Os Argulíddeos (Crustacea: Branchiura) Da Amazônia Brasileira 3. Aspectos Da Ecologia De Dolops Striata Bouvier, 1899 E Dolops Carvalhoi Castro, 1949 .

Host specificity, attachmente sites, infection rates and seasonal variation of Dolops striata Bouvier (1899) e Dolops carvalhoi Castro, 1949 were studied a one-year period, from March, 1979, to March, 1980, in the vicinity of Janauacá, a "varzea" lake in Central Amazônia. Seasonal variation was found to be closely related to water levels with maximun peaks of infestation for both species ocurring during high water (April & May), and minimum peaks during low water (September & October). D. carvalhoi showed low host specificity, was found to parasitize eight species of fishes representing four families, namely: three species of Pimelodidae, two of Serrasalmidae, one of Characidae and one of Clupeidae. D. striata showed high host specificity, was found to parasitize one unique familie, Anostomidae. Both species parasitize the external surfaces of their hosts.A especificidade parasitária, áreas de fixação, hospedeiros naturais, índices de infestação e variação sazonal de Dolops striata e Dolops carvalhoi foram estudados durante o período de março de 1979 a março de 1980, na área do Janauacá, um lago de várzea da Amazônia Central. A sazonalidade revelou um estreito relacionamento com a variação do nível da água, sendo que os picos máximos de infestação de D. striata e D. carvalhoi ocorreram na estação de rio cheio (abril, maio) e os picos mínimos na estação de seca (setembro, outubro). O D. carvalhoi apresentou uma baixa especificidade parasitária, foi encontrado parasitando sete espécies de peixes incluídas em quatro famílias, três da Pimelodidae, duas da Serrasalmidae, uma da Characidae e uma da Clupeidae. O D. striata apresentou um alto grau de especificidade parasitária ocorrendo em três espécies de peixes incluídas em uma única família, a Anostomidae. Ambas espécies foram encontradas parasitando a superfície externa do corpo de seus hospedeiros

Effect of subinhibitory concentrations of penicillin on antigens of group G streptococci

O efeito de concentrações subinibitórias de penicilina sobre a produção do antígeno grupo-específico e da hialuronidase extracelular foi avaliado em uma amostra de estreptococo pertencente ao grupo G de Lancefield. Em todas as concentrações uma maior quantidade de antígeno grupo-específico foi extraída das células e a atividade específica de hialuronidase se mostrou aumentada em até 1400% nos sobrenadantes das culturas. O maior aumento na expressão de ambos os antígenos foi observado em 1/2 da CMI.The effect of subinhibitory concetrations of penicillin on a strain of streptococcus belonging to Lancefield group G was studied. Production of the group-specific antigen and extra- cellular hyaluronidase by drug-exposed cells were examined. At all concentrations levels a higher amount of group-specific antigen was extracted from cells and increases of up to 1400% in the specific activity of hyaluronidase were determined in culture supernates. The higher increase in the expression of both antigens was observed at 1/2 MIC

Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti L. e a culicideofauna associada em área urbana da região sul, Brasil

Foram mostrados alguns aspectos sobre a ecologia de 11 espécies de Culicidae que procriam em recipientes, em uma área urbana do Sul do Brasil. Os mais variados tipos de recipientes foram listados como eficientes criadouros para larvas de culicídeos. Aedes aegypti apareceu como espécie recém-introduzida e limitada somente a duas áreas da cidade. As espécies predominantes foram: Culex quinquefasciatus, Culex coronator, Aedes aegypti, Aedes fluviatilis e Limatus durhamii.Some aspects of the ecology of eleven species of Culicidae that were found breeding in recipients in an urban area of Southern Brazil are presented. A great variety of recipients were listed as efficient breeding sites. Apparently Aedes aegypti has been recently introduced into the region and was limited to two areas of the city. Culex quinquefasciatus, Cx. coronator, Ae. aegypti, Ae. fluviatilis e Limatus durhamii were the predominant species

Pro-inflammatory polarization and colorectal cancer modulate alternative and intronic polyadenylation in primary human macrophages

