Identification of Loci Controlling Restriction of Parasite Growth in Experimental Taenia crassiceps Cysticercosis

Human neurocysticercosis (NC) caused by Taenia solium is a parasitic disease of the central nervous system that is endemic in many developing countries. In this study, a genetic approach using the murine intraperitoneal cysticercosis caused by the related cestode Taenia crassiceps was employed to identify host factors that regulate the establishment and proliferation of the parasite. A/J mice are permissive to T. crassiceps infection while C57BL/6J mice (B6) are comparatively restrictive, with a 10-fold difference in numbers of peritoneal cysticerci recovered 30 days after infection. The genetic basis of this inter-strain difference was explored using 34 AcB/BcA recombinant congenic strains derived from A/J and B6 progenitors, that were phenotyped for T. crassiceps replication. In agreement with their genetic background, most AcB strains (A/J-derived) were found to be permissive to infection while most BcA strains (B6-derived) were restrictive with the exception of a few discordant strains, together suggesting a possible simple genetic control. Initial haplotype association mapping using >1200 informative SNPs pointed to linkages on chromosomes 2 (proximal) and 6 as controlling parasite replication in the AcB/BcA panel. Additional linkage analysis by genome scan in informative [AcB55xDBA/2]F1 and F2 mice (derived from the discordant AcB55 strain), confirmed the effect of chromosome 2 on parasite replication, and further delineated a major locus (LOD = 4.76, p<0.01; peak marker D2Mit295, 29.7 Mb) that we designate Tccr1 (T. crassiceps cysticercosis restrictive locus 1). Resistance alleles at Tccr1 are derived from AcB55 and are inherited in a dominant fashion. Scrutiny of the minimal genetic interval reveals overlap of Tccr1 with other host resistance loci mapped to this region, most notably the defective Hc/C5 allele which segregates both in the AcB/BcA set and in the AcB55xDBA/2 cross. These results strongly suggest that the complement component 5 (C5) plays a critical role in early protective inflammatory response to infection with T. crassiceps

Evaluation of the impact of a control program against taeniasis-cysticercosis (Taenia solium).

Objetive. The impact of a control program is evaluated to eventually eradicate taeniasis-cysticercosis (Taenia solium) based on education and vaccination of pigs. Materials and methods. The prevalence of porcine cysticercosis was estimated using tongue inspection, ultrasound and determination of antibodies, before and three years after the application in three regions of the state of Guerrero. Results. A significant reduction in the prevalence of porcine cysticercosis of 7 to 0.5% and 3.6 to 0.3% estimated by tongue examination or ultrasound respectively (p menor que 0.01) and a no significant decrease in seroprevalence from 17.7 to 13.3% were observed. Conclusions. The reduction of the prevalence of taeniasis-cysticercosis establishes the program’s effectiveness in preventing infection. The sustained presence of antibodies, compatible with contact of Taenia solium or other related helminths, underlines the importance of maintaining interventionsto achieve eradication

Primeros cerdos nacidos en México a partir de embriones producidos in vitro

Techniques for in vitro maturation, in vitro fertilization and in vitro development of porcine embryos from oocytes were validated for development of assisted reproductive methodologies in Mexico, and embryos were transferred to a recipient female to produce piglets. Oocytes were collected from prepuberal females and matured in a defined medium, TCM-199, supplemented with polyvinyl alcohol. Mature oocytes were inseminated in Tris-buffered medium and transferred to NCSU-23 embryo culture medium. Technique validation was done using seven assays with a total of 311 oocytes, of which 82 % completed maturation, and 70 % of these were fertilized. A total of 106 embryos in different developmental stages were obtained and 14 % of these reached blastocyst stage. Piglets were produced through surgical transfer of 49 embryos in different developmental stages to the uterine horn of an artificially synchronized recipient female. Pregnancy was diagnosed by ultrasound at day 55 post-transfer. At 114 and a half days after IVF, two live female piglets of normal appearance and weight were born by cesarean section.El presente trabajo tuvo dos objetivos: validar las técnicas de maduración in vitro, fertilización in vitro de ovocitos y desarrollo in vitro de embriones porcinos, como una contribución para el desarrollo de las técnicas de reproducción asistida en México, el segundo fue transferir embriones a una hembra receptora, para producir lechones. Los ovocitos se recolectaron a partir de hembras prepúberes y se maduraron en medio definido TCM-199, suplementado con alcohol polivinílico. Los ovocitos madurados se inseminaron en medio amortiguado con Tris y se transfirieron a medio de desarrollo embrionario NCSU-23. Para la primera fase del trabajo, se realizaron siete ensayos con 311 ovocitos, de los cuales 82 % completaron la maduración, y de éstos, 70 % resultaron fertilizados. Se obtuvieron 106 embriones en diferentes etapas del desarrollo y 14 % de estos alcanzaron el estado de blástula. En la segunda fase del trabajo, se transfirieron por vía quirúrgica 49 embriones en diferente estado de desarrollo, al cuerno uterino de una hembra receptora previamente sincronizada. Se detectó la gestación por medio de ultrasonografía 55 días después de la transferencia. A los 114 días y medio después de la fertilización, nacieron por cesárea dos hembras vivas con apariencia y peso normales

Primeros cerdos nacidos en México a partir de embriones producidos in vitro

El presente trabajo tuvo dos objetivos: validar las técnicas de maduración in vitro, fertilización in vitro de ovocitos y desarrollo in vitro de embriones porcinos, como una contribución para el desarrollo de las técnicas de reproducción asistida en México, el segundo fue transferir embriones a una hembra receptora, para producir lechones. Los ovocitos se recolectaron a partir de hembras prepúberes y se maduraron en medio definido TCM-199, suplementado con alcohol polivinílico. Los ovocitos madurados se inseminaron en medio amortiguado con Tris y se transfirieron a medio de desarrollo embrionario NCSU-23. Para la primera fase del trabajo, se realizaron siete ensayos con 311 ovocitos, de los cuales 82 % completaron la maduración, y de éstos, 70 % resultaron fertilizados. Se obtuvieron 106 embriones en diferentes etapas del desarrollo y 14 % de estos alcanzaron el estado de blástula. En la segunda fase del trabajo, se transfirieron por vía quirúrgica 49 embriones en diferente estado de desarrollo, al cuerno uterino de una hembra receptora previamente sincronizada. Se detectó la gestación por medio de ultrasonografía 55 días después de la transferencia. A los 114 días y medio después de la fertilización, nacieron por cesárea dos hembras vivas con apariencia y peso normales

El italiano en la fraseología actual del español hablado en Argentina

The massive immigration of Italians to Argentina during the 19th and 20th centuries produced a contact between Italian and Spanish languages. This contact situation left signs in phraseological units of the Spanish variety spoken in Argentina. Our work concerns the diatopic phraseology of Spanish and aims at studying the Italian component in Argentinian Spanish phraseology. As a result, we shall contextualise the role of the Italian language in the evolution of the Spanish spoken in Argentina, describe the methodology used for the retrieval of the information contained in the phraseological corpus that is part of the database of the research project Frasytram (University of Alicante) and, finally, focus on the Argentinian phraseological units of the semantic field character-way of being-attitude that have components of the Italian language or derive from them, in order to identify its integration process