Carlos Eduardo Fonseca-Alves

By Antonio Fernando Leis-Filho and Carlos E. Fonseca-Alves

The prostate gland is the only male accessory gland in dogs and is responsible for secreting the prostatic fluid. Morphologically, the canine prostate gland lacks differentiation into zones, presenting a uniform parenchyma along the longitudinal axis. The luminal epithelial cells secrete a liquid rich in calcium, citric acid, simple sugars, and different enzymes as a component of the seminal plasma. Since the prostatic diseases are very common in small animal practice, there are many information regarding mechanisms of the different prostatic conditions and lack of information regarding the anatomy, histology, and physiology of the canine prostate gland. Thus, this chapter aims to meticulously describe the anatomy, histology, and physiology of the canine prostate gland.

Part of the book: Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology

By Julia Pereira Gonçalves, Teng Fwu Shing, Guilherme Augusto Fonseca Alves and Carlos Eduardo Fonseca-Alves

Malignant melanoma is one of the most important tumors in dogs and is highly metastatic and aggressive disease. In recent years, molecular knowledge regarding canine melanoma has increased, and some chromosomal imbalances and tyrosine kinase pathways have been identified to be dysregulated. Mxoreover, canine melanoma is an immunogenic tumor that provides opportunities to administer immunotherapy to the patient. Podoplanin and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan-4 (CSPG4) are markers against which monoclonal antibodies have been developed and tested in dogs in vivo with promising results. Owing to the importance of canine melanoma in the veterinary oncology field, this chapter reviews the most important aspects related to immunological involvement in the prognosis and treatment of canine melanoma.

Part of the book: Recent Advances in Canine Medicine