Background:Canine mammary carcinoma (CMC) is characterised by a chronic inflammatory microenvironment resembling human breast cancer; however, the upstream regulatory mechanisms driving this phenotype remain unclear. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has emerged as a potential modulator of inflammation and tumour biology. This study investigated the role of the ECS in CMC and evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabidiol (CBD). Methods:Primary cell cultures were established from surgically excised CMC tissues, with matched normal mammary epithelium used as controls. Basal mRNA expression of ECS-related receptors (CB1, CB2, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 [TRPV1], G-protein-coupled receptor 55 [GPR55] and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha [PPAR-α]) and inflammatory mediators (COX-1, COX-2, interleukin [IL]-4, IL-6, IL-33, IL-17A, tumour necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α] and LCN2) was assessed by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Cytokine secretion (IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α and IL-17A) was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cell viability assays were performed to determine the 24-h IC50 of CBD (32 µM), and sub-cytotoxic concentrations (3, 10 and 20 µM) were subsequently applied for 24 h. Results:Canine mammary carcinoma-derived cells exhibited significant overexpression of ECS receptors (CB1, CB2, TRPV1, GPR55 and PPAR-α) compared to normal controls. These cells also showed increased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α and IL-17A. Treatment with CBD at 10-20 µM significantly downregulated key inflammatory genes, particularly COX-2, IL-6 and TNF-α, and reduced corresponding cytokine release without compromising cell viability. Conclusion:The ECS is upregulated in CMC and appears to contribute to the inflammatory tumour microenvironment. Cannabidiol effectively attenuates this inflammatory phenotype at sub-cytotoxic concentrations, supporting its potential as a therapeutic agent in CMC.

Canine mammary gland tumors are widely recognized as a spontaneous and translational model for breast cancer research. However, the lack of robust ex vivo culture systems capable of preserving tissue architecture and tumor microenvironment limits their experimental use. The aim of this study was to develop and characterize an ex vivo histoculture model of canine mammary tumors using heterologous equine platelet-rich plasma as a culture substrate. Fresh tumor specimens obtained during surgical excision were sectioned and cultured in physiological saline solution or platelet-rich plasma for up to 21 days. Tissue preservation was evaluated through macroscopic inspection, histological assessment, and immunohistochemical analysis of epithelial, mesenchymal, proliferative, and hypoxia–related markers. Tumor explants cultured with platelet-rich plasma showed superior macroscopic integrity, preservation of native tissue architecture, and reduced autolytic changes compared with controls. Immunohistochemical findings demonstrated sustained epithelial and stromal cell integrity, maintained proliferative activity, and limited hypoxic signaling. Overall, platelet-rich plasma provided a biologically supportive microenvironment that prolonged tissue viability ex vivo. This histoculture model represents a cost–effective and ethically refined platform for translational oncology, supporting drug testing, tumor biology studies, and reduction of animal use in accordance with the principles of replacement, reduction, and refinement.

IntroductionIntra-articular (IA) administration of local anaesthetic drugs has been widely reported in shoulder, elbow, ankle and knee arthroscopy in human medicine. The use of IA adrenaline to control bleeding in arthroscopy is relatively common, but its combined effect with local anaesthetics on perioperative pain has not been studied in dogs. This study aims at evaluating the efficacy of IA shoulder administration of lidocaine or lidocaine plus adrenaline in dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) as pre-emptive analgesia during arthroscopic surgery under general anaesthesia.MethodsTwenty-four dogs were randomly assigned to receive a bolus of lidocaine 2% (group L), a mixture of lidocaine and adrenaline (group LA) or saline solution (NaCl 0.9%) (Control group-group C), injected into a shoulder joint before arthroscopic surgery. Haemodynamic and respiratory parameters were recorded at scheduled times: Baseline (B) at stable anaesthesia and before the painful stimuli; joint injection (J) and 5, 10, 15 minutes post J; trocar insertion (T) and 5, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60 minutes post T. If at least one of the baseline parameters among heart rate, respiratory rate and indirect systolic blood pressure increased by more than 20%, a bolus of 0.2 μg/kg of sufentanil was administered intravenously as rescue analgesia.ResultsResults of this study show that the total dose of sufentanil and the number of boluses required during surgery were significantly lower in group L [odds ratio 6.28 (95% CI: 2-07–18.98)] and LA [odds ratio 8.45 (95% CI: 2.44–29.27)] compared to group C. In group LA, the time of first sufentanil bolus administration was significantly delayed compared to the other two groups. Significant differences in the variability of haemodynamic parameters were observed for HR (p = < 0.001), DAP (p = 0.041), RR (p = 0.013) at T0 (Baseline, before treatment). These findings indicate greater parameter variability in dogs of Group C (control group) compared with the other groups.Discussion/ConclusionCompared with placebo, intra articular administration of lidocaine or lidocaine combined with adrenaline just before shoulder arthroscopic surgery in dogs reduces the intraoperative requirement for sufentanil, indicating that this local analgesic approach contributes effectively to a multimodal analgesic protocol.

