Histological and topographical characteristics of canine granulomatous leptomeningitis.

Histological and topographical characteristics of granulomatous leptomeningitis were studied in 14 laboratory beagle dogs (12 males, two females), 8 to 19 months old. The dogs, which were either saline-treated controls or drug-treated animals in four different toxicity studies, remained clinically normal during the experimental period, and granulomatous leptomeningitis was identified as an incidental finding by routine histopathological examination. There were no macroscopical lesions in the brain or other organs. Microscopical lesions of the central nervous system were of three types, namely (1) a diffuse inflammatory type, characterized by diffuse infiltration of macrophages, (2) a granulomatous type, characterized by non-caseating granulomas, or (3) a fibrotic type, featuring dense connective tissue. Each of the 14 cases fell into one of three disease phases, early, fulminating and healing. In the early phase, only diffuse inflammatory-type lesions were seen. In the fulminating phase, all three types of lesion were present. In the healing phase, discrete granulomas were relatively few and fibrosis was prominent.

Corneal dermoid in two laboratory beagle dogs.

Two male laboratory beagle dogs used in toxicity studies, one 7 months old and the other 9 months old, showed the evidence of corneal dermoid. Grossly, the dermoid was observed in both cases as hair growth from the cornea. In one case, the hairs had been removed from the cornea, but regrowth was observed about 70 days later. Histopathologically, melanocytes, melanin granules, hairs, hair bulbs, adipose tissue and sebaceous and sweat glands were observed in the corneal epithelium and propria. According to the information obtained from 4 breeders, the incidence of corneal dermoid was extremely rare in laboratory beagle dogs.

Granulomatous leptomeningitis in beagle dogs.

A granulomatous leptomeningitis was seen in seven laboratory Beagle dogs (four males, three females), 14 to 15 months old, that had been used as control or experimental subjects in a toxicologic study. The dogs were clinically normal during the experimental period. Microscopic lesions were characterized by typical noncaseating granulomas in leptomeninges and slight scattered perivascular cuffing in gray and white matter throughout the central nervous system, with no site of predilection. Although no microorganisms could be found by ordinary light microscopic examination, there was a positive reaction for Escherichia coli antigen in the cytoplasm of macrophages, which corresponded to periodic acid-Schiff-positive, calcium-negative, and iron-negative materials in the granulomas and cuffs. Electron microscopic examination revealed that these materials were large phagolysosomes indicative of abnormal lysosomal function. These findings indicate that at least some cases of canine granulomatous leptomeningitis could be very likely caused by E. coli and represent an entity distinct from classical canine granulomatous meningoencephalitis.

Estimation of structural changes in the cataractous rat lens using Raman spectroscopy.

For quantitative evaluation of cataract-related changes in lens proteins and lens water, the relative contents of water and SH residues and changes in the microenvironments of aromatic amino acid residues were quantitatively examined in cataract of the rat lens which had been induced by sodium selenite. Using Raman spectroscopy, results were compared with those of age-matched control lenses. The relative contents of water and SH residues decreased with increasing age in normal lenses from 3 to 8 weeks of age. In the cataractous lens, the relative water content increased constantly as compared with that of age-matched controls. The relative SH residue content continued to decline in the cataractous lenses of animals at every age. The microenvironments of tyrosine residues in cataractous lenses also changed progressively.