Absence of nonprimate hepacivirus-related genomes in blood donors seroreactive for hepatitis C virus displaying indeterminate blot patterns.

Despite intensive search, no primate homologue to the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) has ever been found. The search for a zoonotic origin for HCV has been renewed recently when a virus, now known as non-primate hepacivirus (NPHV), with a high homology to HCV was found in dogs. A variable proportion of anti-HCV reactive blood donors submitted to the immunoblot (IB) to confirm their HCV status, present indeterminate results. The degree of homology between HCV and NPHV suggests that humans may be infected by NPHV or NPHV-like viruses. Maximum similarity between NHPV and HCV is observed in the nonstructural regions 3 and 5. Peptides representing both domains are present in IB assays, so it is reasonable to suppose that blood donors harboring such viruses may display cross-reactivity to the HCV antigenic fractions. Fifty-nine plasma samples from blood donors found reactive for anti-HCV and presenting IB indeterminate results were submitted to five distinct PCR reactions under low-stringency conditions, employing primers targeting GBV-C 5'UTR and NS3, Flavivirus-genus NS5 and NPHV 5'UTR and NS3. No amplification was obtained with all primer pairs tested except for five samples that amplified both 5'UTR and NS3 fragments from GBV-C. Unbiased next-generation sequencing may prove or rule out the existence of HCV-related viruses in IB indeterminate samples.

Ações de vigilância para influenza aviária desenvolvida no Brasil, no período de 2004 e 2007 / Avian influenza surveillance activities, developed in Brazil from 2004 to 2007

No início dos anos 2000, o Brasil se consolidou como maior exportador mundial de carne de frango, mesmo período em que se observou a emergência global de focos de HPAI. Para assegurar a qualidade sanitária do produto avícola nacional, o Mapa organizou um programa oficial de vigilância para o vírus de IA. Na primeira fase, foram coletados 106.226 soros e 7.017 pools de suabes traqueais e cloacais, provenientes de granjas avícolas de produção comercial intensiva de frangos de corte, no período entre janeiro de 2004 e março de 2005. Não se obteve isolamento viral para IA, porém foi identificado um conglomerado epidemiológico de 24 municípios, delineado pela interpolação de dados relacionados às localizações geográficas, e os resultados sorológicos das amostras dessas origens, ELISA reagente para IA, no estado de Rondônia. Na segunda fase da vigilância, três distintas ações para pesquisa do vírus de IA foram executadas entre 2006 e 2007, em: 1) aves comerciais de corte de criação intensiva; 2) aves de reprodução; e 3) aves migratórias e de subsistência. Não houve identificação de resposta sorológica ou isolamento de vírus de IA em aves dos grupos 1 e 2. Foram isolados vírus de IA do subtipo H3 em aves migratórias, capturadas nos estados de Pará e Pernambuco. Também foram identificados vírus de IA dos subtipos H2, H3 e H4 em aves de subsistência, de propriedades localizadas no Amazonas, Pará, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul e Santa Catarina. Observou-se risco sanitário para LPAI associado às populações de aves silvestres e de subsistência localizadas em áreas próximas ao sistema comercial. Estudos adicionais serão necessários para se avaliar o risco associado à introdução de IA no sistema comercial avícola brasileiro.

In the early 2000s Brazil had established itself as the world's largest exporter of poultry meat, the same period in which the emergence of HPAI global outbreaks was observed. To ensure the national health quality of Brazilian poultry product, MAPA organized an official AI surveillance program. In the first stage, during the period between January 2004 and March 2005, 106.226 sera were collected and 7.017 tracheal and cloacae pools of swabs were obtained from intensive commercial broiler farms. No AI virus isolation was obtained, however, an epidemiological cluster was identified in the state of Rondonia, outlined by the interpolation of data related to municipalities' geographic location and serological response to AI in ELISA tests. Between 2006 and 2007, during the second stage, three AI surveillance actions were executed in: 1) intensive commercial broiler farms, 2) breeding farms and 3) migratory and backyard birds. There was neither serological response identification nor IA virus isolation in birds belonging to groups 1 and 2. H3 LPAI subtype viruses were isolated from migratory birds captured in the states of Pará and Pernambuco. H2, H3 and H4 LPAI subtypes were also identified in backyard birds from samples collected in the states of Amazonas, Pará, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. There are health risks to LPAI associated to wild and backyard bird populations located in areas close to commercial farms. Additional studies are needed for risk assessment regarding the possibility of AI introduction in the Brazilian commercial poultry system.

