Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Epidermal growth factor and muscle changes in dogs with perineal
By Pérez-Gutiérrez, J F et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2011·Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Spain·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Epidermal growth factor and active caspase-3 expression in the levator ani muscle of dogs with and without perineal hernia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with perineal hernia, a condition that causes weakness in the pelvic muscles, showed signs of muscle damage and changes in certain proteins when examined. The study found that these dogs had more of a protein linked to cell death (active caspase-3) and less of a growth factor (transforming growth factor-alpha) compared to healthy dogs. This suggests that the muscle atrophy and damage seen in dogs with perineal hernia might be related to these changes in protein levels. Understanding these factors could help in developing better treatments for this condition.
People also search for: dog perineal hernia symptoms · dog pelvic muscle weakness · treatment for dog hernia
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To perform a histological and immunohistochemical study of epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha and their receptor, as well as the apoptotic signal active caspase-3 in the levator ani muscle of dogs with and without perineal hernia. METHODS: Biopsy specimens of the levator ani muscle were obtained from 25 dogs with perineal hernia and 4 non-affected dogs and were processed for Masson and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The affected dogs exhibited myopathological features, internalised nuclei, destruction and abnormal size of muscle fibres, which were replaced by collagen. The immunohistochemical study revealed active caspase-3, epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha and epidermal growth factor receptor in the levator ani. Compared to the healthy muscle, transforming growth factor-alpha staining intensity was lower in the affected muscle, whereas epidermal growth factor receptor and active caspase-3 staining were higher. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Pelvic diaphragm muscle weakening is the leading cause of perineal hernia in the dog. Survival and death signals expressed in these muscles may contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease. This study reports epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha and epidermal growth factor receptor immunohistochemical expression in the skeletal muscle and suggests that perineal hernia in the dog is accompanied by levator ani muscle atrophy, increased expression of epidermal growth factor receptor, caspase-3 activation, and decreased expression of transforming growth factor-alpha.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21671944/