Distribuição diferencial da heterocromatina constitutiva em duas espécies da aranha marrom: Loxosceles intermedia e L. laeta (Araneae, Sicariidae) da região metropolitana de Curitiba, PR (Brasil)

As aranhas do gênero Loxosceles são pequenas, apresentam distribuição cosmopolita, hábitos noturnos e não agressivos. Na região metropolitana de Curitiba, são encontradas duas espécies de aranha marrom: L. intermedia e L. laeta. A primeira é a mais abundante e responsável, nos últimos anos, por inúmeros acidentes denominados de Loxoscelismo. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo estudar citogeneticamente estas aranhas, através de técnicas de coloração comum (Giemsa) e de bandeamento C, em células prémeióticas, meióticas e embrionárias. Exemplares foram coletados em domicílios ou fornecidos pelo Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Pesquisa em Animais Peçonhentos (LIPAPE). As preparações citológicas foram obtidas a partir de testículos de aranhas adultas ou de células embrionárias. Os dados mostram que as duas espécies são cariotipicamente similares e caracterizam-se por apresentar um número diplóide diferenciado entre os sexos: 2n=23 nos machos e 24 nas fêmeas. Esta diferença é devida ao sistema cromossômico de determinação sexual múltiplo, do tipo X1X2Y (machos) e X1X1X2X2 (fêmeas). A aplicação da técnica de bandeamento C revelou que em L. intermedia poucos cromossomos apresentam banda pericentromérica, incluindo os sexuais, X1 e X2, ao passo que em L. laeta, diferentemente, todos os cromossomos do genoma apresentaram bandas pericentroméricas conspícuas. Em ambas as espécies, o cromossomo Y mostrou-se quase que totalmente heterocromático. Este tipo de bandeamento, além de ser inédito em Loxosceles, revelou ser uma importante característica na diferenciação cariotípica entre L. intermedia e L. laeta. ABSTRACT The genus Loxosceles includes cosmopolitan small spiders, which have nocturnal and non-agressive habits. Two species of brown spiders are found in the metropolitan area of Curitiba: L. intermedia and L. laeta. The first one is more abundant, and responsible for many accidents (Loxoscelism). The aim of this study is to analyze cytogenetically these spiders, through conventional (Giemsa) and c-banding techniques in pre-meiotic, meiotic and embrionary cells. The specimens were collected in houses or kindly provided by Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Pesquisa em Animais Peçonhentos (LIPAPE). Cytological preparations were obtained from embrionic cells or from testis of adult specimens. The data showed that both species are karyotipically similar, and had different diploid numbers in males and females (2n=23 and 2n=24, respectively). This difference is the result of a multiple sex chromosome system (X1X2Y/ X1X1X2X2). The use of c-banding technique revealed that a few chromosomes of L. intermedia showed pericentromeric blocks of constitutive heterochromatin, including gonosomes X1 and X2. On the other hand, all the chromosomes of L. laeta showed conspicuous pericentromeric C-positive segments. In both species, the Y chromosome revealed to be almost tottaly heterochromatic. This study described the result of the use of c-banding technique for the first time in Loxosceles, which revealed an important karyotypical distintion between L. intermedia and L. laeta. RÉSUMÉ Les araignées du genre Loxosceles sont petites, présentent une distribution cosmopolite, ont des habits nocturnes et ne sont pas agressives. Dans la region métropolitaine de Curitiba, on y trouve deux espèces de laraignée marron: L. intermedia et L. laeta. La premiere cest la plus abondante et responsable, dans les dernières années par des nombreux accidents connus sous le nom de loxoscelisme. Le but de cet article est celui détudier la cytogénétique de ces araignées, par moyen des colorants ordinaires dont le Giemsa et par le technique du bandage C en utilisant des cellules C, des cellules pré-meyotiques, meyotiques et embryonnaires. Des échantillons ont été soit obtenues dans des maisons particulières, soit fournies par le Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Pesquisa em Animais Peçonhentos (LIPAPE), et les préparations cytologiques obtenues des testicules des adultes ou des cellules embryonnaires. Les résultats montrent que les deux espèces sont similaires du point de vue caryotype et se caractérisent par avoir un numéro diploíde différencié entre les sexes : 2n=23 dans les mâles et 24 dans les femelles. Cette différence dans le numéro diploïde est due ao système chromosomique de détermination sexuelle multiple du type X1X2Y (mâles)/X1X1X2X2 (femelles). Lutilisation du bandage C a montré que chez L. intermedia pas beaucoup de chromosomes présentent la bande pericentrométrique, y compris les sexuels X1 et X2. Par contre, chez L. laeta, tous les chromosomes du génome présentent des bandes pericentrométriques visibles. Dans toutes les deux, le chromosome Y sest montré presque hétérochromatique. Cet type de bandage, en plus dinédite chez Loxosceles, sest montré aussi important dans la séparation caryotypique entre L. intermedia et L. laeta

