Neoplasms of the urinary tract in fish.

The veterinary literature contains scattered reports of primary tumors of the urinary tract of fish, dating back to 1906. Many of the more recent reports have been described in association with the Registry of Tumors in Lower Animals, and most of the spontaneous neoplasms of the kidney and urinary bladder are single case reports. In rare instances, such as described in nephroblastomas of Japanese eels and tubular adenomas/adenocarcinomas of Oscars, there is suggestion of a genetic predisposition of certain populations to specific renal neoplasms, environmental carcinogenesis, or potentially an unknown infectious etiology acting as a promoter. Hematopoeitic neoplasms have been infrequently described as primary to the kidney of a variety of fish species, and therefore those case reports of renal lymphoma and plasmacytic leukemia are addressed within the context of this review.

Temporal and spatial patterns in tumour prevalence in brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus (Lesueur) in the tidal Potomac River watershed (USA).

For two decades, fish tumour surveys have been used to monitor habitat quality in the Chesapeake Bay (USA) watershed. Tributaries with sediments contaminated with polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), known to cause liver neoplasia, were frequently targeted. Here, we compare surveys in brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus conducted in 2009-2011 in the tidal Potomac River watershed (including the Anacostia River) with previous surveys. Using logistic regression, we identified length and sex as covariates for liver and skin tumours. We reported a statistically significant decrease in liver tumour probabilities for standardized 280 mm Anacostia bullheads between the 1996 and 2001 samplings (merged collections: female-77.5%, male-43.0%) and 2009-2011 (female-42.2%, male-13.6%). However, liver tumour prevalence in bullheads from the Anacostia, Potomac River (Washington, DC) and Piscataway Creek (17 km downriver) was significantly higher than that for Chesapeake Bay watershed reference locations. The causes of skin tumours in bullheads are uncertain, requiring further research. The similar liver tumour prevalence in these three locations suggests that the problem is regional rather than restricted to the Anacostia. To monitor habitat quality and the success of pollution control actions, we recommend conducting tumour surveys on a 5-year cycle coordinated with sediment chemistry analyses.

Neoplastic and possibly related skin lesions in neotonic tiger salamanders from a sewage lagoon.

Tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) inhabiting a sewage sedimentation lagoon become neotenic, and approximately one-third develop neoplastic skin lesions including cancer. Circumstances suggest a chemical etiology for the neoplasms.

Chlamydiae (with phages), mycoplasmas, and richettsiae in Chesapeake Bay bivalves.

Intracytoplasmic chlamydia-like organisms, some with phages, rickettsia-like organisms, and mycoplasma-like organisms have been found in clams and oysters from the Chesapeake Bay area by electron microscopy. None of these organisms have been previously detected in mollusks, nor have phages been previously observed in Chlamydia sp.

Epizootic neoplasms in fishes from a lake polluted by copper mining wastes.

Examination of fishes from Torch Lake, Houghton County, Mich., revealed epizootic neoplasms of several types in two closely related species. Saugers, Stizostedion canadense, and walleyes, Stizostedion vitreum, were commonly affected with hepatocellular carcinomas, dermal ossifying fibromas, and perivisceral masses resembling mesotheliomas that were usually associated with the mesenteric capsule of the spleen. Saugers were 100% affected with liver neoplasms. Histopathologic and ultrastructural aspects of the neoplasms are described. Torch Lake has been used as a repository for copper mining waste to the extent that an estimated 20% of the original volume has been filled in by these materials. Several direct and indirect etiologic roles for the mine waste as causative agents of the fish tumors are discussed.

