RESUMO
A case of infection with Dirofilaria immitis in a cat is reported here with clinical signs of apathy, anorexia, dyspnea, polypnea, slight dehydration and pale mucus membranes. The radiographic examination showed cardiomegaly, lobar arteries dilation of the cranial lobes and tortuosity, enlargement of the caudal lobar arteries. In the right lobe of the lung parenchyma, interstitial pulmonary opacification tending to alveolar opacification was seen. The clinical signs, the movements, and the morphology of the microfilariae in the direct examination of fresh blood, peripheral blood smear and Knott's modified test supported the diagnosis. We alert to the need for clinicians to consider feline heartworm diseases as a differential diagnosis in endemic areas when cats show respiratory signs.
Descreve-se um caso de infecção por Dirofilaria immitis em gato com sinais clínicos de apatia, anorexia, dispneia, polipneia, leve desidratação e mucosas pálidas. O exame radiográfico demonstrou cardiomegalia, dilatação da artéria lobar cranial e tortuosidade, alargamento dos lobos caudais da artéria lobar. No lobo direito do parênquima pulmonar, opacificação pulmonar intersticial tendendo à opacificação foi observada. O diagnóstico foi baseado nos sinais clínicos, nos movimentos e na morfologia das microfilárias detectadas no exame de sangue a fresco, no esfregaço de sangue periférico e no teste de Knott modificado. Alertou-se para a necessidade de os clínicos considerarem a dirofilariose felina como diagnóstico diferencial em áreas endêmicas quando os gatos apresentam sinais respiratórios.
Assuntos
Animais , Gatos , Doenças do Gato/parasitologia , Dirofilaria immitis/patogenicidade , Dirofilariose/diagnóstico , Ecossistema AmazônicoRESUMO
The canine BRCA2 is a tumor supressor gene which encodes the BRCA2 protein, involved in DNA repair through interaction with the RAD51 recombinase. This process is mediated by eigth BRC repeats that are encoded by BRCA2 exon 11. Two variants corresponding to human mutations in human BRC3 repeat have been reported in canine BRC3 repeat. In addition, other variants have also been described in canine BRCA2 exon 11. Considering the importance of polymorphisms in human BRCA2 to breast cancer development, this study aimed to investigate the frequency of variants in BRCA2 exon 11 in 48 blood and tissue DNA samples from bitches with canine mammary tumors (CMT), as well as, to analyze tumor stage and histopathological features. Seven Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, three of which were evaluated as possibily or probably deleterious variant. Interestingly, almost all the 22 mammary tumors (except one) which presented a clinical staging equal to or greater than III carried at least one mutant allele of these three variants. Besides that, no statistically significant correlation was observed between any of the reported SNPs in heterozygosis or homozygosis and either dogs data (such as breed, age or disease stage) or mammary tumors histopathological characteristics. A total of 97.9% of bitches had one to three polymorphisms of the seven identified in this study, which suggests a possibly correlation between the canine BRCA2 exon 11 polymorphisms and mammary carcinogenesis.
Assuntos
Doenças do Cão/genética , Éxons/genética , Genes BRCA2 , Neoplasias Mamárias Animais/genética , Animais , Doenças do Cão/patologia , Cães , Feminino , Genótipo , Haplótipos , Neoplasias Mamárias Animais/patologia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/veterinária , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único/genética , Análise de Sequência de DNA/veterináriaRESUMO
The liver fluke Fasciola hepatica (Trematoda: Fasciolidae) causes fascioliasis, which affects mostly domestic ruminants and humans worldwide. This parasite has an Old World origin and was introduced into the New World by European colonizers. Capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is the largest living rodent species, with adults weighing over 60 kg. We report a fascioliasis outbreak caused by F. hepatica that reduced a capybara group from 21 to 2 animals within a 9-mo period. Animal infection and associated lesions were confirmed by postmortem examinations that revealed extensive liver damage associated with the presence of large number of adult and immature forms of F. hepatica. Both macroscopic and microscopic alterations in the liver were compatible with acute fascioliasis, which is characterized by a large parasite burden in the liver. Taxonomic identification of flukes collected from capybara livers were confirmed by molecular methods, which generated a mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase I (NDI) gene partial sequence that was 100% identical to a F. hepatica NDI sequence from the United Kingdom. This is the first report of deleterious effects caused by F. hepatica in capybaras, highlighting the potential harm caused by this exotic parasite in the capybara.
