23 research outputs found
Evaluación experimental de la eficiencia de una pintura repelente para arañas del género Loxosceles
Diterpenoids from Azorella compacta (Umbelliferae) active on Trypanosoma cruzi
The anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity of natural products isolated from Azorella compacta was evaluated, with particular emphasis on their effect against intracellular amastigotes. Five diterpenoids from A. compacta derived from mulinane and azorellane were isolated and identified. Only two products, named azorellanol (Y-2) and mulin-11,3-dien-20-oic acid (Y-5), showed trypanocidal activity against all stages of T. cruzi including intracellular amastigotes. At 10 µM, these compounds displayed a strong lytic activity. It ranged from 88.4 ± 0.6 to 99.0 ± 1 % for all strains and stages evaluate, with an IC50 /18 h values of 20-84 µM and 41-87 µM, respectively. The development of intracellular amastigotes was also inhibited by nearly 60% at 25 µM. The trypanocidal molecules Y-2 and Y-5 did show different degrees of cytotoxicity depending on the cell line tested, with an IC50 /24 h ranging from 33.2 to 161.2 µM. We evaluated the effect of diterpenoids against intracellular T. cruzi forms by immunofluorescent identification of a specific membrane molecular marker (Ssp-4 antigen) of the T. cruzi amastigote forms. The accuracy and reproducibility of the measurements were found to be outstanding when examined by confocal microscopy.Universidad de Antofagasta Departamento de TecnologĂa MĂ©dica Unidad de ParasitologĂaUniversidad de Antofagasta Departamento de QuĂmica Laboratorio de Productos NaturalesUniversidade Federal de SĂŁo Paulo (UNIFESP), Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM) Imunologia e ParasitologiaUNIFESP, EPM, Imunologia e ParasitologiaSciEL
Loxoscelismo en el niño: Análisis de 15 casos. Hospital Regional Dr. Leonardo Guzmán (1973- 1978) Antofagasta-Chile
Mepraia spinolai in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean Coast (Chile) - First Insular Record and Feeding Pattern on the Pan de AzĂşcar Island
In a field collection performed at Pan de AzĂşcar Island in
Northern Chile, 95 specimens representing all instars of Mepraia
spinolai were collected. The intestinal contents of 55 specimens were
examined for Trypanosoma cruzi infection and were found to be negative.
This is the first record of an insular habitat for M. spinolai, where
the insects had fed mainly on seabirds (78%), some on marine mammals
(5%), and some on reptiles (7%)
Molecular identification of the Diphyllobothrium species causing diphyllobothriasis in Chilean patients
Diphyllobothriasis caused by the infection of
adult Diphyllobothrium tapeworms sporadically occurs in
Chile. The occurrence of the disease is closely linked to the
consumption of raw or undercooked freshwater and marine
fishes. Diagnosis of diphyllobothriasis has been based on
laboratory examinations of the morphological characteristics
of proglottids and eggs passed in the feces. Although
determination of the parasite to the species level is possible
through histologic examination of proglottid specimens, the
parasites of patients who only discharge eggs cannot be
diagnosed to the species level. Determining the species
responsible for the infection of humans and other animals in
affected areas is an important component of understanding
the epidemiologic and enzootic characteristics of any
infectious disease. We therefore compared the classification
results obtained using a molecular approach with those
obtained from morphological and histopathological examination
of proglottids or eggs from five Chilean individuals
with diphyllobothriasis. DNA analysis confirmed that the
causative Diphyllobothrium species in Chile were first
identified as Diphyllobothrium latum and Diphyllobothrium
pacificum at least. Furthermore, mitochondrial cytochrome
c oxidase subunit 1 gene analysis also supported the
hypothesis that D. latum from Chile originated from
Europe.This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid from
the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, Japan (H20-Shinkosaiko-
Ippan-016) and from the Parasitology Unit, Faculty of Medicine,
University of Chile
Diphyllobothriosis humana por infección por Diphyllobotrhium pacificum en un niño de 3 años en Antofagasta, Chile: infection in a 3 year old boy in Antofagasta, Chile
Serum antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi antigens in Atacameños patients from highland of northern Chile
In the present work we have investigated the serum antibody spectrum to parasite antigens involved in human T. cruzi infection. Analysis was performed by conventional serology (IHA, IFAT and ELISA), complement-mediated lysis, anti-gal antibody assay and reactivity against recombinant and synthetic peptides and metacyclic antigens by immunowestern-blotting. All the sera showed a significant reactivity in IHA, IFAT and ELISA. We found that 84.2% of the sera showed lytic activity and thirty serum samples (78.9%) which showed a lytic activity higher than 50%, also showed anti-gal antibodies at serum dilutions higher than 1:1,600. Ninety-four percent of sera reacted with one or more of the recombinant DNA clones and 97.3% reacted with one or more of the synthetic peptides. A pool of serum samples with a lytic activity higher than 75% were able to produce 60% to 78% inhibition of cell invasion. Thirty-six of the serum samples (94.7%) were able to react by immunowestern blotting with a T. cruzi metacyclic antigen with molecular size of 70 kDa. The results obtained give preliminary information about the humoral immune response and the possible role of antibodies in protection against T. cruzi infection of chronic patients from the highlands of Chil