presence, and in all the cases the parasites were found beneath the tunica vaginalis layers. Microfilariae were found in 15 blood samples including 5 out of those 6 testes positive dogs thus resulting in a final D. repens prevalence of 16 % (CI95%: 9.4-24.7 %). No pathological changes and or lesions due to parasite presence were observed in the testes or in their layers. The present study represents the first survey focusing on the detection of D. repens in dog testes on a large sample size. Adult parasites were found in the testes of 6 out of 16 D. repens infected dogs accounting for 37.5 % of cases and suggesting as testicular localization is not uncommon. The absence of neoplastic or inflammatory lesions in D. repens infected testes suggests as these conditions do not act as attractive stimuli for the parasite localization. Finally, considering the zoonotic potential of D. repens and the large infection prevalence here reported, active surveillance in endemic areas is strongly advocated to limit the presence of reservoir and prevent further infections to animals and humans., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) more...

Macrophages are among the main actors in cancer immunoediting, with several functions, including recycling iron and packaging it in hemosiderin. Even though TAMs are widely studied in breast cancer and canine mammary tumors, hemosiderin-laden macrophages (HLMs) have not received as much attention. Considering the growing interest in iron metabolism in cancer, this study aims to evaluate the presence of HLMs in canine mammary tumors. Fifty cases of canine mammary carcinomas presenting aggregates of pigmented macrophages were chosen. Prussian blue and Meguro staining were performed to assess the presence of iron. Immunohistochemistry was carried out to try to identify macrophagic phenotypes and hypothesize their role. Evaluation of the H&E sections showed that pigmented macrophages were variously localized in peritumoral and stromal areas. These pigmented cells were variably stained with Prussian blue and reacted strongly with DAB in the Meguro staining method, thus confirming the presence of iron within them. In their immunohistochemistry, the HLMs were negative for the MAC387 but positive for CD 204 and VEGF. Considering their positivity for CD 204, HLMs could be M2 macrophages that supply iron to both the neoplastic cells and the tumor inflammatory microenvironment, promoting angiogenesis and protecting cancer cells from hypoxia. more...

Prenatal diagnosis comprises a set of investigations, both instrumental and laboratory-based, which aim to monitor the health of the foetus during pregnancy, from the early stages of embryonic development to the moments preceding delivery. A growing interest is emerging for the preterm ultrasound morphological screening of embryos and foetuses, aimed at assessing the integrity and viability of the conceptus, as well as the early diagnosis of anomalies which can cause complications. This study is a retrospective study of the ultrasonographic findings of twins in the authors' clinical activity from 2016 to 2022. Only seven cases of monochorionic twins were recorded, out of the whole number of evaluations performed on 3120 foetuses, with a prevalence of 0.6% and 0.2% in feline and canine foetuses. All the twins had their own amniotic sac and umbilical cord but presented a single placenta and a single allantoic sac. Unfortunately, the three feline cases were not more recognizable at term. In the four canine cases, three were of opposite sex and then necessarily dizygotic. Twins may have an impact on the success of a pregnancy due to the risk of dystocia, as observed in some of the reported cases. Prenatal ultrasound allows early recognition of twins in dogs and cats. more...

Neoplastic progression is influenced by the expression of tumour antigens that activate an anti-tumour immune response. Human medical studies show that this body defence is carried out in secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) but also directly in the tumour through organized cellular aggregates that are called tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs). However, their occurrence has different meanings in different tumour types. For example, the presence of TLSs in breast cancer is associated with the most aggressive subtypes. This paper aimed to study TLSs in canine mammary simple carcinomas. A morphological assessment of the inflammatory infiltrate was performed on H&E sections of fifty cases. Immunohistochemistry was then carried out to typify the inflammatory cells in the tumour microenvironment. Results showed that, sometimes, inflammatory infiltrates were organized in follicles close to high-grade carcinomas, simulating a lymphoid organization, as in breast cancer. Therefore, we can assume that even in canine mammary tumours, TLSs exist and they are entities to consider due to their presence in the most aggressive histotypes or tumours with a high degree of malignancy. more...

Bovine besnoitiosis is a debilitating infectious disease caused by Besnoitia besnoiti (Apicomplexa; Sarcocystidae). The disease is mainly characterized by cutaneous and systemic signs, infertility in bulls, and abortion in cows. The current study describes an autochthonous outbreak of bovine besnoitiosis in Sicily, Southern Italy, being the first report of B. besnoiti infection in the island so far. In a cattle farm located in Syracuse province, a 4-year-old Belgian blue bull born in Sicily displayed typical clinical signs of the sub-acute/chronic disease phase with thickening of the skin of the scrotum and testicular degeneration. Histological examination of scrotal biopsies revealed the presence of several tissue cysts of B. besnoiti. The serological analysis of the herd using a commercial ELISA revealed a high seroprevalence (45 out of 55; 82%) of antibodies against B. besnoiti. Few seropositive animals (5 out of 45; 11%) showed clinical signs, cysts in vestibulum vaginae (1 out of 31; 3.2%), and testicular degeneration (4 out of 14; 28.6%) assessed by ultrasonographic investigations. The paucity of clinical signs associated with the high seroprevalence in the farm led to hypothesize that bovine besnoitiosis is endemic in the area though further studies are needed. Local practitioners should be more aware of the disease to facilitate the early detection of cases, prevent the spread of infection, and avoid economic losses and animal health problem., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.) more...

Background: Fibroadenomatous changes (FAC) of the mammary gland in cats represents a benign, progesterone-associated fibroglandular proliferation of one or more mammary glands that may occur in intact female cats at the time of puberty, during pregnancy or pseudopregnancy, or in female and male cats of any age under progestin treatment. Nowadays, the elective treatment of FAC is based on the progesterone antagonist aglepristone. This study aimed to report the treatment of FAC with a combination of drugs designed to preserve mammary gland integrity, even in pregnant cats., Case Description: Eight sexually intact female cats with FAC showed mammary glands that were symmetrically enlarged and inflamed in all cases, and the skin was ulcerated in six cats. Four cats were on days 25-32 of pregnancy at presentation. Non-pregnant cats were treated with aglepristone and with a dietary supplement containing maltodextrin and bromelain. The mammary glands were massaged daily with an Aloe vera emollient gel. If the gland was inflamed or ulcerated, broad-spectrum antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory treatments were given, and the ulcers were treated topically with a hypericum and neem-based cream. Two of the four pregnant cats were treated with the same therapeutic schedule plus cloprostenol to facilitate uterine emptying. Two pregnant cats underwent the same protocol except for aglepristone, which was not administered to safeguard the litter and see if the adjuvant therapy worked independently. At term, they delivered four and three kittens, respectively, that were normally nursed and weaned after 40 days. In all the studied cases, the mammary gland reduced in size 2-3 weeks after the start of the treatment and completely remitted after 4-5 weeks., Conclusion: This case series encourages adjuvant therapy in the course of FAC to preserve mammary gland integrity and functionality. Exploiting the natural decline of progesterone at the end of pregnancy (or pseudopregnancy), the therapy may also be used without aglepristone, when its use has other limitations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest. more...