Alterações cutâneas do cão no Kala-Azar sul-americano

According to E. Chagas (1938), South-American Kala Azar is a widespread disease from the jungle, several cases being reported from North Brazil (Estado do Pará: Marajó Island, Tocantins and Gurupi river valleys; Estados do Piauí and Ceará: coast and hinterland). Other cases were found in Northeast Brazil (Estados de Pernambuco, Alagôas and Sergipe: coast and hinterland; Estado da Bahia: hinterland). A few cases were described from Estado de Mato-Grosso (Brazil), Provincia de Salta and Território do Chaco (Argentine), and Zona contestada do Chaco (Paraguai-Bolívia). A well defined secondary anemia associated with enlargement of the liver and spleen are the chief symptoms. Death usually occurs in cachexia and with symptoms of heart failure. Half the patients were children aged less than ten years (CHAGAS, CASTRO & FERREIRA, 1937). Quite exhaustive epidemiological researches performed by CHAGAS, FERREIRA, DEANE, DEANE & GUIMARÃES (1938) in Municipio de Abaeté (Estado do Pará, Brazil) gave the incidence of 1.48% for the natural infection in human, 4.49% in dogs, and 2.63% in cats. The infection was arcribed (CUNHA & CHAGAS, 1937) to a new species of Leishmania (L. chagasi). Latter CUNHA (1938) state, that it is identical to L. infantum. ADLER (1940) found that so far it has been impossible to distinguish L. chagasi from L. infantum by any laboratory test but a final judgment must be reserved until further experiments with different species of sandflies have been carried out. Skin changes in canine Kala Azar were signaled by many workers, and their importance as regards the transmission of the disease is recognized by some of them (ADLER & THEODOR, 1931, 2. CUNHA, 1933). Cutaneous ulcers in naturally infected dogs are referred by CRITIEN (1911) in Malta, by CHODUKIN & SCHEVTSCHENKO (1928) in Taschkent, by DONATIEN & LESTOCQUARD (1929) and by LESTOCQUARD & PARROT (1929) in Algeria, and by BLANC & CAMINOPETROS (1931) in Greece. Depilation is signaled by YAKIMOFF & KOHL-YAKIMOFF (1911) in Tunis, by YAKIMOFF (1915) in Turkestan. Eczematous areas or a condition described as "eczema furfurace" is sometimes noted in the areas of depilation (DONATIEN & LESTOCQUARD). The skin changes noticed by ADLER & THEODOR (1932) in dogs naturally infected with Mediterranean Kala Azar can be briefly summarized as a selective infiltration of macrophages around hair follicles including the sebaceous glands and the presence of infected macrophages in normal dermis. The latter phenomenon in the complete absence of secondary infiltration of round cells and plasma cells is the most striking characteristic of canine Kala Azar and differentiates it from L. tropica. In the more advanced stages the dermis is more cellular than that of normal dogs and may even contain a few small dense areas of infiltration with macrophages and some round cells and polymorphs. The external changes, i. e., seborrhea and depilation are roughly proportional to the number of affected hair follicles. In dogs experimentally infected with South-American Kala Azar the parasites were regularly found in blocks of skin removed from the living animal every fortnight (CUNHA, 1938). The changes noticed by CUNHA, besides the presence of Leishmania, were perivascular and diffuse infiltration of the cutis with mononuclears sometimes more marked near hair follicles, as well as depilation, seborrhea and ulceration. The parasites were first discovered and very numerous in the paws. Our material was obtained from dogs experimentally infected by Dr. A. MARQUES DA CUNHA< and they were the subject of a previous paper by CUNHA (1938). In this study, however, several animals were discarded as it was found that they did develop a superimposed infection by Demodex canis. This paper deals with the changes found in 88 blocks of skin removed from five dogs, two infected with two different canine strains, and three with two distinct human strains of South-American Kala Azar. CUNHA'S valuable material affords serial observations of the cutaneous changes in Kala Azar as most of the blocks of skin were taken every fortnight. The following conclusions were drawn after a careful microscopic study. (1) Skin changes directly induced in the dog by the parasites of South-American Kala Azar may b described as an infiltration of the corium (pars papillaris and upper portion of the reticular layer) by histocytes. Parasites are scanty, at first, latter becoming very numerous in the cytoplasm of such cells. Sometimes the histocytes either embedding or not leishman bodies appear as distinct nodes of infiltration or cell aggregations (histocytic granuloma, Figs. 8 and 22) having a perivascular distribution. The capillary loops in the papillae, the vessels of the sweat glands, the subpapillary plexus, the vertical twigs connecting the superficial and deep plexuses are the ordinary seats of the histocytic Kala Azar granulomata. (2) Some of the cutaneous changes are transient, and show spontaneous tendency to heal. A gradual transformation of the histocytes either containing or not leishman bodies into fixed connective tissue cells or fibroblasts occut and accounts for the natural regression just mentioned. Figs. 3, 5, 18, 19 and 20 are good illustrations of such fibroblastic transformation of the histocytic Kala Azar granulomata. (3) Skin changes induced by the causative organism of South-American Kala Azar are neither uniform nor simultaneous. The same stage may be found in the same dog in different periods of the disease, and not the same changes take place when pieces from several regions are examined in the same moment. The fibroblastic transformation of the histocytic granulomata marking the beginning of the process of repair, e. g., was recognised in dog C, in the 196th as well as in the 213rd (Fig. 18) and 231st (Fig. 19) days after the inoculation. (4) The connective tissue of the skin in dogs experimentally infected with South-American Kala Azar is overflowed by blood cells (monocytes and lymphocytes) besides the proliferation in situ of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells. A marked increase in the number of cells specially the "ruhende Wanderzellen" (Figs. 4 and 15) is noticed even during the first weeks after inoculation (prodomal stage) when no leishman bodies are yet found in the skin. Latter a massive infiltration by amoeboid wandering cells similar to typical blood monocytes (Fig. 21) associated to a small number of lymphocytes and plasma cells (Figs. 9, 17, 21, and 24) indicates that the emigration of blood cells...