Introduction: Macrophages are essential cells of the immune system that alter their inflammatory profile depending on their microenvironment. Alternative polyadenylation in the 3’UTR (3’UTR-APA) and intronic polyadenylation (IPA) are mechanisms that modulate gene expression, particularly in cancer and activated immune cells. Yet, how polarization and colorectal cancer (CRC) cells affect 3’UTR-APA and IPA in primary human macrophages was unclear. Methods: In this study, we isolated primary human monocytes from healthy donors, differentiated and polarized them into a pro-inflammatory state and performed indirect co-cultures with CRC cells. ChrRNA-Seq and 3’RNA-Seq was performed to quantify gene expression and characterize new 3’UTR-APA and IPA mRNA isoforms. Results: Our results show that polarization of human macrophages from naïve to a pro-inflammatory state causes a marked increase of proximal polyA site selection in the 3’UTR and IPA events in genes relevant to macrophage functions. Additionally, we found a negative correlation between differential gene expression and IPA during pro-inflammatory polarization of primary human macrophages. As macrophages are abundant immune cells in the CRC microenvironment that either promote or abrogate cancer progression, we investigated how indirect exposure to CRC cells affects macrophage gene expression and 3’UTR-APA and IPA events. Co-culture with CRC cells alters the inflammatory phenotype of macrophages, increases the expression of pro-tumoral genes and induces 3’UTR-APA alterations. Notably, some of these gene expression differences were also found in tumor-associated macrophages of CRC patients, indicating that they are physiologically relevant. Upon macrophage pro-inflammatory polarization, SRSF12 is the pre-mRNA processing gene that is most upregulated. After SRSF12 knockdown in M1 macrophages there is a global downregulation of gene expression, in particular in genes involved in gene expression regulation and in immune responses. Discussion: Our results reveal new 3’UTR-APA and IPA mRNA isoforms produced during pro-inflammatory polarization of primary human macrophages and CRC co-culture that may be used in the future as diagnostic or therapeutic tools. Furthermore, our results highlight a function for SRSF12 in pro-inflammatory macrophages, key cells in the tumor response

Heart rate variability measures indicating sex differences in autonomic regulation during anxiety-like behavior in rats

IntroductionMental health conditions remain a substantial and costly challenge to society, especially in women since they have nearly twice the prevalence of anxiety disorders. However, critical mechanisms underlying sex differences remain incompletely understood. Measures of cardiac function, including heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV), reflect balance between sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) systems and are potential biomarkers for pathological states.MethodsTo better understand sex differences in anxiety-related autonomic mechanisms, we examined HR/HRV telemetry in food-restricted adult rats during novelty suppression of feeding (NSF), with conflict between food under bright light in the arena center. To assess HRV, we calculated the SDNN (reflective of both SNS and PNS contribution) and rMSSD (reflective of PNS contribution) and compared these metrics to behaviors within the anxiety task.ResultsFemales had greater HR and lower SNS indicators at baseline, as in humans. Further, females (but not males) with higher basal HR carried this state into NSF, delaying first approach to center. In contrast, males with lower SNS measures approached and spent more time in the brightly-lit center. Further, females with lower SNS indicators consumed significantly more food. In males, a high-SNS subpopulation consumed no food. Among consumers, males with greater SNS ate more food.DiscussionTogether, these are congruent with human findings suggesting women engage PNS more, and men SNS more. Our previous behavior-only work also observed female differences from males during initial movement and food intake. Thus, high basal SNS in females reduced behavior early in NSF, while subsequent reduced SNS allowed greater food intake. In males, lower SNS increased engagement with arena center, but greater SNS predicted higher consumption. Our findings show novel and likely clinically relevant sex differences in HRV-behavior relationships

