Why Shar Pei Dogs Have So Many Wrinkles
November 16, 2008
A group of researchers at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) have discovered the origin of the mucinosis present in Shar Pei dogs, a hereditary disorder responsible for the characteristic wrinkles found in this breed.
The research report appears in the journals Veterinary Dermatology and Journal of Heredity. The report details the genetic alteration in this breed which multiplies the activity of an enzyme responsible for an excessive production of hyaluronic acid, a substance which gathers under the skin and produces wrinkles. Understanding this molecular mechanism will give way to new reproduction programmes aimed at improving the health of these animals. It also will be used to learn more about human disorders such as Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) or mucinosis, and to gain more knowledge on the ageing process.
Shar Pei dogs have unique characteristics. The breed originated in the south of China more than two thousand years ago with the Han dynasty and was used as guard dogs and shepherds. After the communist revolution of Mao Tse-Tung the Shar Pei breed almost disappeared. However, at the beginning of the 1970s a breeder from Hong Kong, Matgo-Law, sent a number of Shar Peis to the United States and there began the process of recovering the breed, which is considered to be the rarest in the world.
Shar Peis became a popular breed in Europe and the United States at the beginning of the 1990s. During the recovery process, the characteristic wrinkles of the first Shar Pei dogs were enhanced and the offspring of these appeared with thicker skin and a greater number of wrinkles. This increase in thickness and the formation of excessive wrinkles are the cause of the inherited skin disorder cutaneous mucinosis, in which there is a build-up of mucin in the layers of the skin. The mechanism which produces this excess of mucin was unknown of until now.
A group of researchers at UAB, led by professors Lluís Ferrer and Anna Bassols, have discovered the mechanisms of this disorder. Mucinosis in Shar Peis is due to an accumulation of hyaluronic acid (one of the main components found in the space between tissue cells) in cutaneous structures. This causes them to present high levels of hyaluronic acid in their bloodstream as well. Research with fibroblast cell cultures isolated from the Shar Pei’s skin have allowed scientists to demonstrate that synthesis of hyaluronic acid is produced in abnormally high amounts due to an excess in the activity (overexpression) of the HAS2 enzyme, one of the three enzymes responsible for the synthesis of acid in mammals. Now researchers are working to find the exact location of the genetic mutation causing this metabolic alteration, in a collaboration project between Armand Sánchez and Olga Francino from the UAB Department of Animal and Food Science, and Mia Olson and Kerstin Lindblah-Tod from the University of Uppsala, Sweden.
The results of the research contain many practical applications for the future. Due to the high level of inbreeding, the Shar Pei breed is afflicted with numerous disorders, and many of them are hereditary. Knowledge of the genetic and hereditary bases of mucinosis will be used to design reproduction programmes aimed at improving the health of these animals. This breed is also a valuable model for the study of human disorders such as FMF or hereditary mucinosis and research results could lead to applications which could cure these disorders. In addition, understanding the molecular mechanisms of mucinosis will shed more light on the biology of the tissues surrounding cells, the extracellular matrix, and will help to understand processes such as cell recognition and ageing.
I think the doctors are trying to help the dogs to become healthier, stronger and better and longer lives.
Article
1. Just forty years ago, most Americans had never seen a Shar Pei dog.
2. In the early ’70s, the saggy, baggy pups attracted a lot of attention with their wrinkles that looked like they were wearing oversized pajamas.
3. The Chinese Shar Pei dog has been around for more than two thousand years.
4. The name Shar Pei means ‘sand skin’ which refers to the sand paper-like coat.
5. This breed was once listed by the Guiness Book of World Records as the rarest breed in the world.
I THINK THAT THE DOCTORS TIRING TO HELP THE DOG TO BE BETER AT THINGS AND NOT TO HAVE WRINKLES AND NOT TO BE SICK. TO PROTCET THIER FAMILY AND HAVE LONGER LIVES, STRONGER, HEALTHIER.
The orgin of mucinosis a hereditary disorder responsible for the characteristic wrinkles found in Shar Pei dogs was discovered a group of researchers at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona.
During the early 1990s the Shar Peis became a popular breed in Europe and the United States.