Decline in liver neoplasms in wild brown bullhead catfish after coking plant closes and environmental PAHs plummet.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in both sediment and brown bullhead catfish tissues from the Black River in Lorain County, Ohio, declined by 65% and 93%, respectively, between 1980 and 1982. Sediment PAHs declined an additional 99% by 1987, coincident with the closure of a coking facility in 1983. Contemporaneously, liver cancer in 3- to 4-year-old brown bullheads declined to about one-quarter the 1982 frequency (10% versus 39%) by 1987, while the percentage of livers without any proliferative lesions doubled (42% versus 20%). These changes were significant within age group. Our data affirm a cause-and-effect relationship between PAH exposure and liver cancer in wild fish. The data also support the efficacy of natural, unassisted remediation once the source of the pollution is eliminated.

Carcinogenicity of Black Rock Harbor sediment to the eastern oyster and trophic transfer of Black Rock Harbor carcinogens from the blue mussel to the winter flounder.

The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) developed neoplastic disorders when experimentally exposed both in the laboratory and field to chemically contaminated sediment from Black Rock Harbor (BRH), Bridgeport, Connecticut. Neoplasia was observed in oysters after 30 and 60 days of continuous exposure in a laboratory flow-through system to a 20 mg/L suspension of BRH sediment plus postexposure periods of 0, 30, or 60 days. Composite tumor incidence was 13.6% (49 neoplasms in 40, n = 295) for both exposures. Tumor occurrence was highest in the renal excretory epithelium, followed in order by gill, gonad, gastrointestinal, heart, and embryonic neural tissue. Regression of experimental neoplasia was not observed when the stimulus was discontinued. In field experiments, gill neoplasms developed in oysters deployed in cages for 30 days at BRH and 36 days at a BRH dredge material disposal area in Central Long Island Sound, and kidney and gastrointestinal neoplasms developed in caged oysters deployed 40 days in Quincy Bay, Boston Harbor. Oysters exposed to BRH sediment in the laboratory and in the field accumulated high concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and chlorinated pesticides. Chemical analyses demonstrated high concentrations of PCBs, PAHs, chlorinated pesticides, and heavy metals in BRH sediment. Known genotoxic carcinogens, co-carcinogens, and tumor promoters were present as contaminants. The uptake of parent PAH and PCBs from BRH sediment observed in oysters also occurs in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis). Winter flounder fed BRH-contaminated blue mussels contained xenobiotic chemicals analyzed in mussels. The flounder developed renal and pancreatic neoplasms and hepatotoxic neoplastic precursor lesions, demonstrating trophic transfer of sediment-bound carcinogens up the food chain.

Germinomas and teratoid siphon anomalies in softshell clams, Mya arenaria, environmentally exposed to herbicides.

Seminomas and dysgerminomas are epizootic in softshell clams, Mya arenaria, from three Maine estuaries contaminated with herbicides. The first epizootic was discovered in 22% of clams collected as Searsport near Long Cove Brook and three culverts that conveyed heating oil and jet fuel spilled from a tank farm in 1971. Data from subsequent epizootiological studies and a series of long-term experimental exposures of softshell clams to no. 2 fuel oil, JP-4, and JP-5 jet fuel at the U.S. EPA, Environmental Research Laboratory in Narragansett, Rhode Island, and in the field did not support an etiology by these petroleum products. In the two recent epizootics reported here, the germinomas have been observed in 3% of the softshell clams collected from Roque Bluffs near Machiasport and from 35% of softshell clams collected from Dennysville. Mya collected at Dennysville had pericardial mesotheliomas and teratoid siphon anomalies in addition to gonadal neoplasms. Estuaries at Dennysville had been contaminated by herbicides in a 1979 accidental spray overdrift during aerial application of Tordon 101 to adjacent forests. Further investigation determined widespread use of the herbicides Tordon 101, 2,4-D,2,4,5-T, and other agrochemicals in an extensive forestry and blueberry industry in both the Roque Bluffs and the Dennysville areas. Herbicide applications at Searsport were confirmed for railroad property bordering Long Cove estuary and for Long Cove Brook adjacent to the estuary where a highway department reportedly cleans its spray equipment. Herbicide contamination is the only common denominator identified at all three sites where Mya have been found with gonadal neoplasms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cutaneous mastocytomas in the neotenic caudate amphibians Ambystoma mexicanum (axolotl) and Ambystoma tigrinum (tiger salamander).

