Aim: Cell death, especially apoptosis, is one of the most studied topics regarding cells. Understanding the mechanism of apoptosis in diseases will help understand the pathogenesis of diseases, as well as the treatment. This study aims to grade the Bovine ocular squamous cell carcinoma (BOSCC) and to evaluate apoptosis in tumors with different anaplastic features.

Materials and Methods: A total of 30 formalin-fixed tumor tissues consisting of 10 poorly-differentiated, 10 moderately-differentiated, and 10 well-differentiated tissues were used to examine apoptosis in BOSCCs. Hematoxylin & eosin (HE) was performed for histopathological examination and TUNEL staining was performed for detection of apoptosis in all BOSCCs.

Results: It was determined that apoptosis decreased as the malignancy increased in BOSCCs (p<0.001). Although all the tumors examined were malignant, apoptosis, i.e. controlled cell death, was found to be severe in well-differentiated type and mild in moderate and poorly-differentiated types.

Conclusion: It was concluded that this case observed in bovines should be considered in studies on the pathogenesis of cancer and treatment.