Expression of tumor suppressor genes p53 and p63 and apoptosis markers in ocular tumors of dogs

• Grant number: 10/10450-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2010
• End date: August 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Cláudia Valéria Seullner Brandão
• Grantee: Cláudia Valéria Seullner Brandão
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Tereza Cristina Cardoso da Silva

Abstract

Tumors that affect the eyelids and the third eyelid of dogs have a higher incidence in older animals and are typically benign. However, those that are malignant are rare, and represent a percentage around 8.2% of the tumors. These cases are comparatively larger in size and require extensive surgical margins and repair techniques for reconstruction. The clinical appearance of tumors and their clinical signs vary considerably according to the affected region, which can start since the initiation of an inflammatory eye, even a case of uveitis and / or glaucoma. Usually, a set of molecular changes in different levels of regulation is responsible for the establishment of cancer. Numerous studies have been focused on the research significance of the role of p53 gene family and their pathogenesis, as well as the assessment of apoptosis and its markers. This study aims to identify the expression of tumor suppressor genes p53 and p63 and markers of apoptosis Caspase-2, caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Anexin-V in spontaneous ocular tumors in dogs. The pathological examination will be making on 20 tumor samples from ocular adnexa, and the immunohistochemical identification of tumor suppressor genes p53 and p63, as well as evaluation by imunoflourescence for markers of apoptosis Caspase-2, caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Anexin-V. A correlation with histological classification and prognosis will be carried out and compare with the studies already developed in human medicine. The chi2 will be used for statistical analysis of obtained data. (AU)