Application of prostate analysis methods (immuno- and histochemistry) on Bartolini's glands from meet bovine to control illegal treatment

In Italy, exogenous sex hormones - alone or mixed with other xenobiotic substances - are illegal, but widely used for anabolic purposes during the fattening period. Female meet bovine are generally rare in beef breeding and, dued to the physiological cycling presence of endogenous estrogenic hormones, they are difficult to evaluate. The histological lesions are mainly represented by moderate to severe squamous metaplasia of the epithelial secerning cells, dued to supposed estrogens employing. Sometimes, they are also represented by mild ductular dilation with minimal presence of secretion. In the histological analysis of beef bovine breeding, female target organs (Bartolini’s gland) are very difficult to interprete. CK5 and BSI-B4 are effective techniques to reveal lesions and Alcian Blu-PAS stains altered secretion, like in the prostate. Therefore, we suggest to applicatie these techniques. Although, for an optimal interpretation, it is necessary to know about the estral period of the animals.