Chaunus ictericus (Spix, 1824) as paratenic host of the giant kidney worm Dioctophyme renale (Goeze, 1782) (Nematoda: Enoplida) in Sao Cristovao district, Tres Barras county, Santa Catarina state, Brazil

Dioctophyme renale larvae have been found in cysts in the gastric wall of 5.17% (3/58) Chaunus ictericus specimens from Sao Cristovao district, Tres Barras municipality, Santa Catarina state, Brazil. However, larvae of this nematode were not found in sympatric Chaunus schneideri. The larvae caused a mild granulomatous reaction. This is the first report of paratenic hosts for D. renale in Brazil, and probably is also the first in the Neotropical region. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultrasonographic, computed tomographic, and operative findings in dogs infested with giant kidney worms (Dioctophyme renale)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Dioctophyma renale in a dog: Clinical diagnosis and surgical treatment

This Study reports a case of parasitism by the giant kidney worm, Dioctophyma renale, diagnosed in the right kidney of a domestic (log An adult female German Shepherd was attended with clinical history of prostration and hyporexia. The hemogram showed changes compatible with an inflammatory process, for that reason, an abdominal ultrasound was requested. Ultrasound image suggested the presence of D renale in the right kidney The diagnosis was confirmed after urinalysis due to the presence of dioclophymas ova in the urinary sediment. Surgical treatment was made and the animal had an excellent recovery after the nephrectomy was performed Generally. in almost all cases, parasitism by D renale in domestic dogs is a necropsy finding, nevertheless imaging techniques as sonography and laboratorial exams as urinalysis have been proven to be important tools to achieve diagnosis. The purpose of this study is to report a case of parasitism by D renale where diagnosis and treatment were made in time to allow the patient`s recovery (C) 2009 Elsevier B V All rights reserved.

HEALTH RISKS TO HUMANS AND DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK POSED BY FERAL PIGS (Sus scrofa) IN NORTH QUEENSLAND

A sample of 608 adult pigs from Cape York and adjacent islands was examined for parasites and their serum tested for livestock diseases associated with the Queensland tropics. Feral pigs from North Queensland pose a significant health threat to humans with the incidence of Spargana (the plerocercoid of Spirometra erinacei) through the consumption of undercooked pork. Meliodosis (Pseudomonas pseudomalleO. Leptospirosis (L. yar. pomona). and Brucellosis (Brucella suis) are capable of infecting humans directly during unhygienic butchering of infected carcasses. In North Queensland, the widespread intermingled distribution of feral pigs and cattle increases the potential for the transmission of Actinobacillus, Leptospirosis, and Brucellosis from feral pigs to cattle. Both Europeans and Aborigines on Cape York also raise wild-caught feral pigs for meat. It is important to realize that parasites and diseases are present in young pigs and that poor husbandry practices increase the risk of infection from several parasites, i.e., Lungworm (Metastrongylus sp.) Stomach worm (Physocephalus sexalatus. Hvostrongvlus rubidus). Thorny headed worm (Macracanthorrhynchus hirudinaceus) and Kidney worm (Stephanurus dentatus). Heavy infection of these parasites reduce growth rates and cause unthriftiness in infected ani¬mals.

Giant warts in a kidney transplant patient: regression with sirolimus.

Purpose: Recent reports have suggested that intraabdominal postoperative infection is associated with higher rates of overall and local recurrence and cancer-specific mortality. However, the mechanisms responsible for this association are unknown. We hypothesized that the greater inflammatory response in patients with postoperative intraabdominal infection is associated to an increase in local and systemic angiogenesis. Methods: We designed a prospective cohorts study with matched controls. Patients with postoperative intra-abdominal infection (abscess and/or anastomotic leakage) (group 1; n=17) after elective colorectal cancer resection operated on for cure were compared to patients with an uncomplicated postoperative course (group 2; n=17). IL-6 and VEGF levels were determined by ELISA in serum and peritoneal fluid at baseline, 48 hours and postoperative day 4 or at the time the peritoneal infection occurred. Results: No differences were observed in age, gender, preoperative CEA, tumor stage and location and type of procedure performed. Although there were no differences in serum IL-6 levels at 48 hours, this pro-inflammatory cytokine was higher in group 1 on postoperative day 4 (group 1: 21533 + 27900 vs. group 2: 1130 + 3563 pg/ml; p < 0.001). Serum VEGF levels were higher in group 1 on postoperative day 4 (group 1: 1212 + 1025 vs. group 2: 408 + 407 pg/ml; p < 0.01). Peritoneal fluid VEGF levels were also higher in group 1 at 48 hours (group 1: 4857 + 4384 vs. group 2: 630 + 461 pg/ml; p < 0.001) and postoperative day 4 (group 1: 32807 + 98486 vs. group 2: 1002 + 1229 pg/ml; p < 0.001). A positive correlation between serum IL-6 and VEGF serum levels was observed on postoperative day 4 (r=0.7; p<0.01). Conclusions: These results suggest that not only the inflammatory response but also the angiogenic pathways are stimulated in patients with intra-abdominal infection after surgery for colorectal cancer. The implications of this finding on long-term follow-up need to be evaluated.

