Congenital polycystic kidney disease in lambs.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the pathology and inheritance of a congenital polycystic kidney disease (PKD) of sheep.


METHODS
Mode of inheritance of PKD was investigated by evaluation of results of the disorder from planned matings in two consecutive years within subsets of a flock that had a high prevalence of PKD in lambs. Gross pathological and histopathological studies were based on tissues derived from this study. Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained paraffin sections of kidney, liver, extrahepatic biliary and pancreatic ducts, pancreas and epididymis were used to describe the lesions.


RESULTS
Twenty-five lambs affected by PKD, of both sexes, were born, numbers in accord with those expected for an autosomal recessive disorder in the population studied. In all cases for which tissues were available, the renal, bile ductal (intrahepatic and extrahepatic), pancreatic and epididymal tissues had widespread dysplastic changes and associated cyst formation.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of renal cysts in conjunction with cysts in other organs are unifying features in many of the human and animal forms of PKD and suggest a related pathogenic and genetic base consistent with an autosomal recessive disorder.
Johnstone
A C
AC
Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand. A.C.Johnstone@massey.ac.nz
Davidson
B I
BI
Roe
A R
AR
Eccles
M R
MR
Jolly
R D
RD
D000818:Animals; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity; D017044:Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Recessive / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*