Systemic Toxoplasmosis in Kittens

Background: Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide disease that affects virtually all species of warm-blooded animals. The felids, domestic and wild, are considered the definitive hosts of the protozoan. In Brazil, Toxoplasma gondii infection has been diagnosed in horses, goats, primates, dogs and cats. In the backlands of Paraíba, the disease has been sporadically reported affecting dogs with canine distemper and swine, but cases of systemic toxoplasmosis in cats have not yet been described. The aim of the present study was to describe the main epidemiological, clinical and anatomopathological aspects of two cases of systemic toxoplasmosis in kittens.Cases: Two kittens were affected with three (cat 1) and six (cat 2) months old, females, and crossbreed. The kittens had not been vaccinated or dewormed, and were raised with other cats in a peridomiciliary regime in a rural area in the backlands of Paraíba. Cat 1 was thin, apathetic, dehydrated, tachypneic and with pale mucous membranes. Cat 2, showed inappetence, apathy, jaundice, fever, dehydration, dyspnea and abdominal breathing pattern. At necropsy, non-collapsed, shiny, reddish lungs with multifocal whitish areas, punctuated or nodular, measuring from 0.1 to 0.3 cm in diameter, were found on the pleural surface and parenchyma. The livers were pale, with lobular pattern accentuation, and reddish depressed multifocal areas randomly distributed on the capsular surface. Histologically, multifocal to coalescent areas of necrosis, moderate (cat 1) or marked (cat 2), associated with intralesional bradyzoites and tachyzoites and variable lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate were observed. In cat 2, numerous bradyzoites were visualized in the gray matter of the left cerebral hemisphere (temporal and parietal lobes), sometimes associated with a moderate lymphoplasmacytic inflammatory infiltrate. In the perivascular spaces of the cerebral cortex, discrete inflammatory lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate (perivascular cuffs) were observed. Immunohistochemistry for T. gondii revealed strong immunolabelling of the parasitic organisms.Discussion: The diagnosis of systemic toxoplasmosis was established based on anatomopathological findings and histomorphological characteristics of the agent, being confirmed by immunohistochemistry. The systemic disease occurs most often in young animals, especially immunocompromised or immunologically immature neonates. In these kittens, it was not possible to determine the presence of an intercurrent immunosuppressive condition; however, both animals were kept in the peridomiciliary regime and were in contact with other cats, which may have acted as a source of infection. Besides, both kittens were raised in rural environments, condition that associated with the usual predatory behavior of this species may have favored the ingestion of infected intermediate hosts. The clinical signs of the disease vary considerably depending on the location and severity of the lesions. Infection in cats usually is asymptomatic or promotes self-limiting diarrhea as a result of protozoal enteroepithelial replication; but in some cases the protozoan can spread to other tissues, determining the occurrence of necrotic processes, dysfunction and clinical manifestations. Systemic toxoplasmosis occurs sporadically in kittens in the backlands of Paraíba, with pulmonary and hepatic clinical manifestations. The histopathological findings are characterized by tissue necrosis and lymphoplasmacytic inflammation associated with intralesional protozoa. The diagnosis can be established based on the histomorphologic characteristics of the agent and confirmed by immunohistochemistry

Production and partial characterization of proteases from Mucor hiemalis URM3773

The current study evaluated the proteases production from 11 fungal species belonging to the genera Mucor, Rhizomucor and Absidia. The species were obtained from the Collection of Cultures URM at the Mycology Department-UFPE, Brazil. The best producing species was Mucor hiemalis URM 3773 (1.689 U mL-1). Plackett-Burman design methodology was employed to select the most effective parameter for protease production out of 11 medium components, including: concentration of filtrate soybean, glucose, incubation period, yeast extract, tryptone, pH, aeration, rotation, NH4Cl, MgSO4 and K2HPO4. Filtrated soybean concentration was the significant variable over the response variable, which was the specific protease activity. The crude enzyme extract showed optimal activity in pH 7.5 and at 50ºC. The enzyme was stable within a wide pH range from 5.8 to 8.0, in the phosphate buffer 0.1M and in stable temperature variation of 40-70ºC, for 180 minutes. The ions FeSO4, NaCl, MnCl2, MgCl2 and KCl stimulated the protease activity, whereas ZnCl2 ion inhibited the activity in 2.27%. Iodoacetic acid at 1mM was the proteases inhibitor that presented greater action.The results indicate that the studied enzyme have great potential for industrial application. 

Melanoma digital em um cão

We described a case of melanoma located in the right phalanx in a dog. A defined bitch, 11 years old, was referred to the Medical Clinic of the UFCG Veterinary Hospital with a history of increased volume at the distal end of the right thoracic limb. After the clinical evaluation and surgical correction, the material was sent to the Laboratory of Animal Pathology (LPA), Veterinary Hospital (HV), Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG) – PB. Macroscopically, the mass was nodular, skin-coated, measuring 10 x 7.0 x 6.5 cm and ulcerated central area 5 cm in diameter. When cutting, it exhibited a blackish, multilobular and firm surface. Microscopically, a thickly cellular, infiltrative and non-encapsulated tumor mass was observed in the epidermis. This paper reports a case of digital melanoma, diagnosed by histopathological examinationDescrevemos um caso de melanoma localizado na falange direita de um cão. Uma cadela definida, de 11 anos, foi encaminhada à Clínica Médica do Hospital Veterinário da UFCG com histórico de aumento de volume na extremidade distal do membro torácico direito. Após avaliação clínica e correção cirúrgica, o material foi encaminhado ao Laboratório de Patologia Animal (LPA) do Hospital Veterinário (HV) da Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG) – PB. Macroscopicamente, a massa era nodular, revestida de pele, medindo 10 x 7,0 x 6,5 cm e área central ulcerada com 5 cm de diâmetro. Ao corte apresentou superfície enegrecida, multilobular e firme. Microscopicamente, observou-se na epiderme uma massa tumoral densamente celular, infiltrativa e não encapsulada. Este artigo relata um caso de melanoma digital, diagnosticado por exame histopatológico