Introduction: Canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) is a sexually transmitted tumour affecting dogs worldwide, imposing a financial burden on dog owners. A stable culture cell line in continuous passages for >18 months has only been achieved once. The present study investigated a stable CTVT cell line isolated from a bitch and its potential as a vaccine. Material and Methods: A biopsy from a 2-year-old mongrel bitch with CTVT was obtained for histopathological confirmation and isolation of tumour cells. The isolated cells were cultured to passage 55 and characterised by flow cytometry, with karyotyping by GTG-banding and by PCR detection of myc S-2 and LINE AS1. The isolated CTVT cell line was also used as a preventive vaccine in a canine model. Results: Histopathological analysis of the isolated tumour cells revealed typical CTVT characteristics. Constant proliferation and stable morphological characteristics were observed during culture. Phenotypic analysis determined the expression of HLA-DR⁺, CD5.1⁺, CD14⁺, CD45⁺, CD83⁺, CD163⁺, and Ly-6G-Ly-6C⁺. GTG-banding revealed a mean of 57 chromosomes in the karyotype with several complex chromosomal rearrangements. LINE-c-myc insertion in the isolated CTVT cell line at 550 bp was not detected. However, a 340-bp band was amplified. Isolated CTVT cell line inoculation at a concentration of 1×10⁸ did not induce tumour growth in bitches, nor did a challenge with primary CTVT cells. Conclusion: The present study successfully identified and isolated a stable CTVT cell line that may be useful in CTVT prevention.

Q fever (coxiellosis) is an infectious disease of animals and humans, caused by.C. burnetii and widely distributed throughout the world. It is known that people and animals acquire the disease predominantly.via inhalation of infectious aerosols. The possibility of transmission of the pathogen by the alimentary route is still a matter of debate and remains controversial. Therefore the aim of this study was to fill the gaps in knowledge of oral transmission of.C. burnetii by conducting biological tests on the guinea pig model. Guinea pigs, divided into five groups comprising a negative control and four experimental groups, received specified concentrations of.C. burnetii per os. To determine the presence of specific antibodies, blood samples were tested using CFT. Also, internal organs collected during necropsy were screened by a real-time PCR targeting I.1111. Additionally, histopathological evaluation of the tissues was performed. The presence of antibodies and pathogen DNA in caecum was confirmed in one guinea pig from experimental group IV..C. burnetii was also detected in testicular tissue collected from one animal of experimental group II. The presence of pathogen DNA in the testicular tissue indicates that infection spreads haematogenously. In the majority of experimental animals specific antibodies and genetic material of.C. burnetii were not detected. This fact suggests that development of infection depends on many factors, such as animal immune status.

Parafasciolopsis fasciolaemorpha is a liver fluke typically parasitising moose in Central and Eastern Europe. The aim of our studies was to describe a case of fatal moose parafasciolopsosis, with special emphasis on the histopathological changes caused in the liver tissue by around 10,000 flukes. A male moose, found dead in Polesie National Park, eastern Poland, was subjected to parasitological necropsy. Macroscopic and histopathological examination of the liver was performed. Over 10,000 flukes identified as P. fasciolaemorpha were isolated from the liver parenchyma. Histopathological examination of the liver revealed the presence of multiple cavities, which were filled with flukes and cellular detritus and encysted with a layered capsule of connective tissue. Extensive liver fibrosis with signs of incomplete septal cirrhosis was also observed. Parafasciolopsosis with accompanying diarrhoea was the most probable reason for the moose’s death. However, it is possible that most moose are able to survive extremely intensive P. fasciolaemorpha infection by formation of extensive fibrosis, which isolates flukes from the liver parenchyma and therefore retards the failure of the organ. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first histopathological description of changes in the liver of a moose infected with P. fasciolaemorpha.

The study of histopathological changes caused by influenza A (H5N8) viral infection in bird species is essential for the understanding of their role in the spread of this highly infectious virus. However, there are few such studies under natural conditions in minor gallinaceous species. This article describes the pathomorphological findings in Colchis pheasants infected naturally with H5N8 during an epizootic outbreak in Bulgaria. Samples of internal organs of 10 carcasses were collected for histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation, virus isolation and identification, and nucleic acid detection. Consistent macroscopic findings were lesions affecting the intestine, heart, lung, and pancreas. Congestion and mononuclear infiltrate were common findings in the small intestine, as were necrosis and lymphoid clusters in the lamina propria of the caeca. Congestion with small focal necrosis and gliosis with multifocal nonpurulent encephalitis were observed in the brain. Myocardial interstitial oedema and degenerative necrobiotic processes were also detected. Immunohistological analysis confirmed systemic infection and revealed influenza virus nucleoprotein in all analysed organs. Variable necrosis was observed in the brain, liver, trachea, heart, small intestine, and caeca. Viral antigen was commonly found in the brain, heart, lung and trachea. Contact with migrating waterfowls was suspected as a reason for the outbreak.