Objective:To evaluate short- and long-term patient outcomes retrospectively, investigate anesthetic and surgical times, and assess clinically relevant surgical wound complications associated with the use of needle-tip monopolar electrocautery for folded-flap palatoplasty. Methods:This retrospective observational study included a cohort of client-owned dogs presented to a single referral hospital (2019 to 2024). All dogs underwent a standardized multilevel surgical approach, including folded-flap palatoplasty, Trader (suture-less) rhinoplasty, ala-vestibuloplasty, and tonsillectomy, as indicated. When available, surgical and anesthetic times and 14-day examinations were recorded. Short-term follow-up was performed at 6 weeks postoperatively with objective functional grading, and long-term follow-up was conducted via a telephone owner questionnaire. Results:66 dogs met the inclusion criteria. At the 6-week follow-up, significant improvement in brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome functional grades was observed. The mean (± SD) anesthetic time was 84 ± 17.59 minutes. The intraoperative complication rate was 9%. The overall postoperative complication rate was 25.7%, with 19.7% minor complications, no surgical wound complications, and a 6% mortality rate. At a median follow-up of 19 months, 94.3% of owners reported high satisfaction and 86.4% to 92.8% of dogs showed excellent improvement in respiratory and gastrointestinal health. Conclusions:An acceptable overall complication rate was observed in all patients. No clinically relevant surgical wound breakdowns were observed in any patients. Clinical Relevance:Needle-tip monopolar electrocautery did not increase the postoperative complication rate or worsen outcomes.

Equine testicular disorders represent a diverse group of conditions that impact the longevity of a stallion's breeding career. Stud farm veterinarians should be familiar with the variety of clinical presentations and diagnostic options for these conditions. This retrospective case series reports 57 cases of testicular abnormalities in stallions and donkeys presented to the clinic for further diagnostics and treatment. These disorders included neoplasia (three unilateral and one bilateral seminoma; two Sertoli cell tumors; two Leydig cell tumors; and one malignant mixed sex cord-stromal tumor), six cases of testicular hypoplasia and disorders of sexual development (DSDs), twenty-four cases of cryptorchidism with compensatory hypertrophy/hyperplasia, and two cases of monorchidism. Among the monorchid horses, one of these involved an abdominal retained testicle with a concurrent Leydig cell tumor, whereas the second presented a normally scrotal testis. Additional diagnoses consisted of testicular degeneration, including suspected anabolic steroid-induced hypogonadism, spermatic cord torsion, hydroceles, periorchitis, scrotal sarcoid associated with severe testicular degeneration, parasitic orchitis and periorchitis associated with Strongylus vulgaris and Setaria equina, one infectious epididymitis with orchitis in a donkey, and one case of ectopic adrenal cortical tissue within the testicular parenchyma. Rarely observed disorders included cystic ectasia of the rete testis in a cryptorchid testis and ischemic necrosis following failed laparoscopic castration without orchidectomy. This case series reviews the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic techniques, and outcomes of various testicular diseases, providing a guide to facilitate case management in private practice. Additionally, it offers histopathologic descriptions of most cases, which are often missing from routine diagnostics but are crucial for definitive diagnosis. These findings demonstrate that horse testicular diseases encompass a wide range of neoplastic, developmental, degenerative, infectious, and parasitic conditions that can coexist and often go unnoticed until they progress.