Bilateral giant renal angiomyolipoma associated with hepatic lipoma in a patient with tuberous sclerosis

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of bilateral giant renal angiomyolipoma associated with tuberous sclerosis, with successful treatment, and to review the literature concerning angiomyolipoma treatment. CASE REPORT: Patient with tuberous sclerosis and angiomyolipoma diagnosed by ultrasonography during her pregnancy. At that time, the angiomyolipoma on the right side was 9 cm in diameter. Conservative management was selected during her pregnancy. The patient returned 7 years later, with a 24.7 x 19.2 x 10.7 cm tumor on the right side and another of 13 x 11.5 x 6.5 cm on the left side, in addition to multiple small angiomyolipomas. A nephron-sparing surgery with tumoral enucleation was performed on the right side, and after 3 months, the tumor on the left side was removed. Renal function in the post-operative period was preserved, and contrast medium progression was uniform and adequate in both kidneys. CONCLUSION: We conclude that an angiomyolipoma larger than 4 cm should be removed surgically, since they have a greater growth rate and pose a risk of hemorrhage. Resection of smaller tumors is safe and has decreased morbidity. Tumoral enucleation is an effective treatment method that preserves kidney function.

Pathology and first occurrence of the kidney trematode Paratanaisia bragai (Santos, 1934) Freitas, 1959 (Digenea: Eucotylidae) in Phasianus colchicus L., 1758, from Brazil

The kidney trematode Paratanaisia bragai is reported for the first time parasitizing the ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus L., 1758) and the pathological alterations associated to the parasitism are referred on the basis of 50 specimens of this bird from backyard flocks in 11 counties of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil after clinical examination, necropsies, and histopathological analysis. The counting of the kidney flukes was based on worms recovered from one of the kidneys, since the other was fixed in 10% formalin and then routinely processed for histopathological procedures. The prevalence of P. bragai was of 22%, with a mean intensity of 44.3, mean abundance of 9.7, and range of infection of 3-153. Parasitized birds did not present with clinical signs and kidney gross lesions. Microscopic lesions were mild and characterized by dilatation of the renal medullary collecting ducts, occasional flattening of the lining epithelium of the ducts and inflammatory reaction of variable intensity with granulocytes around the ureter branches and medullary collecting ducts. The severity and pattern of the microscopic lesions seem not to be associated to the size of the worm burden and could be related to the mechanic action of the parasites, without traumatism, in despite of the presence of the tegumentar spines in specimens of P. bragai.

Origin and evolution of a myxozoan worm

Buddenbrockia pluinatellae is an active, muscular, worm-shaped parasite of freshwater bryozoans. This rare and enigmatic animal has been assigned to the Myxozoa on the basis of 18S ribosomal DNA sequences and the presence of malacosporean spores. Here we report cloning of four homologous protein-coding genes from Buddenbrockia worms, the putatively conspecific sac-shaped parasite originally described as Tetracapsula bryozoides and the related sac-shaped parasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, the causative agent of proliferative kidney disease in salmonid fish. Analyses are consistent with the hypothesis that Buddenbrockia is indeed a malacosporean myxozoan, but do not provide support for conspecificity with either T. bryozoides or T. bryosalmonae. Implications for the evolution of worm-like body plans in the Myxozoa are discussed.

