Abstract. A case of atypical mucosal xanthomas in a 14-year-old Shi-Tzu dog is reported. Grossly, 1-6-mm granular plaques or slightly elevated papillary nodules were found in the oral cavity (dorsal and ventral sides of the tongue, inner upper lip) and in the upper digestive tract (esophagus, stomach). Microscopically, subepithelial aggregates of large foamy cells were found in strong association with papillary epithelial hyperplasia. By immunohistochemistry, the majority of these cells tested positive for lysozyme and ACM1. The cells had cytoplasmic lipid content that stained positively with oil red O. These findings confirmed a monocyte/macrophage lineage. On the basis of macroscopic observations, microscopic changes, and the absence of a clinical metabolic defect, the condition in this dog appears similar to that of humans with oral verruciform xanthoma. The pathogenesis of these xanthomas in the dog remains obscure, although this condition appears to affect people and dogs with an Asian origin.

Abstract. A case of presumed primary muscular lymphoma in an 8-year-old, intact, male Newfoundland dog is reported. The dog was presented for evaluation of an infiltrating ventral cervical mass, respiratory distress, and anorexia of 1-month duration. Fine-needle aspiration of the mass revealed anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Despite chemotherapy, health status declined and the animal was euthanized a few weeks later. At necropsy, the mass infiltrated the cervical muscles and extended ventrally to the left forelimb and cranially to the tongue and laryngeal musculature. Other muscles were infiltrated by the same neoplasm (diaphragm and intercostal, abdominal, and gluteal muscles) indicating a probable multicentric origin. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of anaplastic large cell lymphoma, which showed a strong muscular tropism. Immunohistochemical staining revealed neoplastic cell reactivity for cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3) and Ki-67 antigens (70% and 90%, respectively). The neoplastic cells were negative for CD79a. The presumed histological diagnosis in this dog was primary muscular anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma.

The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the incidence and severity of tubular atrophy/hypoplasia in the testes of 104 control Göttingen minipigs aged 4.5 to 15 months. The finding was termed ''tubular hypoplasia/atrophy'' according to published descriptions for the dog. It included different microscopic changes that were considered part of a continuum, namely seminiferous epithelium vacuolation, presence of multinucleated germ cells in the tubular lumen, and decreased numbers (hypospermatogenesis) or absence of germ cells. This retrospective study demonstrates that tubular hypoplasia/atrophy is present in more than 70% of Göttingen minipigs and can occur at a marked severity in control animals. It correlated with a higher level of cell debris and a decrease in sperm content in the epididymides and with lower absolute and relative testes weights. There was no correlation with the weight of other sexual organs, total bodyweight, or age, which demonstrates that this change was not related to sexual immaturity. The distinction between this background finding and a compound-related effect could be challenging for the pathologist.

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In situ hybridization (ISH) is used for the localization of specific nucleic acid sequences in cells or tissues by complementary binding of a nucleotide probe to a specific target nucleic acid sequence. In the last years, the specificity and sensitivity of ISH assays were improved by innovative techniques like synthetic nucleic acids and tandem oligonucleotide probes combined with signal amplification methods like branched DNA, hybridization chain reaction and tyramide signal amplification. These improvements increased the application spectrum for ISH on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. ISH is a powerful tool to investigate DNA, mRNA transcripts, regulatory noncoding RNA, and therapeutic oligonucleotides. ISH can be used to obtain spatial information of a cell type, subcellular localization, or expression levels of targets. Since immunohistochemistry and ISH share similar workflows, their combination can address simultaneous transcriptomics and proteomics questions. The goal of this review paper is to revisit the current state of the scientific approaches in ISH and its application in drug research and development.

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