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Biomedical subjects

G Bettini

Publications and source records attributed to G Bettini.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Deciduoid peritoneal mesothelioma in a dog.

Deciduoid mesothelioma is a rare variant of epithelial mesothelioma, up to now only described in human pathology, which bears remarkable cytomorphologic resemblance to the endometrium of pregnancy, termed decidua. A case of peritoneal mesothelioma with deciduoid features in a 10-year-old, female dog is reported. Multiple whitish-gray nodules (1-5 mm in diameter) in parietal peritoneum and mesentery were histologically composed of large, proliferating, polygonal or ovoid cells with an abundant eosinophilic, glassy cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical evaluation indicated that the neoplastic cells coexpressed cytokeratin and vimentin with strong and diffuse cytoplasmic staining, and ultrastructural analysis showed long and slender mesothelial-type microvilli; these findings confirmed the mesothelial origin of the tumor.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Gastrointestinal spindle cell tumours of the dog: histological and immunohistochemical study.

To assess the relevance of spindle cell tumours in the canine gastrointestinal (GI) tract and to classify them, a retrospective study was carried out on haematoxylin and eosin-stained sections from formalin-fixed paraffin wax-embedded samples of 105 primary GI tumours. Seventeen out of 105 (16%) GI tumours were mesenchymal, 48% were epithelial and 36% were round cell tumours. Spindle cell tumours were stained by Masson trichrome, Orcein-Van Gieson and labelled immunohistochemically (vimentin, desmin, smooth muscle actin, protein S100, glial fibrillar acid protein, CD117 and MIB-1) and the histological grade, mitotic index, nuclear size and cellular density were also assessed. The 17 gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumours were classified as 10 leiomyomas (10/10 positive for desmin and smooth muscle actin; 6/10 positive for vimentin) 2 leiomyosarcomas (2/2 positive for desmin, smooth muscle actin and vimentin) and 5 gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) (5/5 positive for CD117 and vimentin; 3/5 positive for smooth muscle actin). Canine GISTs appeared as densely packed spindle cell tumours, with a diffuse, strong, cytoplasmic immunopositivity for c-kit protein (CD117). GISTs, defined as CD117-positive spindle cell or epithelioid or pleomorphic neoplasms that presumably derive from interstitial cells of Cajal, are reported in recent medical studies as the most common mesenchymal tumours of the GI tract. Our data suggest that GISTs represent a significant portion of canine GI spindle cell tumours, which can be definitely distinguished from leiomyosarcomas only by their expression of CD117.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Hypertrophy of intestinal smooth muscle in cats.

Pathological findings of four cats with severe and diffuse smooth muscle hypertrophy of the small intestine (MHSI) are reported and compared to those of five cats with segmental MHSI secondary to neoplastic obstruction and four controls. Histology demonstrated a constant association between idiopathic MHSI and submucosal fibrosis and chronic lymphoplasmacytic enteritis. Morphometry (gut diameter, thickness and area of muscular layers, number and density of smooth muscle nuclei) and MIB-1-immunolabelling showed that the thickness increase was mostly due to hypertrophy, but hyperplasia was also evident. Microbiology from ileal content samples was performed in two cats with primary MHSI, and Campylobacter spp. were isolated, which were also demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and ultrastructure. The association of chronic enteritis with idiopathic MHSI suggests that factors released in intestinal inflammation may also act as hypertrophy stimuli for smooth muscle cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis in two dogs.

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the renal pelvis was found in two dogs, a 7-year-old male English Setter and a 11-year-old female Shetland shepherd. Affected dogs were presented for clinical examination without any specific symptoms but haematuria in case 1 and occurrence of whitish material in the urine of case 2; neoplastic disorders were discovered with ultrasonographic investigation and fine needle aspiration biopsy. Histopathological examination was carried out after nephrectomy and ureterectomy of the affected kidney of both dogs, and confirmed the diagnosis of non-invasive and low grade TCC in case 1 and of infiltrating TCC in case 2. The clinical, gross, cytological and histopathological features of these rare tumours originating from transitional epithelium of the renal pelvis are reported.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Bile duct dysplasia and congenital hepatic fibrosis associated with polycystic kidney (Caroli syndrome) in a rat.

Hepatic fibrosis with bile duct ectasia and hyperplasia associated with polycystic kidney disease, analogous to Caroli syndrome in humans, was observed in a rat used as a control in a subchronic toxicity study. Light microscopy of liver sections showed multiple cystic and segmental saccular dilatations and hyperplasia of the intrahepatic bile ducts associated with overgrowth of portal connective tissue; the kidneys had diffuse cystic dilatation of cortical renal tubules. The lesions resembled those of human cases of the fibropolycystic disease termed as Caroli syndrome, which is thought to be the result of a pathologic developmental process known as ductal plate malformation. Recently, an animal model of Caroli syndrome has been described in mutant rats from a colony that constantly showed renal and hepatic cysts and an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. The finding in our case of identical hepatorenal lesions suggests that the same mutation has occurred incidentally in a standard colony.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Central nervous system cryptococcoma in a cat.

