Canine cutaneous mast cell tumours (MCTs) have a variable biologic behaviour, and accurate staging is necessary to dictate therapy and predict outcome. Regional lymph node (RLN) involvement is a relevant prognostic factor. While obvious lymph node (LN) metastases are relatively easy to be diagnosed, micrometastatic disease recognition is challenging. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the number of mast cells (MCs) in the LNs of clinically healthy dogs (n = 4, group 1), dogs with inflammatory diseases (n = 31, group 2) and dogs with cutaneous MCT (n = 27, group 3), including animals with no RLN metastases (subgroup 3.1), those with occasional MCs in RLNs (3.2) and those with obvious RLN metastasis (3.3). MCs also were morphometrically evaluated for the following nuclear parameters: mean nuclear area (MNA), mean nuclear perimeter (MNP), largest to smallest diameter length (LS ratio), mean nuclear form factor and coefficient of variation of nuclear area. The average percentages of MCs were 0.0 and 0.01 in groups 1 and 2, respectively, and 0.07, 2.4 and 47.1 in subgroup 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3. MNA and MNP were significantly higher in subgroup 3.3 than in group 2 (P < 0.05). MNA and MNP in subgroup 3.2 suggested the presence of neoplastic MCs; this prediction of micrometastatic load correlated with outcome. Analysis of preliminary results shows that nuclear morphometry is useful to detect micrometastatic disease in RLN of dogs bearing cutaneous MCTs.

Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and TherapeuticsVolume 29, Issue s1 p. 204-205 G03Aliamides modulate skin mast cell degranulation in dogs and cats A. MIOLO, Scientific Information and Documentation Centre (CeDIS), Innovet Italia Srl, Rubano (Padova), ItalySearch for more papers by this authorG. RE, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorR. BARBERO, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorM. GIORGI, Department of Animal Pathology Prophylaxis and Food Hygiene, University of Pisa, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorR. LEOTTA, Department of Animal Productions, University of Pisa, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorS. AUXILIA, Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, University of Utrecht, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this authorC. NOLI, Ospedale Veterinario Cuneese, Borgo S.Dalmazzo (Cuneo), ItalySearch for more papers by this authorF. ABRAMO, Department of Animal Pathology Prophylaxis and Food Hygiene, University of Pisa, ItalySearch for more papers by this author A. MIOLO, Scientific Information and Documentation Centre (CeDIS), Innovet Italia Srl, Rubano (Padova), ItalySearch for more papers by this authorG. RE, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorR. BARBERO, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorM. GIORGI, Department of Animal Pathology Prophylaxis and Food Hygiene, University of Pisa, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorR. LEOTTA, Department of Animal Productions, University of Pisa, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorS. AUXILIA, Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, University of Utrecht, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this authorC. NOLI, Ospedale Veterinario Cuneese, Borgo S.Dalmazzo (Cuneo), ItalySearch for more papers by this authorF. ABRAMO, Department of Animal Pathology Prophylaxis and Food Hygiene, University of Pisa, ItalySearch for more papers by this author First published: 30 August 2006 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2885.2006.00765_4.xCitations: 2Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume29, Issues1October 2006Pages 204-205 RelatedInformation

Mast cells (MC) are pivotal in wound healing. Adelmidrol, a synthetic autacoid, can down‐regulate MC degranulation and potentially accelerate healing and improve cosmetic outcome. This study evaluated an Adelmidrol gel on MC in experimental wounds. Two rows of six 5‐mm wounds were created in 10 beagles and allowed to heal; one row was treated daily with therapeutic gel and the other with vehicle only. Treated and control 8‐mm samples of wounds were taken after 1, 2, 4, 8 and 14 days, fixed in formalin and paraffin embedded. Four‐micrometer sections were stained with toluidine blue for MC counts and densitometry. Counts (MC/mm2) were obtained from areas lateral to and within the ulcer/granulation tissue, and in deep dermis/panniculus. A decreasing trend in MC counts occurred throughout days 1 (3.8 ± 11.3), 2 (4.3 ± 14.9) and 4 (4.3 ± 9.9) compared to day 0 (5.0 ± 10.6), followed by an increase at day 8 (6.0 ± 12.3) and a significant increase at day 14 (10.0 ± 18) compared to days 1, 2 and 4 in granulation tissue and perifollicular areas (P < 0.05) and deep dermis/panniculus (P < 0.01). No difference in MC counts was detected between treated andcontrol wounds. Preliminary data from two dogs showed granulation density was higher in treated wounds from day 2 (119.1 ± 27.4 vs. 69.4 ± 14.2) until day 14 (92.4 ± 22.1 vs. 67.9 ± 12.9). In conclusion, MC populations seem to change during wound healing. The autacoid gel did not alter MC numbers, but decreased degranulation. Funding: Royal Veterinary College, Innovet.