Assuntos
Surtos de Doenças/veterinária , Fasciolíase/veterinária , Doenças dos Roedores/mortalidade , Roedores/parasitologia , Animais , Sequência de Bases , Brasil/epidemiologia , DNA de Helmintos/química , Complexo I de Transporte de Elétrons/química , Complexo I de Transporte de Elétrons/genética , Fasciola hepatica/classificação , Fasciola hepatica/genética , Fasciola hepatica/isolamento & purificação , Fasciolíase/mortalidade , Fasciolíase/parasitologia , Fezes/parasitologia , Temperatura Alta , Fígado/parasitologia , Fígado/patologia , Mitocôndrias Hepáticas/enzimologia , Chuva , Doenças dos Roedores/parasitologia , Áreas AlagadasRESUMO
Spotted fevers are tick-borne diseases associated with various Rickettsia species. Rickettsia parkeri sensu stricto (s.s.) is the agent of an emerging eschar-associated rickettsiosis in humans from the USA and South American Pampa. Considering that R. parkeri s.s. is restricted to Americas and the potential role of dogs in the epidemiology of the disease, it is thus reasonable to hypothesize that wild canids could be involved in the enzootic cycle of this rickettsiosis. The aim of this work was to investigate the potential role of the wild canids from Pampa, Cerdocyon thous (crab-eating fox) and Lycalopex gymnocercus (Pampas fox), in the ecology of R. parkeri s.s. For that, 32 live-trapped free-ranging wild canids were sampled. Ticks were observed in 30 of the 32 foxes. Of the 292 ticks collected, 22 (7.5%) were positive by PCR for the presence of R. parkeri s.s. DNA. Also, 20 (62%) wild canids showed antibodies against R. parkeri. The results suggest that wild canids are involved in the enzootic cycle of R. parkeri s.s. in the Pampa biome and could be responsible for pathogen (and its vectors) dispersal.
Assuntos
Vetores Aracnídeos/microbiologia , Raposas/microbiologia , Infecções por Rickettsia/microbiologia , Rickettsia/isolamento & purificação , Doenças Transmitidas por Carrapatos/microbiologia , Carrapatos/microbiologia , Animais , Animais Selvagens , Brasil/epidemiologia , Reservatórios de Doenças/microbiologia , Ecossistema , Feminino , Raposas/imunologia , Humanos , Masculino , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Rickettsia/genética , Rickettsia/imunologia , Infecções por Rickettsia/epidemiologia , Infecções por Rickettsia/transmissão , Doenças Transmitidas por Carrapatos/epidemiologia , Doenças Transmitidas por Carrapatos/transmissão , ZoonosesRESUMO
The aim of this work was to test the vectorial competence of Amblyomma tonelliae (Ixodida: Ixodidae) to transmit Rickettsia rickettsii (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae), the agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). All parasitic stages of A. tonelliae were exposed to R. rickettsii by allowing each stage to feed on hosts inoculated with this pathogen. Thereafter, ticks were fed on uninfected hosts. All stages of A. tonelliae were able to acquire the R. rickettsii infection and maintain it by transstadial and transovarial transmission. When infected ticks fed on uninfected hosts, the hosts developed rickettsiosis disease. This study demonstrates the vectorial competence of A. tonelliae to transmit R. rickettsii. These results have epidemiological relevance because A. tonelliae is one of the tick species most likely to infest humans in Argentina, including in areas in which RMSF has been reported.
