Stress protein inclusions in livers of stranded cetaceans, morphological study

Abstract

The aim of this article was to study the presence, the morphology and the nature of intracytoplasmic eosinophilic globules in hepatocytes of cetaceans stranded in the Canary Islands. Materials and Methods: Liver samples from 115 cetaceans of 17 different species were formalin fixed and paraffin embedded. In samples which presented globules, histochemistry and immunohistochemistry techniques were carried out to detect glycoproteins with Periodic acid-Schiff with diastase treatment (PASd), and specific acute phase proteins: alpha-1-antitrypsine (A1AT) and fibrinogen (FB). An ultrastructural study of the globules was also performed. Results: In 95 out of 115 (82,6%) livers we observed the presence of intracytoplasmic hyaline eosinophilic globules in hepatocytes, with different results to PASd, A1AT and FB, and also different ultrastructural morphology. Conclusion: We concluded that intracytoplasmic protein inclusions (hyaline globules) are present under different inflammatory and cardiovascular circumstances in stranded cetaceans and these formations are depending of same animal characteristics like the age and body condition.