Osteosarcoma is the most frequent malignant bone tumor in domestic animals and humans, representing 80-85% of malignant bone tumors in dogs [9, 10] and about 70-75% in cats. Only a few cases of osteosarcoma have been reported in horses with the majority  in the mandible of young horses [3]. Maxillary osteosarcoma causes disruption of the bones with subsequent disruption of the dental arcade and interference with mastication [3, 5]. We describe a case of primitive parosteal fibrous maxillary osteosarcoma in a 16–year old Anglo-Arabian horse, hospitalized first for a clinical diagnosis of sinusitis. This case is also unusual in that generally maxillary fibrous osteosarcomas are low grade malignancies with minimal potential to metastatize, yet in this case the tumor had already spread to a regional lymph node by the time the horse was presented for examination, confirming the unpredictability of osteosarcoma.

Osteochondrosis (OC) is seen as the main cause of leg weakness in pigs. Its etiology and pathogenesis is not fully understood, but any abnormalities in the formation of hypertrophic chondrocytes and disrupted blood supply to the growth cartilage are predisposing factors. The aim of this study was to characterize the changes in transcript profiles of joints from OC and non OC-affected pigs by the Representational Difference Analysis (RDA) technique. From both RDA libraries 11 sequencing reads had quality analysis. Quantitative real-time analysis was performed to examine the expression levels of HBB, COL1A1 and TPP1 genes. The expression of HBB and TPP1 genes were up regulated in the OC joint. There was no difference in expression of COL1A1 gene between healthy and OC joints. In this study the finding genes might play some role in development of OC in pigs. However, our findings should lead to further investigation of their implications.

The aim of this study was to characterize Brazilian isolates of P. multocida from pig lungs based on Multilocucs sequence typing (MLST) and virulence factors. We analyze 27 isolates of P. multocida from lungs with pneumonia and 2 isolates from lungs without lesions. PCR was used to confirm P. multocida by kmtI gene and identify the presence of virulence factors genes toxA, pfhA and tbpA. Almost all samples belong to serotype A (27/29) were from pneumonic lesions and only two of serotype D (2/29) were from healthy lung. No samples amplified gene toxA. Sixteen samples (55,1%) amplified the tbpA and ten (34,48%) the pfhA. Lincosamid and aminoglycosides resistance were observed in 80% and 52% of isolates, respectively. Upon MLST analysis, 13 genotypes were identified, nine isolates have ST that was not previous reported. Occurrence of Clonal Complex (CC) in pneumonic lungs was associated to CC74 that have seventeen isolates followed by CC13 with four isolates. No pneumonic lungs have CC50 detected with two isolates. Six isolates (ST 190, 193, 194, 198, 197) have no CC identity to previous complex but concatenate phylogenetic analysis showed a closely relationship with CC74 and CC13. Phylogenetic analysis shows that all isolates sequence type in this study has a linkage disequilibrium (IsA=0,40; P=0,000) and probably this swine isolates have a clonal distribution. P. multocida isolated from swine pneumonic lungs at Central Western Brazil region have serotype A, great variability with two main CC (CC74 and CC13) complexes with a high number of isotates positive to tbpA virulence factor. This data could help to uncover P. multocida genetic diversity associated to swine pneumonia.

The ascites syndrome (AS), also known as Pulmonary Hypertension Syndrome (PHS), can be a major problem in the poultry industry, especially in the case of poor-managed flocks. It is commonly accepted that AS/PHS is caused by increased pulmonary blood flow or increased resistance to flow in the lung. This condition may produce right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH), valvular insufficiency, increased systemic venous pressure and in the latest stages ascites. Interactions among genetic, environmental and dietary factors play a basic role in the determinism of AS/PHS. Interventions should be aimed at slowing down the body growth as the high metabolic rate is a major factor contributing to the susceptibility of broilers to ascites. In this light is particularly important the choice of a diet appropriate to growing period associated with genetic selection addressed to achieve high weight gain without increasing the incidence of AS/PHS.