Amastigota forms resembling Leishmania sp. on corneal ulceration in a dog: case report

Relata-se o caso de um cão com leishmaniose visceral apresentando lesões cutâneas, caquexia e úlcera de córnea. Realizou-se o diagnóstico parasitológico e sorológico por meio de exame do material da medula óssea e por imunofluorescência indireta, respectivamente. À citologia da úlcera corneana, visibilizaram-se formas amastigotas compatíveis com Leishmania sp.

Renal involvement in canine leishmaniasis: a morphological and immunohistochemical study

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

Estudo descritivo da estrutura populacional canina da área urbana de Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brasil, no período de 1994 a 2004

No período de 1994 a 2004, a população canina de Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brasil, registrou duas importantes zoonoses: a raiva e a leishmaniose visceral. Analisaram-se as mudanças ocorridas nessa população durante esse período, utilizando resultados de censos caninos e de coletas censitárias de sangue realizados em 1994, 1999 e 2004. A relação cão/10 habitantes variou significativamente, passando de 1,7 em 1994 para 2,0 em 1999 e para 1,8 em 2004. A porcentagem de cães com até um ano de idade passou de 20% para 32,5% e o número de eutanásias realizadas também aumentou após 1999, com a introdução da leishmaniose visceral. O número de cães e a estrutura etária variaram nos diversos setores do município e aqueles com maior porcentagem de animais com até dois anos de idade apresentaram maior ocorrência de casos de leishmaniose visceral humana e canina. Tais resultados decorrem de ações de controle adotadas nos setores com casos humanos de leishmaniose visceral, porém, o aumento da população canina mais jovem pode resultar em aumento da susceptibilidade destes cães à doença, favorecendo a manutenção da mesma na área.

Topografia da artéria hepática no fígado de capivara (Hydrochaerus hydrochaeris)

A distribuição dos ramos da artéria hepática, no fígado, foi estudada em 30 fígados de capivara (Hydrochaerus hydrochaeris) mediante injeção arterial com látex natural corado, fixação em formol a 10%, dissecção pela face visceral e esquematização. A lobação do fígado, nestes animais, é semelhante à do suíno, permitindo identificar os lobos lateral direito, medial direito, quadrado, medial esquerdo, lateral esquerdo e caudado (processos caudado e papilar). A artéria hepática divide-se mais freqüentemente (73,3%) nos ramos direito e esquerdo e, em menor número de preparações (26,6%), trifurca-se nos ramos direito, intermédio e esquerdo. Esses vasos alcançam, sob diferentes arranjos, os lobos do fígado.

Histopathological findings and detection of parasites in the eyes of dogs infected naturally with Leishmania chagasi

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

Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera, Psychodidae) em Cuesta Basáltica, na bacia hidrográfica do Rio Corumbataí, Região Centro-leste do Estado de São Paulo

A incidência das leishmanioses tegumentar e visceral americanas, em especial esta última (LVA), em hospedeiros caninos e humanos, encontra-se em crescente processo de expansão no Estado de São Paulo. Para a vigilância epidemiológica dessas endemias, torna-se fundamental o conhecimento da distribuição e da ecologia das diferentes espécies da fauna flebotomínea vetoras. Assim, a divulgação de novos encontros de seus vetores, sobretudo da Lutzomyia longipalpis, o principal vetor da LVA, é fundamental para apontar novas áreas de risco para a transmissão dessas doenças. Neste estudo, capturas de flebotomíneos foram realizadas em ambiente domiciliar, peridomiciliar e de mata, em diferentes localidades rurais dos municípios de Ipeúna e Itirapina, entre outubro de 2001 e fevereiro de 2004. Foram utilizadas armadilhas luminosas automáticas do tipo CDC, das 18h às 8h, em 14 noites, resultando 420 horas de exposição. Foram capturados 177 flebotomíneos pertencentes a doze espécies. A espécie mais abundante, Nyssomyia neivai, apontada como a principal vetora de LTA no Estado, contribuiu com 85,4% dos espécimes capturados em Ipeúna. O encontro de Lutzomyia longipalpis em uma caverna em Itirapina, aponta para o risco de estabelecimento da LVA na área e a necessidade de mais estudos locais sobre sua ecologia, sobretudo em relação à ocupação de ambientes antrópicos.

