Canine osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common bone tumour in dogs and is characterized by massive genomic instability throughout the cancer genome. Using matched primary tumour and metastasis samples from 8 OSA cases, we identified 2 focally deleted (<0.2 Mb) novel candidate genes, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2B (CDKN2B) and the membrane associated guanylate kinase, WW and PDZ domain containing 2 (MAGI2), which have not been previously identified in canine OSA and may have roles in driving OSA tumour progression. We also identified highly similar genomic profiles between matched samples, which yielded a small list of candidate regions that may harbour genes that drive metastasis formation. This study identified potential therapeutic targets, prognostic markers and early detectors of metastasis, in addition to providing insight into the OSA tumour progression.

Cancer is essentially a genetic disease of uncontrolled cell survival and proliferation. Medical therapy has traditionally involved chemotherapy and radiation which inhibit the replication of actively dividing cells in a fairly non-selective manner. Research into the molecular pathogenesis of cancer has enabled the recent development of therapy targeted to receptors or signaling pathways crucial to the development and progression of specific cancers and revealed molecular markers that can be used to predict prognosis and treatment response. The work presented in this thesis examines the expression of two potential molecular markers of malignancy, the R1alpha regulatory subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A (PRKAR1A) and insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) retrospectively in a population of canine osteosarcoma patients. Furthermore, it describes the derivation and preliminary characterization of canine osteosarcoma primary cell cultures and the use of these cells to assess the effects of PRKAR1A expression on sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drug treatment in vitro. Post-chemotherapy overall survival was significantly longer in canine osteosarcoma patients with tumours expressing low levels of PRKAR1A, and PRKAR1A expression did not correlate with mitotic index. IGF2 expression was generally high in the small numbers of cases examined, did not differ between axial and appendicular sites and did not correlate with either mitotic index or survival. PRKAR1A expression varied between cell cultures, but did not appear to be related to expression levels of phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding (phospho- CREB), a downstream target of cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase A (PKA). In vitro chemosensitivity did not correlate with PRKAR1A expression, but faster growing cells with shorter doubling times and higher rates of BrdU incorporation tended to be more chemosensitive. In summary, this work identifies an association between low tumour PRKAR1A expression and prolonged post-chemotherapy survival in dogs with osteosarcoma and provides preliminary evidence suggesting that this survival advantage may not be associated with downstream phosphorylation of CREB or sensitivity of the tumour cells to chemotherapeutic agents.

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Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:47:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 2978289 bytes, checksum: f112ecf9ec496a2b307f3b0315fd882e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-12-13 / The purpose of this study was to assess the intensity of the cyclo-oxygenase 2 (Cox2), as well as the nucleolus organizing regions impregnated with silver (AgNORs) and mitosis figures in different canine oteosarcomas. The material used for the analysis was obtained from a retrospective study of approximately 10 years, of canine oteosarcomas recorded in the clinics routine at Federal University of Viçosa and at Federal University of Minas Gerais. The 78 cases of osteosarcomas recorded were histologically analysed and 6 cases of each group were classified as being osteoblastics, condroblastics, fibroblastics and combined cases. This material was submitted to both histochemistry and immunohistochemistry evaluation. Telangiectatic giant cell type and poorly differentiated osteosarcomas were not evaluated due to the small number of observed cases. The results presented statistical differences (p<0,05) for the Cox2 expressions and for the AgNORs proteins among the different osteosarcomas, however no difference was found for the mitosis figures counting. Considering all the evaluations, the osteoblastic osteosarcoma recorded in 53 % of the cases, presented the highest number of NORs and mitosis figures by field, and also it showed the highest number of positive cases with the higher immunomarked cells counting. The results suggest that the osteoblastic osteosarcoma is more aggressive than the other kinds of osteosarcoma evaluated in this study, but because of the lack of both information and standardized clinics data, it is not possible at this point, to connect these findings with the over life and tumor development, and not even to correlate the agressivity of the different kinds of canine osteosarcomas. / O propósito deste trabalho foi avaliar a intensidade da cicloxigenase 2 (Cox2), as Regiões Organizadoras de Nucléolos Impregnadas pela Prata (AgNORs) e as figuras de mitose por campo nos diferentes tipos de osteossarcomas canino, a partir de um estudo retrospectivo de pouco mais de 10 anos dos casos de osteossarcoma canino que surgiram na rotina da clínica de pequenos animais da Universidade Federal de Viçosa e da Escola de Veterinária da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. As 78 ocorrências encontradas foram classificadas histologicamente e 6 casos de cada grupo classificados como osteossarcomas osteoblásticos, condroblásticos, fibroblásticos e combinados (mistos) foram submetidos às avaliações histoquímicas e imunoistoquímicas do estudo. Os osteossarcomas teleangectásico, de células gigantes e pobremente diferenciados não foram avaliados em decorrência do pequeno número de casos encontrados. Os resultados mostraram diferenças estatística (p<0,05) nas expressões da Cox2 e nas proteínas AgNORs entre os diferentes osteossarcomas, no entanto, esta diferença não acorreu na contagem das figuras de mitoses. Em todas as avaliações, o osteossarcoma osteoblástico que surgiu com 53% dos casos, foi o que apresentou maior número de NORs, de figuras de mitoses por campo e de casos positivos com maior contagem de células imunomarcadas. Desta forma, pode-se sugerir que o osteossarcoma osteoblástico apresenta maior agressividade em relação aos demais tipos de osteossarcomas avaliados neste trabalho, porém, por falta de informações e padronização nos dados clínicos, não foi possível associar estes achados com a sobrevida e desenvolvimento tumoral, correlacionando-os com a agressividade dos diferentes tipos de osteossarcomas canino.