A case of rapid recurrence of apocrine ductal carcinoma originating from the oral scent gland of a Richardson's ground squirrel (Urocitellus richardsonii)

Morphological study of apocrine gland tumors in domestic Richardson's ground squirrels (Urocitellus richardsonii)

The morphology of 58 apocrine tumors from 31 domestic Richardson's ground squirrels (Urocitellus richardsonii) was examined, comparing tumor subtypes with clinical information and histological findings. The squirrels included 23 males (74%) and 8 females (26%). Of the 58 tumors, 36 (62%) were located from the cervical skin to the dorsal skin, 17 (29%) were from the perioral region to the cheek, and the location was unrecorded for the remaining 5 squirrels (9%). Histologically, 49 tumors (84%) were apocrine adenocarcinomas, 6 were apocrine adenomas (10%), and 3 were apocrine cysts (5%). The 49 apocrine adenocarcinomas were subclassified as 16 (33%) cystic papillary type, 16 (33%) tubulopapillary type, 12 (24%) solid type, and 5 (10%) micropapillary invasive type. Fisher's exact test revealed correlations between tumor subtypes and tumor diameters, nuclear atypia, tumor margins, vascular invasion, and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) positivity. This study showed a predominance of apocrine adenocarcinomas with various histological subtypes. In addition, subclassification of these tumors was useful for predicting the biological behavior of apocrine gland tumors in Richardson's ground squirrels.

Doxazosin and Carvedilol Treatment Improves Hepatic Regeneration in a Hamster Model of Cirrhosis

Regulation of the mechanisms of fibrosis is an important goal in the treatment of liver cirrhosis. One mechanism is the participation of hepatic stellate cells in fibrogenesis when activated by catecholamines. Consequently, α/β adrenoblockers are proposed as an alternative treatment for chronic liver lesions such as fibrosis and/or cirrhosis and for possible liver regeneration. We herein analyzed the effect of doxazosin and carvedilol treatments during the regeneration of tissue in a hamster model of liver cirrhosis. Tissue samples were examined by H&E and PAS to evaluate tissue damage and with Sirius red to assess collagen fiber content. ALT, AST, albumin, and total proteins were examined by spectrophotometry. Determination of the levels of α-SMA and TGF-β in hepatic tissue was examined by Western blot and of the expression of TIMP-2, MMP-13, α-FP, HGF, CK-7, and c-Myc was examined by qPCR. Treatment with doxazosin or carvedilol prompted histological recovery and reduced collagen fibers in the livers of cirrhotic hamsters. The expression of TIMP-2 decreased and that of MMP-13 increases in animals treated with adrenoblockers with respect to the group with cirrhosis. Additionally, the concentration of α-SMA and TGF-β declined with both drugs with respect to placebo p<0.05. On the other hand, each drug treatment led to a distinct scenario for cell proliferation markers. Whereas doxazosin produced no irregularities in α-FP, Ki-67, and c-Myc expression, carvedilol induced an increment in the expression of these markers with respect to the intact. Hence, doxazosin and carvedilol are potential treatments for the regression of hepatic cirrhosis in hamsters in relation to the decrease of collagen in the hepatic parenchyma. However, at regeneration level we observed that doxazosin caused slight morphological changes in hepatocytes, such as its balonization without affecting the hepatic function, and on the other hand, carvedilol elicited a slight irregular expression of cell proliferation markers.