Results of the research cruises of FRV' Walther Herwig' to South America. LXXIV. Benthobatis kreffti n. sp (Chondrichthyes, Torpediniformes, Narcinidae), a new deep-water electric ray from off South Brazil and the third species of the genus.

Benthobatis kreffti n. sp. is described as the third species of this genus of blind deep-water electric rays, based on 150 specimens taken from the continental slope off South Brazil. The new species is the smallest within the genus (TL less than 300 mm) and is compared with both congeners, B. marcida from the north-western Atlantic and B. moresbyi from the northern Indian Ocean. B. kreffti is characterised beyond its small size mainly by plain dark colouration dorsally and a white underside, with dark margins of disc and pelvics, as well as by totally degenerated eyes almost no longer visible externally. The new species is diagnosed further by very low tooth counts of 9 to 13 rows and lack of folds, keels or ridges on sides of tail.

MORPHOLOGIC AND MORPHOMETRIC ASPECTS OF ENOCYTES OF APIS-MELLIFERA QUEENS AND WORKERS IN DIFFERENT PHASES OF LIFE

Oenocytes of adult workers and queens of Apis mellifera L. were studied in different ages or life stages, by means of morphometric and histologic techniques. In workers, the oenocytes were found in the head, near the mandibles and in the abdomen, immersed in the parietal fat body mainly below the sterna, close to the wax glands. In queens, two populations of oenocytes different in size and localization were found within the parietal and visceral fat body, respectively. The oenocytes of workers and queens show the presence of acid lipids and acid phosphatase. The role of these cells in the castes differences is discussed.

Isolation of Campylobacter jejuni from viscera and bile secretion of broiler chickens with diarrhea

Since chickens are important reservoirs of Campylobacter jejuni and their meat is the most frequent route of transmission for human campylobacteriosis, the purpouse of the present study was to investigate the presence of Campylobacter in viscera of chickens with diarrhea, evaluating the frequency of isolation of this microorganism from organs considered to be preferential for its isolation. A total of 107 visceral samples from chickens with diarrhea from different farms in the Ribeirao Preto region, SP, were examined for the presence of Campylobacter jejuni. The material consisted of 73 livers and 34 spleens, plus 29 bile secretion samples. The frequency of Campylobacter jejuni isolation was 54.79% for the liver samples, 35,29% for the spleens and 6,89% for the bile secretion samples. The data suggest that, under the conditions of the present study, the liver may be the organ of choice for the isolation of Campylobacter in the presence of diarrhea and liver involvement in chickens.

Abortive and teratogenic effect of Acanthospermum hispidum DC. and Cajanus cajan (L.) Millps. in pregnant rats

Extracts of Acanthospermum hispidum and Cajanus cajan have been used by Brazilian people in an attempt to produce abortion. In order to evaluate the possible abortive and/or teratogenic effect of these plant extracts, female Wistar rats were treated with the aqueous extract (infusion, proportion C. cajan and A. hispidum 1:1.3). Doses of 0, 150, 300 and 600 mg/kg were daily administered by gavage during the organogenic period. The animals were sacrificed at term. There was no significant change in the mean weight of the fetuses, and no change in the percentage of post implantation loss in the treated groups. However, there was an increase in the number of external malformations, and this was related to dose. No internal malformations were observed in fetuses at term, but there was a significant incidence of fetuses with visceral anomalies. The tendency of the pregnancy to continue or terminate did not change with the treatment.