Assessment of re‐epithelialization is commonly used to evaluate rates of cutaneous wound healing in experimental studies with treated and control wounds; results may be expressed as percentage of re‐epithelialization over the wound surface. This is difficult with crusted lesions where wound margins are obscured. However, even when measured histologically, this approach does not allow accurate assessment of dermal repair. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the use of clinical assessment, high‐resolution ultrasound (HRU) and histological morphometry in assessment of mode and rate of healing in open wounds of canine skin. The dorsal thoracolumbar area of 10 beagle dogs was clipped and two rows of six full‐thickness cylinders of skin removed (5‐mm punch biopsies) on either side of the midline under general anaesthesia. Wounds were allocated randomly on left and right sides to treatment or control groups and wound gel (active formulation or base) applied twice daily; wounds were allowed to form a scab and heal by second intention. Concentric 8‐mm punch biopsy samples of the healing wounds were taken on days 1, 2, 4, 8 and 14 for histopathological assessment, leaving two wounds per dog to be followed by HRU throughout the study. Wounds were imaged longitudinally and transversely with 20 MHz HRU daily for 28 days using the wound gel as the transmission medium. Wound morphometry was performed on the digital HRU images (diameter at top, middle and bottom, and depth of wound) and on sections from paraffin‐embedded biopsy specimens. The 8‐mm biopsies were not uniformly concentric in relation to the original wounds, owing to concealment of wound margins by crust formation. This confirmed the inaccuracy of visual assessment of healing in the crusted lesions. To allow for asymmetrical positioning of the 8‐mm biopsies, trigonometric extrapolation was used to calculate the real extent of the ulcer and re‐epithelialization; only specimens including both left and right wound margins were used. Measurements at days 4, 8 and 14 were log transformed and analysed using a split‐plot model and the LSD Tukey test. Tongues of new epithelium were 0.20 ± 0.07 mm (SE) at day 4 (11.1%), 0.37 ± 0.08 mm at day 8 (19.3%), and 0.73 ± 0.07 mm at day 14 (35.7%) (P < 0.05). High‐resolution ultrasound provided images throughout the skin allowing differentiation of the wound and surrounding collagen. Longitudinal and transverse measurements of wound depth and width were analysed using a mixed model with post hoc Bonferroni adjustment. Depth reduction was linear whereas width was not. Depth reduced most consistently and rapidly, followed by width at the bottom and then at the middle and top (P < 0.001); wounds narrowed more rapidly transversely (P < 0.001). Dermal healing was still incomplete at 28 days. Scanning with HRU enables frequent, noninvasive, quantitative assessment of structural changes deep within wounds in canine skin. The method shows great promise. Histopathological assessment allows more precision, but does not allow serial examination of wound sites. Funding: The Royal Veterinary College, Innovet.

INTRODUCTION – The study of the morphometric parameters of milk fat globules can aid in increasing our knowledge of the relationship between the number and dimensions of globules and the chemical, nutritional and technological characteristics of milk and its by-products. It is well-known that the fat globules secreted from the mammary cell are of heterogeneous dimensions, and at present the process of their synthesis in the cell is not yet entirely clear (Keenan, 2001). The few studies previously carried out on livestock mainly concern dairy cattle....

Several studies have pointed out that even under similar environmental conditions, fatty acid composition in milk from dairy cattle of different breeds may be not homogeneous (Beaulieu and Palmquist, 2000; Palmquist et al., 1993; Bitman et al., 1995). The higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids in Friesian milk, compared to that of Jerseys, may be related to the physical characteristics of fat globules (Timmen and Patton, 1988; Jensen et al., 1991; Scolozzi, 2002). Milk fat globules of heterogeneous dimensions have been described for many years (Walstra, 1969), but it is still uncertain whether a link exists between the morphometric characteristics of fat globules and their chemical composition (Polidori et al., 1995). In this study we proposed to investigate the relationship between milk fatty acid composition and the morphometric characteristics of fat globules.