Thirteen dogs, including 6 Rottweiler dogs, exhibiting clinical signs of spinal cord dysfunction and myelographically confirmed subarachnoid space enlargement were investigated. To characterize the lesions and to get a better understanding of their pathogenesis, different imaging techniques were used in association with explorative surgical procedures (12 dogs) and histopathologic techniques (5 dogs). All subjects underwent preoperative myelography, five of which were examined by computed tomography (CT) scanning and one by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow measurement (velocimetry). Most animals were <12 months old (7/13 dogs) and Rottweilers were over-represented (6/13 dogs). The lesions were mainly located dorsally with respect to the spinal cord (10/13 dogs) and in the cranial cervical area (8/13 dogs). MRI suggested spinal cord deviation with signs of ventral leptomeningeal adhesion opposite the enlarged space. In one dog, velocimetry confirmed that the "cyst" was freely communicating with the surrounding CSF space. Surgical investigation confirmed leptomeninges-induced ventral adhesion in 4/5 dogs. Follow-up studies, carried out from 6 months to 2.5 years postoperatively, showed there was full recovery in 8/13 dogs. This study suggests that the compression of the spinal cord is possibly not caused by a cyst. Adhesion resulting from a combination of microtrauma and chronic inflammatory processes induces a secondary enlargement of the subarachnoid space and may be a significant causative factor in spinal cord compression and dysfunction. The over-representation of Rottweilers and the young age of the animals in the study suggest a possible genetic predisposition and an inherited etiology.

Sagittal and transverse ultrasonographic images of the prostate gland were obtained in 100 healthy adult intact male dogs. Prostatic length, width, and height on transverse and sagittal images as well as the presence of prostatic cysts were determined. Linear regression and correlation analysis were performed between prostatic parameters (length, width, height on sagittal and transverse images, and estimated volume) and parameters related to body size (body weight, body height, left kidney length and aortic diameter) and age of the dogs. Significant positive correlations were found between all prostatic parameters and parameters related to body size and age. Maximum predicted values for prostatic parameters for a given body weight and age were determined based on the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval of the mean predicted values. Such values should represent a useful tool for ultrasonographic evaluation of the prostate in the dog. Prostatic cysts were found in 14% of the dogs.

Stapled 1-stage functional end-to-end anastomosis and resection is a fast and safe procedure in the hand of nonexpert but trained surgeons.

Overexpression of the ERBB2 oncogene is observed in about 30% of breast cancers and is generally correlated with a poor prognosis. Previous results from our and other laboratories indicated that elevated transcriptional activity contributes significantly to the overexpression of ERBB2 mRNA in mammary adenocarcinoma cell lines. Activator protein 2 (AP-2) transcription factors account for this overexpression through two recognition sequences located 215 and 500 bp upstream from the transcription start site. Furthermore, AP-2 transcription factors are highly expressed in cancer cell lines overexpressing ERBB2. In this report, we examined the cooperative effect of Yin Yang 1 (YY1) on AP-2-induced activation of ERBB2 promoter activity. We detected high levels of YY1 transcription factor in mammary cancer cell lines. Notably, we showed that YY1 enhances AP-2␣ transcriptional activation of the ERBB2 promoter through an AP-2 site both in HepG2 and in HCT116 cells, whereas a carboxyl-terminal-truncated form of YY1 cannot. Moreover, we demonstrated the interaction between endogenous AP-2 and YY1 factors in the BT-474 mammary adenocarcinoma cell line. In addition, inhibition of endogenous YY1 protein by an antisense decreased the transcription of an AP-2-responsive ERBB2 reporter plasmid in BT-474 breast cancer cells. Finally, we detected in vivo AP-2 and YY1 occupancy of the ERBB2 proximal promoter in chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Our data thus provide evidence that YY1 cooperates with AP-2 to stimulate ERBB2 promoter activity through the AP-2 binding sites.The ERBB2 proto-oncogene belongs to the epidermal growth factor receptor gene family and encodes a 185-kDa receptor tyrosine kinase (1). The ERBB2 gene is overexpressed in several human tumors, mostly in breast and ovary carcinomas where the overexpression is a marker of a poor prognosis (2).

