Detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in naturally infected sheep's milk.

The objective of this study was to verify whether Toxoplasma gondii is excreted in the milk of naturally infected sheep. In order to accomplish this, 275 lactating ewes were used; these were bred extensively in 17 estates distributed across nine cities. Polymerase chain reaction amplification was used to detect T. gondii DNA in milk samples, and the indirect immunofluorescence test was employed for the detection of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies in the sera, with a cut-off value of 1:64. It was possible to verify the presence of the parasite DNA in 6.5% (18/275) of the studied animals. Anti-T. gondii antibodies were present in 41.5% of the animals studied (114/275). There was no correlation between parasite excretion in milk and the presence of IgG in 38.9% of the studied animals (7/18). The high seropositivity and the presence of parasite DNA in the milk led to the conclusion that T. gondii infection is present in the sheep population in southern and southwestern Bahia, and that there is a risk of the human population becoming infected due to the consumption of raw, in natura milk.

A Technique to Study Meloidogyne arenaria Resistance in Agrobacterium rhizogenes-Transformed Peanut.

A reliable peanut root transformation system would be useful to study the functions of genes involved in root biology and disease resistance. The objective of this study was to establish an effective protocol to produce composite plants mediated by Agrobacterium rhizogenes transformation. In total, 75% of transformed peanut seedlings produced an average of 2.83 transgenic roots per plant. Peanut seed had the highest germination rate after treatment in a chlorine gas chamber for 8 h compared with 16 h in chlorine gas or Clorox and mercuric chloride immersion treatments. High transformation efficiency was achieved when the wound site for A. rhizogenes inoculation was covered with vermiculite instead of enclosing the whole plant in a high humidity chamber. On average, 2.5 galls from Meloidogyne arenaria infection were formed per transgenic root from susceptible genotype TifGP-2. These data indicate that A. rhizogenes-transformed roots can be used to phenotype the host response to nematode challenge. Transformation of RLP-2, a candidate resistance gene for M. arenaria integrated into a silencing construct, did not alter the resistance response of Tifguard, even though downregulation of endogenous RLP-2 expression was detected in transformed roots. It is likely that RLP-2 is not the gene conditioning M. arenaria resistance in peanut.

Genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from pigs intended for human consumption in Brazil.

This study genetically Toxoplasma gondii isolates obtained from pigs intended for human consumption in northeastern Brazil; multilocus PCR-RFLP and sequencing techniques were utilized. Bioassays were conducted using the brain and tongue of 20 pig heads purchased at butcher shops in the city of Ilheus, Bahia, Brazil. Overall, 11 T. gondii isolates designated TgPgBr06-16 were identified. Application of multilocus PCR-RFLP with seven molecular markers (SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, C22-8, PK1 and Apico) identified six different genotypes. Isolates TgPgBr 06, 08, 11, 12, 14 and 15 were indistinguishable by this technique, forming a single genotype; the remaining isolates were characterized as distinct genotypes. However, when five genetic markers (SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB and c22-8) were employed in multilocus PCR-sequencing, all eleven strains of T. gondii were shown to be different. All isolates differed from Type I, II and III clonal genotypes using both genotyping techniques. These results demonstrate that the multilocus PCR-RFLP assay underestimated the true diversity of the T. gondii population in this study. Thus, DNA sequencing is the preferred technique to infer the genetic diversity and population structure of T. gondii strains from Brazil. Moreover, it is necessary to develop new molecular markers to group and characterize atypical T. gondii isolates from South America.

Sulfated galactofucan from Lobophora variegata: anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Sulfated polysaccharides (fucans and fucoidans) from brown algae show several biological activities, including anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory activities. We have extracted a sulfated heterofucan from the brown seaweed Lobophora variegata by proteolytic digestion, followed by acetone fractionation, molecular sieving, and ion-exchange chromatography. Chemical analyses and 13C-NMR and IR spectroscopy showed that this fucoidan is composed of fucose, galactose, and sulfate at molar ratios of 1 : 3 : 2. We compared the anticoagulant activity of L. variegata fucoidan with those of a commercial sulfated polysaccharide (also named fucoidan) from Fucus vesiculosus and heparin. The experimental inflammation models utilized in this work revealed that fucoidan from L. variegata inhibits leukocyte migration to the inflammation site. Ear swelling caused by croton oil was also inhibited when sulfated polysaccharides from F. vesiculosus and L. variegata were used. The precise mechanism of different action between homo- and heterofucans is not clear; nevertheless, the polysaccharides studied here may have therapeutic potential in inflammatory disorders.

Anestesia em cirurgia buco-maxilofacial com fixacao pos-operatoria dos maxilares. / Anesthesia in maxillofacial surgery with postoperative jaw fixation

Os autores analisam os problemas de cirurgia buco-maxilofacial (com destaque a ortognatica) e enfatizam a oportunidade da extubacao, ja que e obrigatoria a intubacao nasotraqueal e fixacao adequada do sistema ventilatorio, com o anestesista a distancia da cabeceira. Ao final da cirurgia e feita fixacao dos maxilares.Apos inducao venosa ou intubacao acordado e feita ventilacao manual com enfase em sistemas ventilatorios compactos (tipo Bain). Dos agentes usados o que tem mais probabilidade de vir a ser interrompido, face ao uso de adrenalina, e o halotano.O destaque fica em funcao dos riscos para a patencia e isolamento da via area que uma extubacao intempestiva pode propiciar. Para suplantar os perigos para o paciente e para o trabalho do cirurgiao, recomenda-se a manutencao mais prolongada do tubo e ajuda da analgesia narcotica seja por administracao titulada ou residual (do periodo per anestesico

Lidocaina venosa e efeitos circulatorios da intubacao orotraqueal sob alfadiona/succinilcolina. / Intravenous lidocaine and circulatory effects on tracheal intubation with althesin/succinylcholine.

Foi estudada a acao da lidocaina venosa na atenuacao dos efeitos cardiovasculares da intubacao em 25 pacientes ASA I, propostos para anestesia com intubacao traqueal feita com auxilio de alfadiona/succinilcolina apos pre-medicacao com diazepinico e pre-oxigenacao, comparada com igual numero de casos com tecnica identica (exceto no uso do anestesico local via venosa). Nao se constatou diferenca significativa nos parametros observados nos dois grupos (frequencia cardiaca e pressao arterial).