RESUMO

Sarcoptic mange is a parasitic skin disease caused by the burrowing mite Sarcoptes scabiei that affects a diversity of mammals, including humans, worldwide. In North America, the most commonly affected wildlife includes wild canids, such as coyotes and red foxes, and more recently American black bears in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast United States. Currently, surveillance for sarcoptic mange in wildlife is syndromic, relying on detection of clinical signs and lesions, such as alopecia and crusting of skin. When possible, skin scrapes are used to identify the causative mite. While skin scrapes are a valuable diagnostic tool to identify mites, this approach has significant limitations when used for quantification of mite burden. To further investigate mite burden in cases of sarcoptic mange, 6-mm punch biopsies were collected from affected skin of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus [Carnivora: Canidae]), a species historically affected by sarcoptic mange, frequently with high mite burdens and severe skin disease, and validated on skin tissue from mange-affected American black bears (Ursus americanus Pallas [Carnivora: Ursidae]) and coyotes (Canis latrans Say [Carnivora: Canidae]). Biopsies were digested by incubating the tissue in potassium hydroxide (KOH) at 55°C. The greatest tissue clearance and lowest mite degradation resulted after 12 h of tissue digestion. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe a methodology for host tissue digestion and mite quantification in cases of sarcoptic mange. This method will provide a valuable surveillance and research tool to better understand sarcoptic mange in wild and domestic animals, with applications to a diversity of other ectoparasitic diseases.

Assuntos

RESUMO

The nematode Toxocara canis is of public health importance and is the main causative agent of toxocariasis in humans. This disease is difficult to diagnose due to several factors, including the possibility of cross-reactions with other nematodes in the ELISA. To overcome this problem, molecular tests have been recommended as an alternative to identify the parasite. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technique was used in this study to identify and quantify the parasite load of T. canis in the mouse brain. To this end, 24 mice were divided into six groups, five of which were challenged with different infective doses of T. canis larvae (L3) (1000, 500, 250, 100 and 50 larvae), while the sixth group, uninfected, acted as negative control. Forty-five days after infection, the animals were euthanized to collect the brain, from which two portions of 20 mg of tissue were taken for DNA extraction, while the rest of the brain tissue was digested to quantify the number of larvae by microscopy. The number of DNA copies was calculated from the standard DNA quantification curve, showing values of E = 93.4%, R2 = 0.9655 and Y = -3.415. A strong positive correlation (R = 0, 81; p < .001) was found between the number of copies and the recovery of larvae from brain. However, the parasite's DNA was also identified even in animals from whose brain no larvae were recovered after tissue digestion. The results of this study therefore confirm that the qPCR technique can be a valuable tool for the detection and quantification of T. canis DNA in murine hosts, even in animals whose with tissues contain very few parasites.

Assuntos

RESUMO

The tissue proportion and cell wall thickness are important anatomical traits influencing nutritive value of grasses. Theses characteristics present high correlation with fiber, lignin and crude protein (CP) contents and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) coefficients. The tissues lowest digested correlate negatively with CP and IVDMD and positively with fiber and lignin contents, while the tissues rapidly digested show positive correlation with CP and IVDMD and negative with fiber and lignin contents. The digestion of some tissues is limited not only by negative effect of lignin on the cell wall digestion, but too by compact organization of cells of some tissues and by high cell wall thickness. The relationships between plant anatomy and nutritive value highlight the possibility of utilization of anatomical traits in evaluation of forage grass nutritive value.

Entre as características anatômicas relacionadas ao valor nutritivo de gramíneas, destacam-se a proporção de tecidos e a espessura da parede celular. Tais características apresentam altas correlações com os teores de fibra, de lignina e de proteína bruta (PB) e com os coeficientes de digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca (DIVMS). Os tecidos de baixa digestão correlacionam-se negativamente com a PB e a DIVMS e positivamente com os teores de fibra e de lignina, enquanto aqueles rapidamente digeridos mostram correlações positivas com a PB e com a DIVMS e negativas com os teores de fibra e lignina. A digestão de alguns tecidos é limitada, não somente pelo efeito negativo da lignina sobre a digestão da parede celular, mas também pelo compacto arranjo das células de alguns tecidos e pela elevada espessura da parede celular. As relações entre a anatomia da planta e o valor nutritivo realçam a possibilidade da utilização de características anatômicas na avaliação do valor nutritivo de gramíneas forrageiras.

RESUMO

The tissue proportion and cell wall thickness are important anatomical traits influencing nutritive value of grasses. Theses characteristics present high correlation with fiber, lignin and crude protein (CP) contents and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) coefficients. The tissues lowest digested correlate negatively with CP and IVDMD and positively with fiber and lignin contents, while the tissues rapidly digested show positive correlation with CP and IVDMD and negative with fiber and lignin contents. The digestion of some tissues is limited not only by negative effect of lignin on the cell wall digestion, but too by compact organization of cells of some tissues and by high cell wall thickness. The relationships between plant anatomy and nutritive value highlight the possibility of utilization of anatomical traits in evaluation of forage grass nutritive value.

Entre as características anatômicas relacionadas ao valor nutritivo de gramíneas, destacam-se a proporção de tecidos e a espessura da parede celular. Tais características apresentam altas correlações com os teores de fibra, de lignina e de proteína bruta (PB) e com os coeficientes de digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca (DIVMS). Os tecidos de baixa digestão correlacionam-se negativamente com a PB e a DIVMS e positivamente com os teores de fibra e de lignina, enquanto aqueles rapidamente digeridos mostram correlações positivas com a PB e com a DIVMS e negativas com os teores de fibra e lignina. A digestão de alguns tecidos é limitada, não somente pelo efeito negativo da lignina sobre a digestão da parede celular, mas também pelo compacto arranjo das células de alguns tecidos e pela elevada espessura da parede celular. As relações entre a anatomia da planta e o valor nutritivo realçam a possibilidade da utilização de características anatômicas na avaliação do valor nutritivo de gramíneas forrageiras.