Introduction Overexpression of the ERBB2 oncogene is observed in about 20% of human breast tumors and is the consequence of increased transcription rates frequently associated with gene amplification. Several studies have shown a link between activator protein 2 (AP-2) transcription factors and ERBB2 gene expression in breast cancer cell lines. Moreover, the Yin Yang 1 (YY1) transcription factor has been shown to stimulate AP-2 transcriptional activity on the ERBB2 promoter in vitro. In this report, we examined the relationships between ERBB2, AP-2α, and YY1 both in breast cancer tissue specimens and in a mammary cancer cell line.

The prevalence of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) has been estimated in the USA, Australia, UK, and Germany, but no data are available to date in France. The purpose of this study was to determine prevalence of PKD in Persian and Persian related breeds of cats in France. Medical records of all healthy cats presented for ultrasonographic screening of PKD between December 2000 and April 2002 were analysed from two centres (ENVL and ENVA). Cats were classified as positive when at least one anechoic cavity was found in at least one kidney. Prevalence of PKD was compared between the two screening centres, between different breeds evaluated, and between male and female using Chi-square test. A total of 310 cats were examined, including 92 at ENVL (57 Persians, 22 Exotic Shorthairs, 7 Chartreux, 4 Norwegian Forest Cats, and 2 Abyssins) and 218 at ENVA (163 Persians, 42 Exotic Shorthairs, 4 Chartreux, 4 British Shorthairs, 2 American Whirehairs, 2 Norwegian Forest Cats, and 1 American Shorthair). Prevalence of PKD was 41.8% in Persian cats and 39.1% in Exotic Shorthair. No PKD was detected in cats from other breeds. There was no significant difference between prevalence of PKD found in ENVL and ENVA, between prevalence of PKD in Persians and in Exotic Shorthairs, and prevalence of PKD in male and in female. Prevalence of PKD in Persians and Exotic Shorthair cats in France is currently high but is similar to prevalence in other parts of the world. Selection based on ultrasonographic detection of cysts should decrease prevalence of PKD in the future.

Twenty‐two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain studies of different breeds of dogs were reviewed to assess the anatomy of cranial nerve (CN) origins and associated skull foramina. These included five anatomic studies of normal brains using 2‐mm‐thick slices and 17 studies using conventional clinical protocols with 3‐ or 4‐mm slices on both normal and abnormal brains. Images were obtained in transverse, sagittal, and dorsal planes to allow a thorough comparison between studies. CNs II, III, V (and its divisions), and VIII were observed consistently on conventional studies. On the thin‐slice studies, the origins and proximal portions of CNN IV, VII, and the group of IX, X, and XI could be seen. The origins of CNN VI and XII were not observed with certainty. In parallel, a computed tomography study of an isolated skull was performed with a thin copper wire within each of the skull foramina to determine precisely each CN exit and to facilitate recognition of the course of CNs when exiting the skull on MRI images.

The ERBB2 gene is overexpressed in 30% of human breast cancers and this is correlated with poor prognosis. Overexpression of the ERBB2 gene is due to increased transcription and gene amplification. Our previous studies have identified a new cis element in the ERBB2 promoter which is involved in the gene's overexpression. This cis element, located 501 bp upstream from the main ERBB2 transcription initiation site, binds a transcription factor called HTF (HER2 transcription factor). We report here the identification of HTF as an AP-2 (activator protein-2) transcription factor. The new cis element is bound by AP-2 with high affinity, compared with a previously described AP-2 binding site located 284 bp downstream. Co-transfection of an AP-2alpha expression vector with a reporter vector containing the newly identified AP-2 binding site in front of a minimal ERBB2 promoter induced a dose-dependent increase in transcriptional activity. We examined the contribution of the new AP-2 binding site to ERBB2 overexpression. For this purpose we abolished the new and/or the previously described AP-2 binding sequence by site-directed mutagenesis. The results show that the two functional AP-2 sites in the first 700 bp of the ERBB2 promoter co-operate to achieve maximal transcriptional activity.