ABSTRACT
The change in cellular reducing potential, most likely reflecting an oxidative burst, was investigated in arachidonic acid- (AA) stimulated leukocytes. The cells studied included the human leukemia cell lines HL-60 (undifferentiated and differentiated into macrophage-like and polymorphonuclear-like cells), Jurkat and Raji, and thymocytes and macrophages from rat primary cultures. The oxidative burst was assessed by nitroblue tetrazolium reduction. AA increased the oxidative burst until an optimum AA concentration was reached and the burst decreased thereafter. In the leukemia cell lines, optimum concentration ranged from 200 to 400 æM (up to 16-fold), whereas in rat cells it varied from 10 to 20 æM. Initial rates of superoxide generation were high, decreasing steadily and ceasing about 2 h post-treatment. The continuous presence of AA was not needed to stimulate superoxide generation. It seems that the NADPH oxidase system participates in AA-stimulated superoxide production in these cells since the oxidative burst was stimulated by NADPH and inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide, diphenyleneiodonium and superoxide dismutase. Some of the effects of AA on the oxidative burst may be due to its detergent action. There apparently was no contribution of other superoxide-generating systems such as xanthine-xanthine oxidase, cytochromes P-450 and mitochondrial electron transport chain, as assessed by the use of inhibitors. Eicosanoids and nitric oxide also do not seem to interfere with the AA-stimulated oxidative burst since there was no systematic effect of cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase or nitric oxide synthase inhibitors, but lipid peroxides may play a role, as indicated by the inhibition of nitroblue tetrazolium reduction promoted by tocopherol.
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rats , Humans , Arachidonic Acid , Free Radical Scavengers , Leukocytes , Respiratory Burst , Superoxide Dismutase , Indicators and Reagents , NADPH Oxidases , Nitroblue Tetrazolium , Tumor Cells, CulturedABSTRACT
A survey of freshwater gastropods of the Campus of Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, was carried out during the last two years aiming to compare the current species with those found at the beginning of this century. Among 18 breeding sites in 880,000m2 of the surveyed area, 13 showed the following species: Antillorbis nordestensis; Biomphalaria glabrata; Biomphalaria straminea; Lymnaea columella; Melanoides tuberculatus; Physa cubensis; Pomacea glauca and Pomacea lineata. Notably, Biomphalaria tenagophila reported by Lutz in 1918, had disappeared and B. straminea and the Asiatic thiarid M. tuberculatus had been introduced. No specimens infected with Schistosoma mansoni were found.
Um levantamento da malacofauna límnina do Campus de Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, foi realizado nos últimos dois anos visando comparar as espécies hoje existentes com aquelas encontradas no início deste século. Foram pesquisadas 18 coleções hídricas numa extensão de 880.000m2, sendo encontradas em 13 delas as seguintes espécies: Antillorbis nordestensis, Biomphalaria glabrata, Biomphalaria straminea, Lymnaea columella, Melanoides tuberculatus, Physa cubensis, Pomacea glauca e Pomacea lineata. Destacam-se o desaparecimento de Biomphalaria tenagophila, registrada por Lutz em 1918, a introdução de B. straminea e da espécie asiática M. tuberculatus. Nenhum molusco apresentou infecção por Schistosoma mansoni.