Abundance and diversity of vectors (Diptera: Psychodidae) in an old transmission area of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the new world after Bolivia-Brazil gas pipeline construction

The objective of this study was to determine the abundance and diversity of the species and their presumed vectorial role in the transmission of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL). Research on sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) was carried out in two municipalities in the Ribeira River Valley in the State of Paraná, southern Brazil. One, Adrianópolis, is an endemic area of CL and the other is a recent outbreak area (Cerro Azul). A total of 432 specimens were collected from residential, peri-domestic and wild environments. According to the data obtained, for each ecotope studied, the statistical analysis has shown that two lines of the Lutzomyia intermedia population coexist and that the quantity of specimens from L. intermedia s.l. is significantly different from L. intermedia s.s. in all environments (χ2=9.943; DF=2; p=0.07). The prevalence of L. intermedia (93.28%) in the ecotopes studied suggests that it is the main vector of leishmaniasis. The succession of vector species and their involvement in the epidemiological cycle of L. braziliensis is discussed in this article

Culicidae (Diptera: Culicomorpha) in the southern Brazilian collection "Ana Leuch Lozovei" with notes on distribution and diversity

Biological collections are of extreme importance in acquiring knowledge of the biodiversity of a specific environment. In this article, we organise, list and catalogue the adult specimens belonging to the family Culicidae housed in the Parasitology Collection of the Basic Pathology Department at the Federal University of Paraná, southern Brazil. To this end, a data bank was created, containing information on the taxonomy and collecting of each sample. The culicids were collected using different methodologies in 18 municipalities in the state of Paraná, between 1967 and 1999. There are 5,739 catalogued specimens of which 4,704 (81.96%) are identified at a specific level, with a diversity of 205 species. Of these, 18 are new recorded samples for the state of Paraná and 3 for Brazil. This being the case, we propose, in honour of the 30 years dedicated to the study of culicids in the state of Paraná, the creation of the Ana Leuch Lozovei Entomological Collection, which is composed of insect vectors or potential vectors, of agents that cause diseases in humans.&nbsp

Relação entre a morfologia capilar e a pediculosidade

Orientador: Débora do Rocio KlisiowiczMonografia (Bacharelado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná. Setor de Ciências Biológicas. Curso de Graduação em Ciências Biológica

Distribuição diferencial da heterocromatina constitutiva em duas espécies da aranha marrom: Loxosceles intermedia e L. laeta (Araneae, Sicariidae) da região metropolitana de Curitiba, PR (Brasil)