This report describes the gross, histopathological, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic findings in a 4-year-old cat with systemic Cryptococcus neoformans infection. A 1-cm diameter pontine mass, pinpoint lesions in the cerebellum and in the right kidney were the main macroscopic findings. A presumptive diagnosis of cerebral neoplasia with metastasis was formulated. Light microscopy revealed a huge number of yeasts surrounded by a pyogranulomatous inflammatory reaction in the cerebral parenchyma and, to a lesser extent, in the kidney, while the meninges were not involved. The positive mucicarmine stain that coloured the capsule of the yeasts was indicative of cryptococcal infection. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the presence of C. neoformans var. grubii (C. neoformans serotype A). Electron microscopy revealed yeasts with a massive fibrillar capsule and lamellar cell wall free in the cerebral tissue and within macrophages.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Clinical and pathological findings of acute zinc intoxication in a puppy.

This report describes the clinical and pathological findings in a case of acute zinc poisoning in a young dog. The puppy suffered four days of progressively more severe vomiting and diarrhoea. Jaundice and pale mucous membranes, severe haematemesis and haemoglobinuria were other findings. Despite intensive therapy, the dog died a few hours after hospitalisation. Postmortem examination revealed a metallic foreign body in the stomach, catarrhal gastritis, hepatomegaly and enlarged, dark kidneys. Histology showed hepatic centrilobular vacuolar degeneration, haemoglobinuric nephrosis with early tubular necrosis, haemosiderosis and extramedullary haematopoiesis, as well as neuronal damage. The foreign body was mainly composed of zinc. Plasma zinc values were markedly raised (34.5 microg/ml; normal range 0.8 to 1.0 microg/ml). Pathophysiological mechanisms of zinc poisoning are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Evaluating mitotic activity in canine and feline solid tumors: standardizing the parameter.

Three different methods for evaluating mitotic activity (mitotic count, mitoses/area, mitotic index) were applied to different types of canine and feline solid tumors to determine the method that is most objective and correlates best with other parameters of cell proliferation. Mitotic activity was evaluated on toluidine blue stained histological sections. Slides stained with histochemical (AgNOR proteins) and immunohistochemical (MIB1, PCNA) markers of cell proliferation were available for each case. Quantitation of mitotic activity and cell proliferation parameters was performed with an image analyzer. Mitotic activity assessment was compared with cell proliferation indices and its ability to discriminate tumors grouped on histologically based criteria including the histological type, malignant or benign characteristics, and grade. A significant correlation by linear regression analysis with other parameters assessing cell proliferation revealed that mitotic index correlated 1000% and mitoses/area and mitotic count correlated 40% of the time. In discriminating the proliferative activity of tumors grouped by histological criteria, mitotic index and mitotic count revealed 1000% concordance with the other parameters of cell proliferation, while mitoses/areas showed 80% concordance.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Pretelangiectasis and telangiectasis of the bovine liver: a morphological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study.

Forty-five livers from conventionally slaughtered Holstein-Friesian steers with telangiectasis were studied by histochemical methods, immunolabelling for fibronectin, laminin and type IV collagen, and transmission electron microscopy. None of the previously described changes in telangiectasis (necrosis, hepatitis, thromboembolism, dilatation of the space of Disse by glycogen extruded from hepatocytes and reduced density of the perisinusoidal reticulin framework) were evident. Pretelangiectasis (sinusoidal dilatation) and telangiectasis (blood-filled cavities) were characterized by sinusoidal barrier alterations, leading to sinusoidal capillarization; and there was progressive formation of a true basement membrane and perisinusoidal fibrosis. Comparison of bovine liver telangiectasis and human peliosis hepatis suggests that they have a similar pathogenesis. It is suggested that a primary alteration of the sinusoidal barrier is responsible for an increased deposition of basement membrane components (fibronectin, laminin, type IV collagen) in the perisinusoidal region, and fibrosis. These are likely to render the exchange of oxygen and substrates between blood and hepatocytes more difficult and to produce haemodynamic imbalances, leading to hepatocyte atrophy and eventually to sinusoidal disruption.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Blood and serous cysts in the atrioventricular valves of the bovine heart.

A survey of 30,907 slaughterhouse cattle (5,984 calves, 15,937 young adult, 8,986 cows) was carried out to determine the incidence of blood and serous cysts on atrioventricular valves. The cysts were classified by their content (blood/serous fluid), location (mitral/tricuspid valve), and size. Cyst wall samples were processed for histology, immunohistochemistry for factor VIII-related antigen, and transmission electron microscopy. The content of some cysts was studied by electrophoresis and biochemical and microbiologic methods. Older cows had a higher incidence (16.2%) than younger animals (11.5% in calves, 7.9% in steers, 6.4% in heifers), suggesting that the lesions may be acquired. Blood cysts were often present on both atrioventricular valves; serous cysts prevailed on the mitral valve. Cysts of both types were larger in older animals; serous cysts were larger than the blood cysts. Histologically, blood cysts contained fresh blood, and serous cysts were filled with a hyaline fluid devoid of cells, sterile, and biochemically similar to lymph. All the cysts were lined with endothelium, but a positive immunostaining for the factor VIII-related antigen was appreciable only in blood cysts. Ultrastructurally, the endothelium was composed of flat endothelial cells holding several cytoplasmic filaments, lying in blood cysts on a continuous and often laminated basal lamina with many cytoplasmic projections. The results support the hypothesis that cysts of the atrioventricular valves derive from the dilation of blood and lymphatic valvular vessels, do not regress with age, and are mainly the result of mechanical effects.