Adenocarcinoma cístico hemorrágico da glândula mamária de camondongo

The A. A. have observed a hemorrhagic cyst-adenocacinoma of the mammary gland of mouse. This malignant tumor shows atipical, it is composed almost entirely of large cuboidal epithelial cells, which possess eosinophilic cytoplasm and generally hyperchromatic nuclei. There is a acinouslike structure. One can find many hemorragic areas, which form cyst-like blood filled spaces.

Estudos sobre a regeneração do figado - variação do volume nuclear das celulas hepáticas em repouso divisional

Surgical removal of large amounts of hepatic tissue in male albino rats results in a rapid and conspicuous raise in cellular nuclear volumes. Measurements were made exclusively in resting nuclei. This volume variation is transitory. Nuclear volumes return to the normal value withins 6 days of restoration. The higher value are abserved 48 hours after the hepatic removal, indicating probably that this effect is due to hydration of the nucei, as occurs in the cytoplasm. This hydration could be correlated to the mitotic activity of the renmant tissue since a peak of mitoses parallels the changes in the nuclear volumes.

Análise citológica e cariométrica da ação da colchina sôbre a espermatogênese dos hemípteros

The action of colchicine upon the spermatogenesis of Triatoma infestans, (Hemipt. Heteroptera), has been studied and the different categories of giant spermatids that appear during the treatment have been compared with the nuclear volumes of the whole series of normal spermatogenetic stages. The following facts have been ascertained: 1) 4 hours after the treatment the gonial mitotic metaphases, and the 1st. and 2nd. metaphases of meiosis are stopped. The prophasic stages of meiosis and diakynesis appear to be normal. After 9 days of treatment, all the tetrads are broken in the meiotic metaphases and the cells appear with 44 and 22 chromosomes respectively, scattered in the cytoplasm. 2) At 9 days, practically all spermatogenetic stages have disappeared except for a few cysts of spermatogonia, and practically the whole testicle is full of cysts of spermatozoa and spermatid, with some large zones of necrosis with pycnotic nuclei. The spermatids appear to be of different sizes and the statistical analysis of the nuclear volumes gives a polymodal hystogram with 4 modes, whose volumes are in the ratio of 1:2:4:8. Ripe spermatozoa seem to have a certain volume variability, that has not been possible to analyse quantitatively. All these facts confirm what DOOLEY found in the colchicinized Orthoptera testicle. 3) The caryometric analysis conducted statistically on the normal stages of the spermatogenesis (resting spermatogonia, gonial prophases, leptotene, "confused stage", diakynesis, and spermatid) revealed the following facts: a) Considering the volume of the resting, spermatogonia as 1, their mitotic prophases have a volume of 2. Some rare prophases appear to have a volume of 4 and probably belong to tetraployd spermatogonia normally present in the testicle of Hemiptera. b) The first spermatocyte at the beginning of the auxocitary growth (leptotene) has a volume of 2, which is equal to that of them gonial prophase. It grows further during the "confused stage" and reduplicates, reaching thus the volume of 4. Diakynesis has a rather variable nuclear volume and it is higher than volume 4. This is probably of physico-chemical nature and not a growth increase. c) The spermatid at the beginning of the spermiogenetic process has a volume of 1 which is very constant and homogeneous. 