Anatomical and histological characteristics of teeth in agouti (Dasyprocta prymnolopha Wagler, 1831)

A cutia espécie Dasyprocta prymnolopha (D. prymnolopha) é um roedor de tamanho médio, diurno e característico do Nordeste do Brasil, sul da Amazônia. Vários estudos têm sido feitos sobre estes roedores. No entanto, há uma carência de estudos do sistema estomatognático, em particular, a morfologia dos dentes. Assim, esta pesquisa procura descrever aspectos anatômicos e histológicos dos dentes cutia. Para isto, nós utilizamos cutias adultas, em que as mensurações e as descrições dos dentes e dos tecidos dentais foram feitas. Observou-se que a arcada dentária de D. prymnolopha é composta por vinte dentes, distribuídas uniformemente no arco superior e inferior, sendo os dentes inferiores, maiores do que os seus correspondentes superiores. Os incisivos são maiores, e entre os pré-molares e molares posteriores, existe um aumento gradual no comprimento do arco anterior-posterior. No exame microscópico, uma forma prismática foi observada o que consiste de prismas de esmalte dispostos em diferentes direções, atrás do esmalte e dentina com túbulos dentinários com padrão tubular de diâmetro variável e distantes entre si, mostrando também um caminho sinuoso a partir da parte interna da junção com o esmalte mais superficial. A análise morfológica dos tecidos dentários mostrou um esmalte com a organização estrutural adaptada para o ato de mastigar e dentina de alto impacto compatível com a função do padrão tubular de resiliência e amortecimento mecânico de forças mastigatórias, como encontrado em animais maiores, confirmando o entendimento de hábitos alimentares que definem muito das suas funções ecológicas dentro do ecossistema em que vivem.

New experimental model of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke

PURPOSE: To describe a new model to passive smoking for rodents. METHODS: Twenty rats were distributed into two study groups (N=10): control group (CG), that was not exposed to tobacco smoke and used as normal standard for biochemical and histological analysis; Experimental Group (EG), that Animals were exposed to the passive smoking; Euthanasia was performed after 14 days of exposure. The serum level of nicotine and histological analysis were performed. RESULTS: There was a statistical difference on the nicotine serum levels between Experimental and Control group, with level of 286 ±23 nanograma/mL in the EG and undetectable on CG (p<0.01). The histological study suggested the model efficacy producing alveolar destruction and emphysema in the EG compared with the insignificant lesions in the CG's lung. CONCLUSION: The model of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke for rodents induced easily the changes related to secondhand smoke.

Brazilian Angiostrongylus cantonensis haplotypes, ac8 and ac9, have two different biological and morphological profiles

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is the etiologic agent of eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in humans. Cases have been recorded in many parts of the world, including Brazil. The aim of this study was to compare the differences in the biology and morphology of two different Brazilian haplotypes of A. : ac8 and ac9. A significantly larger number of L1 larvae eliminated in the faeces of rodents at the beginning of the patent period was observed for ac9 haplotype and compared to the total of L1 larvae eliminated, there was a significant difference between the two haplotypes. The ac9 haplotype showed a significant difference in the proportion of female and male specimens (0.6:1), but the same was not observed for ac8 (1.2:1). The morphometric analysis showed that male and female specimens isolated from ac8 haplotype were significantly larger with respect to body length, oesophagus length, spicule length (male) and distance from the anus to the rear end (female) compared to specimens from ac9. The morphological analysis by light microscopy showed little variation in the level of bifurcations at the lateral rays in the right lobe of the copulatory bursa between the two haplotypes. The biological, morphological and morphometric variations observed between the two haplotypes agree with the observed variation at the molecular level using the cytochrome oxidase subunit I marker and reinforce the possible influence of geographical isolation on the development of these haplotypes.