Effect of toxocara canis and trichinella spiralis infection on the activity of the mitochondrial kynurenine transaminase, the cytosolic kynurenine hydrolase and the lysosomal a-naphthyl acetate esterases in the liver of mice

In this study, the role of Toxocara canis and Trichinella spiralis infection in changing enzymatic activity that included in tryptophan metabolism via kynurenine pathway, and their effects on the activity of the lysosomal enzyme alpha-naphthyl acetate esterases, was considered. Toxocara canis and Trichinella spiralis produce a significant inhibitory effect on the kynurenine hydrolase. They produce a significant increase in the activity of the free lysosomal alpha-naphthyl acetate esterases in liver. Trichinella spiralis produces a significant inhibitory effect on the kynurenine transaminase. Larvae of the Toxocara canis parasite can remain alive releasing their metabolites in the surrounding tissues for years. As a result of this fact, the inhibitory effect of the Toxocara canis infection on the kynurenine hydrolase led to the suggestion that the accumulated kynurenine may be metabolized to 3-hydroxy kynurenine which is considered as a potent carcinogen. Nematode Trichinella spiralis inhibits kynurenine transaminase and kynurenine hydrolase and may withdraw the tryptophan and metabolize it to serotonin as well as nematode Ascaridia galli which is capable to synthesize 5- hydroxytryptamine from tryptophan via 5-hydroxy tryptophan. The increase in the activity of alpha-naphthyl acetate esterases after infection with both Trichinella spiralis and Toxocara canis larvae may be due to the increased fragility and rupture of lysosomes of the liver cells leading to the leakage of this lysosomal enzymes. Also, the rise in the enzyme activity indicates tissue damage which was attributed mostly to immunological nature. Detection of alpha- naphthylacetate esterases activity in urine and blood of patients infected with these tissue nematodes for long period should not be ignored, also detection and determination of the potent carcinogen 3- hydroxy kynurenine in urine of those patients is of urgent need

Caracterizaçäo morfológica e funcional de células aderentes de baço de camundongo / Morphological and functional characterization of adherent splenic cells of mice

A separaçäo, caracterizaçäo e ensaio funcional das células inflamatórias presentes no local de lesäo têm se tornado imperiosos no estudo de diversas doenças. Através da utilizaçäo de métodos histoquímicos para esterase e fosfatase ácida, bem como do Teste de Fagocitose e da coloraçäo pelo Giemsa, realizados nas células esplénicas de dez camundongos, foi possível se caracterizar bem os componentes do Sistema Fagocítico Mononuclear e distinguir os outros tipos de células presentes, além de permitir a quantificaçäo diferencial das mesmas