Evaluation of immunohistochemical expression of P-glycoprotein in neoplasms of the mammary gland in bitches.

The aim of the study was to investigate the P-glycoprotein expression in correlation with other neoplasm traits such as: histological type, the differentiation grade, proliferative activity, expression of the cyclooxygenase-2. Material for the investigation comprised 50 tumours of the mammary gland collected from bitches during surgical procedures performed in Warsaw Veterinary Clinics and Small Animal Clinic of the Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW. All together 8 adenomas, 22 complex carcinomas, 15 simple carcinomas and 5 solid carcinomas. In case of cancers, the degree of histological malignancy was established: 1st degree of histological malignancy--18 neoplasms, 2nd degree of histological malignancy--14 neoplasms and 3rd degree of histological malignancy--10 neoplasms. Evaluations were conducted with histopathological and immunohistochemical methods using suitable antibodies. Proliferative activity was highly dependent on type of the neoplasm and the degree of histological malignancy. The highest value of the mitotic index was characteristic for solid and simple cancers and neoplasms with the highest degree of histological malignancy. Results of expression of the nuclear antigen Ki-67 were similar. Expression of P-glycoprotein was revealed in all types of neoplasms. The expression of P-glycoprotein was identified in cytoplasm and cell membranes of neoplastic cells. Positive expression of P-gp was observed in 76% of cancers. Complex carcinomas were the biggest group among the cancer types which demonstrated positive reaction of P-gp. High expression of P-gp was also established in cancers with the highest degree of malignancy. In bitches aged 9 through 12 years, the cancers featuring a positive reaction of P-gp constituted the most numerous group (63.2%); on the other hand, this cancer type barely appeared in the oldest bitches (10.5%).