Nutritive value of rations containing sugar cane, poultry litter and corn

Realizou-se, no campus da Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias da UNESP, em Jaboticabal, SP, um estudo com o objetivo de determinar a ingestão voluntária e a digestibilidade aparente de rações contendo diferentes relações de cana-de-açúcar: cama-de-frango (CC1 = 65,50 : 34,50%; CC2 = 58,00 : 42,00%; e CC3 - 52,00 : 48,00% combinadas com três níveis de milho (M1 = 0 kg; M2 = 0,75 kg e M3 = 1,50 kg), através do delineamento em blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 3 com três repetições. Utilizaram-se nove bezerros pesando, em média, 334 kg. Através da análise de regressão, detectou-se efeito linear positivo (P < 0,01) entre os níveis de milho e a digestibilidade aparente da matéria seca, da matéria orgânica, do extrato etéreo, do extrato não nitrogenado e dos teores de nutrientes digestíveis totais. As proporções de cana: cama-de-frango com menores quantidades de cana proporcionaram aumentos na digestibilidade da proteína e da fibra bruta (P < 0,01). Não houve interação significativa entre os níveis de milho e as proporções de cana: cama-de-frango. O valor nutritivo e a ingestão de matéria seca total foram significativamente aumentadas nas rações com os níveis crescentes de milho (P < 0,01).This work was conduced at Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Campus de Jaboticabal-UNESP, São Paulo, Brazil, with the objective of finding out the intake and apparent digestibility of the nutrients in rations with different proportions of sugar cane (SC) and poultry litter (PL): 65.50 : 34.50%; 58.00 : 42.00% and 52.00 : 48.00% combined with three levels of corn: 0; 0.15 kg an 1,50 kg. Treatments were studied according to a completely randomized block design 32 with three replications. Nine steers with an initial average weight of 334 kg were used. Linear regression studies showed significant effects (P < 0.01) of the different levels of corn on apparent digestibility of the dry matter, organic matter, ether extract, nitrogen free extract and total digestible nutrients. Proportions of SC/PL with lower sugarcane ration increased crude fiber and protein digestibility (P < 0.01). There was no significant interaction of the levels of corn and different proportions of sugarcane to poultry litter. Nutritive value and total intake of dry matter increased with the levels of corn in the ration (P < 0.01)

Efferent Pathways in Sodium Overload-Induced Renal Vasodilation in Rats

Hypernatremia stimulates the secretion of oxytocin (OT), but the physiological role of OT remains unclear. the present study sought to determine the involvement of OT and renal nerves in the renal responses to an intravenous infusion of hypertonic saline. Male Wistar rats (280-350 g) were anesthetized with sodium thiopental (40 mg. kg(-1), i.v.). A bladder cannula was implanted for collection of urine. Animals were also instrumented for measurement of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and renal blood flow (RBF). Renal vascular conductance (RVC) was calculated as the ratio of RBF by MAP. in anesthetized rats (n = 6), OT infusion (0.03 mu g . kg(-1), i.v.) induced renal vasodilation. Consistent with this result, ex vivo experiments demonstrated that OT caused renal artery relaxation. Blockade of OT receptors (OXTR) reduced these responses to OT, indicating a direct effect of this peptide on OXTR on this artery. Hypertonic saline (3 M NaCl, 1.8 ml . kg(-1) b.wt., i.v.) was infused over 60 s. in sham rats (n = 6), hypertonic saline induced renal vasodilation. the OXTR antagonist (AT; atosiban, 40 mu g . kg(-1) . h(-1), i.v.; n = 7) and renal denervation (RX) reduced the renal vasodilation induced by hypernatremia. the combination of atosiban and renal denervation (RX+AT; n = 7) completely abolished the renal vasodilation induced by sodium overload. Intact rats excreted 51% of the injected sodium within 90 min. Natriuresis was slightly blunted by atosiban and renal denervation (42% and 39% of load, respectively), whereas atosiban with renal denervation reduced sodium excretion to 16% of the load. These results suggest that OT and renal nerves are involved in renal vasodilation and natriuresis induced by acute plasma hypernatremia.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Goias (FAPEG)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Univ Fed Goias, Ctr Neurosci & Cardiovasc Physiol, Inst Biol Sci, Dept Physiol Sci, Goiania, Go, BrazilUniv Fed Uberlandia, Fac Phys Educ, Inst Biol Sci, BR-38400 Uberlandia, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Physiol, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Goias, Inst Biol Sci, Mol Biol Lab, Goiania, Go, BrazilUniv Fed Goias, Inst Biol Sci, Dept Biochem & Mol Biol, Goiania, Go, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Physiol, São Paulo, BrazilFundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Goias (FAPEG): 2012/0055431086Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Goias (FAPEG): 2009/10267000352CNPq: 477832/2010-5CNPq: 483411/2012-4Web of Scienc

SARS-CoV-2 reinfection caused by the P.1 lineage in Araraquara city, Sao Paulo State, Brazil

Reinfection by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-COV-2) has been reported in many countries, suggesting that the virus may continue to circulate among humans despite the possibility of local herd immunity due to massive previous infections. The emergence of variants of concern (VOC) that are more transmissible than the previous circulating ones has raised particular concerns on the vaccines effectiveness and reinfection rates. The P.1 lineage was first identified in December 2020 in Manaus city and is now globally spread. We report the first case of reinfection of SARS-CoV-2 caused by the P.1 variant outside of Manaus. The potential of these new variants to escape naturally and vaccine- induced immunity highlights the need for a global vigilance