4) These results can be summarized concluding that the meiotic process begins from a spermatogonium at the end of his mitotic interphasic growth (vol. 2) and instead of entering into the mitotic prophase transforms itself into the leptotene spermatocyte. During the diplotene ("confused stage") the volume of the nucleus doubles once more and reaches volume 4. In consequence of the two successive meiotic divisions the spermatid, although having an haploid number of chromosomes, has a nuclear volume of 1, just like the diploid spermatogonium. The interpretation of this strange result probably comes from the existence of the "tertiary split" in the chromosomes of the haploid set, that has been illustrated in the Hemiptera by HUGUES SCHRADER and in Orthoptera by MICKEY and co-workers. The tertiary split indicates that the chromosomes of the haploid set are constituted from almost two chromonemata, and this double constitution corresponds to the double cycle of reduplication that takes place during the spermatogenesis starting from the resting gonia. In Triatoma infestans the tertiary split appears in the chromosomes in the 1st. and 2nd. metaphases and in the diakynesis. In the blocked metaphases at the 9th. day of colchicinization some of the 44 elements scattered in the cytoplasm, show, when properly oriented, the split very clearly. Some new and strange facts revealed by SCHRADER and LEUCHTEMBERGER in Arvelius suggest the possibility of other interpretations of the rhythmic growth in special cases. There appears the necessity of more knowledge about the multiple or simple constitution of the chromosomes in somatic and spermatogonial mitosis.

Sôbre a patogenia da Grangrena gasona

Since von Hibler gas grangrene has been considered a local infection with systemic symptoms. When we consider some of the symptoms of gas gangrene, those of the central nervous system are in evidence beeing similar to those observed in tetanus and botulism. It is likely therefore that gas gangrene intoxication and the disease caused by it are of neurotoxic nature. With Almeida Cardoso and Araujo Costa we were able to demonstrate lesions in the central nervous system of animals wich had been intoxicated during a short period of time as well in those with intoxication of longer duration. In acute intoxication, after intracreneal inoculation, severe alterations were seen within 20 to 30 minutes in the cells of the spinal cord, specially in motor cells and also in some cells of the posterior cord and spinal bulb. The changes consisted in chromatolysis and picnosis and were more marked in animals intoxicated with Clostridium histolyticum and Cl. perfringens toxines. Myelin sheet was unchanged. in delayed intoxication with greater and repeated dosis lesions of the central nervous system (brain, protuberance, medula ablongate and medula spinal) were observed. They consisted in hyperemia, perivascular hemorrages in white and grey substances, oedema, accumulation of glia cells with enlarged and hyperchromatic nuclei, fragmentation of the myelin sheet and balooning degeneration of the described by Spielmeyer. Such changes were found in the swollen and hemorragic zones and were generally similar to those found in the acute type of Spielmeyer 9acute swelling and liquefation). Other changes found sometimes were agglutination of Nissl's bodies, sinous appearence of the dendritic endings, shruncken cells of Spielmeyer and neuronophagy around "ghost" cells. In short the changes...

