A master’s thesis was defended in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology and Poultry Diseases, entitled:

“Comparative Molecular Analysis of Canine SDHB Gene Expression and Immunohistochemical Profiles of Adrenal and Renal Tissues from Clinically Normal Dogs”

by the student “Raghad Waad Taher Al Omari “ under the supervision of

Asst. Prof. Dr. Firas Mohammed Abed – College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Mosul, and Prof. Dr. Michael James Dark – College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, on Sunday, 23 August 2026.

The Examination Committee Consisted of The Following Members:

Prof. Dr. Karam Hashim Yahya Al‑Mallah (College of Veterinary Medicine – University of Mosul) – Chair.

Prof. Dr. Mohammed Ghassan Saeed (College of Veterinary Medicine – University of Mosul) – Member.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Senaria Hanna Matti (College of Veterinary Medicine – University of Mosul) – Member.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Firas Mohammed Abed (College of Veterinary Medicine – University of Mosul) – Member and Supervisor

Prof. Dr. Michael James Dark (College of Veterinary Medicine – University of Florida) – Member and Co‑supervisor.

This study evaluated the association between non‑neoplastic histopathological lesions in the kidney and adrenal gland and the immunohistochemical expression of SDHA and SDHB subunits, in addition to assessing the concordance between SDHB gene expression data and its immunohistochemical profile in clinically healthy dogs.

The results revealed multifactorial lesions accompanied by clear alterations in SDH subunits, particularly SDHB, suggesting a potential role for mitochondrial dysfunction (“the cell’s powerhouses”) in either contributing to or reflecting the severity of tissue injury.