Treatment of Dipetalonema gracile in Cebus apella by Ivermectin

The microfilaricidal effect of ivermectin was studied on Cebus apella infected with Dipetalonema gracile in Paraguay. Nine monkeys were treated with ivermectin at the dosage of 200μg/kg body weight by single subcutaneous injection. The significant reduction in microfilarial count after treatment of ivermectin was recognized (P<0.01). The change of blood picture of 9 monkeys infected with D. gracile following treatment of ivermectin also studied. The total WBC count was found to be significantly increased at 1 day after the treatment. Differential count study showed that neutrophils increased in most monkeys. On the other hand, the significant change in eosinophil and lymphocye count was not observed

Evaluación tripanocida de extracto de hojas de zanthoxylum chiloperone de cultivo controlado, con 12 meses de edad = Trypanocidal evaluation of leaf extract of zanthoxylum chiloperone controlled cultivation, with 12 months of age

En el presente trabajo se plantea la producción sustentable del Z. chiloperone mediante estandarización de técnica de cultivo controlado y análisis de productos activos con actividad antichagásica a los 12,18 y 24 meses de siembra. Ahora presentamos resultados preliminares de las hojas cultivadas de 12 meses de edad.CONACYT – Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y TecnologíaPROCIENCI

Estudio de Fiebre Amarilla en primates en áreas de brote de los departamentos de San Pedro y Central del Paraguay

La Fiebre Amarilla (FA) es una de las más importantes zoonosis que afecta a poblaciones humanas. La FA silvestre es imposible de ser erradicada, manteniéndose activa en zonas tropicales en África y Sudamérica. Todas las especies de primates son susceptibles y se consideran reservorios en el medio silvestre. La mortalidad es baja, se desconoce su valor con precisión, sin embargo existen epizootias con alta mortalidad, en humanos varía entre 20-50%. El objetivo de este trabajo fue buscar evidencias de FA en primates capturados en áreas de brote de FA de los departamentos de San Pedro y Central del Paraguay mediante la técnica de Neutralización por reducción de placas para FA cepa vacunal 17 D. Los resultados en los 35 primates estudiados fueron negativos, quizás por lo tardío del momento en la toma de muestras y bajo número de primates capturados

First report of Sapajus cay naturally infected by Trypanosoma cruzi in San Pedro Department, Paraguay

Abstract To verify the occurrence of natural Trypanosoma cruzi infection in non-human primates from a rural endemic area of the east region of Paraguay, xenodiagnosis was performed in 35 animals belonging to two species. For genotyping and T. cruzi discrete typing unit (DTU) assignment, a combination of four markers was used, including amplification products of the small (18S) and large (24Sα) subunits of ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene, the intergenic region of mini-exon gene and the heat shock protein 60 Eco-RV polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (HSP60/EcoRV-PCR-RFLP). One specimen of Sapajus cay was found positive and infected by the DTU TcII. This result constitutes the first record of natural T. cruzi infection in a sylvatic monkey in Paraguay, harbouring a DTU associated with severe Chagas disease in humans

Efficacy of Orally Administered 2-Substituted Quinolines in Experimental Murine Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmaniases

We report in this study the in vivo efficacy of nine 2-substituted quinolines on the Leishmania amazonensis cutaneous infection murine model and on the Leishmania infantum and Leishmania donovani visceral infection murine models. In the case of the L. amazonensis model, quinolines were administered orally at 25 mg/kg twice daily for 15 days. Quinolines 1, 2, 3, and 7 reduced by 80 to 90% the parasite burdens in the lesion, whereas N-methylglucamine antimoniate (Glucantime), administered by subcutaneous injections at 100 mg [28 mg Sb(V)] per kg of body weight daily, reduced the parasite burdens by 98%. In visceral leishmaniasis due to L. infantum, mice treated orally at 25 mg/kg daily for 10 days with quinolines 1, 4, 5, and 6 showed a significant reduction of parasite burdens in the liver and spleen. These quinolines were significantly more effective than meglumine antimoniate to reduce the parasite burden in both the liver and spleen. Also, the oral in vivo activity of three quinolines (quinolines 4, 5, and 2-n-propylquinoline) were determined against L. donovani (LV 9) at 12.5 and 25 mg/kg for 10 days. Their activity was compared with that of miltefosine at 7.5 mg/kg. Miltefosine, 2-n-propylquinoline, and quinoline 5 at 12.5 mg/kg significantly reduced the parasite burdens in the liver by 72, 66, and 61%, respectively. From the present study, quinoline 5 is the most promising compound against both cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. The double antileishmanial and antiviral activities of these compounds suggest that this series could be a potential treatment for coinfection of Leishmania-human immunodeficiency virus

Helietta apiculata: a tropical weapon against Chagas disease

International audienc

<i>Helietta apiculata:</i> a tropical weapon against Chagas disease

<p>The present study pretends to evaluate the <i>in vivo</i> efficacy of the crude chloroform bark extract of <i>Helietta apiculata</i>, then the activity will be compared with the reference drug, benznidazole, in acute <i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i> infected mice when administered by oral route. The chloroformic extract of <i>Helieta apiculata</i> was administered by oral route at 5, 10 and 50 mg/kg daily for two weeks. This study has shown a moderate efficacy of the <i>H. apiculata</i> bark extract in reducing <i>T. cruzi</i> parasitaemia in 42 to 54% after a monitoring of 60 days post-infection and when compared with control groups. Concerning mice mortality, only two only two mice died, one from the control group and the other one from the group threated with 10 mg of the chlorofom extract of <i>H. apiculata</i>, suggesting the potential of <i>H. apiculta</i> extracts as a safe and inexpensive treatment of Chagas disease.</p