Molecular detection of hemoplasma infection among cats from São Luís island, Maranhão, Brazil

Hemoplasmas are bacteria that infect erythrocytes, attaching to the red blood cell. There is a need for more reports of hemoplasma infection prevalence and molecular characterization among cats in Brazil since there are only few published reports. The present work aimed to detect and molecularly characterize the presence of hemotrophic mycoplasmas in domestic cats with outdoor access from São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil. Twenty cats (10%) were positive for Candidatus M. haemominutum, five (2.5%) for M. haemofelis, and four (2.%) for M. turicensis based on 16S rRNA gene PCRs. Five cats (2.5%) were co-positive for Candidatus M. haemominutum and M. haemofelis. PCR diagnosis was confirmed by sequencing; and phylogenetic analysis was based on 16S rRNA and rnpb genes.

Dilatação cística do úraco e uroperitônio em touros: relato de cinco casos / Cystic dilatation of the urachus and uroperitoneum in bulls: report of five cases

Descrevem-se os aspectos clínicos da dilatação cística do úraco e uroperitônio em cinco touros. Os animais apresentaram, em datas distintas, distensão abdominal e diminuição da ingestão de alimentos e água, até culminar com inapetência, cerca de duas semanas após o aparecimento dos primeiros sintomas. Ocorreu distensão abdominal bilateral progressiva, que, no início do processo, era discreta e restrita ao quadrante inferior do abdômen; com cerca de duas semanas de evolução, o abdômen assumiu forma arredondada semelhante à pera. Observou-se bruxismo, atonia ruminal e desidratação. A abdominocentese revelou a presença de líquido amarelado com concentração de ureia superior a 200mg/dL. A concentração de ureia no soro sanguíneo variou de 220 a 280mg/dL e a creatinina de 65 a 82mg/dL. A ligadura do divertículo do úraco próximo ao vértex da bexiga foi eficaz nos quatro touros operados.

The clinical findings and outcomes in five bulls with a perforation or rupture of the urachal diverticulum are described. All the bulls had a dilated round or pear-shaped abdomen, bruxism, ruminal atony, and dehidration. In all the bulls, abdominocentesis yielded a stream fluid and the serum concentrations of urea and creatinine were 220 to 280mg/dL and 65 to 82mg/dL, respectively. Peritoneal fluid concentration of urea was higher than 200mg/dL. In fours bulls, urachal diverticulums were closed next to the cranial pole of the bladders. After the surgery, the recovery was effective.

Proteinogramas séricos de ratos Wistar experimentalmente infectados com Trypanosoma evansi / Serum protein concentrations in Wistar rats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma evansi

Estabeleceu-se o perfil eletroforético de proteínas séricas de ratos Wistar experimentalmente infectados com Tripanosoma evansi, utilizando-se 40 ratos, distribuídos em oito grupos de cinco animais cada. Um grupo foi mantido como testemunho (G1), e os demais (G2 a G8) foram inoculados, via intraperitoneal, com cerca de 10³tripomastigota de T. evansi. Amostras de sangue para obtenção de soro foram coletadas no quinto (G2), 10º (G3), 15º (G4), 30º (G5), 45º (G6), 60º (G7) e 75º (G1 e G8) dia após as inoculações. O fracionamento das proteínas foi realizado pela técnica SDS-PAGE. Foram identificadas 31 proteínas, sendo sete de fase aguda: ceruloplasmina (101KD), hemopexina (83KD), transferrina (75KD), albumina (66KD), antitripsina (60KD), haptoglobina (44KD) e glicoproteína ácida (38KD). As proteínas com pesos moleculares 12KD; 22KD; 25KD; 28KD; 32,5KD; 35KD; 53,5KD; 63KD e 72KD apareceram apenas nos ratos inoculados com T. evansi.

This study established the electrophoretic profile of serum proteins of Wistar rats experimentally infected with Tripanosoma evansi. For such, 40 rats were allocated into eight groups of five animals. A group was kept as control (G1) and the others (G2 to G8) were intraperitoneally inoculated with 1.0 x 10³ tripomastigote of T. evansi. Blood samples were collected at 5th (G2), 10th (G3), 15th (G4), 30th (G5), 45th (G6), 60th (G7), and 75th (G1 and G8) days after inoculation (DAI). The serum protein concentrations were determined by means of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Thirty-one distinct proteins were identified, seven of these were identified as acute phase proteins: ceruloplasmin (110KD), hemopexin (83KD), transferrin (75KD), albumin (66KD), antitrypsin (60KD), haptoglobin (44KD), and acid glycoprotein (38KD). The proteins with molecular weights 12KD; 22KD; 25KD; 28KD; 32,5KD; 35KD; 53,5KD; 63KD, and 72KD were found only in infected rats.

Incomplete dominance of the low antibody response to Cryptosporidium parvum antigens in mice selected for high and low antibody responsiveness

The humoral antibody response to Cryptosporidium was investigated in mice genetically selected for high (H) and low (L) antibody responsiveness. Groups of 4-5 mice from two different selections, general primary (GP) and general secondary (GS), were studied. Following immunization with Cryptosporidium parvum antigens, the maximum levels of IgG in the HGP, (X ñ SD = 1.13 ñ 0.35, N = 5) and in the HGS (0.42 ñ 0.15, N = 4) lines, and of IgM in the HGP line (0.86 ñ 0.53, N = 5) were significantly higher than those in their L counterparts (0.04 ñ 0.02, N = 5;0.05 ñ 0.02, N = 4 and 0.24 ñ 0.07, N = 5, respectively). These findings were similar to those reported for other immunogens. However, the IgG (0.22 ñ 0.05, N = 4) and the IgM (0.33 ñ 0.08, N = 4) responses to immunization of F1 (LGP x HGP) hybrids indicated an incomplete dominance of the low response, in contrast to the incomplete dominance of the high response described for many other antigens and representing an important exception. In addition, the H, L and F1 mice did not develop detectable infections when inoculated with live Cryptosporidium oocysts, supporting the view that a reduced or zero antibody production itself is not enough to permit the establishment of Cryptosporidium infection in adult mice.