The Effect of Pneumonic Pasteurellosis on Apoptosis and Nitric Oxide Synthase in the Lungs in Calves

Pneumonic Pasteurellosis (PP) is an infectious disease caused by Pasteurella multocida and Mannheimia haemolytica, mostly observed in cattle, sheep and calves. PP is characterized by fibrinous bronchopneumonia and pleuritis in the lungs. In this study, it was aimed to determine Caspase-3, Caspase-9, inducible nitric oxide synthase and neuronal nitric oxide synthase expressions by immunohistochemical methods in the lungs suffered from PP. For this purpose, twenty lung tissues were collected from calves with PP. For the Control Group, ten lungs of calves were collected from Aksaray Slaughterhouse. After necropsies of calves were confirmed to be PP by bacteriological examinations. Then the routine histological process was performed to tissues, and stained by Hematoxylin & Eosin for histopathology, and Caspase-3, Caspase-9, inducible nitric oxide synthase and neuronal nitric oxide synthase antibody staining for immunohistochemistry. The immunohistochemical findings indicated that Caspase-3, Caspase-9, inducible nitric oxide synthase and neuronal nitric oxide synthase positive reactions were seen in alveolar, bronchial and bronchiolar epithelia, and desquamated inflammatory cells in the lumens. In addition, the peripheral neural extensions were immunopositive for neuronal nitric oxide synthase and vascular endothelial cell were positive for inducible nitric oxide synthase. The findings can contribute to a better understanding of expressions of molecules such as Caspase and nitric oxide synthase. These results show that apoptosis and nitric oxide synthase expressions have triggered by airway epithelia and inflammatory cells in the lungs with Pneumonic Pasteurellosis in calves.