Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Immunohistochemical study of degenerative myelopathy in Pembroke
By Ogawa, Mizue et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2011·Department of Veterinary Pathology, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Immunohistochemical observation of canine degenerative myelopathy in two Pembroke Welsh Corgi dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two Pembroke Welsh Corgis were diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy (DM), a progressive disease affecting the spinal cord that can cause weakness and loss of coordination. Researchers looked at the dogs' spinal tissue to understand the disease better, finding signs of oxidative stress and protein buildup, which may contribute to the condition. While the exact role of a specific gene mutation related to this disease is still uncertain, these findings suggest that oxidative stress could play a significant part in the progression of DM. Unfortunately, degenerative myelopathy is a serious condition, and there is currently no cure, but supportive care can help manage symptoms.
People also search for: Pembroke Welsh Corgi degenerative myelopathy symptoms · dog spinal cord disease treatment · canine DM care options
Abstract
Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess whether oxidative stress and/or denatured proteins play roles in the pathogenesis of canine degenerative myelopathy (DM). Two Pembroke Welsh Corgi (PWC) dogs with a homozygous mutation (c.118G>A) in the canine superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene were examined. The pathological features of the dogs were consistent with those of previous cases of DM in PWC. In the spinal lesions, diffuse SOD1 expression was observed in the neurons while no inclusion-like aggregates had formed, which disagreed with the findings of a previous study. A unique inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) staining pattern in reactive astrocytes and a significant increase in ubiquitin immunoreactivity in the spinal lesions were also observed. These findings indicate the involvement of oxidative stress and the accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins in the pathogenesis of canine DM, whereas the role of SOD1 remains unclear.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21628865/