Assuntos
Vetores Aracnídeos/fisiologia , Ixodidae/fisiologia , Rickettsia rickettsii/fisiologia , Febre Maculosa das Montanhas Rochosas/transmissão , Animais , Vetores Aracnídeos/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Vetores Aracnídeos/microbiologia , Argentina , Comportamento Alimentar , Feminino , Ixodidae/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Ixodidae/microbiologia , Larva/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Larva/microbiologia , Larva/fisiologia , Ninfa/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Ninfa/microbiologia , Ninfa/fisiologiaRESUMO
Several cases of human rickettsiosis caused by Rickettsia parkeri were recently documented in the Paraná River delta of Argentina, where the tick vector is Amblyomma triste Koch. As cattle suffer recurrent A. triste infestations, they are at risk of becoming infected with R. parkeri Herein we investigated the dynamics of R. parkeri and its A. triste vector in a herd of beef cattle. Cattle were followed for 18 mo and samples were analyzed for the presence of antibodies against four Rickettsia species (R. parkeri, Rickettsia bellii, Rickettsia amblyommii, and Rickettsia felis) and also for the presence of rickettsial DNA. Additionally, cattle were examined for attached ticks and questing adult ticks were collected. All ticks were analyzed for the presence of rickettsial DNA. No evidence of rickettsemia was found in any cow, but the high R. parkeri infection rate documented in A. triste both questing in the study area (13.9%) and feeding on cattle (19.8%) and the identification of antibodies against R. parkeri antigen in 90% of cattle are evidence that infection is taking place. Altogether, our data suggest that A. triste ticks are capable of naturally exposing cattle to R. parkeri However, the progress of R. parkeri infection and its impact on bovine health and production remain to be established.
Assuntos
Doenças dos Bovinos/microbiologia , Infecções por Rickettsia/veterinária , Rickettsia/isolamento & purificação , Rios/microbiologia , Animais , Anticorpos Antibacterianos/sangue , Vetores Aracnídeos/microbiologia , Vetores Aracnídeos/fisiologia , Argentina , Bovinos , Doenças dos Bovinos/sangue , Ixodidae/microbiologia , Ixodidae/fisiologia , Rickettsia/fisiologia , Infecções por Rickettsia/sangue , Infecções por Rickettsia/microbiologia , Infecções por Rickettsia/transmissãoRESUMO
Infections with protozoan parasites are a major cause of disease and mortality in many tropical countries of the world. Diseases caused by species of the genera Trypanosoma (Human African Trypanosomiasis and Chagas Disease) and Leishmania (various forms of Leishmaniasis) are among the seventeen "Neglected Tropical Diseases" (NTDs) defined as such by WHO due to the neglect of financial investment into research and development of new drugs by a large part of pharmaceutical industry and neglect of public awareness in high income countries. Another major tropical protozoan disease is malaria (caused by various Plasmodium species), which -although not mentioned currently by the WHO as a neglected disease- still represents a major problem, especially to people living under poor circumstances in tropical countries. Malaria causes by far the highest number of deaths of all protozoan infections and is often (as in this review) included in the NTDs. The mentioned diseases threaten many millions of lives world-wide and they are mostly associated with poor socioeconomic and hygienic environment. Existing therapies suffer from various shortcomings, namely, a high degree of toxicity and unwanted effects, lack of availability and/or problematic application under the life conditions of affected populations. Development of new, safe and affordable drugs is therefore an urgent need. Nature has provided an innumerable number of drugs for the treatment of many serious diseases. Among the natural sources for new bioactive chemicals, plants are still predominant. Their secondary metabolism yields an immeasurable wealth of chemical structures which has been and will continue to be a source of new drugs, directly in their native form and after optimization by synthetic medicinal chemistry. The current review, published in two parts, attempts to give an overview on the potential of such plant-derived natural products as antiprotozoal leads and/or drugs in the fight against NTDs.