Unilateral giant renal angiomyolipoma and pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis

Angiomyolipomas (AMLs) are mesenchymal neoplasms, named so because of the complex tissue composition represented by variable proportions of mature adipose tissue, smooth muscle cells, and dysmorphic blood vessels. Although AMLs may rise in different sites of the body, they are mostly observed in the kidney and liver. In the case of renal AMLs, they are described in two types: isolated AMLs and AMLs associated with tuberous sclerosis (TS). While most cases of AMLs are found incidentally during imaging examinations and are asymptomatic, others may reach huge proportions causing symptoms. Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare benign disease characterized by cystic changes in the pulmonary parenchyma and smooth muscle proliferation, leading to a mixed picture of interstitial and obstructive disease. AML and LAM constitute major features of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a multisystem autosomal dominant tumor-suppressor gene complex diagnosis. The authors report the case of a young female patient who presented a huge abdominal tumor, which at computed tomography (CT) show a fat predominance. The tumor displaced the right kidney and remaining abdominal viscera to the left. Chest CT also disclosed pulmonary lesions compatible with lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Because of sudden abdominal pain accompanied by a fall in the hemoglobin level, the patient underwent an urgent laparotomy. The excised tumor was shown to be a giant renal AML with signs of bleeding in its interior. The authors call attention to the diagnosis of AML and the huge proportions that the tumor can reach, as well as for ruling out the TSC diagnosis, once it may impose genetic counseling implications.

Carbohydrate gluing, an architectural mechanism in the supramolecular structure of an annelid giant hemoglobin.

We report a carbohydrate-dependent supramolecular architecture in the extracellular giant hemoglobin (Hb) from the marine worm Perinereis aibuhitensis; we call this architectural mechanism carbohydrate gluing. This study is an extension of our accidental discovery of deterioration in the form of the Hb caused by a high concentration of glucose. The giant Hbs of annelids are natural supramolecules consisting of about 200 polypeptide chains that associate to form a double-layered hexagonal structure. This Hb has 0.5% (wt) carbohydrates, including mannose, xylose, fucose, galactose, glucose, N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), and N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc). Using carbohydrate-staining assays, in conjunction with two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, we found that two types of linker chains (L1 and L2; the nomenclature of the Hb subunits followed that for another marine worm, Tylorrhynchus heterochaetus) contained carbohydrates with both GlcNAc and GalNAc. Furthermore, two types of globins (a and A) have only GlcNAc-containing carbohydrates, whereas the other types of globins (b and B) had no carbohydrates. Monosaccharides including mannose, fucose, glucose, galactose, GlcNAc, and GalNAc reversibly dissociated the intact form of the Hb, but the removal of carbohydrate with N-glycanase resulted in irreversible dissociation. These results show that carbohydrate acts noncovalently to glue together the components to yield the complete quaternary supramolecular structure of the giant Hb. We suggest that this carbohydrate gluing may be mediated through lectin-like carbohydrate-binding by the associated structural chains ("linkers").

Direct Visualization Of The Action Of Triton X-100 On Giant Vesicles Of Erythrocyte Membrane Lipids.

The raft hypothesis proposes that microdomains enriched in sphingolipids, cholesterol, and specific proteins are transiently formed to accomplish important cellular tasks. Equivocally, detergent-resistant membranes were initially assumed to be identical to membrane rafts, because of similarities between their compositions. In fact, the impact of detergents in membrane organization is still controversial. Here, we use phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy to observe giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) made of erythrocyte membrane lipids (erythro-GUVs) when exposed to the detergent Triton X-100 (TX-100). We clearly show that TX-100 has a restructuring action on biomembranes. Contact with TX-100 readily induces domain formation on the previously homogeneous membrane of erythro-GUVs at physiological and room temperatures. The shape and dynamics of the formed domains point to liquid-ordered/liquid-disordered (Lo/Ld) phase separation, typically found in raft-like ternary lipid mixtures. The Ld domains are then separated from the original vesicle and completely solubilized by TX-100. The insoluble vesicle left, in the Lo phase, represents around 2/3 of the original vesicle surface at room temperature and decreases to almost 1/2 at physiological temperature. This chain of events could be entirely reproduced with biomimetic GUVs of a simple ternary lipid mixture, 2:1:2 POPC/SM/chol (phosphatidylcholine/sphyngomyelin/cholesterol), showing that this behavior will arise because of fundamental physicochemical properties of simple lipid mixtures. This work provides direct visualization of TX-100-induced domain formation followed by selective (Ld phase) solubilization in a model system with a complex biological lipid composition.

Theobromine Increases Nad⁺/sirt-1 Activity And Protects The Kidney Under Diabetic Conditions.

