RESUMO
The vertical distribution of Hg and Pb were determined in a sediment core collected from the Sagua estuary (North Cuba) that receives input from the Sagua river, one of the most polluted rivers discharging into the Cuban coastal environment. Depth profiles of metal concentrations were converted to time-based profiles using the (210)Pb dating method and confirmed with the (137)Cs fallout peak. The mean mass accumulation rate was estimated to be 0.17+/-0.04 g cm(-2)y(-1) (mean sediment accumulation rate 0.52+/-0.13 cm y(-1)) and the core bottom was estimated to date back about 130 years. The historical sedimentary record showed a strong enrichment of mercury concentrations in the past decades, caused by the incomplete treatment of industrial wastes from a chlor-alkali plant with mercury-cell technology in the Sagua river basin. Lead fluxes to sediments showed a gradual increase from the 1920s to present, which agrees with a population increase in Sagua la Grande City. Fluxes of both metals have increased the past 25 years, with values reaching a maximum of 0.5 and 3.9 microg cm(-2)y(-1) for Hg and Pb, respectively.
Assuntos
Monitoramento Ambiental , Sedimentos Geológicos/química , Chumbo/análise , Mercúrio/análise , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Radioisótopos de Césio/análise , Cuba , Radioisótopos de Chumbo/análise , Água do Mar , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Two subfractions with opposite immunological properties were obtained from the flagellar antigens (FF) of Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes by immunoaffinity chromatography. The ligand-bound material (Ag 123) contained four polypeptide bands of 97, 55, 38 and 14 kDa. The nonretained flow-through (FT), induced a potent proliferation of murine naive splenocytes. In contrast, Ag 123 inhibited the proliferative capacity of the FT as well as the proliferation mediated by the mitogen Concanavalin A (Con A). The suppressive effect of Ag 123 on the Con A-mediated proliferation was neutralized by an anti-TGF-beta monoclonal antibody. Both Ag 123 and FF stimulated high serum levels of TGF-beta in injected mice. Ag 123 also induced in vitro secretion of TGF-beta by murine splenocytes. These results demonstrate that Ag 123 is a potent stimulator of TGF-beta both in vivo and in vitro. Oligopeptides derived from the 38 kDa protein present in Ag 123 showed homology with human and rat alpha-fetoproteins (AFP). Ag 123 seems to have a key role in the immunosuppression that develops during early stages in the infection with T. cruzi.
Assuntos
Antígenos de Protozoários/farmacologia , Cromatografia de Afinidade/métodos , Ativação Linfocitária/efeitos dos fármacos , Fator de Crescimento Transformador beta/fisiologia , Trypanosoma cruzi/imunologia , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Anticorpos Monoclonais/farmacologia , Antígenos de Protozoários/análise , Concanavalina A/farmacologia , Eletroforese em Gel de Poliacrilamida , Feminino , Flagelos/imunologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Peptídeo Hidrolases , Peptídeos/análise , Baço/citologia , Frações Subcelulares/imunologia , Fator de Crescimento Transformador beta/efeitos dos fármacos , Fator de Crescimento Transformador beta/imunologiaRESUMO
The present work describes the preparation and characterization of iscoms from tegumental antigens of Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces, and their use as immunogens in mice by intranasal and subcutaneous routes. Iscoms given at 10 mg doses evoke a significant antibody response when administered i.n. and a strong and long lasting antibody response by s.c. route. The Ag administered i.n. in a non-adjuvanted form as a booster was not immunogenic. The i.n. route of immunization induced higher IgA serum titre in relation to IgG than the s.c. route and antisera of slightly higher avidity. Also, ten fold lower IgG2a/IgG1 and ten fold higher IgG3/IgG1 ratios were observed for the i.n. protocol compared to the s.c. one. Moreover, the mucosal route of immunization induced more efficiently antibodies of both isotypes directed to carbohydrate epitopes. The differences between immune response generated by i.n. and parenteral immunizations should be taken into consideration, particularly in those cases in which protective antigens are glycosylated.