Hyperplasia of somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide immunoreactive cells in dogs with idiopathic atrophy of the exocrine pancreas

Juvenile pancreatic atrophy in Greyhounds: 12 cases (1995-2000)

BACKGROUND

This study describes compound failure of the endocrine and exocrine pancreas in Greyhounds, a condition that has not been reported in the veterinary literature.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the clinical and pathologic findings in 12 Greyhounds with juvenile pancreatic atrophy.

ANIMALS

Ten Greyhounds presented for necropsy examination and 2 sibling Greyhounds presented for clinical evaluation before necropsy, all with a history of small-bowel diarrhea.

PROCEDURES

Retrospective study of laboratory and pathologic findings in 12 Greyhounds, including serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity assays, oral glucose tolerance testing, and serum anti-insulin antibody concentrations.

RESULTS

Gross pancreatic atrophy was found in all 12 dogs. Histopathologic lesions were found in both the endocrine and exocrine pancreas and included acinar cell apoptosis, zymogen granule loss, cytoplasmic clearing or vacuolar change, lobular atrophy, islet loss, and lymphocytic or lymphoplasmacytic pancreatitis. Antemortem test results on the 2 Greyhound puppies indicated concurrent exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

Compound failure of the exocrine and endocrine pancreas is rarely reported in dogs and neither disease is well recognized in the Greyhound. This condition is of potential economic importance to the Greyhound racing industry.

Pancreatic acinar atrophy in German shepherd dogs and rough-coated collies. Etiopathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment. A review

In pancreatic acinar atrophy (PAA) a selective destruction of digestive enzyme-producing acinar cells leads to maldigestion signs typical of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). Although the clinical disease is well-known, the etiopathogenesis of PAA has been long remained obscure. German shepherd dogs and rough-coated Collies with PAA show similar genetic, clinical and pathological findings indicating a similar etiopathogenesis of the disease in these two breeds. In this review article the etiopathogenesis of PAA is discussed, including the current suggestion of autoimmune nature of the disease. The diagnostic methods for detection both early and end-stage exocrine pancreatic dysfunction are described, as well as the treatment options and prognosis.

Exocrine pancreatic atrophy in German Shepherd Dogs and Rough-coated Collies: an end result of lymphocytic pancreatitis

Previously published studies of the pathology of canine exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) have been based on morphological findings during the clinical phase of the disease, when atrophy of acinar parenchyma occurs. Recently, low serum trypsinlike immunoreactivity (TLI) concentration has been shown to precede clinical signs, making it possible to diagnose EPI prior to onset of the clinical disease. This study presents histological and ultrastructural findings of pancreatic biopsies from 11 German Shepherd Dogs and 2 Rough-coated Collies with subclinical EPI (SEPI). These findings were compared with those from dogs with clinical EPI (n = 11) and healthy control dogs (n = 5). Biopsied tissue from dogs with SEPI typically contained both normal and atrophied acinar parenchyma. The most significant finding was the marked lymphocytic infiltration, which was most prevalent at the border zone of affected and nonaffected parenchyma but had spread into the normal acinar tissue. Numerous intraacinar lymphocytes were found. Most of the lymphocytes were positive by immunostaining for CD3. In more advanced stages of destruction, the findings were characteristic of pancreatic acinar atrophy. In the atrophied parenchyma, the inflammatory reaction, if present, was less prominent. Ultrastructural changes were in accordance with those of the histological study showing infiltration of lymphocytes both in affected acini and in acini that revealed no obvious ultrastructural changes. Progressive degenerative changes of acinar cells were considered a nonspecific finding. Apoptotic death of acinar cells was occasionally found. The inflammatory reaction was clearly shown to precede the pancreatic acinar atrophy, and the findings suggested that lymphocytic pancreatitis leads to atrophy of the pancreas. The possibility that EPI is an immune-mediated disease in German Shepherd Dogs and Rough-coated Collies is discussed.

A comparative immunohistochemical study of pancreatic islets in laboratory animals (rats, dogs, minipigs, nonhuman primates)

The aim of the present study was to distinguish and describe the patterns of distribution of pancreatic islets within the pancreas of four species of laboratory animals, including rats, dogs, minipigs and monkeys, and furthermore, to identify immunohistochemically various islet cell types and characterize their content. Histopathological examinations were performed on sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunostained using rabbit polyclonal antibodies (pAb) against insulin, glucagon, pancreatic polypeptide (PP), somatostatin, chromogranin A, keratin, bombesin and gastrin, or mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against synaptophysin, Leu-7 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in three-step rabbit immunoperoxidase (PAP) and streptavidin/peroxidase (StreptABC/HRP) reactions. Positive immunohistochemical reactions were observed in the pancreatic islets of all animal species with all antibodies, except with anti-bombesin and anti-gastrin antibodies. Our results revealed that: 1) there is species specific regional arrangement of islets in the pancreas, 2) each species presents a characteristic distribution of cells producing different hormones. 3) immunoreactivity with immunohistochemical markers varies between species and/or age. The present comparative immunohistochemical study could be helpful for answering questions which are important for understanding some of the intricate mechanisms that govern the integrated function of the endocrine pancreas.

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency combined with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in a juvenile German shepherd dog

Canine juvenile-onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is a rare disease. While pancreatic acinar atrophy is a well known picture in the dog, the simultaneous occurrence with an endocrine insufficiency has never been clearly established. The clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical findings of a three-month-old German shepherd dog with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus concurrent with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency are described.