[The evaluation of the efficacy of azithromycin and pyrimethamine used alone or in combination in the treatment of an experimental infection in mice by Toxoplasma gondii]. / Avaliação da eficácia da azitromicina e da pirimetamina, usadas isolada ou associadamente, no tratamento de infecção experimental de camundongos pelo Toxoplasma gondii.

The efficacy of azithromycin and pyrimethamine in experimental infection of mice with Toxoplasma gondii was tested. Daily dosages of 200 mg/kg and 12.5 mg/kg, respectively, were given orally over a period of ten days. The medications were administered in combination or separately. The combined use of the drugs yielded better results, and a similar investigation using a cystogenic strain of the parasite will be conducted in a future study.

[Oocysts of Cryptosporidium sp in feces: comparison of the modified Kinyoun and Heine methods]. / Pesquisa de oocistos de Cryptosporidium sp em fezes: comparação entre os métodos de Kinyoun modificado e de Heine.

The diagnosis of intestinal infection by Cryptosporidium sp is crucial today; with the progression of the AIDS epidemic, many cases of cryptosporidiosis have appeared in this setting and in other immunodeficiency diseases. We compared the advantages and disadvantages of Heine's method and modified Kinyoun's method in the following parameters: morphology of the parasite, quantitation of cysts, stability of the staining characteristics timewise on the slides and time spend at staining. All positive fecal smears were obtained from patients with AIDS. The sensitivity of these two techniques was the same. The choice should be made by the best aspects of each method. Heine's was better for quantitation of the cysts and was faster. Kinyoun's was better for conserving the stained smear.

[Longevity of Trypanosoma cruzi in the Triatoma infestans]. / Longevidade do Trypanosoma cruzi no Triatoma infestans.

Maintenance of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in Triatoma infestans was evaluated. Seventy nine fourth instar nymphs were followed by 12 months, after being fed in infected mice. The bugs were examined every month, fecal smears were done to document T. cruzi infection then the bugs were fed in "clean" (uninfected) mice. Thirty nine per cent of the bugs remained infected until death twenty three per cent cleared infection and remained uninfected until death and nineteen per cent alternated positive and negative results. Our experience agrees with the published papers in medical literature. Longevity of T. cruzi in the host depends mostly in the feeding of the bug; well fed bugs maintain infection, and long fasting correlates with infection clearance.

[Experimental evaluation in mice of vitamin B complex repellent activity against Culex quinquefasciatus]. / Avaliação experimental em camundongos da atividade repelente do complexo vitamínico B, em relação ao Culex quinquefasciatus.

One untested but widely held opinion in Brazil is that oral use of vitamin B complex is useful as a mosquito repellent. We exposed Balb-C mice to a large number of Culex quinquefasciatus females, after giving vitamin B complex to mice (drops by mouth). There was no difference between mice attractiveness to mosquitoes in the vitamin B group compared to normal, but very few of the females bite mice in both groups, so the experiment was inconclusive. We suggest further experiments in this subject, using other models were the animals are more attractive to mosquitoes.