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Here we describe the establishment of a new canine mammary tumour ( CMT) cell line, FR37-CMT that does not show dependence on female hormonal signaling to induce tumour xenografts in NOD-SCID mice. FR37-CMT cell line has a stellate or fusiform shape, displays the ability to reorganize the collagen matrix, expresses vimentin, CD44 and shows the loss of E-cadherin which is considered a fundamental event in epithelial to mesenchymal transition ( EMT). The up-regulation of ZEB1, the detection of phosphorylated ERK1/2 and the downregulation of DICER1 and miR-200c are also in accordance with the mesenchymal characteristics of FR37-CMT cell line. FR37-CMT shows a higher resistance to cisplatin ( IC50>50 µM) and to doxorubicin ( IC50>5.3 µM) compared with other CMT cell lines. These results support the use of FR37-CMT as a new CMT model that may assist the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying EMT, CMT drug resistance, fostering the development of novel therapies targeting CMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the prognosis factors of age, tumour size, anatomic location, histological grade and proliferating cell nuclear antigen ( PCNA) expression in 13 dogs with oral squamous cell carcinoma ( OSCC) with bone invasion and without signs of lymph node or distant metastasis. All animals were treated with radical excision performed with at least 1 cm margin, based on computed tomography images. In the 2-year follow-up, median disease-free survival was 138 days for dogs with grade 3 tumours and was not reached for those with grade 2 tumours. Grade 3 tumours and PCNA labelling index ≥65% were related with a shorter disease-free survival time and consequently poor prognosis ( p = 0.003 and p = 0.034, respectively). Mean PCNA labelling index was significantly higher in recurrent cases ( p = 0.011). Histological grade and PCNA expression may be important prognosis factors in canine OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Onchocercosis is a newly recognized disease in dogs that has been reported with higher frequency in Europe and in the United States. We report a case of a 3-year-old male mongrel stray dog from the Algarve region (South Portugal) who had a retrobulbar granuloma containing a filaroid nematode of the genus Onchocerca. A gravid adult female parasite was embedded in a granulomatous inflammation adjacent to the sclera beyond the retina. The parasite was 191 to 267 μm in diameter (mean = 225 μm), surrounded by a cuticule and owing a uterus that was filled with small unsheated microfilariae. The cuticule consisted of two separated layers in longitudinal sections. The external layer had cuticular ridges and the internal layer contained striations. Sequencing of the COI and ND5 mitochondrial genes confirmed the identity of this parasite as Onchocerca lupi. Furthermore, the first sequence of the 12S mitochondrial gene is reported in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]