Perfil bioquímico y hematológico del cocodrilo del Orinoco (Crocodylus Intermedius) y tortugas acuáticas mantenidas en condiciones ex-situ

Colombia es el cuarto país con la mayor diversidad de reptiles a nivel mundial. A pesar de esta riqueza y el importante papel ecosistémico de los reptiles, la sobreexplotación para el consumo, la destrucción y transformación de su hábitat y su extracción para el comercio de mascotas, han causado que gran parte esta biodiversidad y, especialmente tortugas y crocodilidos, se encuentren bajo alguna categoría de amenaza. Debido a estos factores, estos grupos de organismos son recurrentemente incautados y trasladados a centros de rescate y rehabilitación animal, donde se les brinda el cuidado medico necesario. Dentro de los exámenes clínicos rutinarios, los análisis de sangre constituyen una de las herramientas mas importantes para determinar el estado de salud de un organismo, sin embargo, la información base para interpretar estos resultados es escasa para animales silvestres. En este sentido, el objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar los parámetros hematológicos y de química sérica del cocodrilo del Orinoco (Crocodylus intermedius) y tortugas acuáticas de los géneros Podocnemis y Trachemys mantenidos en estado de cautiverio, con el fin de establecer intervalos de referencia que permitan ser usados en la interpretación clínica de los exámenes sanguíneos. Para esto, se tomaron muestras sanguíneas de individuos de las especies Podocnemis unifilis, P. vogli, Trachemys callirostris y C. intermedius mantenidos en cautiverio en la Unidad de Rescate y Rehabilitación de Animales Silvestres (URRAS) y la Estación Biológica Tropical Roberto Franco (EBTRF) de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia y se evaluaron diferentes parámetros hematológicos y de química sérica. Se establecieron los intervalos de referencia hematológicos y bioquímicos de las especies analizadas, y, para algunas especies, se logró demostrar diferencias significativas entre sexos y edades. Este estudio representa el primer acercamiento a establecimiento de parámetros hematológico para especies como P. vogli y C. intermedius, adicionalmente se realizan nuevos reportes hematológicos para P. unifilis y T. callirostris.Colombia ranks fourth in reptile biodiversity worldwide. Despite this biological richness and the important ecosystem role of reptiles, the overexploitation for consumption, the destruction and transformation of their habitats and their extraction for the pet trade, have caused that some reptile species, especially turtles and crocodilians, be included in any category of threat. Due to these factors, those groups of organisms are recurrently seized and transferred to animal rescue and rehabilitation centers, where necessary medical care is provided. Within routine clinical examinations, blood tests are one of the most important tools to determine the health status of an organism, however, the base information necessary to interpret these results, is scarce for wild animals. In this way, the objective of this study was to evaluate the hematological and serum chemistry parameters of the Orinoco crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius) and aquatic turtles of the Podocnemis and Trachemys genera kept in captivity, in order to establish the reference intervals that could be used in the clinical interpretation of blood tests. For this, blood samples were taken from individuals of the species Podocnemis unifilis, P. vogli, Trachemys callirostris and C. intermedius held in captivity at Unidad de Rescate y Rehabilitación de Animales Silvestres (URRAS) and the Estación Biológica Tropical Roberto Franco (EBTRF) of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Different hematological and serum chemistry parameters were evaluated. The hematological and biochemical reference intervals of the analyzed species were established, and, for some species, significant differences between sexes and ages were detected. This study represents the first hematological approach for species such as P. vogli and C. intermedius, additionally new hematological reports are made for P. unifilis and T. callirostris.Universidad Nacional de ColombiaHematología y química sanguínea en Herpetofauna infectada por parásitos sanguíneos y gastrointestinales de dos estaciones biológicas de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia.Línea de Investigación: Hematología y bioquímica sérica de reptilesMaestrí