Introduction: The clinical symptoms of portosystemic shunts (PSSs) and hepatic microvascular dysplasia (HMD) – portal vein hypoplasia (PVH) in dogs are similar. PSSs are abnormal vascular connections between the portal vein system and systemic veins. HMD is a very rare developmental vascular anomaly, recognisable during histopathological examination. The study aim was to assess the prevalence of HMD–PVH and hepatocellular and vascular pathologies in the liver. Material and Methods: Liver biopsies from 140 dogs (of different breeds and both sexes) arousing clinical suspicion of PSS were examined histopathologically. Results: An initial PSS diagnosis was confirmed in 125 dogs (89.29%). HMD–PVH was found in 12.32% of dogs, as an isolated disease in 9.29%, especially in Yorkshire terriers, and with extrahepatic PSS in 6.67%. Histopathological analysis of muscles around sublobular veins showed that HMD cases presented hypertrophy or hypertrophy with fibrosis. In 2.17% of all dogs with liver vascular developmental disorders calcification was visible around vessels (without correlation by degenerative changes in those vessels), suggesting prior onset of deep metabolic disorders. Clinical suspicion of PSS was also formed upon quite different pathological processes in young dogs. Conclusion: Histopathological findings diagnosed the type of vascular anomalies (PSS or HMD–PVH) or other pathological changes conclusively, therefore detailed hepatic histopathology is an indispensable component of the clinical diagnostic process.

The aim of this study was to evaluate potential protective effects of propolis on furan-induced hepatic damage by assessing the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH), antioxidant enzyme activities, and histopathological changes in the liver. Albino Wistar rats were divided into six groups: a control, propolis-treated (100 mg/kg b.w./day), low-dose furan-treated (furan-L group; 2 mg/kg b.w./day), high-dose furan-treated (furan-H group; 16 mg/kg b.w./day), furan-L+propolis treated, and furan-H+propolis treated group. Propolis and furan were applied by gavage; propolis for 8 days, and furan for 20 days in furan-L groups and 10 days in furan-H groups. While MDA levels were elevated in furan-treated groups, levels of GSH and activities of antioxidant enzymes decreased (p < 0.001). The levels of MDA and GSH and activities of antioxidant enzymes were normal in the furan+propolis groups, especially in the furan-L+propolis group (p < 0.001). While the aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate pdehydrogenase activities were elevated in the furan-H treated group (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001), they were unchanged in the furan-L treated group. Histopathologically, several lesions were observed in the liver tissues of the furan-treated groups, especially in the higher-dose group. It was determined that these changes were milder in both of the furan+propolis groups. The results indicate that propolis exhibits good hepatoprotective and antioxidant potential against furan-induced hepatocellular damage in rats.

Introduction: Clinical doses of anaesthetic agents were administered to rabbits and effects on the brain, heart, and liver were investigated biochemically and histopathologically. Material and Methods: The rabbits were randomly divided into three main groups (16 rabbits each) and each group into study (n = 8) and control (n = 8) groups. All study group rabbits received 3 mg/kg of midazolam (M) intramuscularly. Group 1.1 (M) received nothing further, group 2.1 (MK) also received 25 mg/kg of ketamine, and group 3.1 (MKI) besides ketamine was also given 2% isoflurane to induce anaesthesia for 30 min. NaCl solution in the same volume as midazolam and ketamine was injected into the controls. Results: In clinical evaluation significant differences were detected in respiratory and heart rates. In blood gas analysis the PO2 and PCO2 values showed statistical differences in anaesthesia intervals. Significant biochemical value changes were recorded in creatine kinase-Mb, glucose, and total protein. Histopathological liver examinations revealed higher total apoptotic and normal cell numbers in the MK than in the M and MKI groups. Apoptotic cell numbers were statistically significant in M and MK groups. Conclusion: Anaesthetic agents may increase programmed apoptosis. The MKI anaesthetics combination was found to cause less cell destruction in general than the other study groups. It was indicated that MKI was the safer anaesthetic combination in rabbits.