Spontaneous mastocytomas studied in 18 axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) and six tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) were gray-white, uni- to multilobular cutaneous protrusions from 2 mm to 2 cm in diameter. Tumors were moderately cellular unencapsulated masses that usually infiltrated the dermis and hypodermis with the destruction of intervening tissues. Some tumors were invading superficial bundles of the underlying skeletal muscle. Tumors consisted of mitotically active cells derived from a single lineage but showing a range of differentiation. Immature cells had nearly smooth to lightly cleft or folded basophilic nuclei bordered by a band of cytoplasm with few cytoplasmic processes and containing a few small uniform eccentric granules. Mature cells had basophilic nuclei with deep clefts or folds and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm with multiple long intertwining cytoplasmic extensions packed with metachromatic granules. The axolotls were old individuals from an inbred laboratory colony. The tiger salamanders were wild animals from a single polluted pond. They could have been old and inbred. Both groups were neotenic. These are the first mastocytomas discovered in cold-blooded animals.

Lesser known aquarium fish tumor models.

The repeated use of particular species for experimental oncology in fish increases their future value by accumulating background information for these models and justifies the establishment of genetic stock centers. However, the wide diversity that exists within the class Osteichthyes and Chondrichthyes suggests that the ideal surrogate models for studying some types of neoplasms might be found among lesser known species. To help assess cultured fish as surrogates for some other types of human neoplasia, we examined cases in the archives of the Registry of Tumors in Lower Animals and reviewed reports in the literature. Spontaneous and induced neoplasms originating from a spectrum of cell types were seen in more than 215 fish species commonly raised in aquaria or cultured for study among 69 families. Prominent families include the Poeciliidae (livebearers), Cyprinidae (carps and minnows), Cichlidae (cichlids), Cyprinodontidae (killifish), Characidae (tetras), Adrianichthyidae (medakas), Aplocheilidae (rivulins), and Salmonidae (salmon and trout). The following are examples of potential fish tumor models that have received less consideration than some others: papilloma and carcinoma of the urinary bladder in oscar (Astronotus ocellatus); osteogenic neoplasms, peripheral nerve sheath tumors, and ependymoblastoma in coho salmon fingerlings (Oncorhynchus kisutch); and nephroblastoma resembling Wilms' tumor in Japanese eels (Anguilla japonica).

A proposed classification scheme for Xiphophorus melanomas based on histopathologic analyses.

We studied the histopathologic characteristics of melanomas induced in the Xiphophorus model. This fish model has been used for several decades to study the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying its susceptibility to melanoma induction. Numerous distinct interspecific hybrid crosses currently are being used in research on carcinogenesis. We previously reported that tumors were induced in such hybrid crosses after treatment with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea or UV radiation. In this report, we describe the histopathologic features of Xiphophorus melanomas and propose a new classification system. We suggest that melanomas in these fishes can be classified as follows: melanocytic melanomas; melanophorous-macromelanophorous polymorphic melanomas; spindle cell type melanomas; epithelioid cell melanomas; and amelanotic melanomas. The new classification of Xiphophorus melanomas should allow correlations between histopathologic characteristics and carcinogen treatment, and between histopathologic characteristics and the genetic background of the hybrid fish.

Expression of growth arrest and DNA damage genes and DNA mismatch repair genes in snake melanomas.

Snake melanomas are rare tumours and their pathogenesis is still unclear. In this study the expression of DNA mismatch repair genes and Growth Arrest DNA Damage Genes was investigated. The expression only of 3 of them GADD34, MLH1 and MSH2 was found. The role of these genes in animal tumorigenesis is discussed.

Immunohistochemical and photometric analysis of snake-melanomas.