Evaluation of transformation growth factor beta(1), interleukin-10, and interferon-gamma in male symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs naturally infected by Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi

The aims of this study were to evaluate the immunomodulatory role of TGF-beta(1), 1L-10, and INF-gamma in spleen and liver extracts and supernatant cultures of white spleen cells from male symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs, naturally infected by Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi. Thirty dogs from Aracatuba, São Paulo, Brazil, an endemic leishmaniosis area, were selected by positive ELISA serological reaction for Leishmania sp. and divided into two groups: asymptomatic (n=15) and symptomatic (n=15) consisting of animals with at least three characteristic signs (fever, dermatitis, lymphoadenopathy, onychogryphosis, weight loss, cachex a, locomotion problems, conjunctivitis, epistaxis, hepatosplenomegaly, edema, and apathy). After euthanasia, spleen and liver fragments were collected for ex vivo quantification of TGF-beta(1), IL-10, and INF-gamma. Naturally active in vitro produced TGF-beta(1) was also evaluated in spleen cell culture supernatant. Spleen and liver extract of asymptomatic dogs had higher mean TGF-beta(1) levels than symptomatic dogs. High concentrations of IL-10 were found in spleen, and mainly in liver extract of both groups. Higher INF-gamma concentrations were found in spleen extracts of symptomatic dogs, and in liver extracts of asymptomatic dogs. Extract of this cytokire was lower in spleen extract. Although INF-gamma is being produced in canine infection, mean levels of TGF-beta(1) and IL-10 from spleen and liver extracts were quantitatively much higher; suggesting that immune response in both asymptomatic and symptomatic dogs A as predominantly type Th2. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Placentation in the capybara (Hydrochaerus hydrochaeris), agouti (Dasyprocta aguti) and paca (Agouti paca)

Placentae of three hystricimorph rodents-capybara, agouti and paca-were examined by conventional histology, immunohistochemistry for cytokeratin and vimentin, and TUNEL staining. The placentae were divided into lobules of labyrinthine syncytium separated by interlobular and marginal trophoblast. The subplacenta comprised cytotrophoblasts, supported on lamellae of allantoic mesoderm, and syncytiotrophoblast. The central excavation was still apparent in the definitive placenta of capybara. In agouti and paca, the decidua of the junctional zone formed a mesoplacenta comprising a capsule and a pedicle. Towards term the pedicle formed a tenuous attachment between placenta and uterine wall comprising a few maternal vessels surrounded by degraded tissue. In paca placenta, it was shown by TUNEL staining that breakdown of this tissue occurred by apoptosis. The visceral yolk sac was highly villous and, in agouti, the yolk sac villi were extremely long. Lateral to its attachment to the placenta, the fetal surface was covered with non-vascular yolk sac endoderm. A layer of spongiotrophoblast cells was interposed between the endoderm and the marginal trophoblast. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

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)

Synthesis, X-ray Crystal Structure and Theoretical Calculations of Antileishmanial Neolignan Analogues

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Developments in hot-filament metal oxide deposition (HFMOD)

Hot-filament metal oxide deposition (HFMOD) is a variant of conventional hot-filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) recently developed in our laboratory and successfully used to obtain high-quality, uniform films of MOx WOx and VOx. The method employs the controlled oxidation of a filament of a transition metal heated to 1000 degrees C or more in a rarefied oxygen atmosphere (typically, of about 1 Pa). Metal oxide vapor formed on the surface of the filament is transported a few centimetres to deposit on a suitable substrate. Key system parameters include the choice of filament material and diameter, the applied current and the partial pressures of oxygen in the chamber. Relatively high film deposition rates, such as 31 nm min(-1) for MoOx, are obtained. The film stoichiometry depends on the exact deposition conditions. MoOx films, for example, present a mixture of MoO2 and MoO3 phases, as revealed by XPS. As determined by Li+ intercalation using an electrochemical cell, these films also show a colouration efficiency of 19.5 cm(2) C-1 at a wavelength of 700 nm. MOx and WOx films are promising in applications involving electrochromism and characteristics of their colouring/bleaching cycles are presented. The chemical composition and structure of VOx films examined using IRRAS (infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy), RBS (Rutherford backscattering spectrometry) and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectrometry) are also presented. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.