Annual pattern of plasma melatonin and progesterone concentrations in hair and wool ewe lambs kept under natural photoperiod at lower latitudes in the southern hemisphere

To study the annual pattern of plasma melatonin and progesterone concentrations in hair [Santa Ines (SI)] and wool [Romney Marsh (RM) and Suffolk (SU)] ewe lambs kept under natural photoperiods at 21 degrees 59'S, 12 ewe lambs (four/breed) were used. For melatonin, blood samples were collected monthly throughout the year at the onset (17:00, 19:00 and 21:00 hr) and end (04:00, 06:00 and 08:00 hr) of the night, and for progesterone the samples were collected in the morning, two to three times a week throughout the year. Plasma melatonin concentrations at different times of the day changed according to the season. In diurnal periods (17:00 and 8:00 hr) no seasonal differences were observed but they became evident in the nocturnal intervals (21:00 and 4:00 hr) and transitional night-day (6:00 hr) times. The patterns of melatonin secretion were higher in winter and autumn than in spring and summer. The patterns of plasma progesterone secretion were affected by interaction between breed and season. There was no seasonal variation in plasma progesterone concentrations for SI females. The progesterone pattern for RM and SU females varied with season. The plasma levels were higher in autumn and winter than in spring and summer. At 21 degrees 59'S hair and wool ewe lambs showed the same annual pattern of plasma melatonin concentration while the annual progesterone profiles were quite different. For SI females this pattern was constant along all seasons and for RM and SU females this pattern was higher during autumn and winter than spring and summer.

Heteroplasmy in hair: Differences among hair and blood from the same individuals are still a matter of debate

The analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a useful tool in forensic cases when sample contents too little or degraded nuclear DNA to genotype by autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci, but it is especially useful when the only forensic evidence is a hair shaft. Several authors have related differences in mtDNA from different tissues within the same individual, with high frequency of heteroplasmic variants in hair, as also in some other tissues. Is still a matter of debate how the differences influence the interpretation forensic protocols. One difference between two samples supposed to be originated from the same individual are related to an inconclusive result, but depending on the tissue and the position of the difference it should have a different interpretation, based on mutation-rate heterogeneity of mtDNA. In order to investigate it differences in the mtDNA control region from hair hafts and blood in our population, sequences from the hypervariable regions 1 and 2 (HV1 and HV2) from 100 Brazilian unrelated individuals were compared. The frequency of point heteroplasmy observed in hair was 10.5% by sequencing. Our study confirms the results related by other authors that concluded that small differences within tissues should be interpreted with caution especially when analyzing hair samples. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V.. All rights reserved.

Heteroplasmy in Hair: Study of Mitochondrial DNA Third Hypervariable Region in Hair and Blood Samples

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

Experimental infection with Leishmania chagasi in immunosuppressed Balb/c mice: cytokines and parasite burdens

The immune response in leishmaniasis may result in a polarization of the T lymphocyte subpopulation, altering cell phenotype and resulting in immune protection or disease exacerbation. Leishmania may persist in the body either during asymptomatic infections or after treatment, which represents high risk under immunosuppression. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of infection with immunosuppression by dexamethasone associated with pentoxifylline on animal weight, spleen weight, spleen and hepatic parasitic load and immunopathology, as well as the IFN-gamma and IL-10 production in spleen cell culture of Balb/c mice infected with Leishmania chagasi. The infection did not cause body weight gain in animals, but both the weight and size of the spleen were increased. The immunosuppression using dexamethasone associated with pentoxifylline affected body weight gain and spleen weight and size in both infected and non-infected animals. The immunosuppression did not significantly alter the course of the splenic or hepatic parasite burden. Dexamethasone and pentoxifylline significantly affected cytokine production, but did not influence the Th1/Th2 ratio in infected animals.

Distribution of rabies virus in infected mice, vaccinated and submitted to P-acnes as immunomodulator

The lethality and distribution of rabies virus were evaluated in swiss mice experimentally infected with street rabies virus, vaccinated and submitted to immunomodulation by P. acnes (formerly Corynebacterium parvum). The animals were sacrificed at different times,when the different tissues were collected and submitted to fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and mouse inoculation test (MIT). The group submitted to vaccination and P. acnes treatment presented a percentage of survival superior to that observed in infected mice only treated with P. acnes. Control infected animals had the lowest survival rates. The distribution of rabies virus in spleen of infected mice, vaccinated and submitted to P. acnes was superior to that verified in infected mice not treated with P. acnes. The increased survival correlated with the distribution of rabies virus in lymphoid tissues, could be interpreted as the consequence of P. acnes activity on macrophages. The results suggest the role of macrophages against rabies virus infection in mice and the importance of vaccination in the post expositive treatment of rabies. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier B.V. Ltd.