Plancto e hidrobiologia sanitária de tanques tropicais com dáfnias e rotíferos

The engineers of the modern University City are constructing a graceful bridge, named PONTE OSWALDO CRUZ, that crosses a portion of the Guanabara Bay (Fig. 1). The work at west pillar stopped for 3 years (The concret structure in Est. 1). As it will be seen from n.º 1 — 5 of the fig. 1, Est. I, the base of the structure will have five underground boxes of reinforcement, but, to-day they are just like as five uncovered water ponds, until at present: May 1963. (Est. I — fig. 3, n.º 3 — pond n.º 3; A. — old level of the water; B.— actual level of the water; c.— green water; E.— mass of bloom of blue algae Microcystis aeruginosa). Soon after SW portion, as 5 cells in series, of the pillar abutments, and also the NE portion nearly opposite in the Tibau Mount will be filled up with earth, a new way will link Rio City and the University City. We see to day Est. I, fig. 1 — the grasses on the half arenous beach of the Tibau Point. These natural Cyperaceae and Gramineae will be desappear because of so a new road, now under construction, when completed will be 33 feet above the mean sea level, as high as the pillar, covering exactly as that place. Although rainfall was the chief source of water for these ponds, the first water (before meterorological precipitations of whatever first rain it might fall) was a common tap water mixed with Portland Cement, which exuded gradually through the pores of the concret during its hardenning process. Some data of its first cement water composition are on the chemical table, and in Tab. n.º 4 and "Resultado n.º 1". The rain — receiving surface of each pond were about 15 by 16 feet, that is, 240 square feet; when they were full of water, their depth was of 2 feet 3", having each pond about 4,000 gallons. Climatic conditions are obviously similar of those of the Rio de Janeiro City: records of temperature, of precipitation and evaporation are seen on the graphics, figs. 2, 3, 4. Our conceptions of 4 phases is merely to satisfy an easy explanation thus the first phase that of exudation of concrete. We consider the 2nd. phase formation of bacterian and cyanophycean thin pellicel. 3rd. phase - dilution by rains, and fertilisation by birds; the 4th phase - plankton flora and fauna established. The biological material arrived with the air, the rains, and also with contaminations by dusts; with big portion of sand, of earth, and leaves of trees resulted of the SW wind actions in the storming days (See - Est. I, fig. 3, G. - the mangrove trees of the Pinheiro Island). Many birds set down and rest upon the pillar structure, its faeces which are good fertilizers fall into the ponds. Some birds were commonly pigeons, black ravens, swallows, sparrows and other sea mews, moor hens, and a few sea birds of comparatively rare occurence. We get only some examples of tropical dust contaminated helioplankton, of which incipient observations were been done sparcely. See the systematic list of the species of plankters. Phytoplankters - Cyanophyta algae as a basic part for food of zooplankters, represented chiefly by rotiferse, water-fleas Moinodaphnia and other Crustacea: Ostracoda Copepoda and Insecta: Chironomidae and Culicidae larvae. The polysaprobic of septic irruptions have not been done only by heating in summer, and, a good reason of that, for example: when the fifth pond was in polysaprobic phase as the same time an alike septic phase do not happened into the 3rd. pond, therefore, both were in the same conditions