As aranhas do gênero Loxosceles são pequenas, apresentam distribuição cosmopolita, hábitos noturnos e não agressivos. Na região metropolitana de Curitiba, são encontradas duas espécies de aranha marrom: L. intermedia e L. laeta. A primeira é a mais abundante e responsável, nos últimos anos, por inúmeros acidentes denominados de Loxoscelismo. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo estudar citogeneticamente estas aranhas, através de técnicas de coloração comum (Giemsa) e de bandeamento C, em células prémeióticas, meióticas e embrionárias. Exemplares foram coletados em domicílios ou fornecidos pelo Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Pesquisa em Animais Peçonhentos (LIPAPE). As preparações citológicas foram obtidas a partir de testículos de aranhas adultas ou de células embrionárias. Os dados mostram que as duas espécies são cariotipicamente similares e caracterizam-se por apresentar um número diplóide diferenciado entre os sexos: 2n=23 nos machos e 24 nas fêmeas. Esta diferença é devida ao sistema cromossômico de determinação sexual múltiplo, do tipo X1X2Y (machos) e X1X1X2X2 (fêmeas). A aplicação da técnica de bandeamento C revelou que em L. intermedia poucos cromossomos apresentam banda pericentromérica, incluindo os sexuais, X1 e X2, ao passo que em L. laeta, diferentemente, todos os cromossomos do genoma apresentaram bandas pericentroméricas conspícuas. Em ambas as espécies, o cromossomo Y mostrou-se quase que totalmente heterocromático. Este tipo de bandeamento, além de ser inédito em Loxosceles, revelou ser uma importante característica na diferenciação cariotípica entre L. intermedia e L. laeta. ABSTRACT The genus Loxosceles includes cosmopolitan small spiders, which have nocturnal and non-agressive habits. Two species of brown spiders are found in the metropolitan area of Curitiba: L. intermedia and L. laeta. The first one is more abundant, and responsible for many accidents (Loxoscelism). The aim of this study is to analyze cytogenetically these spiders, through conventional (Giemsa) and c-banding techniques in pre-meiotic, meiotic and embrionary cells. The specimens were collected in houses or kindly provided by Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Pesquisa em Animais Peçonhentos (LIPAPE). Cytological preparations were obtained from embrionic cells or from testis of adult specimens. The data showed that both species are karyotipically similar, and had different diploid numbers in males and females (2n=23 and 2n=24, respectively). This difference is the result of a multiple sex chromosome system (X1X2Y/ X1X1X2X2). The use of c-banding technique revealed that a few chromosomes of L. intermedia showed pericentromeric blocks of constitutive heterochromatin, including gonosomes X1 and X2. On the other hand, all the chromosomes of L. laeta showed conspicuous pericentromeric C-positive segments. In both species, the Y chromosome revealed to be almost tottaly heterochromatic. This study described the result of the use of c-banding technique for the first time in Loxosceles, which revealed an important karyotypical distintion between L. intermedia and L. laeta. RÉSUMÉ Les araignées du genre Loxosceles sont petites, présentent une distribution cosmopolite, ont des habits nocturnes et ne sont pas agressives. Dans la region métropolitaine de Curitiba, on y trouve deux espèces de laraignée marron: L. intermedia et L. laeta. La premiere cest la plus abondante et responsable, dans les dernières années par des nombreux accidents connus sous le nom de loxoscelisme. Le but de cet article est celui détudier la cytogénétique de ces araignées, par moyen des colorants ordinaires dont le Giemsa et par le technique du bandage C en utilisant des cellules C, des cellules pré-meyotiques, meyotiques et embryonnaires. Des échantillons ont été soit obtenues dans des maisons particulières, soit fournies par le Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Pesquisa em Animais Peçonhentos (LIPAPE), et les préparations cytologiques obtenues des testicules des adultes ou des cellules embryonnaires. Les résultats montrent que les deux espèces sont similaires du point de vue caryotype et se caractérisent par avoir un numéro diploíde différencié entre les sexes : 2n=23 dans les mâles et 24 dans les femelles. Cette différence dans le numéro diploïde est due ao système chromosomique de détermination sexuelle multiple du type X1X2Y (mâles)/X1X1X2X2 (femelles). Lutilisation du bandage C a montré que chez L. intermedia pas beaucoup de chromosomes présentent la bande pericentrométrique, y compris les sexuels X1 et X2. Par contre, chez L. laeta, tous les chromosomes du génome présentent des bandes pericentrométriques visibles. Dans toutes les deux, le chromosome Y sest montré presque hétérochromatique. Cet type de bandage, en plus dinédite chez Loxosceles, sest montré aussi important dans la séparation caryotypique entre L. intermedia et L. laeta

High occurrence of Calodium hepaticum (syn. Capillaria hepatica) spurious infection in a village in the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil

Calodium hepaticum (syn. Capillaria hepatica) is a nematode of the Capillariidae family that infects rodents and other mammals. In Brazil, human spurious infections of C. hepaticum have been detected in indigenous or rural communities from the Amazon Basin, but not in the southern states of the country. Here, we report the highest occurrence (13.5% of 37 residents) of C. hepaticum human spurious infection detected in Brazil and the first record in a southern region, Guaraqueçaba. The finding is explained by the area being located in the Atlantic Forest of the state of Paraná, surrounded by preserved forests and because the inhabitants consume the meat of wild mammals

Reduced prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths and high frequency of protozoan infections in the surrounding urban area of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.

