GASTROPATHIES IN THE LUNDEHUND .2. A STUDY OF MUCIN PROFILES

The mucin profiles of the gastric mucosa in Lundehunds suffering from intestinal lymphangiectasia were examined and compared to the mucin pr ofiles in control dogs from other breeds. A previous study performed o n this material had shown that all examined Lundehunds had gastritis a nd about 30% had gastric carcinoma. Neutral and acid mucins were ident ified using the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and Alcian blue (pH 2.5) pe riodic acid-Schiff (AB-PAS) methods. The acid mucins were divided into sialomucins and sulfomucins based on their reaction with high-iron di amine Alcian blue, pH 2.5 (HID-AB). In Lundehunds with chronic atrophi c gastritis in the fundic and body regions the surface and foveolar ep ithelium showed a predominantly normal mucin profile although some Lun dehunds had a reduced mucin content. The mucous neck cells extended fr om below the gastric foveolae towards the muscularis mucosae. Morphome tric examination showed that the abnormal presence of mucous neck cell s occupied 41% of the height of the gastric mucosa in Lundehunds compa red to only 19% in the control dogs (p<0.05). Of the four Lundehunds w ith gastric carcinoma, two possessed neoplastic cells that contained m inimal or no mucins. The amount and type of mucin in the neoplastic ce lls of the remaining two Lundehunds varied both between individuals an d within a neoplasm. This study shows that the abnormal presence of mu cous neck cells and the associated pseudopyloric metaplasia comprised the predominant changes in the gastric mucin profiles of Lundehunds.