of temperature, but with unlike contaminations. Among the most important aquatic organisms used as indicatiors of pollution - and microorganisms of real importance in the field of sanitary science, by authorities of renown, for instance: PALMER, PRESCOTT, INGRAM, LIEBMANN, we choose following microalgae: a) The cosmopolite algae Scenedesmus quadricuada, a common indicator in mesosaprobio waters, which lives between pH 7,0 and it is assimilative of NO[3 subscripted] and NH[4 subscripted]. b) Species of the genus Chlamydomonas; it is even possible that all the species of theses genus inhabit strong-mesosaprobic to polysaprobic waters when in massive blooms. c) Several species of Euglenaceae in fast growing number, at the same time of the protozoa Amoebidae, Vorticellidae and simultaneous with deposition of the decaying cells of the blue algae Anacystis cyanea (= Microcystis) when the consumed oxygen by organic matter resulted in 40 mg. L. But, we found, among various Euglenacea the cosmopolite species (Euglena viridis, a well known polysaprobic indicatior of which presence occur in septic zone. d) Analcystis cyanea (= M. aeruginosa) as we observed was in blooms increasing to the order of billions of cells per litter, its maximum in the summer. Temperatures 73ºF to 82ºF but even 90ºF, the pH higher than 8. When these blue algae was joined to the rotifer Brachionus calyflorus the waters gets a milky appearance, but greenished one. In fact, that cosmopolite algae is used as a mesosaprobic indicator. Into the water of the ponds its predominance finished when the septic polysaprobic conditions began. e) Ankistrodesmus falcatus was present in the 5th pond from 26the. April untill the 26th July, and when N.NH[4 subscripted] gets 1.28 mg. L. and when chlorinity stayed from 0.034 to 0.061 mg. L. It never was found at N.NH[4 subscripted] higher than 1 mg. L. The green algae A. falcatus, an indicatior of pollution, lives in moderate mesosaprobic waters. f) As everyone knows, the rotifer eggs may be widely dispersed by wind. The rotifer Asplanchna brightwelli in our observation seemed like a green colored bag, overcharged by green cells and detritus, specially into its spacious stomach, which ends blindly (the intestine, cloaca, being absent). The stock of Asplanchna in the ponds, during the construction of the bridge "PONTE OSWALDO CRUZ" inhabits alkaline waters, pH 8,0 a 8,3, and when we observed we noted its dissolved oxygen from 3.5 to 4 mg. L. In these ponds Asplanchna lived in 0,2 P.PO[4 subscripted]. (Remember the hydobiological observations foreign to braslian waters refer only from 0.06 to 0,010 mg. L. P.PO[4 subscripted]; and they refer resistance to 0.8 N.NH[4 subscripted]). By our data, that rotiger resist commonly to 1.2 until 1.8 mg. L.N.NH[4 subscripted]; here in our ponds and, when NO[2 subscripted] appears Asplanchna desappears. It may be that Asplanchna were devoured by nitrite resistant animals of by Culicidae or other mosquitoes devoured by Due to these facts the number and the distribution of Asplanchna varies considerabley; see - plates of plankton successions. g) Brachionus one of the commonest members of class Rotatoria was frquently found in abundance into the ponds, and we notice an important biological change produce by the rotifer Brachonus colyciflorus: the occurence of its Brachionus clayciflorus forms pallas, is rare in Brazil, as we know about this. h) When we found the water flea MOinodaphnia we do not record simultanous presence of the blue algae Agmenellun (= Merismopedia).