Aging↗
PubMed1992

Primary hepatic tumours in cattle. A classification of 66 cases.

A study of 66 primary hepatic tumours was carried out on cattle. These consisted almost entirely of adult females. Fifty hepatocellular tumours (10 adenomas and 40 carcinomas), 10 cholangiocellular tumours (three adenomas and seven carcinomas), two cavernous haemangiomas, two haemangioendothelial sarcomas, one fibroma and one Schwannoma were diagnosed. The 50 hepatocellular tumours were classified into adenomas (20 per cent) and carcinomas (80 per cent), both prevalent in the solitary macronodular form. The hepatocellular carcinomas were divided into six groups based on their distinctive histological arrangement and the morphology of the neoplastic cells: trabecular (55 per cent), pseudoglandular (10 per cent), solid (12 per cent), scirrhous (12 per cent), pleomorphic (7 per cent) and fibrolamellar (2 per cent). Twenty-seven of 50 hepatocellular tumours (54 per cent) were associated with features of blood-filled lakes resembling telangiectasis within the neoplastic tissue. Metastasis was uncommon (10 per cent of hepatocellular carcinomas) and grading according to Edmondson's system (1958) showed a low level of anaplasia in most carcinomas (55 per cent). An association with cirrhosis was never found.

Adenoma, Bile Duct↗
PubMed1976

Diaphragmatic blood flow and energy expenditure in the dog. Effects of inspiratory airflow resistance and hypercapnia.

To investigate the mechanisms which enable the diaphragm to preserve ventilation when the work of breathing is elevated, we measured diaphragmatic blood flow (Q di) and oxygen consumption (VO2 di) in lightly anesthetized dogs. The animals were studied when they breathed quietly, when they inhaled 5% CO2 in 21% or 14% O2, or when they inhaled these gas mixtures through moderate to severe inspiratory resistances. Q di was determined from the integrated diaphragmatic arteriovenous difference of krypton-85, by the Kety-Schmidt technique. VO2 di was calculated as the product of Q di and the diaphragmatic arteriovenous oxygen difference ([A-V]O2 di). Alteration in these parameters consequent to augmentation of ventilatory effort were compared with concomitant alterations in diaphragmatic electrical activity (EMG di) and an inspiratory pleural pressure-time index (PPTI). Addition of inspiratory resistances combined with inhalation of CO2 usually increased Q di and consistently increased VO2 di, EMG di, and PPTI, the maximum increases being approximately 400-1,600% above control levels. In individual animals, as inspiratory resistance was increased, VO2 di, EMG di, and PPTI rose in direct proportion to each other. In the group as a whole, during resistance breathing the oxygen requirements of the diaphragm were met by a combination of increased [A-V]O2 di and Q di. Unlike other skeletal muscles, oxygen extraction tended to plateau at peak loads, whereas blood flow continued to rise as PPTI and VO2 di increased. We conclude that augmentation of perfusion permits the diaphragm to sustain high levels of contractile effort when the work of breathing is increased.

Airway Resistance↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Severe acute gastritis associated with Helicobacter pylori infection.

We describe the case of a young female referred to our unit because of acute upper abdominal symptoms. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a gastric picture resembling lymphoma or acute non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug gastropathy (deep, large and irregular ulcers), but the clinical history and the histological examination of gastric biopsies were consistent only with acute gastritis Helicobacter pylori-correlated. The patient was treated with omeprazole and antibiotics with complete recovery. As the patient's cat had suffered from an acute gastrointestinal distress two weeks earlier, a case of zoonosis was hypothesized and an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed also on the cat. Unfortunately, we were not able to detect Helicobacter pylori in the cat gastric mucosa, but only urease-producing spiral microorganisms. Possible sources of infection and pathogenetic mechanisms of the severe gastritis are discussed.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Primary gastric histiocytic sarcoma in a dog--a case report.

A 12-year-old intact female mixed breed dog was presented for chronic, intermittent vomiting and diarrhoea. On endoscopic examination a protruding mass arising from the mucosal surface of the pyloric region was detected. Cytological and histological examination revealed an accumulation of pleomorphic round/oval phagocytic cells suggesting histiocytic origin. This was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. No extra-gastric involvement was detected on clinical examination or at necropsy. This is the first report of primary gastric histiocytic sarcoma in a dog.

Animals↗