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Distribution of Adipocyte Mitocondria in Bos taurus
96
ESVP and ECVP Proceedings 2016
J. Comp. Path. 2017, Vol. 156, 54e141
DISTRIBUTION OF ADIPOCYTE MITOCONDRIA IN BOS TAURUS E. Gagniuc *, P.A. Gagniuc y, C. Gal *, M. Gherghiceanu z and M. Militaru* *University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Bucharest, y Faculty of Engineering in Foreign Languages, Politehnica University of Bucharest and zNational Institute of Pathology ‘Victor Babes’, Romania Introduction: Mitochondria play a crucial role in the energy homeostasis of the body. An important aspect in understanding the dynamics behind metabolic regulation is the distribution of mitochondrial populations in adipose tissue. The aim of our study was to establish a correlation between the size and the number of mitochondria of white adipocytes for different body condition scores. Materials and Methods: In this study, three groups of cows were used: (1) cachectic, (2) normal weight and (3) overweight. Adipose tissue samples (1 mm3) from the subcutaneous region and the kidney area were collected for electron microscopical analysis of mitochondria. Results: In this study, 678 mitochondria were measured. Overall, the average length of mitochondria in cow adipocytes was 0.64 mm (SD 0.41) and the average width of mitochondria was 0.25 mm ( SD 0.09). The main observation consisted of a distribution void of ‘forbidden’ mitochondrial size in which no mitochondrion in adipocytes was within the range of length of 0.7e1.2 mm and width of 0.4e0.6 mm. Conclusions: The maximum average volume of mitochondria observed in this study was found in cattle of normal weight. Interestingly, the average volume of mitochondria in overweight cattle adipocytes is less than the average volume of mitochondria in normal weight cattle adipocytes, which suggests that the physiological state and /or mechanical stress exerted by the lipid droplets in obesity reduces the volume of adipocyte mitochondria.
A CRYPTIC CASE OF CANINE CRYPTOCOCCOSIS IN IRELAND J.M. Schoening *, T. Cogan y, B. Kirby z and H. Jahns* *Pathobiology Section, Ireland, ySchool of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, UK and zSmall Animal Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland Introduction: Cryptococcosis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans or C. gattii is an important mycotic disease in immunosuppressed hosts and affects many mammalian species worldwide. However, it is reported rarely in Ireland. The characteristic histological lesion is a mass of encapsulated yeasts with a mild granulomatous inflammatory reaction mainly causing rhinitis, meningitis and dermatitis. Occasionally, dissemination to the lung and other organs occurs. Materials and Methods: A 2.5-year-old female springer spaniel was presented to the University Veterinary Hospital Dublin, with a 12-day history of a subcutaneous mass on the neck (pyogranulomatous panniculitis), inappetence and pyrexia (41 C). Radiographs showed multifocal pulmonary nodules. The dog died despite treatment. Results: Post-mortem examination identified the mass on the neck as severe granulomatous lymphadenitis. Multifocal widespread granulomas were further seen in the lungs and in the nasal cavity. All lesions were associated with fibrinous vasculitis and necrosis. No aetiological agent could be detected on HE and numerous histochemical stains. Microbiological tissue cultures were negative. Subsequent fluorescence in-situ hybridization revealed multifocal clusters of fungi identified as C. neoformans. PCR and sequencing results will follow. Conclusions: This is an unusual presentation of a sporadic disease in a dog. The widespread granulomas associated with vasculitis and marked tissue damage in the absence of the characteristic large numbers of encapsulated yeasts in an immunocompetent host suggest that the disease was caused by an over exuberant inflammatory reaction. C. neoformans should be considered as a differential diagnosis in subcutaneous granulomas where no infectious agent is detectable by routine histological methods.
A CASE OF SYSTEMIC CANINE PROTOTHECOSIS IN ITALY R. Di Lecce *, E. Bianchi *, M. Dolera y, A. Corradi *, V. Bertani * and A.M. Cantoni* *OU General Pathology and Pathological Anatomy, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Cremona and yLa Cittadina Fondazione Romanengo, Cremona, Italy Introduction: Protothecosis is a rare disease of man and animals caused by aerobic, unicellular, achlorophyllic algae of the genus Prototheca, family Chlorellaceae. Canine infections tend to be more severe, with systemic dissemination of the disease. In Italy, Prototheca spp. mastitis in cattle is well known, but very few cases of canine protothecosis have been reported. Materials and Methods: A 2-year-old, male mixed-breed dog was referred with a 30-day history of poorly localized pain and neurological signs. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed multifocal lesions compatible with meningoencephalitis. In the 3 weeks following MRI, the neurological signs remained stable, but the dog developed anorexia and vomiting. Acute renal insufficiency was diagnosed. Because of this severe complication, the dog was humanely destroyed at the request of the owner and a complete post-mortem examination was performed. Results: Post-mortem examination and histopathological evaluation revealed multiple disseminated inflammatory foci associated with algae-like structures with cell walls positive with periodic acideSchiff and methenamine silver stain. Morphological features were consistent with Prototheca spp. Conclusions: Protothecosis should be included in the list of differential diagnoses of an animal with signs of multifocal lesions of the CNS, especially when an inflammatory process affecting multiple organs is present.
