Enzymatic characterization of Vibrio alginolyticus strains isolated from bivalves harvested at Venice Lagoon (Italy) and Guanabara Bay (Brazil)

The aquatic ecosystem is the natural habitat of microorganisms including Vibrio and Aeromonas genus which are pathogenic to human and animals. In the present investigation the frequency of these bacteria and the enzymatic characteristics of 34 Vibrio alginolyticus strains isolated from bivalves harvested in Venice Lagoon (Italy) and Guanabara Bay (Brazil) were carried out from November 2003 to February 2004. The mussels' samples were submitted to enrichment in Alkaline Peptone Water (APW) added with 1% of sodium chloride (NaCl) and APW plus 3% NaCl incubated at 37 ºC for 18-24h. Following the samples were streaked onto TCBS Agar (Thiossulfate Citrate Bile Sucrose Agar) and the suspected colonies were submitted to biochemical characterization. Also, the Vibrio alginolyticus strains were evaluated to collagenase, elastase and chondroitinase production. The results showed the isolation of 127 microorganisms distributed as follows: 105 Vibrio strains such as V. alginolyticus (32.4%), V. harveyi (19%) and V. parahaemolyticus (7.6%), 20 Aeromonas strains and two Plesiomonas shigelloides were the main pathogens isolated. We observed the production of the three enzymes from V. alginolyticus strains considered as the main virulence factors of the bacteria, especially in cases of human dermatological infection

Calcitonin serum levels in heroin addicts: effects of methadone and clonidine detoxication treatments

Calcitonin (CT), a 32-aminoacid peptide, is secreted by the parafollicular 'C' cells of the thyroid which derive from the ultimobranchial body and, ultimately, from the neural crest. In man, the main role of this hormone is to protect the skeleton during periods of physiological stress, such as growth, pregnancy and lactation by reducing calcium loss [1]. Nevertheless, some recent data, such as the finding of immunoreactive CT-like material (iCT) in the central nervous system [2] and in the cerebrospinal fluid and the demonstration of its analgesic action in rabbits [4] and in man [5] indicate a relationship between CT and the neuroendocrine system. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the levels of CT in a group of addicts to heroin both before and during detoxication treatment with methadone or a non-opioid drug like clonidine

Determination of morphine in the hair of heroin addicts by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection

A procedure has been presented for the quantitative determination of morphine contained in the hair of heroin addicts, by means of heat-acid hydrolysis, pre-column dansyl derivatization, straight phase liquid chromatography, and fluorescence detection. External standardization was used. Intra-assay and day-to-day variation coefficients were 5.6 and 7.8%, respectively (n = 10), when hair containing 1 ng/mg of morphine was assayed. Hair samples of 22 heroin addicts showed positive results in the range 0.08 to 15.7 ng/mg. No false positive results were found in 20 control subjects. A close correlation was shown between high performance liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay results (y = 0.97x + 0.26)(r = 0.997, n = 15). Morphine hair content results significantly correlated with the grade of heroin use roughly estimated by means of serial determinations of morphine in urines during the last months before hair sampling