Na+/K+-ATPase and bone morphogenetic protein-2 expressions in parenchymal and microenvironmental cells of canine mammary tumours.

The most common canine tumour is mammary tumour, which resembles breast cancer in humans. Microenvironment is a crucial factor in the formation of breast cancers. In order to distinguish between benign and malignant canine mammary tumours, this study looked at the immunohistochemical expression of Na+/K+-ATPase and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) in tumour and microenvironmental cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of Na+/K+-ATPase and BMP-2 in canine mammary tumours and their relationship with malignancy. In this investigation, 10 normal breast tissues were used as controls, and 28 benign and 46 malignant mammary tumours were taken from the archives of the Department of Pathology. The findings showed that malignant tumours expressed more Na+/K+-ATPase and BMP-2 than did normal breast tissue. Both markers had a negative or slight expression in benign tumours, whereas they considerably increased in malignant tumours. Both tumour parenchymal and microenvironmental cells in malignancies expressed Na+/K+-ATPase and BMP-2. Na+/K+-ATPase expression was observed to be more prominent in cells when compared to BMP-2. These findings also suggest that Na+/K+-ATPase and BMP-2 could be employed in the future to help diagnose canine and possibly human breast cancers earlier or as possible targets for treatment.