Indagini preliminari sull’espressione immunoistochimica della proteina p53 nel seminoma del cane

SUMMARY - Tlie p53 protein is a transcription factor inducing celi cycle arresi and apoptosis against a DNA damage. p53 mutations might lead to lose its inibitoring growth functions and contribute to not controlied cellular proliferation. Mutations and/or overexpression of p53 are thè most comnion genetic alterations found in human cancer. The role of thè p53 protein in cancerogenesis m domestic animals is stili largely unknown. This prelimmary study investigates thè expression of p?3 in 16 semmomas of thè dog using a standard streptavidinbiotin peroxidase method after microwave antigen retrieval. In 9 diffuse seminomas tlie mtensity of p53 expression is of low degree (^), in 5 diffuse seminomas is of middle degree (++) and m 2 intratubular seminomas is of higt degree (+++). The results suggest tlie p53 expression m seminoma of thè dog decreases with advancing stage of neoplastic process.