Histological, immuno-histochemical study and culture of human and canine, normal and cancerous, breast cells

Objective. Compare the morphological characteristics of normal and cancer cells derived from mammary glands of human and canine species. Materials and methods. 10 samples were collected of normal breast parenchyma and 14 from tumor parenchyma of the canine species, as well as six samples of normal breast parenchyma and three-tumor parenchyma of the human species. For the cell culture, a mammal cell culture technique was used, and, an avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique was used for the histochemical culture, with the use of monoclonal antibody 32-2B (anti-desmoglein-1). Results. With histological and morphological studies, the cells of the normal human mammary gland showed similarities with cells of normal canine mammary gland. Adhesion and proliferation of normal cells was observed in both species bin approximately three months of culture. Normal cells of human and canine species showed low proliferative activity when compared with cancerous cells of the species under study. Groups of epithelioid cells that adhered to the substrate of the two cultures had dependence on stromal cells, because as the fibroblastoid cells were removed, epithelioid cells stopped their growth. Conclusions. Comparing the results obtained by immuno-histochemical analysis of normal cells of women and bitches, it was possible to observe changes in the pattern of staining in cancer cells in both species, demonstrating that the structures related to cell adhesion (desmosomes) may be altered.