Relação da expressão de fatores de crescimento celular (IGF-1) e (SCF) com fatores prognósticos e o alvo da rapamicina em mamíferos (m-TOR) em mastocitomas cutâneos caninos

Electroretinography and immunohistochemistry of retina in rabbits treated with sildenafil citrate

Sildenafil citrate is a type-5 phosphodiesterase inhibitor (PDE-5), able to inhibit type-6 phosphodiesterase (PDE-6) as well, providing clinical benefits and paraeffects, some of them potentially related to the retina. The effects of the sildenafil on the retrobulbar and retinal circulation were studied in 27 adult male rabbits of the White New Zealand breed. The electric activity of the retina was evaluated before and at the end of the treatments, and immunohistochemistry studies were conducted. An amplitude increase of the b wave was found in the mixed response of cones and rods after 7 days of treatment with sildenafil citrate. However, in the other evaluations and periods, the values did not differ from the basal ones. Through immunohistochemistry, no significant decrease of the expression of PDE-5 and PDE-6 proteins was observed. Based on the results obtained, it is possible to admit that the sildenafil citrate did not change the expression of PDE-5 and PDE-6, neither the electroretinographic activity of the retina of male rabbits of the White New Zealand breed.

Ki67/KIT double immunohistochemical staining in cutaneous mast cell tumors from Boxer dogs

Cutaneous mast cell tumors (MCTs) are among the most frequent malignant tumors in dogs and Boxer breed dogs have a higher incidence of this disease. Ki67 staining and KIT staining are widely used to predict natural behavior in canine MCT but no previous study has evaluated double staining of these proteins as a prognostic factor. Based on biological behavior predictors in canine MCT, the purpose of this study was to determine the Ki67 proliferative index in KIT positive cells using double stain immunohistochemistry technique. Sixty-nine MCTs from Boxer dogs were selected and a tissue microarray was constructed for the double stained immunohistochemistry. Double positivity (Ki67(+)/KIT(+)) was observed in 20/69 (29%) MCT, with a mean of 9.06 double positive cells per tissue core (range 0.48%-43.97%) and Ki67(-)/KIT(+) animals had a longer survival time than Ki67(+)/KIT(+) animals (p=0.03).