Reduction in sirtuin 1 (Sirt-1) is associated with extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation in the diabetic kidney. Theobromine may reduce kidney ECM accumulation in diabetic rats. In the current study, we aimed to unravel, under diabetic conditions, the mechanism of kidney ECM accumulation induced by a reduction in Sirt-1 and the effect of theobromine in these events. In vitro, we used immortalized human mesangial cells (iHMCs) exposed to high glucose (HG; 30 mM), with or without small interfering RNA for NOX4 and Sirt-1. In vivo, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were rendered diabetic by means of streptozotocin and studied after 12 wk. The effects of treatment with theobromine were investigated under both conditions. HG leads to a decrease in Sirt-1 activity and NAD(+) levels in iHMCs. Sirt-1 activity could be reestablished by treatment with NAD(+), silencing NOX4, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) blockade, or with theobromine. HG also leads to a low AMP/ATP ratio, acetylation of SMAD3, and increased collagen IV, which is prevented by theobromine. Sirt-1 or AMPK blockade abolished these effects of theobromine. In diabetic SHR, theobromine prevented increases in albuminuria and kidney collagen IV, reduced AMPK, elevated NADPH oxidase activity and PARP-1, and reduced NAD(+) levels and Sirt-1 activity. These results suggest that in diabetes mellitus, Sirt-1 activity is reduced by PARP-1 activation and NAD(+) depletion due to low AMPK, which increases NOX4 expression, leading to ECM accumulation mediated by transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 signaling. It is suggested that Sirt-1 activation by theobromine may have therapeutic potential for diabetic nephropathy.

Saphenous vein graft bypass in the treatment of giant cavernous sinus aneurysms: report of two cases

Two cases of giant intracavernous aneurysms treated by high flow bypass with saphenous vein graft between the external carotid artery (ECA) and branches of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) are presented. Very often these aneurysms are unclippable because they are fusiform or have a large neck. Occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is the treatment of choice in many cases. This procedure has however a high risk of brain infarction. Revascularization of the brain by extra-intracranial anastomosis between the superficial temporal artery (STA) and branches of the MCA is frequently performed. This procedure provides however a low flow bypass and brain infarction may occur. We report two cases of giant cavernous sinus aneurysms treated by high flow bypass and endovascular balloon occlusion of the ICA. Immediate high flow revascularization of MCA branches was achieved and the patients showed no ischemic events. Follow-up of 8 and 14 months after operation shows patency of the venous graft and no neurological deficits. Angiographic control examination showed complete aneurysm occlusion in both cases.

Study of calcium oxalate monohydrate of kidney stones by X-ray diffraction

X-ray powder diffraction was used to study the phase composition of human renal calculi. The stones were collected from 56 donors in Vitoria, Espirito Santo state, southeastern Brazil. An XRD phase quantification revealed that 61% of the studied renal stones were composed exclusively of calcium oxalate [34% formed only by calcium oxalate rnonohydrate (COM) and 27% presents both monohydrate and dihydratate calcium oxalate]. The 39% multi-composed calculi have various other phases such as uric acid and calcium phosphate. Rietveld refinement of XRD data of one apparent monophasic (COM) renal calculus revealed the presence of a small amount of hydroxyapatite. The presence of this second phase and the morphology of the stone (ellipsoidal) indicated that this calculus can be classified as non-papillary type and its nucleation process developed in closed kidney cavities. In order to show some advantages of the X-ray powder diffraction technique, a study of the phase transformation of monohydrate calcium oxalate into calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) was carried out by annealing of a monophasic COM calculi at 200, 300, and 400 degrees C for 48 h in a N(2) gas atmosphere. The results of the XRD for the heat treated samples is ill good agreement with the thermogravimetric analysis found in the literature and shows that X-ray powder diffraction can be used as a suitable technique to study the composition and phase diagram of renal calculi. (C) 2008 International Centre for Diffraction Data.

EFFECTS OF THERMAL TREATMENT ON THE PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GIANT BAMBOO

Despite countless use possibilities for bamboo, this material has two major disadvantages. One drawback is the low natural durability of most bamboo species due to presence of starch in their parenchyma cells. The other equally important drawback is the tendency bamboo has to present dimensional variations if subjected to environmental change conditions. In an attempt to minimize these inconveniences, strips (laths) of Dendrocalamus giganteus Munro were taken from different portions of the culm and subjected to several temperatures, namely 140 degrees C, 180 degrees C, 220 degrees C, 260 degrees C and 300 degrees C under laboratory conditions, at the ESALQ-USP college of agriculture. The thermal treatment process was conducted in noninert and inert atmospheres (with nitrogen), depending on temperature Specimens were then subjected to physicomechanical characterization tests in order to determine optimum thermal treatment conditions in which to preserve to the extent possible the original bamboo properties. Results revealed that there is an optimum temperature range, between 140 degrees and 220 degrees C, whereby thermally treated bamboo does not significantly lose its mechanical properties while at the same time showing greater dimensional stability in the presence of moisture.