Snake melanomas are very rare tumours in the class of Reptilia. This study demonstrates the ploidy status and S100 and HMB45 expression in snake melanomas in connection to their morphology and clinical history.

Epizootiology of neoplasms in bony fish of North America.

Over the past 25 years, there have been an increasing number of fish tumor epizootics recognized in discrete geographical areas in North America. This is consistent with an association between tumor development in fish and exposure to waterborne contaminants as a result of increased industrialization. Reports of fish tumor epizootics from the literature, plus acquisitions at the Registry of Tumors in Lower Animals, Smithsonian Institution originate from 41 geographical regions in North America. Epizootics of hemic, neural, connective tissue, and gonial neoplasms seem unrelated to environmental pollution, but epizootics of hepatic and epidermal neoplasms appear to be caused or strongly influenced by environmental pollution. The 14 species with epizootic liver tumors are all bottom feeding fish, and tumor-bearing fish are generally located in areas where chemical contaminants are concentrated. Epidermal neoplasms are also found in fish near polluted areas, but a direct cause-and-effect link with chemical carcinogens is not clear.

Relationship between liver tumors and age in brown bullhead populations from two Lake Erie tributaries.

We compared liver tumor frequencies, and age and length characteristics of brown bullheads (Ictalurus nebulosus) of greater than 250 mm total length from two Lake Erie tributaries. Bullheads taken from Old Woman Creek (n = 144) had no grossly observable liver tumors, while those collected in the highly industrialized Black River (n = 532) had a 30% frequency of grossly visible liver tumors during 1981-1982. Liver lesions diagnosed histologically in a randomly collected sample (n = 125) of brown bullheads from the Black River included both biliary and hepatic lesions, with cancerous neoplasms occurring in 38.4% of the fish. Black River bullheads of combined ages 4 and 5 had a significantly (p less than or equal to 0.05) greater prevalence of biliary carcinomas (35.5%) than those of ages 2 and 3 combined (18.4%). Biliary carcinoma was significantly more prevalent than hepatocellular carcinoma in age 4 fish (sexes combined) and in males of ages 3 and 4. The prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma was significantly higher in females than in males. Age distributions of bullheads differed significantly between the two sites, while length distributions were similar. No brown bullheads of ages 6 or 7 were collected in the Black River, while these age groups composed 18% of the catch in Old Woman Creek. Brown bullheads of age 5 were almost six times more numerous in the Old Woman Creek than in Black River collections. These age and length distributions are consistent with the hypothesis that brown bullheads in the Black River were subjected to an age-selective mortality associated with high prevalences of liver carcinoma.

Ichthyophonus-like infection in wild amphibians from Québec, Canada.

Myositis associated with infection by Ichthyophonus-like organisms was diagnosed in 35 of 260 (13%) wild amphibians collected in Quebec, Canada, from 1959 to 1964 (n = 30), and 1992 to 1999 (n = 230). Infection was diagnosed in 17 green frogs Rana clamitans, 9 wood frogs R. sylvatica, 4 red-spotted newts Notophthalmus viridescens, 3 bullfrogs R. catesbeiana, 1 spring peeper Pseudacris crucifer, and 1 pickerel frog R. palustris. The spring peeper and one of the bullfrogs were collected in 1964 from the Mont Saint-Hilaire Biosphere Reserve, indicating long-term presence of the organism. Spores of the organisms invaded striated muscle fibers and were associated with variable degrees of granulomatous and eosinophilic inflammation. Infection was considered fatal in 2 green frogs, 1 wood frog, and 1 red-spotted newt. It was considered potentially significant in 3 additional green frogs in which up to 100% of the fibers of some muscles were replaced by spores associated with a severe granulomatous reaction. Ultrastructural features of Ichthyophonus-like spores included a thick trilaminated wall, a paramural cytoplasm, multiple nuclei, oval mitochondria with short tubulo-vesicular cristae and numerous ribosomes. This report represents 4 new host records and shows that ichthyophonosis is enzootic in amphibians from Quebec.