INFECTED RESERVOIR HOSTS SUGGEST A NOVEL ENDEMIC AREA FOR BORNA DISEASE IN AUSTRIA H. Weissenb€ ock *, J. Kolodziejek y, B. Hager z and N. Nowotnyy,x *Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, yInstitute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, zVeterinary Practice St. Agatha, Austria and xDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Introduction: In 2015, two cases of Borna disease were diagnosed in horses from Upper Austria. The cases occurred within a short time period and the distance between the affected stables was 5 km. In order to show whether the causative agent was also harboured by its reservoir host, the bicoloured white-toothed shrew (Crocidura leucodon), 28 shrews from this geographical area were collected and investigated for presence of Borna disease virus-1 (BoDV-1). Materials and Methods: The shrew species were identified according to taxonomic features and molecular barcodes, and were investigated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and RT-PCR, respectively. Amplification products were subjected to sequencing and the acquired sequences were compared to GenBank entries for BoDV-1 as well as to unpublished sequence data. Results: Among the 28 shrews, nine were identified as C. leucodon and 13 as Sorex araneus. Six C. leucodon (66.7%) and one S. araneus (7.7%) had BoDV-1 infections. In accordance with previous findings, IHC of C. leucodon showed abundant amounts of viral antigen in many neural and extraneural tissues. In contrast, the single positive S. araneus had an exclusively neural labelling pattern. The acquired sequences were not identical with each other, but clustered around the sequences of the horses with BD from the region. Conclusions: These findings underline that the BoDV-1 lineages show a strict regional genetic clustering, which is related to the territorially-bound reservoir hosts. Further, this is the first description of a BoDV-1 infection in a shrew species other than C. leucodon, probably due to a spillover event.
ESVP and ECVP Proceedings 2016
J. Comp. Path. 2017, Vol. 156, 54e141
DISTRIBUTION OF ADIPOCYTE MITOCONDRIA IN BOS TAURUS E. Gagniuc *, P.A. Gagniuc y, C. Gal *, M. Gherghiceanu z and M. Militaru* *University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Bucharest, y Faculty of Engineering in Foreign Languages, Politehnica University of Bucharest and zNational Institute of Pathology ‘Victor Babes’, Romania Introduction: Mitochondria play a crucial role in the energy homeostasis of the body. An important aspect in understanding the dynamics behind metabolic regulation is the distribution of mitochondrial populations in adipose tissue. The aim of our study was to establish a correlation between the size and the number of mitochondria of white adipocytes for different body condition scores. Materials and Methods: In this study, three groups of cows were used: (1) cachectic, (2) normal weight and (3) overweight. Adipose tissue samples (1 mm3) from the subcutaneous region and the kidney area were collected for electron microscopical analysis of mitochondria. Results: In this study, 678 mitochondria were measured. Overall, the average length of mitochondria in cow adipocytes was 0.64 mm (SD 0.41) and the average width of mitochondria was 0.25 mm ( SD 0.09). The main observation consisted of a distribution void of ‘forbidden’ mitochondrial size in which no mitochondrion in adipocytes was within the range of length of 0.7e1.2 mm and width of 0.4e0.6 mm. Conclusions: The maximum average volume of mitochondria observed in this study was found in cattle of normal weight. Interestingly, the average volume of mitochondria in overweight cattle adipocytes is less than the average volume of mitochondria in normal weight cattle adipocytes, which suggests that the physiological state and /or mechanical stress exerted by the lipid droplets in obesity reduces the volume of adipocyte mitochondria.