A 3-year-old Quarter horse stallion with unilateral left cryptorchidism was referred for the absence of the left testis in the scrotal bursa and an enlarged right testis. The ultrasonographic examination revealed the presence of the left testis at the abdominal level. Two small hyperechogenic lines were observed running parallel and resembling a cylindrical cavitary foreign body, within a non-homogeneous area with blurred margins. The testis was removed by laparoscopy and macroscopically, the testis's cut section revealed the presence of two live adult nematodes emerging from 2 mm blood-filled tracks within the testicular parenchyma. The parasites were isolated and washed in sterile saline solution and morphologically classified as Strongylus vulgaris. Histologically, the tracks were characterized by a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates with abundant haemorrhage invading the surrounding structures. S. vulgaris erratic migration has been reported in the retained testis of stallions, but this localization is considered uncommon; the case here reported is one of the few cases reported in the literature highlighting the rarity of S. vulgaris aberrant localization into the equine cryptorchid testis. This case also reports the ultrasonographic findings related to the parasite presence and track.

Mammary tumours are the most common neoplasia in adult female dogs. Mastectomy leads to moderate to severe pain. Effective pain management is crucial in veterinary medicine. This review outlines analgesic techniques for managing perioperative pain in dogs undergoing mastectomy. A literature search on dog mastectomy analgesia was conducted from January 2001 to January 2025. Pre-emptive meloxicam reduces postoperative cardiovascular changes without affecting renal function. When combined with gabapentin, it lowers the need for rescue analgesic opioids, similar to robenacoxib. With regard to tramadol, it offers contrasting analgesia in the studies considered when used alone, while its effect appears enhanced when used in combination with meloxicam/dipyrone. However, methadone provides superior pain control, especially when given preoperatively or intraoperatively. The combination of ketamine, lidocaine, and maropitant enhances pain management, while fentanyl, alone or with lidocaine and ketamine, is effective for intraoperative pain control. Local infiltration with lidocaine/bupivacaine provides effective pain control, and devices like Comfont-in® or WSC facilitate this process. Tumescent anaesthesia using lidocaine/ropivacaine allows for extensive infiltration of the mammary gland. Epidural analgesia, paravertebral blocks, and TAP blocks are beneficial in multimodal protocols. Transdermal patches containing fentanyl/buprenorphine offer prolonged analgesia, while electroacupuncture can help reduce the need for rescue analgesics. Multimodal analgesic protocols are crucial for effective pain management in dog mastectomy surgeries, minimising the need for rescue opioids.

Elongated soft palate is a pathological condition that frequently affects dogs and is often treated surgically by staphylectomy. The aim of the study was to compare clinical efficacy and tissue invasiveness of two staphylectomy techniques: Onemytis® with Airplasma® technology versus CO₂ laser. Thirty-six dogs with elongated soft palate were included in a prospective, randomized clinical trial and allocated into two groups: 18 in Group OM (Onemytis®) and 18 in Group CO2 (CO2 laser). Outcomes assessed included clinical parameters (clinical score, surgical duration, owner satisfaction), histological features (edema, thermal damage, hyperemia, margin regularity), and immunohistochemical markers (Caspase-3, Heat Shock Proteins, T.U.N.E.L expression) to evaluate surgical efficacy and iatrogenic injury. The clinical outcome showed satisfactory and similar clinical efficacy for both surgical techniques (P > 0.05). The duration of surgery with Onemytis® was significantly shorter (P = 0.0004). Histological (P < 0.0001) and immunohistochemical analyses (HSP and T.U.N.E.L: P < 0.0001; Caspase-3: P > 0.05) consistently indicated that Onemytis® was less invasive than CO₂ laser, causing reduced collateral tissue damage. Both instruments are suitable in performing staphylectomy in dogs with elongated soft palate, however the results of the present study suggest that Onemytis® is faster and induces less trauma on pharyngeal tissue compared to CO2 laser.