Net and metabolizable protein requirements for body weight gain in hair and wool lambs

Protein is one of the limiting factors in animal production, and the knowledge of protein requirements by livestock is crucial for the success of a commercial animal raising enterprise. Thirty-four castrated lambs, 17 of them F1 Ideal x lie de France wool lambs and the remaining ones were Santa Ines hair lambs, with homogeneous initial BW, were used in the experiment. Five animals from each genotype were slaughtered in the beginning of the experimental period and used as reference. Diets (D) were composed of concentrate mix (C) and Cynodon sp. c.v. Tifton 85 hay (R), combined in three different ratios: D1 =60CAOR; D2=40C:60R and D3=20C:80R. Animals of each group of three lambs, that showed simultaneously an initial BW of 20 +/- 0.14 kg at the beginning of the dietary regimen, were slaughtered when one of them reached 35 kg, what always happened to be the one fed with D1. Net requirements for BW gain in wool lamb, fleece-free, ranged from 101 to 110 g of protein/kg BW, and for hair lamb ranged from 1 10 to 118 g of protein/kg BW. Net protein requirements for wool production ranged from 634 to 642 g/kg of produced wool. Hair lambs presented a 7.8-9.5% higher estimated net protein requirements than wool lambs, according to BW and daily weight gain (DG). Total net protein requirements for Santa Ines and wool lambs, with 30 kg of initial B W and an approximate 200 g mean DG, were 48.5 and 45.4 g/day, respectively. Metabolizable protein requirements for Santa Ines and wool lambs, with 20 kg of initial BW and an approximate 200 g mean DG were 59.4 g and 76.5 -/day, respectively. Net protein requirements for wool production was 64g/100g of produced wool. Thus, under the conditions of this experiment, it is concluded that hair lambs showed a higher concentration of protein in the body, more efficient use of the ingested protein and a consequent additional BW gain when fed isoproteic diets as compared to F1 Ideal x Ile de France wool lambs. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the genotoxic and antigenotoxic potential of Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala D.C. in different cells of mice

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

Effect of the bacillus of Calmette-Guerin, Propionibacterium acnes and avridine as immunomodulators in antirabies vaccination of mice using the Fuenzalida-Palacios mouse brain vaccine

Using the laboratory mice, Fuenzalida-Palacios mouse brain human rabies vaccine was administered in groups of animals previously inoculated with rabies virus and then submitted to treatments with the immunomodulators onco-BCG, avridine and Plopionibacterium acnes. Humoral and cellular immune responses were evaluated through the macrophage inhibition factor (MIF), intra-pad inoculation (IPI) and serum neutralization (SN) tests and by the detection of gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma). The IPI test was not effective in detecting the response of delayed-type hypersensitivity, contrary to MIF, which showed the immune cellular response. Higher levels of IFN-gamma were observed in the groups of mice vaccinated and treated with avridine and P. acnes. Although immunomodulating activities have been detected, the use of adjuvants with the Fuenzalida-Palacios type vaccine in mice did not reveal any encouraging results. (C) 1999 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ultrastructural and proliferative features of the ventral lobe of the prostate in non-obese diabetic mice (NOD) following androgen and estrogen replacement associated to insulin therapy

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

Genotoxic and mutagenic effects of fipronil on mice

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

Annual characteristics of estrous activity in wool and hair ewe lambs under subtropical conditions

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

Environmentally induced antinociception and hyperalgesia in rats and mice

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Anxiogenic and antinociceptive effects induced by corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) injections into the periaqueductal gray are modulated by CRF1 receptor in mice

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

DNA damage and nitric oxide synthesis in experimentally infected Balb/c mice with Trypanosoma cruzi

This study aimed to evaluate whether experimental Chagas disease in acute phase under benznidazole therapy can cause DNA damage in peripheral blood, liver, heart, and spleen cells or induce nitric oxide synthesis in spleen cells. Twenty Balb/c mice were distributed into four groups: control (non-infected animals); Trypanosoma cruzi infected; T. cruzi infected and submitted to benznidazole therapy; and only treated with benznidazole. The results obtained with the single cell gel (comet) assay showed that T. cruzi was able induce DNA damage in heart cells of both benznidazole treated or untreated infected mice. Similarly, T. cruzi infected animals showed an increase of DNA lesions in spleen cells. Regarding nitric oxide synthesis, statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in all experimental groups compared to negative control, the strongest effect observed in the T. cruzi infected group. Taken together, these results indicate that T. cruzi may increase the level of DNA damage in mice heart and spleen cells. Probably, nitric oxide plays an important role in DNA damaging whereas benznidazole was able to minimize induced T. cruzi genotoxic effects in spleen cells. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.