Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Why Shar-Pei Dogs Have Thick Wrinkled Skin from Extra Hyaluronic Acid
By Docampo, María José et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2011·Departament de Bioquí, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Increased HAS2-driven hyaluronic acid synthesis in shar-pei dogs with hereditary cutaneous hyaluronosis (mucinosis).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A Chinese shar-pei dog was found to have thickened, wrinkled skin due to a condition called hereditary cutaneous hyaluronosis (HCH), which is linked to an excess of a substance called hyaluronan in the skin. Researchers discovered that the skin cells of these dogs produced more hyaluronan than those of other dogs, leading to the characteristic skin changes. This condition is genetic and is a result of increased activity of a specific enzyme responsible for making hyaluronan. While there is no specific treatment mentioned, understanding this condition can help veterinarians manage the skin issues associated with HCH in shar-peis.
People also search for: shar-pei skin problems · hereditary cutaneous hyaluronosis treatment · dog thickened skin causes
Abstract
The Chinese shar-pei dog is known for its distinctive feature of wrinkled and thickened skin, defined as primary or hereditary cutaneous mucinosis. In a recent report, we identified the mucinous material deposited in the shar-pei skin as the polysaccharide hyaluronan (HA). In the present work, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this phenotype have been identified in dermal fibroblasts isolated from shar-pei dogs. The production of HA, which appeared to be mainly associated with cell membrane protrusions and also intracellular, was higher in shar-pei fibroblasts than in control cells. The HA accumulation is related to a higher mRNA expression of the isoform HAS2 of the HA-synthesizing enzyme family, hyaluronan synthases (HAS). The higher expression of HAS2 in shar-pei fibroblasts was confirmed at the protein level. The other HAS isoenzymes, HAS1 and HAS3, and the HA-degrading enzymes, Hyal1 and Hyal2, were not differentially expressed in shar-pei fibroblasts compared with cells from control dogs. Fibroblasts from shar-pei dogs and from control dogs are morphologically different as observed by transmission electron microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a large number of cellular protrusions with associated globular deposits. Electron microscopy after labelling with biotinylated HA-binding protein confirmed an increased HA content in shar-pei fibroblasts, which could be localized in several subcellular structures. The authors propose the name hereditary cutaneous hyaluronosis (HCH) for affected dogs, because it better defines the cutaneous mucinosis of shar-pei dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21718367/