Tumor prevalence and biomarkers of exposure in brown bullheads (Ameiurus nebulosus) from the tidal Potomac River, USA, watershed.

Associations between contaminant exposure and liver and skin tumor prevalence were evaluated in brown bullheads (Ameiurus nebulosus) from the tidal Potomac River, USA, watershed. Thirty bullheads (> or = age 3) were collected from Quantico embayment, near a Superfund site that released organochlorine contaminants; Neabsco Creek, a tributary with petroleum inputs from runoff and marinas; and Anacostia River (spring and fall), an urban tributary designated as a Chesapeake Bay region of concern, that was contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and organochlorine pesticides. Fish were collected from the Tuckahoe River, as a reference. Cytochrome P450 activity, bile PAH metabolites, and muscle organochlorine pesticide and PCB concentrations were measured in randomly selected individuals and sediment contaminants were analyzed. We found statistically significant differences in liver tumor prevalences: Anacostia (spring), 50%; Anacostia (fall), 60%; Neabsco, 17%; Quantico, 7%; and Tuckahoe, 10%. Skin tumor prevalences were significantly different: Anacostia (spring), 37%; Anacostia (fall), 10%; Neabsco, 3%; Quantico, 3%; and Tuckahoe, 0%. Tumor prevalence in Anacostia bullheads warrants concern and was similar to those at highly contaminated sites in the Great Lakes. Evidence was found of higher PAH exposure in Anacostia fish but a cause-effect linkage could not be established. Fish tumor surveys, with histopathologic examination of internal and external organs, are recommended for monitoring the status of regions of concern.

A neurilemmal sarcoma in a tortoise (Testudo hermanni).

A proliferative lesion in a Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni) was identified as a neurilemmal sarcoma: it was successfully treated by excision and cryosurgery.

Intersexes in Mississippi River shovelnose sturgeon sampled below Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.

The Missouri Department of Conservation detected high organochlorine levels in tissues of fish from the Mississippi River south of Saint Louis. Chlordane, which is both a carcinogen and an endocrine disrupter, reached 2960 micrograms/kg in fillets of shovelnose sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus platyorynchus, and 1926 micrograms/kg in their roe, wet weight basis. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) in roe have reached 5810 and 780 micrograms/kg, respectively. The purpose of this study was to determine if endocrine disrupters and carcinogens are a potential cause of the significantly diminished reproduction capacity and population declines in the endangered pallid sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus albus. Twenty-four surrogate shovelnose sturgeons were sampled north of Saint Louis where contaminant levels were lower compared with 17 sampled south of Saint Louis where contaminant levels were high. Liver and gonad tissues were formalin-fixed, histologically processed and examined. Neoplasms were not found. The principal finding was that the testes of two of the seven downstream male fish contained ovigerous lamellae, in addition to mature sperm. Since sturgeons are gonochoristic and intersexes are rare and unusual, the occurrence of intersex in 29% of the male Mississippi River shovelnose sturgeon examined from a population contaminated with chlordane and other chemicals raise concern for human health, species biodiversity and preservation of waterway quality. These findings, however, need to be corroborated by expanded studies with a higher sample size.

Prevalence and histopathology of shell disease in turtles from Lake Blackshear, Georgia.

Turtles in Lake Blackshear, Crisp County, Georgia (USA) were evaluated for shell disease during intensive trapping efforts on 8 and 9 May 1990. The disease was most prevalent in Pseudemys concinna (74%) and Trachemys scripta (35%). The degree of necrosis on the carapace was significantly positively correlated with the degree of necrosis on the plastron in T. scripta (rs = 0.50), but not in P. concinna (rs = 0.06). Female T. scripta with lesions were significantly larger than females without lesions. Lesions were not detected on six other species of turtles. Some areas contained multinucleate osteoclasts that were destroying bone. No tumors were detected in soft tissue samples.