Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences, Vol. 39, No. 1, 2025 (65-70)
65
Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences
www.vetmedmosul.com
The correlation of the forkhead transcription factor foxo1 expression and
histopathological pancreatic lesions in dogs
F.M. Abed
1
, A.N. Abduljawaad
2
, O.A. Al-Mahmood
3
, K.H. Al-Mallah
1
and H.Kh. Ismail
1
1
Department of Pathology and Poultry Diseases,
2
Department of Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine,
3
Department of
Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq
Article information Abstract
Article history:
Received 30 September, 2024
Accepted 01 November, 2024
Published online 01 January, 2025
The objective of the current research was to characterize the correlation of Forkhead
transcription factor and histopathologic findings of dogs’ pancreatic lesions. The study
revealed a negative linear correlation (Correlation Coefficient 0.96) between lesions
frequences and FOXO1 (lesions frequences move in opposing directions). Lesion
frequences reduce as FOXO1 rises. Samples collected from the necropsy unit of veterinary
teaching hospital at University of Mosul, college of veterinary medicine, to determine and
confirm any histopathologic evidence of specific lesions these specimens histologically
examined. In dogs, pancreatic lesions can range from mild inflammation (pancreatitis) to
more severe conditions such as pancreatic cancer. Focusing on histopathological changes
can help identify the correlation with FOXO1 expression. Various types of lesions were
observed in the 17 pancreatic samples from dogs; however, none have been showed any
evidence of neoplasia. Despite a lack of gross lesions, 14 samples (82.35%) exhibited
microscopic pathological changes. Three samples (17.64%) revealed normal histology. In
total, 12 types of microscopic lesions were identified. Among the 14 samples, degenerative
changes, congestion, edema, coagulative and fat necrosis, as well as inflammation were
detected in some samples. Multiple lesions, including fibrosis, hyperplasia, and atrophy,
were observed in other samples. Additionally, cyst formations, metaplasia, and granulation
tissue were determined. Dogs were randomly chosen, and all pancreatic samples were
assessed through histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation. This study
concludes that lesions frequences move in opposing directions. Lesion frequences increase
as FOX01 descend.
Keywords:
Dog
FOXO1
Pancreas
Immunohistochemistry
Histopathology
Correspondence:
F.M. Abed
firasabed@uomosul.edu.iq
DOI: 10.33899/ijvs.2025.156229.4066, ©Authors, 2025, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Mosul.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Introduction
The canine pancreatitis model has frequently been
utilized because of its resemblance to the condition in
humans (1). The pancreas is situated in the dorsal region of
both the epigastric and mesogastric sections of the abdomen,
just below the liver. Canine liver is divided into 4 lobes
namely: the right lobe, the left lobe, the caudate lobe. The
right lobe is thin and slender, while the left lobe is shorter,
thicker, and wider. These lobes are connected at the body,
which is located caudomedial to the pylorus. The right lobe
extends caudally within the mesoduodenum (2). An
understanding of the function of FOXO1 in pancreatic health
and illness tissue can be gained by examining its expression
in connection with histological pancreatic lesions in dogs.
Cancer research places a lot of emphasis on FOXO1 because
it is known to be involved in several cellular functions, such
as metabolism, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis (3).
FOXO1, part of the Foxo1 family, is important for regulating
various cellular processes such as metabolism, cell control,
and stress resistance (4). In the study of pancreatic lesions in
dogs, examining FOXO1 expressions can offer valuable