rubeanic-acid and Liver-Diseases

In contrast to dogs, the role of copper and iron accumulation in feline hepatic disease remains poorly characterized. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to compare the amount and distribution of copper and iron accumulation for different disease processes in feline liver biopsies. Liver biopsies (from 104 privately owned cats) were categorized by primary histopathologic lesion. Copper (by rubeanic acid) and iron (by Prussian blue) accumulation were graded by amounts (0-3) and location (centrilobular, midzonal, periportal, random). The Kruskal-Wallis test and Pearson chi-square test were used to assess differences in metal grade and location, respectively, between diagnostic categories. Histologic diagnoses were normal (n = 12), congenital (n = 6), neoplastic (n = 16), infectious and/or inflammatory (n = 39), and other (n = 31). Hepatocellular iron staining was negative in 18 samples; remaining samples had grade 1 (n = 38), 2 (n = 40), and 3 (n = 8) accumulation. Ninety-two samples were negative for copper; remaining samples had grade 1 (n = 5), 2 (n = 6), and 3 (n = 1) accumulation. No significant differences were found in the amount of iron or copper accumulation between the different diagnostic categories. Diagnostic category and the location of copper or iron accumulation were not associated. Hepatic iron accumulation was common and not associated with histologic diagnosis. Hepatocellular copper accumulation was more common in cats than previously reported, had a similar pattern of distribution to fibrotic changes, and was not present in histologically normal liver biopsies.

Topics: Animals; Biopsy; Cat Diseases; Cats; Copper; Ferrocyanides; Histocytochemistry; Iron; Liver Diseases; Statistics, Nonparametric; Thioamides

The reliability of a cytological examination of impression smears of the liver was investigated in 89 Bedlington terriers by using the rubeanic acid staining method for copper and comparing the results with the results of a histological examination. Histological examination revealed copper accumulation in the liver of 24 dogs. The cytological method had a sensitivity of 0.96 for detecting copper toxicosis and a specificity of 1.0. When a grading system for the amount of copper was applied, the coefficient of correlation (r) between the cytological and histological techniques was 0.917 (P less than 0.0001). It was concluded that a cytological examination of impression smears stained with rubeanic acid for copper offers a rapid and reliable method for the detection of copper toxicosis in Bedlington terriers.

Topics: Animals; Biopsy, Needle; Copper; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Indicators and Reagents; Liver Diseases; Sensitivity and Specificity; Staining and Labeling; Thioamides

Three different histochemical methods for copper detection were compared. Atomic absorption analysis was used to substantiate the tissue stains. There was good correlation between rhodanine staining and rubeanic acid-stained tissue sections. The orcein reaction for copper-associated protein did not consistently correlate with the methods demonstrating copper. Prolonged staining (72 hours) with rubeanic acid more consistently and clearly detected increased copper in canine livers than did staining with rhodanine. Seventy-two hour staining with rubeanic acid is the method of choice for histochemical detection of copper in canine liver.

Topics: Animals; Copper; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Female; Liver; Liver Diseases; Metallothionein; Oxazines; Rhodanine; Spectrophotometry, Atomic; Staining and Labeling; Thioamides