Oral nerve blocks are an indispensable technique for pre-emptive pain management in various veterinary procedures, including tooth extractions. Local anaesthetic drugs are considered the safest and the most effective agents to inhibit oral pain. Recently, tramadol was used as an adjuvant to local anaesthetics to increase the duration of analgesia. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of maxillary nerve block induced by lidocaine or lidocaine-tramadol on perioperative pain in dogs undergoing upper fourth premolar extraction. A randomized blinded clinical study was conducted over five months involving sixteen animals divided into two groups, Group L (8 animals, Group Lidocaine) and Group LT (8 animals, Group Lidocaine-Tramadol). Both drugs provided effective pain control during and after surgical intervention, but lidocaine-tramadol resulted in longer analgesia than lidocaine alone. These findings suggest that the maxillary nerve block with lidocaine-tramadol can ensure adequate and prolonged pain control in dogs undergoing dental extraction. Although these are preliminary results, tramadol showed promising effects as a potential drug to use during oral surgery in association to local anaesthetics.

Laparoscopic ovariectomy is generally performed with equids in the standing position, with the animals heavily sedated and restrained in stocks. This procedure may be quite painful, and it is essential first to manage intraoperative pain to complete the surgery, respecting the animal’s welfare and, at the same time, ensuring the safety of the operators. Laparoscopy requires multiple small incisions to introduce the instruments, with one to two incisions enlarged sufficiently to remove the ovary. The surgical procedure must be associated with effective pain control, usually obtained with loco-regional anaesthesia, mesovarian injection, mesovaric or ovarian topical anaesthesia, and epidural anaesthesia. This systematic review aims to discuss articles published from 2003 to 2023 on treating loco-regional anaesthesia in standing laparoscopic ovariectomy in association with an evaluation of pain. The literature review was undertaken according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines on three databases (NCBI-PubMed, Web of Science, and SciVerse Scopus). Despite the collected papers numbering 36, we identified only five eligible papers, demonstrating that few studies are performed in order to evaluate the quality of analgesia with loco-regional anaesthesia in standing laparoscopic ovariectomy in equids. The authors of this systematic review agree that the association of injectable and epidural anaesthesia is the best solution to manage intraoperative pain in standing laparoscopic ovariectomy in equids.

The aim of this study was to determine the most appropriate sedation protocol for a standing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination in horses, comparing continuous rate infusions (CRIs) of detomidine and romifidine combined with a single bolus of morphine. Sixteen horses referred for standing low-field open-magnet MRI were randomly assigned to one of two sedation protocols. The horses were premedicated with 0.03 mg/kg of intramuscular acepromazine, and those animals belonging to Group D received an intravenous (IV) loading dose of detomidine (0.01 mg/kg) 30 min later, while those of Group R received romifidine (0.04 mg/kg). If the horses were inadequately sedated, an additional dose of IV detomidine (0.005 mg/kg) or romifidine (0.02 mg/kg) was administered, according to the animal’s group. During the MRI, a single IV bolus of morphine (0.05 mg/kg) was administered, and according to which group it belonged to, the animal started the administration of detomidine (0.01 mg/kg/h) or romifidine (0.02 mg/kg/h). Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), rectal temperature (RT), depth of sedation, and degree of ataxia were evaluated every 10 min during MRI. Two horses belonging to Group D and four horses from Group R needed additional sedation before entering the MRI unit because they were unsatisfactorily sedated. No side effects were observed following morphine bolus administration. During the MRI procedure, five horses in Group R received an additional IV romifidine bolus (0.01 mg/kg) because the depth of sedation score was 1 and the ataxia score was 0. Any substantial differences were recorded between the two treatments in terms of HR, RR, and RT. In conclusion, at the doses used, a detomidine–morphine combination following a CRI of detomidine appears more suitable than a romifidine–morphine combination following a CRI of romifidine for maintaining an adequate depth of sedation and adequate immobility in horses undergoing standing MRI.

Macrophages are among the main actors in cancer immunoediting, with several functions, including recycling iron and packaging it in hemosiderin. Even though TAMs are widely studied in breast cancer and canine mammary tumors, hemosiderin-laden macrophages (HLMs) have not received as much attention. Considering the growing interest in iron metabolism in cancer, this study aims to evaluate the presence of HLMs in canine mammary tumors. Fifty cases of canine mammary carcinomas presenting aggregates of pigmented macrophages were chosen. Prussian blue and Meguro staining were performed to assess the presence of iron. Immunohistochemistry was carried out to try to identify macrophagic phenotypes and hypothesize their role. Evaluation of the H&E sections showed that pigmented macrophages were variously localized in peritumoral and stromal areas. These pigmented cells were variably stained with Prussian blue and reacted strongly with DAB in the Meguro staining method, thus confirming the presence of iron within them. In their immunohistochemistry, the HLMs were negative for the MAC387 but positive for CD 204 and VEGF. Considering their positivity for CD 204, HLMs could be M2 macrophages that supply iron to both the neoplastic cells and the tumor inflammatory microenvironment, promoting angiogenesis and protecting cancer cells from hypoxia.

