Conquiliologia e Morfologia da Rádula em Três Representantes de Conidae (Mollusca, Neogastropoda, Conoidea) Assinalados para a Costa Brasileira

Despite the number of Conidae species on Brazilian seashore, most of them were studied only by shell features so far. The present study adds morphological radula data to conchology in three species of Conus assigned to Brazil. Conus centurio and C. regius have radula morphology that match vermivorous habit; the radula of Brazilian shells from both species is, for the first time, illustrated through optical microscopy. It is also illustrated the radula of a Brazilian C. ermineus in scanning eletronic microscopy corroborating the radula morphology that suggests the piscivorous habit as already assigned to African shells.Apesar da representatividade da família Conidae na costa brasileira, a maioria das espécies, até o momento, foi avaliada com base apenas no estudo da concha. O presente estudo acrescenta à conquiliologia dados morfológicos da rádula de três espécies de Conus assinaladas para o Brasil. Conus centurio e C. regius apresentaram morfologia da rádula compatível com o hábito alimentar vermívoro e as rádulas de exemplares brasileiros, das duas espécies, são pela primeira vez fotografadas em microscopia óptica. De um exemplar brasileiro de C. ermineus é ilustrada a morfologia da rádula em microscopia eletrônica de varredura mostrando que corrobora com o hábito alimentar piscívoro conforme assinalado para os exemplares africanos da espécie

S-allylmercaptocysteine scavenges hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen in vitro and attenuates gentamicin-induced oxidative and nitrosative stress and renal damage in vivo

BACKGROUND: Oxidative and nitrosative stress have been involved in gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity. The purpose of this work was to study the effect of S-allylmercaptocysteine, a garlic derived compound, on gentamicin-induced oxidative and nitrosative stress and nephrotoxicity. In addition, the in vitro reactive oxygen species scavenging properties of S-allylmercaptocysteine were studied. RESULTS: S-allylmercaptocysteine was able to scavenge hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen in vitro. In rats treated with gentamicin (70 mg/Kg body weight, subcutaneously, every 12 h, for 4 days), renal oxidative stress was made evident by the increase in protein carbonyl content and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, and the nitrosative stress was made evident by the increase in 3-nitrotyrosine. In addition, gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity was evident by the: (1) decrease in creatinine clearance and in activity of circulating glutathione peroxidase, and (2) increase in urinary excretion of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, and (3) necrosis of proximal tubular cells. Gentamicin-induced oxidative and nitrosative stress and nephrotoxicity were attenuated by S-allylmercaptocysteine treatment (100 mg/Kg body weight, intragastrically, 24 h before the first dose of gentamicin and 50 mg/Kg body weight, intragastrically, every 12 h, for 4 days along gentamicin-treatment). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, S-allylmercaptocysteine is able to scavenge hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen in vitro and to ameliorate the gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity and oxidative and nitrosative stress in vivo

Macroanatomia, microanatomia e histologia dos sistemas reprodutor e digestivo de Thaumastus (Thaumastus) Taunaisii (Ferussac, 1822), T. (T.) Magnificus (Grateloup, 1839) e T. (T.) Achilles (Pfeiffer, 1852) (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Bulimulidae)

Studies were carried out in order to determine the differences in the reproductive and digestive systems of the various species of Thaumastus Martens, 1860, captured in forests and shoals of Rio de Janeiro State. The terminology used here derives from studies based on microanatomy, histology, functional anatomy, as well as from bibliographical references. According to the macroanatomy of their reproductive system, the species which were studied can be classified together which members of the Bulimulidae, due to the absence of appendices and to the fact that there is a little variation in their external morphology. The microanatomy and the histology of the systems which were studied showed differences that together with the studies of the shell, radula and jaw made it possible to identify and to characterize Thaumastus (Thaumastus) taunaisii (Férussac, 1822), Thaumastus (Thaumastus) magnificus (Grateloup, 1839) and Thaumastus (Thaumastus) achilles (Pfeiffer, 1852).Foram realizados estudos que evidenciassem ou não, diferenças nos sistemas reprodutor e digestivo de exemplares das espécies de Thaumastus Martens, 1860, capturados em floresta e restingas do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. A terminologia utilizada baseou-se na microanatomia, histologia, anatomia funcional e bibliografia. Pela macroanatonia do sistema reprodutor, as espécies estudadas incluem-se no padrão dos representantes de Bulimulidae pela ausência de apêndices e a pequena variação morfológica externa. Microanatomia e histologia dos sistemas estudados, evidenciaram diferenças que juntamente com os estudos da concha, rádula e mandíbula permitiram identificar e caracterizar Thaumastus (Thaumastus) taunaisii (Férussac, 1822), Thaumastus (Thaumastus) magnificus (Grateloup, 1839) e Thaumastus (Thaumastus) achilles (Pfeiffer, 1852)