This breed began in the south of China over two thousand years ago with the Han dynasty.
The Shar Pei breed almost became extinct due to the communist revolution of Mao Tse-Tung .
This breed has been stricken with numerous disorders and many of them have been found to be hereditary because of the high level of inbreeding.
1. Hyaluronic acid is a substance which gathers under the skin and produces wrinkles.
2. two thousand years ago they were used as gaurd dogs and sheperds.
3. They almost disappered two thousand years ago in china so Matgo-Law sent some Shar Pei dogs to America and they recovered.
4. A group of researchers at UAB have discovered the mechanisms of this disorder.
5. Due to the high level of inbreeding, the Shar Pei breed is afflicted with numerous disorders.
Researchers have found the origin of the mucinosis present in Shar Pei dogs. This hereditary disorder causes wrinkles to be present in this type of dog. Shar Peis originated in the south of China. A breeder from Hong Kong sent many of the Shar Peis back to the United States in order for the breed to survive. During the process of recovery, the wrinkles characteristic were enhanced and the offspring of these appeared with much thicker skin and more wrinkles. Due to the high level inbreeding, the breed is afflicted which a numerous amount of disorders.
1. Just forty years ago, most Americans had never seen a Shar Pei dog.
2. In the early ’70s, the saggy, baggy pups attracted a lot of attention with their wrinkles that looked like they were wearing oversized pajamas.
3. The Chinese Shar Pei dog has been around for more than two thousand years.
4. The name Shar Pei means ‘sand skin’ which refers to the sand paper-like coat.
5. This breed was once listed by the Guiness Book of World Records as the rarest breed in the world.
this dog came from china about 2000 years ago as guard dogs
in the 1960’s many of the united states never saw them before
this dog has a hair disorder
they are rarest breed
it came very close of being extint
The shar pei dog came from China about 2,000 yearrs ago, breed for guard dogs. They almost went extinct then America discovered them. They are cosidered the rarest breed they also have a rare skin disorder. Just 40 years ago most Americans had never heardof shar pei.
Shar Pei dogs have a heredity disorder that gives these dogs their wrinkles.
At one point these rare dogs almost disappeared, but thankfully a dog breeder form Hong Kong sent some Shar Peis to the United States where they became popular and quickly reproduced. Due to the high level inbreeding, the breed is afflicted which a numerous amount of disorders. Some research showed that the dog’s heredity disorder will be aimed to help health by the mucinosis in the dog’s coat. With this dog having all these wrinkles it wasn’t a big surprise that they are considered a rare breed of dog.
1.A group of researchers at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona UAB have discovered the origin of the mucinosis present in Shar Pei dogs.
2.A hereditary disorder responsible for the characteristic wrinkles found in this breed.
3.The results of the research contain many practical applications for the future.
4.Due to the high level of inbreeding, the Shar Pei breed is afflicted with numerous disorders, and many of them are hereditary.
5.Shar Peis became a popular breed in Europe and the United States at the beginning of the 1990.
1. Because of a heridity disorder, Shar Pei dogs have wrinkles.
2. The Shar Pei breed almost dissapeared, but a breeder from Hong Kong sent them to the United States, and began to recover the breed.
3. Due to the high level of inbreeding, the breed has many disorders.
4. During the recovery process, the wrinkles of the first Shar Pei dogs were enhanced and the offspring of these appeared with thicker skin and a greater number of wrinkles.
5. This is the cause of the inherited skin disorder cutaneous mucinosis, which is where there is a build-up of mucin in the layers of the skin.
Article Summary:
1.A group of researchers have discovered the origin of the mucinosis present in Shar Pei dogs, a hereditary disorder responsible for the characteristic wrinkles found in this breed.
2.The research report appears in the journals Veterinary Dermatology and Journal of Heredity.
3.Shar Pei dogs have unique characteristics.
4.Shar Peis became a popular breed in Europe and the United States at the beginning of the 1990s. During the recovery process, the characteristic wrinkles of the first Shar Pei dogs were enhanced and the offspring of these appeared with thicker skin and a greater number of wrinkles.
5.Mucinosis in Shar Peis is due to an accumulation of hyaluronic acid.