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Abstract: Canine thyroglobulin (cTg) is one of the thyroid autoantigens associated with hypothyroidism caused by autoimmune thyroiditis in dog. To identify canine-specific areas in cTg, we cloned, by reverse transcriptase PCR, and sequenced the complete cDNA of cTg. It revealed an open reading frame of 8289 nucleotides, which encode a polypeptide of 2762 amino acids that is 78.9 and 78.1% identical to bovine and human thyroglobulin, respectively. This complete cTg sequence may be useful to promote the understanding of the primary structure of cTg and, it will be informative data in the further search about antigenic epitopes associated with autoimmune thyroiditis and pathogenesis of cTg-associated thyroid diseases in dog. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Canine thyroglobulin (cTg) was treated with trypsin at a ratio of trypsin to cTg of 1:100 (w/w). Tryptic peptides of cTg were analysed by Western immunoblotting for their reactivity to serum thyroglobulin autoantibodies (TgAA) from patients with TgAA-positive hypothyroidism and normal individuals. The sera of patients with TgAA-positive hypothyroidism reacted with several peptides: 43, 32.5 and 31 kDa; the sera of normal individuals did not bind these tryptic peptides. Some of the TgAA-positive sera of patients reacted with 25 kDa peptide in addition to three tryptic peptides above. This experiment was the first report about antigenic epitopes of cTg. These small tryptic peptides recognized by TgAA may be related with the induction of TgAA and may be useful as markers for autoimmune thyroid diseases in dog. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the investigation regarding the reaction of the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzymes in dogs having cystitis. Accordingly, cystitis has been defined as a common urinary tract disorder in dogs which is associated with a bacterial infection as well as polyp proliferation from the mucosal surface. As part of the study, a variation in the extent and the intensity of the COX-2 expression was observed. The results of the said study have also been discussed.