Molecular Mechanisms of Persistence in Protozoan Parasites

Protozoan parasites are known for their remarkable capacity to persist within the bodies of vertebrate hosts, which frequently results in prolonged infections and the recurrence of diseases. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie the event of persistence is of paramount significance to develop innovative therapeutic approaches, given that these pathways still need to be thoroughly elucidated. The present article provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in the investigation of protozoan persistence in vertebrate hosts. The focus is primarily on the function of persisters, their formation within the host, and the specific molecular interactions between host and parasite while they persist. Additionally, we examine the metabolomic, transcriptional, and translational changes that protozoan parasites undergo during persistence within vertebrate hosts, focusing on major parasites such as Plasmodium spp., Trypanosoma spp., Leishmania spp., and Toxoplasma spp. Key findings of our study suggest that protozoan parasites deploy several molecular and physiological strategies to evade the host immune surveillance and sustain their persistence. Furthermore, some parasites undergo stage differentiation, enabling them to acclimate to varying host environments and immune challenges. More often, stressors such as drug exposure were demonstrated to impact the formation of protozoan persisters significantly. Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating the persistence of protozoan parasites in vertebrate hosts can reinvigorate our current insights into host–parasite interactions and facilitate the development of more efficacious disease therapeutics

Ribosome Specialization in Protozoa Parasites

Ribosomes, in general, are viewed as constitutive macromolecular machines where protein synthesis takes place; however, this view has been recently challenged, supporting the hypothesis of ribosome specialization and opening a completely new field of research. Recent studies have demonstrated that ribosomes are heterogenous in their nature and can provide another layer of gene expression control by regulating translation. Heterogeneities in ribosomal RNA and ribosomal proteins that compose them favor the selective translation of different sub-pools of mRNAs and functional specialization. In recent years, the heterogeneity and specialization of ribosomes have been widely reported in different eukaryotic study models; however, few reports on this topic have been made on protozoa and even less on protozoa parasites of medical importance. This review analyzes heterogeneities of ribosomes in protozoa parasites highlighting the specialization in their functions and their importance in parasitism, in the transition between stages in their life cycle, in the change of host and in response to environmental conditions

Consideraciones para la obtención de sangre en tortugas: sitios de venopunción y anticoagulantes

Objective. Evaluate different venipuncture points and the use of two anticoagulants to obtain blood samples in turtles. Materials and methods. Eighty-two turtles of the species Trachemys callirostris, Podocnemis unifilis and Chelonoidis carbonaria were sampled. Three venipuncture points were evaluated: subcarapacial venous sinus, dorsal coccygeal vein, and jugular vein. Two anticoagulants were tested: sodium heparin and EDTA. Results. The jugular vein was the best place to practice venipuncture as the blood samples obtained were free of hemodilution and enough volume to carry out a blood profile. In contrast, samples from the other venipuncture points were usually hemodiluted. Blood samples from C. carbonaria stored with EDTA (40 µl/ml of blood) showed haemolisis, which was not observed using sodium heparin (100 UI/ml of blood) as anticoagulant. Conclusions. The jugular vein is the most recommended venipuncture site for the extraction of blood samples for clinical purposes. Sodium heparin was the best anticoagulant to store blood samples due to the fact that it does not induce haemolisis in any sample.Objetivo. Evaluar diferentes puntos de venopunción y el uso de dos anticoagulantes para la obtención de muestras sanguíneas en tortugas. Materiales y métodos. Se muestrearon 82 individuos de las especies Trachemys callirostris, Podocnemis unifilis y Chelonoidis carbonaria. Los puntos de venopunción evaluados fueron: seno venoso subcaparacial, vena coccígea dorsal y vena yugular; y se compararon dos anticoagulantes: heparina de sodio y EDTA. Resultados. A partir de la vena yugular se obtuvieron muestras sanguíneas sin hemodilución y en un volumen suficiente para realizar análisis hematológicos. Por el contrario, a partir de los otros sitios de venopunción se obtuvieron mayoritariamente muestras hemodiluidas. Las muestras de sangre obtenidas a partir de C. carbonaria se hemolizaron tras su almacenamiento en EDTA (40 µl/ml de sangre), lo que no se evidenció al utilizar heparina de sodio (100 UI/ml de sangre) como anticoagulante. Conclusiones. La vena yugular es el sitio de venopunción más recomendable para la extracción de muestras sanguíneas con fines clínicos. La heparina de sodio fue el anticoagulante de elección para almacenar dichas muestras al no inducir hemólisis en estas