Human populations living in the surrounding urban areas of large Brazilian cities have increased vulnerability to intestinal parasites. However, the epidemiological scenario of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) in Curitiba, Paraná's main city, remains largely unknown. To bridge this gap of knowledge, this study aims to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and to investigate potential transmission pathways of the most prevalent species detected. We conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological study between July and September 2014 among schoolchildren in urban and peri-urban (deprived) areas of the municipality of Campo do Tenente, Curitiba. A total of 549 stool samples were used for coproparasitological diagnosis. Microscopy-positive samples of the most common species found were re-assessed by PCR and sequencing methods at the small subunit rRNA gene. Prevalence of infection by any given enteroparasite was 24.8%, but soil-transmitted helminths were only detected in 3.5% of the examined samples. Frequency of protozoan infections reached 90% and 97.8% in single and multiple infections, respectively. Blastocystis sp. (38.9%) was the most frequently species found in the surveyed schoolchildren population. A total of 41 Blastocystis-positive samples were unambiguously typed as ST1 (36.4%), ST2 (21.2%), ST3 (39.4%), and ST1 + ST3 mixed infection (3.0%). These results indicate that Blastocystis transmission is primarily anthroponotic in origin. This data highlights the importance of maintaining the anthelminthic control programs currently in place and of improving sanitary disposal of human excreta in poor-resource settings.CAPES for Camila Yumi Oishi scholarship. Third author was the recipient of a fellowship (Erasmus Mobilitat Internacional de Doctorat 2014–2015) co-financed by the Valencia University and the programme ERASMUS+ of the European Union; UFPR Office for Extension and Culture (PROEC) and by the Brazilian Extension Program for Universities (ProExt); PROMETEO2014-083 Fase II from Conselleria d’Educació, Investigació, Cultura i Esport de la Generalitat Valenciana (Valencia, Spain) and by No. RD16/0027/0023, Red de Investigación Cooperativa en Enfermedades Tropicales-RICET, IV National Program of I+D+I 2017–2021, ISCIII-Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa from the Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo (Madrid, Spain); additional funding was also provided by the ISCIII under Project CP12/03081.S

Reduced prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths and high frequency of protozoan infections in the surrounding urban area of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

Human populations living in the surrounding urban areas of large Brazilian cities have increased vulnerability to intestinal parasites. However, the epidemiological scenario of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) in Curitiba, Paraná's main city, remains largely unknown. To bridge this gap of knowledge, this study aims to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and to investigate potential transmission pathways of the most prevalent species detected. We conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological study between July and September 2014 among schoolchildren in urban and peri-urban (deprived) areas of the municipality of Campo do Tenente, Curitiba. A total of 549 stool samples were used for coproparasitological diagnosis. Microscopy-positive samples of the most common species found were re-assessed by PCR and sequencing methods at the small subunit rRNA gene. Prevalence of infection by any given enteroparasite was 24.8%, but soil-transmitted helminths were only detected in 3.5% of the examined samples. Frequency of protozoan infections reached 90% and 97.8% in single and multiple infections, respectively. Blastocystis sp. (38.9%) was the most frequently species found in the surveyed schoolchildren population. A total of 41 Blastocystis-positive samples were unambiguously typed as ST1 (36.4%), ST2 (21.2%), ST3 (39.4%), and ST1 + ST3 mixed infection (3.0%). These results indicate that Blastocystis transmission is primarily anthroponotic in origin. This data highlights the importance of maintaining the anthelminthic control programs currently in place and of improving sanitary disposal of human excreta in poor-resource settings