Canine cerebral leishmaniasis: Potential role of matrix metalloproteinase-2 in the development of neurological disease

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Interleukin-8 as a prognostic serum marker in canine mammary gland neoplasias

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Astrocyte intermediate filaments are important markers in olfactory bulb of bovine herpesvirus type 5 natural infections

Astroglial cells are the most abundant cells in the mammalian central nervous system, yet our knowledge about their function in bovine Herpesvirus type 5 (BoHV-5) has been limited. The aim of this study was to detect by immunohistochemistry assay the reactive astrocytes for glial fibrilary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin (VIM), considered intermediate filaments of the cytoskeleton, localized in olfactory bulb from natural acute cases of BoHV-5 infection. All samples were submitted to virus isolation, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH) technique to confirm the virus transcription and respective genome. Samples were classified into four groups according to the severity of histological lesions. Groups III and IV, which histological lesions were classified as alacia, gliosis, satellitosis, neuronophagia and neuronal necrosis, 35% (± 1.8-2.1) of the inflammatory mononuclear cells, corresponded to CD3 positive lymphocytes. In the same group, 35% (± 1.8) of astrocytes were described as reactive to GFAP and VIM proteins. An agreement of r = 1.0 (P<0.0001) was found between histological lesions, intermediate filaments expression, viral DNA and transcription and CD3 lymphocytes. However, samples with mild histological lesions, 10.8 to 14.2% of astrocytes were classified as reactive to GFAP and VIM filaments. Our findings suggest that GFAP and VIM reactive astrocytes, in primary site of virus replication, seems to play an important role in neurovirulence, in spite of many questions concerning the virus immunopathology remains unclear.

Brucella ovis: InvasãO, tráfego, fatores de virulência e resposta imune

Brucellosis remains an economic problem in animals and public health. Worldwide ovine brucellosis caused by Brucella ovis is considered a major cause of infertility in sheep. The factors responsible for persistence of the agent are not known, as well as the mechanisms involved in immune defense and possibly the persistence of the agent. Brucella spp. induces moderate inflammatory response. The nature of the intracellular agent stimulates immune response of the type 1 helper T lymphocytes. Studies of the pathogenesis of ovine brucellosis are scarce. Recent developments have shown that the inflammatory response induced by moderate brucelas represent probably the result of an attempt to escape the immune response and suppression of host immune response. Were reviewed by the mechanisms described by brucelas and Brucella ovis for penetration into the host, escape of the immune response and the immune response generated by the infection.

Zymographic patterns of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the CSF and cerebellum of dogs with subacute distemper leukoencephalitis

Distemper leukoencephalitis is a disease caused by the canine distemper virus (CDV) infection. It is a demyelinating disease affecting mainly the white matter of the cerebellum and areas adjacent to the fourth ventricle; the enzymes of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) group, especially MMP-2 and MMP-9 have a key role in the myelin basic protein fragmentation and in demyelination, as well as in leukocyte traffic into the nervous milieu. To evaluate the involvement of MMPs during subacute distemper leukoencephalitis, we measured the levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 by zymography in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and in the cerebellum of 14 dogs naturally infected with CDV and 10 uninfected dogs. The infected dogs presented high levels of pro-MMP-2 in the CSF and elevated levels of pro-MMP-2 and pro-MMP-9 in the cerebellar tissue. Active MMP-2 was detected in the CSF of some infected dogs. As active MMP-2 and MMP-9 are required for cellular migration across the blood-brain barrier and any interference between MMPs and their inhibitors may result in an amplification of demyelination, this study gives additional support to the involvement of MMPs during subacute distemper leukoencephalitis and suggests that MMP-2 and MMP-9 may take part in the brain inflammatory changes of this disease. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Infecção experimental com Leishmania chagasi em camundongos Balb/c submetidos à imunossupressão: resposta imune e carga parasitária

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A importância da contraimunoeletroforese na detecção de antígenos nucleares extraíveis SS-A/Ro e SS-B/La para diagnóstico de doença reumática sistêmica

Pós-graduação em Patologia - FMB

Resposta imune após à infecção por Leishmania chagasi em camundongos Balb/c imunossuprimidos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Dengue Virus Type 3 Adaptive Changes during Epidemics in Sao Jose de Rio Preto, Brazil, 2006-2007

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Immunomodulatory activity and control of Salmonella Enteritidis colonization in the intestinal tract of chickens by Lactobacillus based probiotic

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Oxidative Stress and Modification of Renal Vascular Permeability Are Associated with Acute Kidney Injury during P. berghei ANKA Infection

Malaria associated-acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with 45% of mortality in adult patients hospitalized with severe form of the disease. However, the causes that lead to a framework of malaria-associated AKI are still poorly characterized. Some clinical studies speculate that oxidative stress products, a characteristic of Plasmodium infection, as well as proinflammatory response induced by the parasite are involved in its pathophysiology. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the development of malaria-associated AKI during infection by P. berghei ANKA, with special attention to the role played by the inflammatory response and the involvement of oxidative stress. For that, we took advantage of an experimental model of severe malaria that showed significant changes in the renal pathophysiology to investigate the role of malaria infection in the renal microvascular permeability and tissue injury. Therefore, BALB/c mice were infected with P. berghei ANKA. To assess renal function, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and ratio of proteinuria and creatininuria were evaluated. The products of oxidative stress, as well as cytokine profile were quantified in plasma and renal tissue. The change of renal microvascular permeability, tissue hypoxia and cellular apoptosis were also evaluated. Parasite infection resulted in renal dysfunction. Furthermore, we observed increased expression of adhesion molecule, proinflammatory cytokines and products of oxidative stress, associated with a decrease mRNA expression of HO-1 in kidney tissue of infected mice. The measurement of lipoprotein oxidizability also showed a significant increase in plasma of infected animals. Together, our findings support the idea that products of oxidative stress, as well as the immune response against the parasite are crucial to changes in kidney architecture and microvascular endothelial permeability of BALB/c mice infected with P. berghei ANKA.

Leprosy, a neglected disease that causes a wide variety of clinical conditions in tropical countries

Leprosy is an ancient disease that remains endemic and continues to be a major public health problem in some tropical countries, where it has been internationally recognized as being linked to the underdevelopment conditions. The natural course of the disease covers a wide variety of clinical conditions with systemic involvement. In this paper, we review the findings obtained in studies of the pathological mechanisms of leprosy, including a survey of the literature and of our own work. The understanding and control of the wide variety of clinical conditions should help improve patient care and thus prevent the onset of physical impairment and the stigma of the disease.

Transforming growth factor beta and apoptosis in leprosy skin lesions: possible relationship with the control of the tissue immune response in the Mycobacterium leprae infection

The course of leprosy depends of the host immune response which ranges from the lepromatous pole (LL) to the tuberculoid pole (TT). A comparative study was conducted in 60 patients with the LL and TT The results showed a mean expression of TGF-beta of 339 +/- 99.4 cells/field for TT and of 519.2 +/- 68.2 cells/field for LL. Frequency of apoptosis was 6.3 +/- 1.8 in TT and 14.0 +/- 6.1 in LL. A correlation (p = 0.0251) between TGF-beta and caspase-3 in the LL was found. This finding indicates a role of TGF-beta and apoptosis in the immune response in leprosy. (C) 2012 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.