Endoparasites of donkeys (Equus asinus) used in commercial skin exploitation in the Northeast of Brazil

The present study identified the main endoparasites present in donkeys (Equus asinus) used in skin exploitation located in Cando municipality, Bahia State, Northeast of Brazil. The samples were collected from September 2019. Feces were collected from the rectal ampulla of 34 animals, macroscopically visualized for parasitic forms, and microscopically evaluated to identify endoparasites forms using the McMaster method. Parasitological results were associated with sex, age, and bodyweight Stata Corp LLC 14. Endoparasites were found in 82.3% of the animals, with the egg count ranging from 50 to 1050 eggs per gram (EPG). The sole presence of superfamily Trichostronglylidae was observed in 67.6% of the donkeys, in 8.8% co-infected by Trichostronglylidae and Eimeria spp., while Trichostronglylidae and Strongyloides westeri was detected in 2.9%, and simultaneous infection by Trichostronglylidae, Strongyloides westeri, and Oxyuris equi was observed in 2.9%. The occurrence of parasitic infections varies according to nutritional status, age, sex, and environmental exposure (p>0.05). A high occurrence of infection was observed in young animals and those with lower body weight.O presente trabalho identificou os principais endoparasitas em jumentos utilizados em uma exploração de pele localizada no município de Canudos, Estado da Bahia, Nordeste do Brasil. As amostras foram colhidas no período de setembro de 2019. Fezes de 34 jumentos, colhidas diretamente da ampola retal, foram visualizadas macroscopicamente para formas parasitárias e avaliadas microscopicamente para identificar endoparasitos pela técnica de McMaster. Os resultados parasitológicos foram associados com sexo, idade e peso corporal pelo Stata Corp LLC 14. Endoparasitas foram encontrados em 82,3% dos animais, com contagem de ovos variando de 50 a 1050 ovos por grama (OPG). Presença de unicamente parasitos da superfamília Trichostronglylidae foi observada em 67,6% dos jumentos, 8,8% estavam coinfectados por Trichostronglylidae e Eimeria spp., 2,9% por Trichostronglylidae e Strongyloides westeri e 2,9% apresentaram presença simultânea de Trichostronglylidae, Strongyloides westeri e Oxyuris equi. A ocorrência de infecções parasitárias varia de acordo com a idade, sexo e exposição ambiental (p>0.05). Observou-se alta ocorrência de animais infectados nos animais jovens e naqueles com menor peso corporal

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field