A CRYPTIC CASE OF CANINE CRYPTOCOCCOSIS IN IRELAND J.M. Schoening *, T. Cogan y, B. Kirby z and H. Jahns* *Pathobiology Section, Ireland, ySchool of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, UK and zSmall Animal Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland Introduction: Cryptococcosis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans or C. gattii is an important mycotic disease in immunosuppressed hosts and affects many mammalian species worldwide. However, it is reported rarely in Ireland. The characteristic histological lesion is a mass of encapsulated yeasts with a mild granulomatous inflammatory reaction mainly causing rhinitis, meningitis and dermatitis. Occasionally, dissemination to the lung and other organs occurs. Materials and Methods: A 2.5-year-old female springer spaniel was presented to the University Veterinary Hospital Dublin, with a 12-day history of a subcutaneous mass on the neck (pyogranulomatous panniculitis), inappetence and pyrexia (41 C). Radiographs showed multifocal pulmonary nodules. The dog died despite treatment. Results: Post-mortem examination identified the mass on the neck as severe granulomatous lymphadenitis. Multifocal widespread granulomas were further seen in the lungs and in the nasal cavity. All lesions were associated with fibrinous vasculitis and necrosis. No aetiological agent could be detected on HE and numerous histochemical stains. Microbiological tissue cultures were negative. Subsequent fluorescence in-situ hybridization revealed multifocal clusters of fungi identified as C. neoformans. PCR and sequencing results will follow. Conclusions: This is an unusual presentation of a sporadic disease in a dog. The widespread granulomas associated with vasculitis and marked tissue damage in the absence of the characteristic large numbers of encapsulated yeasts in an immunocompetent host suggest that the disease was caused by an over exuberant inflammatory reaction. C. neoformans should be considered as a differential diagnosis in subcutaneous granulomas where no infectious agent is detectable by routine histological methods.
A CASE OF SYSTEMIC CANINE PROTOTHECOSIS IN ITALY R. Di Lecce *, E. Bianchi *, M. Dolera y, A. Corradi *, V. Bertani * and A.M. Cantoni* *OU General Pathology and Pathological Anatomy, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Cremona and yLa Cittadina Fondazione Romanengo, Cremona, Italy Introduction: Protothecosis is a rare disease of man and animals caused by aerobic, unicellular, achlorophyllic algae of the genus Prototheca, family Chlorellaceae. Canine infections tend to be more severe, with systemic dissemination of the disease. In Italy, Prototheca spp. mastitis in cattle is well known, but very few cases of canine protothecosis have been reported. Materials and Methods: A 2-year-old, male mixed-breed dog was referred with a 30-day history of poorly localized pain and neurological signs. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed multifocal lesions compatible with meningoencephalitis. In the 3 weeks following MRI, the neurological signs remained stable, but the dog developed anorexia and vomiting. Acute renal insufficiency was diagnosed. Because of this severe complication, the dog was humanely destroyed at the request of the owner and a complete post-mortem examination was performed. Results: Post-mortem examination and histopathological evaluation revealed multiple disseminated inflammatory foci associated with algae-like structures with cell walls positive with periodic acideSchiff and methenamine silver stain. Morphological features were consistent with Prototheca spp. Conclusions: Protothecosis should be included in the list of differential diagnoses of an animal with signs of multifocal lesions of the CNS, especially when an inflammatory process affecting multiple organs is present.
INFECTED RESERVOIR HOSTS SUGGEST A NOVEL ENDEMIC AREA FOR BORNA DISEASE IN AUSTRIA H. Weissenb€ ock *, J. Kolodziejek y, B. Hager z and N. Nowotnyy,x *Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, yInstitute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, zVeterinary Practice St. Agatha, Austria and xDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Introduction: In 2015, two cases of Borna disease were diagnosed in horses from Upper Austria. The cases occurred within a short time period and the distance between the affected stables was 5 km. In order to show whether the causative agent was also harboured by its reservoir host, the bicoloured white-toothed shrew (Crocidura leucodon), 28 shrews from this geographical area were collected and investigated for presence of Borna disease virus-1 (BoDV-1). Materials and Methods: The shrew species were identified according to taxonomic features and molecular barcodes, and were investigated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and RT-PCR, respectively. Amplification products were subjected to sequencing and the acquired sequences were compared to GenBank entries for BoDV-1 as well as to unpublished sequence data. Results: Among the 28 shrews, nine were identified as C. leucodon and 13 as Sorex araneus. Six C. leucodon (66.7%) and one S. araneus (7.7%) had BoDV-1 infections. In accordance with previous findings, IHC of C. leucodon showed abundant amounts of viral antigen in many neural and extraneural tissues. In contrast, the single positive S. araneus had an exclusively neural labelling pattern. The acquired sequences were not identical with each other, but clustered around the sequences of the horses with BD from the region. Conclusions: These findings underline that the BoDV-1 lineages show a strict regional genetic clustering, which is related to the territorially-bound reservoir hosts. Further, this is the first description of a BoDV-1 infection in a shrew species other than C. leucodon, probably due to a spillover event.