Reproductive surgery in commercial swine is limited by the relative limited financial value of animals with limited market value. In herds containing animals with high genetic value, biosecurity concerns often preclude the movement of animals to a hospital facility. Performing some procedures on the farm may be economically feasible and reduce culling rates. Growing concerns for animal welfare and the increasing popularity of pigs as pets dictates a larger involvement of veterinarians in surgical procedures in swine.1 This manuscript describes common reproductive surgeries for male swine, practical anesthetic protocols, and the post-operative treatments that a veterinary practitioner should be able to perform. The most frequently requested surgery in boars is castration, which is usually performed by management during the first week of age as a portion of on-farm processing. In adult boars, castration is occasionally requested to improve the quality of the meat and reduce the boar taint in animals destined for slaughter. Orchiectomy of adult boars is increasingly requested for pot-bellied pigs, and other breeds maintained as pets and rescued by “sanctuaries” to avoid unwanted breedings and reduce aggressive behavior. Inguinal herniation, a common disorder in intact boars, often requires surgical correction in both production settings and pet pigs. Because of the presumed heritable basis, surgery in animals intended for breeding should be discouraged. Swine have one of the highest incidences of cryptorchidism among common livestock species.2 Surgical correction of cryptorchidism in breeding animals is strongly discouraged due to the likelihood of a heritable basis for the failure of testicular descent. Cryptorchidectomy as a portion of bilateral castration is often requested for animals being shown in livestock exhibitions and occasionally in commercial facilities for animals intended for slaughter.

Prenatal diagnosis comprises a set of investigations, both instrumental and laboratory-based, which aim to monitor the health of the foetus during pregnancy, from the early stages of embryonic development to the moments preceding delivery. A growing interest is emerging for the preterm ultrasound morphological screening of embryos and foetuses, aimed at assessing the integrity and viability of the conceptus, as well as the early diagnosis of anomalies which can cause complications. This study is a retrospective study of the ultrasonographic findings of twins in the authors’ clinical activity from 2016 to 2022. Only seven cases of monochorionic twins were recorded, out of the whole number of evaluations performed on 3120 foetuses, with a prevalence of 0.6% and 0.2% in feline and canine foetuses. All the twins had their own amniotic sac and umbilical cord but presented a single placenta and a single allantoic sac. Unfortunately, the three feline cases were not more recognizable at term. In the four canine cases, three were of opposite sex and then necessarily dizygotic. Twins may have an impact on the success of a pregnancy due to the risk of dystocia, as observed in some of the reported cases. Prenatal ultrasound allows early recognition of twins in dogs and cats.

Background In veterinary clinical practice, orchiectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures for cats and is performed mainly in young animals. The purpose of this study was to compare three different epidural (EP) analgesic protocols used in cats undergoing orchiectomy in order to determine which protocol resulted in superior outcomes in terms of perioperative analgesia. Twenty-one client-owned male cats were premedicated with a combination of dexmedetomidine (10 µg/kg) and midazolam (0.2 mg/kg) injected intramuscularly. Anesthesia was induced intravenously with propofol. Cats were randomly divided in three treatment groups of seven animals each: Group L received EP lidocaine (2 mg/kg), Group T received EP tramadol (1 mg/kg), and Group LT received EP lidocaine (2 mg/kg) plus tramadol (1 mg/kg). The post-operative pain level was assessed using two different scales: the Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale-Feline (CMPS-F) and the Feline Grimace Scale (FGS). Rescue analgesia was administered when the CMPS-F total score was ≥5 or the FGS total score was ≥4. Results No adverse effects related to tramadol or lidocaine were observed. Based on post-operative pain assessments, significant differences between groups were observed according to both pain scoring systems. In particular, in Group LT, the CMPS-F and FGS scores decreased significantly in the first six hours following castration. Conclusions Based on our results, EP lidocaine plus tramadol provided the best post-operative analgesic effects in cats submitted to orchiectomy lasting 6 h and could also be a choice to consider for longer surgical procedures.

