[Nutritional prophylaxis of hypovitaminosis in Mauritania. Cattle rearing and beta-carotene]. / Prophylaxie nutritionnelle de l'hypovitaminose a en Mauritanie. Elevage et bêta-carotène.

Some traditional plants known for their resistance to the desert weather, has been studied for their level in beta-carotene. They are called Spartima maritima and Panicum turgidum. We hope with these plants and others, elaborate some zootechnic project. It will be very useful for all the sahel zone from Atlantic to Pakistan.

[Therapeutic test in trachoma: putting in place a study model and preliminary results]. / Essai thérapeutique dans le trachome: mise en place d'un modèle d'étude et résultats préliminaires.

This study, performed in Atar and Nouakchott, has tested a new proceeding for biological diagnostic of trachoma (Chlamydia trachomatis direct specimen test, SYVA Merieux microtrak), and has controlled the efficiency of different therapeutic schemes against trachoma. An experimental pattern for subsequent studies is proposed.

[Epidemiology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Mauritania: study of 239 strains of various origins]. / Epidémiologie de Pseudomonas aeruginosa en Mauritanie: étude de 239 souches d'origines diverses.

239 strains (173 from hospital infections, 20 from carriers, 46 from animal infections and environment) were studied with regard to their serogroups, biovars, phage-types and drug-resistance. 82.2% of all strains were typable by specific immune sera and distributed in 15 serogroups (0:1, 0:2, 0:3, 0:4, 0:5, 0:6, 0:7, 0:8, 0:9, 0:10, 0:11, 0:12, 0:13, 0:15, 0:16). Among them, 8 were ubiquitous (0:1, 0:3, 0:4, 0:5, 0:8, 0:9, 0:11 and 0:16) and found in hospital patients, carriers, animals and environment. Thirty-five 0:11 strains and four no agglutinable strains produced an orthonitrophenyl beta-d-galactopyranoside hydrolase (ONPG +). Among 183 strains typable by phages of the Lindberg phage-typing system, 96 different phage-types were recognized. The proportions of the strains untypable by phages were 8.6% for animal strains, 23.6% for hospital strains and 55% for strains from carriers. The frequency of the resistance to each of eleven tested antibiotics was as follows: carbenicillin: 48%, ticarcillin: 12.2%, azlocillin: 9.1%, cefotaxime: 22.8%, cefsulodin: 27.4%, ceftazidime: 0.5%, latamoxef: 6.2%, gentamycin: 12.2%, amikacin: 15.4%, tobramycin: 12.5%, norfloxacin: 0%. However, 18.7% of hospital strains, 65% from carriers and 92.5% of animal or environmental strains were susceptible to all of these antibiotics. These results are compared with those from a previous report on epidemiology of P. aeruginosa hospital infection in Ivory-Coast (Dosso, Vieu et al., Bull. Soc. Path. exot., 1987, 80, 19-27) and with the data of the scientific literature.

[Transmission of Vibrio cholerae. Possible role of the camel]. / Transport du vibrion cholérique. Rôle éventuel du chameau.

Choleraic vibrio uses the moving means that man discovers to his own use. Camels (passive and active vehicles of large quantity of crude water) were experimentally infected with a Vibrio (tox. +) and an Aeromonas (tox. +). Suckling young camels eliminate them for 6 days and grown-up camels for 25 days. This experience, associated with the discovery of Vibrio non 01 and Shigella in the caravan camel dungs, lead them to become a potential vector of spreading from one oasis to another.

Dietary effects on inhibition of rat hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes by a pesticide (Morestan).

Female rats were fed for 21 days on 5 semi-synthetic diets containing 8 or 30% proteins, 1 or 25% lipids respectively, the control animals being given a diet containing 20% proteins and 5% lipids. The animals on each diet were then subdivided into two subgroups and on the 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th days were given an oral dose of 75 mg/kg of Morestan in solution in peanut oil (PO) or a dose of oil only. The microsomes were prepared 24 h after the last administration and aniline aromatic hydroxylase, aminopyrine and N-methylaniline N-demethylase activities and cytochrome P-450, protein and RNA levels were measured. Whatever the diet, Morestan inhibited N-demethylase activities and decreased the cytochrome P-450 level; liver protein and RNA levels and microsomal RNA level increased. The 25% lipid diet alone increased activity of the three enzymes studied, without modifying the cytochrome P-450 level; Morestan produced antagonism of this effect in the rats on this diet. The decreased cytochrome P-450 level caused by Morestan was higher in animals on the 8% protein diet.

Effect of morestan and other substituted quinoxalines on the activities of various rat hepatic mixed-function oxidases.

Morestan (6-methyl-2,3-quinoxalinedithiol cyclic-S,S carbonate) and two of its metabolites: methyl-2,3-quinoxalinedithiol and 6-methyl-2,3-quinoxalinedihydroxy were administered to male and female rats by intraperitoneal route for 4 consecutive days (50 mg/kg/daily). Morestan was also administered by esophageal intubation for 4 days at the dose of 75 mg/kg/daily. After evaluating the pentobarbital sleeping time in the animals on the 5th day, aminopyrine N-demethylase, p-nitroanisole O-demethylase and aromatic aniline hyroxylase activities and levels of cytochrome P450, proteins and RNA were measured in the microsomal hepatic fraction. Protein and nucleic acid levels were also measured in whole liver. The 3 substances studied caused considerable decreases in activity of certain microsomal enzymes: morestan inhibits some hepatic mixed-function oxidase systems; in females it is more active by peroral administration, and in males by intraperitoneal route. However, 6-methyl-2,3-quinoxalinedithiol is an even more powerful inhibitor of monooxygenase activities both in males and females. 6-methyl-2,3-quinoxalinedihydroxy also decreases activity by microsomal enzymes, but its action is inferior to that of the other two products investigated.