Malignant transformation of a rat fibroma by the treatment with an anti-fibrosing drug: CY-168F (Plastenan)

Fifteen albino (Sprague Dawley) rats with subcutaneous transplanted fibromas was used in the present study. The tumour was formed by typical fibroblasts in a dense collagen matrix and was provenient from a fibroma that appeared spontaneously in an albino rat of the same strain. Ultrastructurally collagen disclosed normal periodicity and the fibroblasts showed irregular notched nuclei with irregular distribution of chromatin, that suggests transitional aspects to fibrosarcoma. The 15 animals, from different passage groups, were divided into: 8 animals submitted to treatment with the drug acexamic acid (CY-168F) - N acetyl-amino-6-hexanoic acid (plastenan) and 7 untreated control animals. Three of the treated animals showed a malignant transformation to fibrosarcoma. transitional histological features from typical fibroma to highly indifferentiated fibrosarcoma could be detected in come animal subjected to repeated biopsies. Ultrastructural study disclosed nuclear alterations and hyperactive ergastoplasm and collagen containing inclusions into the cytoplasm of fibroblasts. In the group of 7 untreated naimals, no malignant transformation could be detected histologically. Two aspects deserve attention: the malignant potential of a typical fibroma and the apparent effect of an antifibrosing drug in inducing malignization of this tumour.

Patogenesis of pipe-stem fibrosis of the liver (experimental observation on murine Schistosomiasis)

Mice infected with 30 cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni developed portal and septal fibrosis due to the massive and concentrated deposition of eggs in the periportal areas which occurred following the 16th week after infection. The lesion resembled pipe-stem fibrosis seen in human hepatosplenic schistosomiasis in the following characters: portal fibrosis interconnecting portal spaces as well as portal spaces and central canals; portal inflammation; periovular granulomas; vascular obstruction and telangiectasia. The liver parenchyma maintained its normal architecture. Vascular injection techniques with Indian ink and vinylite revealed that the portal system developed numerous dilated collateral venules coming from the large and medium-sized portal branches, about 10 weeks after schistosome infection. The lodging of schistosome eggs into these collaterals resulted in granulomatous inflammation and fibrosis along all the portal tracts, thus forming the pipe-stem lesion. Although not readily demonstrable grossly, the pipe-stem fibrosis of murine schistosomiasis has many similarities with the human lesion and can be considered to have the same basic pathogenesis.

Differentation of the fat body cells in the precocius adults of Schistocerca gregaria: regulation of polyploidy by juvenile hormone

Precocious adults from 2nd and 3rd instar larvae of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria were used to assess the competence of their fat body to synthesize DNA in response to a juvenile hormone analog (JHA), hydoprene. Autoradiographic studies show that JHA stimulates DNA synthesis since a significant proportion of the fat body nuclei are labelled after treatment with 100 or 200 µg of JHA. Maximum DNA synthesis occurs 24 h after treatment with 100 µg of JHA. The nuclear ploidy classes of the precocious adults from 3rd larvae are similar to those of 1-d-old normal adults, but treatemnt of these precociuos adults with µg of JHA doubles the DNA content resulting in enhanced ploidy classes which resemble those of 10-d-old normal females. In the precocious adults that emerged from 2nd instar larvae the ploidy classes are higher than those of 1-d-old normal adults, and treatment of these precocious adults with JHA results in a further increase in the DNA content of the fat body nuclei leading to the formation of high percentages of 16C and 32C nuclei. The results of these studies suggest that any model on the mode of action of JH should recognize this phenomenon of JH-induced polyploidization in the fat body nuclei.

Treatment of acute experimental schistosomiasis

A model of acute schistosomiasis of the mouse was used to observe whether curative treatment would be followed by an enhancement of the hepatic and splenic lesions, as a consequence of the massive destruction of worms and eggs within the portal system. Mice infected with 50 cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni were treated with both oxamniquine and praziquantel on the 50th day of infection and submitted to a sequential histologic examination from the 2nd to the 45th day after treatment. Although severe focal lesions due to dead and disintegranting worms were present in the livers of the treated animals, no aggravation of the general changes (reative hepatitis and splenitis, or periovular granulomas) was seen in comparison with a control non-treated group. Of 50 animals treated during the acute phase of schistosomiasis only one died espontaneously, while 16 ou of 30 infected controls died before the end of the experiment. The present investigation indicates that curative treatment during the acute phase of schistosomiasis does not enhance previous lesions at first and results in progressive disappearance of the lesions starting six days following chemotherapy.