In this study we compared the heavy metal concentration found in different tissues and eggs of the loggerhead sea turtle and evaluated the potential ecotoxicological risk for this important species. Eighteen heavy metal elements were determined in different tissues (liver, gonads, fat, kidney, heart, brain, and spleen) of nine individuals of Caretta caretta found stranded along the coasts of Messina (Sicily, Italy) and in the shell and yolk of six eggs from the island of Linosa (Sicily, Italy). For the analysis of the heavy metals, we used the analytical procedures in accordance with the EPA 200.8 method supplemented by EPA 6020b with three replicates for each measurement. The elements analysed showed different organotropism even if the liver showed higher levels of bioaccumulation. Turtles’ tissues showed the highest values of iron in the liver, followed by zinc in the heart and arsenic in the kidney. Regarding eggs, zinc, iron, and barium were dominant in the yolk and iron, boron, and copper in the eggshell. From the analyses carried out the worrying levels of arsenic and cadmium in the kidneys and liver of C. caretta raise questions about the risk related to exposure to these non-essential elements. This study highlights the importance of multi-element biomonitoring by increasing knowledge on the biodistribution of 18 heavy metals and the related potential risks for C. caretta. We also exploring for the first time the presence of several heavy metals in the eggs and their possible implication for the survival of the species.

Background: Intravaginal devices containing progestins are widely used for oestrus synchronization in sheep. Progestins give economic benefits to farmers but may have some limitations and the efficacy strictly depends on farm management. There are different devices, with different molecules (progesterone, medroxyprogesterone acetate, fluorogestone acetate), different dosages and long (12-14 days) and short-term (5-7 days) protocols. Experimental studies often include a limited number of animals and are held at different latitudes and with different system of management. To our knowledge, there are few reports in the literature on field application of the recently licensed 20 mg fluorogestone acetate (FGA) sponges in large ewe flocks, excluding the registration trials. Materials, Methods & Results: This study was designed to evaluate oestrous synchronization in 2 different breeds. A total of 1100 Lacaune (L) and 618 Sarda (S) were assigned to 8 groups, comparing multiparous (M) and nulliparous (N) and those synchronized in November (n) and May (m). The groups were: LMm (n. 556), LNm (n. 180), SMm (n. 70), SNm (n. 32), LMn (n. 242), LNn (n. 222), SMn (n. 440) e SNn (n. 76). The intravaginal sponge was inserted for 14 days. At sponge withdrawal, eCG (400 IU, IM) was injected, and rams were joined into flocks 30 h later with a male/female ratio of 1:8. Transrectal ultrasonography was performed for pregnancy diagnosis after 30 days. Fertility parameters such as oestrus (OR), pregnancy (PR), lambing rates (LR) and prolificacy were calculated. Fisher exact test was used to compare parameters of each group with the corresponding and significance was set at P < 0.01. The use of intravaginal sponges in this study was easily performed in all animals. In nulliparous groups, digital insertion of the sponge, instead of the applicator, was preferred to avoid discomfort. Sponge loss was observed in 2% of treated ewes. At the removal of the sponge, mild vaginal contamination was observed in 90% of the ewes. Ultrasound finding of embryo resorption, pseudopregnancy and pyometra were found in rates under 2%. The loss of pregnancy ranged from 0 to 3.6% without significant differences among groups. The SMn group showed the best performances (0.91 OR, 0.88 PR, 0.85 LR), significantly higher than the other groups. Prolificacy was maximum in the LMn (1.68) and minimum in the SNm group (1.06), without significant differences among groups. Discussion: The 14-day regimen based on 20 mg FGA-releasing intravaginal devices is an easy and satisfactory synchronization regimen to improve the productivity and the fertility of sheep farm, and this can be managed and optimized in different breeding conditions. In this study, Sarda breed shows a good adaption to the environment with adult ewes giving the best results in reproductive season. However young Sarda ewes were less productive especially in non-breading season. Lacaune showed good reproductive potential, young and adult ewes responded to progestins in reproductive and non-reproductive season. It was confirmed that the reproductive performance is affected by season, age, and breed. This study encourages the breeding of indigenous breeds by implementing the management with modem technologies. The imported highly productive breeds, if well managed, can give a production less influenced by seasonal variables and age.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of intratesticular or intrafunicular lidocaine to reduce perioperative nociception and cytokine release in ponies undergoing field castration under total intravenous anaesthesia. Before castration, one group was injected with intrafunicular (FL) lidocaine and the other received intratesticular (TL) lidocaine. All ponies were premedicated with acepromazine (0.05 mg/kg) intramuscularly. Twenty minutes after the administration of acepromazine, xylazine (1 mg/kg) and butorphanol (0.02 mg/kg) were administered intravenously. Lidocaine 2% was given 1 mL/100 kg intrafunicularly in the FL groups or 2 mL/100 kg intratesticularly on each testicular side for TL. Surgery was performed by the same team of two experienced surgeons using Serra’s emasculator and an open technique was used for all ponies in order to promote postoperative drainage. In this study, we focused on the plasmatic levels of TNF-α and IL-6. The results from this study showed a significant difference in plasmatic concentrations of TNF-α and IL-6 between the two different locoregional anaesthetic protocols. Taken together, the results suggest that the intrafunicular lidocaine locoregional anaesthesia could be a useful technique in the anaesthesia protocol for field pony castration.