Assuntos
Plantas Medicinais/metabolismo , Plantas Medicinais/química , Infecções por Protozoários/tratamento farmacológico , Produtos Biológicos/metabolismo , Produtos Biológicos/uso terapêutico , Produtos Biológicos/química , Humanos , Extratos Vegetais/metabolismo , Extratos Vegetais/uso terapêutico , Extratos Vegetais/química , Animais , Fitoterapia , Antiprotozoários/metabolismo , Antiprotozoários/uso terapêutico , Antiprotozoários/químicaRESUMO
Sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) is a residue resulting from the burning of bagasse in boilers in the sugarcane/alcohol industry. SCBA has a very high silica concentration and contains aluminum, iron, alkalis and alkaline earth oxides in smaller amounts. In this work, the properties of sintered ceramic bodies were evaluated based on the concentration of SCBA, which replaced non-plastic material. The ash was mixed (up to 60 wt%) with a clayed raw material that is used to produce roof tiles. Prismatic probes were pressed and sintered at different temperatures (up to 1200 °C). Technological tests of ceramic probes showed that the addition of ash has little influence on the ceramic properties up to 1000 °C. X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis data showed that, above this temperature the ash participates in the sintering process and in the formation of new important phases. The results reported show that the reuse of SCBA in the ceramic industry is feasible.
Assuntos
Celulose/química , Cerâmica/química , Indústrias , Reciclagem , Saccharum/química , Silicatos de Alumínio , Argila , Etanol , Temperatura Alta , Gerenciamento de ResíduosRESUMO
A proposal for chemical characterisation and quality evaluation of botanical raw materials by analysing the glandular trichomes from the leaves of two different populations of yacón (Polymnia sonchifolia Poeppig & Endlicher, Asteraceae) is described. This species is an Andean medicinal plant and the tea prepared with their leaves displays hypoglycemic property. The method was based on the glandular trichome microsampling using LC/DAD. Qualitative chromatographic fingerprints of the glands were obtained by isocratic runs and then compared between the two populations, showing the same qualitative profile. The two main metabolites detected in the glands were later isolated from a leaf rinse extract by preparative separation and identified as the melampolides enhydrin and uvedalin. These compounds, subtypes of sesquiterpene lactones, were used as chemical markers. This technique is applicable to other medicinal plants and can be used for the evaluation of the quality of dried material or leaf rinse extracts.
Neste trabalho é descrita uma proposta para a caracterização química e avaliação da qualidade de drogas vegetais através da análise de tricomas glandulares das folhas de duas populações diferentes de yacón (Polymnia sonchifolia Poeppig & Endlicher, Asteraceae). Esta espécie é uma planta medicinal andina e o chá preparado com suas folhas apresenta propriedade hipoglicemiante. O método baseou-se na microamostragem de tricomas glandulares, empregando-se cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência e detecção por arranjo de diodos. As impressões digitais dos cromatogramas das glândulas foram obtidas em sistema isocrático e comparadas entre si, resultado em um mesmo perfil qualitativo para ambas as populações avaliadas. Os dois metabólitos principais encontrados nas glândulas foram isolados através de métodos preparativos a partir de um extrato de lavagem foliar, sendo identificados como enidrina e uvedalina. Estas substâncias, subtipos de lactonas sesquiterpênicas, foram utilizadas como marcadores químicos. Esta técnica é aplicável a outras plantas medicinais e pode ser usada para avaliar a qualidade de materiais secos ou extratos foliares.
RESUMO
An association between depression and altered immune and hormonal systems has been suggested by the results of many studies. In the present study we carried out immune and hormonal measurements in 40 non-medicated, ambulatory adult patients with depression determined by CID-10 criteria and compared with 34 healthy nondepressed subjects. The severity of the condition was determined with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Of 40 depressed patients, 31 had very severe and 9 severe or moderate depression, 29 (72.5%) were females and 11 (27.5%) were males (2.6:1 ratio). The results revealed a significant reduction of albumin and elevation of alpha-1, alpha-2 and beta-globulins, and soluble IL-2 receptor in patients with depression compared to the values obtained for nondepressed subjects (P<0.05). The decrease lymphocyte proliferation in response to a mitogen was significantly lower in severely or moderately depressed patients when compared to control (P<0.05). These data confirm the immunological disturbance of acute phase proteins and cellular immune response in patients with depression. Other results may be explained by a variety of interacting factors such as number of patients, age, sex, and the nature, severity and/or duration of depression. Thus, the data obtained should be interpreted with caution and the precise clinical relevance of these findings requires further investigation.