Expression of connexins 26 and 43 and E -cadherin in intraocular melanocytic tumors in dogs

• Grant number: 23/06091-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: October 01, 2023
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Lucia Zaidan Dagli
• Grantee: Jamile Macedo Garcia
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Intraocular melanocytic neoplasms are the most common primary neoplasms in the eyeballs of dogs, with a predominance of melanocytomas. These neoplasms rarely metastasize, but the clinical behavior is considered malignant, since they are one of the main causes of enucleation in dogs. The study of the expression of proteins, such as connexins and cadherins, in neoplastic cells has been shown to be important in understanding tumor behavior and, consequently, in establishing new treatments. Connexins are proteins mainly responsible for the formation of gap junctions, with connexins 26 and 43 being the most studied in neoplasms. They have multiple roles in neoplastic cells, whether tumor suppression or carcinogenic functions. As for cadherins, they are transmembrane proteins responsible for adhesion between neighboring cells. Decreased expression of E-cadherins in tumors has been related to increased invasiveness and metastases. Thus, this project aims to evaluate the expression of connexins 26 and 43 and E-cadherin in intraocular melanocytic neoplasms in dogs. For this, 27 cases of melanomas and 22 melanocytomas in eyeballs of dogs were raised, which will be submitted to immunohistochemical examination for analysis of the presence and location of connexins 26 and 43, and E-cadherin in tumor cells. (AU)