Neoplastic progression is influenced by the expression of tumour antigens that activate an anti-tumour immune response. Human medical studies show that this body defence is carried out in secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) but also directly in the tumour through organized cellular aggregates that are called tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs). However, their occurrence has different meanings in different tumour types. For example, the presence of TLSs in breast cancer is associated with the most aggressive subtypes. This paper aimed to study TLSs in canine mammary simple carcinomas. A morphological assessment of the inflammatory infiltrate was performed on H&E sections of fifty cases. Immunohistochemistry was then carried out to typify the inflammatory cells in the tumour microenvironment. Results showed that, sometimes, inflammatory infiltrates were organized in follicles close to high-grade carcinomas, simulating a lymphoid organization, as in breast cancer. Therefore, we can assume that even in canine mammary tumours, TLSs exist and they are entities to consider due to their presence in the most aggressive histotypes or tumours with a high degree of malignancy.

In Europe, approximatively 100 000 to 500 000 tendon repairs are performed every year. These procedures are associated with a considerable rate of postoperative complications (from 6% to 11%). Autologous micro-grafts (AAMG) and stromal vascular fraction (SVF) have been shown to improve tendon healing in 60% to 70% of treated rodents. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of AAMG in a sheep model with tendinopathy. We used sheep models because, as a large animal, they are more comparable to humans. The hypothesis was that SVF injection would improve tendon healing compared with the control group, reducing inflammatory and matrix degrading, while increasing anti-inflammatory expression and collagen synthesis in the early stage of tendon injury. Sixteen Apennine sheep aged 2 to 5 years underwent 500 UI type I collagenase injection into both common calcaneal tendons (CCT) to induce tendinopathy. After 15 days (T0), one CCT in every ovine underwent randomly to 2.5 mL of AAMG obtained by mechanical disruption and the contralateral CCTs received no treatment. Clinical, ecographic, and sonographic evaluations were performed after 4 weeks (T1) and 8 weeks (T2). Histological, immunohistochemical, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and biomechanical evaluations were performed at T2. At T2, the treated group showed a final tendon diameter (9.1 ± 1.4 mm) and a hardness expression (62%) that were similar to the original healthy tendon (8.1 ± 1.1 mm; 100%), with a significant recovery compared with the control group (9.5 ± 1.7 mm; 39%). Moreover, histological analysis of the treated group revealed an improvement in the fiber orientation score, fiber edema score, infiltrative-inflammatory process, and necrosis score (4.3 ± 3.3) compared with control group (8.8 ± 2.9). Immunohistochemically, the treated group showed high expression of collagen 1, Factor VIII and significantly low expression of collagen 3. These data were confirmed by RT-PCR analysis. The study findings suggested that AAMGs obtained through mechanical disruption present a safe, efficient, and reliable technique, enhancing tendon healing.