The immunohistochemical evaluation of selected markers in the left atrium of dogs with end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy and myxomatous mitral valve disease - a preliminary study.

Agnieszka Noszczyk-Nowak,Małgorzata Kandefer-Gola,Rafał Ciaputa,Izabela Janus,Massimiliano Tursi,Urszula Pasławska,Marcin Nowak

doi:10.1186/s13620-016-0077-2

Agnieszka Noszczyk-Nowak, Małgorzata Kandefer-Gola + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s13620-016-0077-2

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Abstract

BackgroundDilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) are the most common diseases noted in dogs. Although their pathogenesis varies, both include a significant enlargement of the left atrium.The study was carried out on left atrial specimens obtained from 56 dogs, including those from 34 dogs with clinically diagnosed MMVD, 15 dogs with DCM and 7 dogs without heart disease (control group). Dogs in the MMVD and the DCM groups presented with left atrial enlargement and stage D heart failure. The specimens underwent immunohistochemical examination using desmin, vimentin, periostin and caspase-3 antibodies.ResultsThere were alterations in the expression of the studied proteins in the study groups compared to the control group. The changes included: irregularity of desmin cross-striation and desmosomes, a higher amount of vimentin-positive cells, a change in the periostin expression pattern from cytoplasmic to extracellular, and a lower expression of caspase-3. The alterations were more pronounced in the DCM group than in the MMVD group.ConclusionsDuring heart failure, the pattern of desmin, vimentin, periostin and caspase-3 expression alters in the left atrium, regardless of the cause. The changes are more pronounced in dogs with DCM than in dogs with MMVD and similar left atrial enlargement, suggesting that volume overload may not be the only cause of myocardial changes in DCM.

Highlights

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) are the most common diseases noted in dogs
The objectives of the study were: (1) the assessment and comparison of the expression of desmin, vimentin, periostin and caspase-3 in the left atrial myocardium in dogs with DCM and MMVD showing severe left atrial enlargement; (2) comparison of those results with the results from a group of dogs without heart disease; (3) the evaluation of the correlation between the expression of the examined proteins and heart remodelling based on the histological examination
Population study and inclusion criteria The study was conducted on left atrial specimens obtained from 56 dogs divided into 3 groups: dogs presenting with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM group; n = 15), dogs with left atrial enlargement due to myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD group; n = 34) and dogs that underwent euthanasia due to causes not related to cardiovascular system and that did not show intravital or post-mortem features of cardiorespiratory disease and left atrium (LA) enlargement

Summary

Introduction

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) are the most common diseases noted in dogs. Their pathogenesis varies, both include a significant enlargement of the left atrium. The study was carried out on left atrial specimens obtained from 56 dogs, including those from 34 dogs with clinically diagnosed MMVD, 15 dogs with DCM and 7 dogs without heart disease (control group). Current research suggests that myocardial remodelling is more pronounced in the left atrium than the left ventricle [8, 9] Both DCM and MMVD are accompanied by a considerable enlargement of the left atrium (LA), our previous study [10] showed significant differences in the remodelling of the LA wall in these two diseases. We decided that it might be useful to assess

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