Recharacterization of Synapterpes (S.) hanleyi (Pfeiffer) (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Subulinidae)

Synapterpes (S.) hanleyi (Pfeiffer, 1846) is characterized by anatomy, synonymy and geographical distribution. Shell and soft parts were studied and important taxonomic characters evaluated and illustrated. These studies give conditions to characterize the species and include it in the genus Synapterpes Pilsbry, 1896 and distinguish S. hanleyi from the other species of Synapterpes s.s. known only by their shells, respectively from Brazil and Colombia: S.(S.) coronatus (Pfeiffer, 1846) and S.(S.) wallisi (Mousson, 1869)

Prosobrânquios terrestres do Brasil: Cyclophoridae: Neocyclotus (N. ) agassizi (Bartsch & Morrison, 1942) (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Mesogastropoda) Land prosobranchs of Brazil: Cyclophoridae: Neocyclotus (N. ) agassizi (Bartsch & Morrison, 1942) (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Mesogastropoda)

<abstract language="eng">Studies on specimens from Brazil (States of Pernambuco and Alagoas) were carried out in order to relate data about morphology of hard and soft parts o Nocyclotus (N.) agassizi (Bartsh & Morrison, 1942)

Two new species of Thaumastus (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Orthalicidae: Bulimulinae) from the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Two new species of Thaumastus (Thaumastus) from the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, are described. They are diagnosed and characterized by the morphology of the shell and soft parts and compared with Brazilian species of the subgenus Thaumastus s.s. Martens, 1860. Thaumastus (T.) parvus sp. nov. is similar to T. (T.) baixoguanduensis Pena, Coelho & Salgado, 1996 but can be distinguished by the smaller size, smaller number of plates in the jaw, different number of follicle groups in the ovotestis and form of the fertilization complex. Thaumastus (T.) caetensis sp. nov. is similar to T. (T.) largillierti (Philippi, 1845) but differs by the width and the contour of the parietal side of the shell aperture. T. (T.) caetensis is also closer to Thaumastus (T.) baixoguanduensis but can be distinguished by the smaller dimensions (height, width and number of protoconch whorls), the lack of a transversal light band on the body whorl, the jaw with smaller number of plates, and the radula with 35 teeth. In the soft parts, this new species differs also in the number of follicle gatherings in ovotestis, fertilization complex with globose shape, and penian retractor muscle terminally and laterally attached to flagellu

Recharacterization of Strophocheilus miersi Da Costa (Mollusca, Pulmonata, Strophocheilidae)

Stropocheilus miersi Da Costa, 1904 is recharacterized by the conchology and morphology of the soft parts, the latter for the first time. Palial complex, reproductive and digestive systems provide important characteristics to enrich the knowledge of the genus Strophocheilus Spix, 1827. The presence of four arched folds in the posterior region of the pediose mass and the morphology of the suprapediose gland offered more data to identify and diagnose the species.Strophocheilus miersi Da Costa, 1904 é recaracterizado pela conquiologia e pela primeira vez a morfologia das partes moles. Complexo palial, sistemas reprodutor e digestivo forneceram importantes caracteres para enriquecer o conhecimento sobre Strophocheilus Spix, 1827. A presençca de quatro pregas arqueadas na região posterior da massa cefalopediosa e a morfologia da glândula suprapediosa acrescentaram dados para a diagnose da espécie

New species of Thaumastus from Lagoa Santa region, Minas Gerais State, Brazil (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Bulimuloidea)

A new species of Thaumastus (Thaumastus) Martens, 1860, from Minas Gerais State, Brazil, is described and illustrated, based on the morphology of the shell, jaw, radula and soft parts