Efeito antagônico de fungos predadores dos gêneros Monacrosporium, Arthrobotrys e Duddingtonia sobre larvas infectantes de Cooperia sp. e Oesophagostomum sp. / Antagonistic effect of nematophagous fungi Monacrosporium, Arthrobotrys and Duddingtonia on infective Cooperia sp. and Oesophagostomum sp. larvae

Seis isolados dos fungos nematófagos Monacrosporium thaumasium (isolado NF 34A), Monacrosporium sinense (isolado SF 470), Monacrosporium appendiculatum (isolado CGI), Arthrobotrys robusta (isolado I 31), Arthrobotrys cladodes (isolado CG 719) e Duddingtonia flagrans (isolado CG 768) foram avaliados em laboratório quanto à capacidade de predar larvas infectantes de Cooperia sp. e Oesophagostomum sp. Nos testes in vitro, os fungos foram eficientes em predar os nematóides (P<0,05), e não houve variação na capacidade predatória entre os fungos testados (P>0,05) durante os cinco dias do ensaio. Estruturas reprodutivas (conídios) foram encontradas em todos os isolados no quinto dia. Todos os fungos testados são promissores para serem utilizados no controle biológico de Cooperia sp. e Oesophagostomum sp., parasitos de bovinos.

Six isolates of nematophagous fungi Monacrosporium thaumasium (isolate NF 34A), Monacrosporium sinense (isolate SF 470), Monacrosporium appendiculatum (isolate CGI), Arthrobotrys robusta (isolate I 31), Arthrobotrys cladodes (isolate CG 719) and Duddingtonia flagrans (isolate CG 768) were evaluated under laboratory conditions regarding the capacity to entrap infective Cooperia sp. and Oesophagostomum sp. larvae. In the in vitro tests the fungi tested were equally efficient to prey the nematodes (P<0.05) during the five days of the experiment. Reproductive structures (conidia) from all isolates were visualized in 5th day. All fungal isolates were efficient in the control of bovine Cooperia sp. and Oesophagostomum sp. parasites.

The small GTP-binding protein Cdc42 is required for nerve growth factor withdrawal-induced neuronal death.

An increase in the level of the c-Jun transcription factor and of its phosphorylation has previously been shown to be essential for nerve growth factor (NGF) withdrawal-induced apoptosis of rat sympathetic neurons (SCG). The Rho-like GTPases Cdc42 and Rac1 are involved in the regulation of a number of cellular processes, including activation of the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway. Therefore, we have investigated the role of these GTPases in this process. Overexpression of activated Rac1 or Cdc42 in SCG neurons maintained in the presence of NGF induced apoptosis, whereas expression of dominant negative mutants of Cdc42 or Rac1 blocked apoptosis following NGF withdrawal. Cdc42 activation produced an increase in the level of c-Jun and of its phosphorylation. Furthermore, Cdc42-induced death was prevented by coexpressing the c-Jun dominant negative FLAGDelta169. Thus, Cdc42 appears to function as an initiator of neuronal cell death by activating a transcriptional pathway regulated by c-Jun.

Primary pregnancy in the liver. A case report.

A case of intra-hepatic pregnancy is reported. The patient was 32 years old and presented with an acute intra-abdominal hemorrhage. At surgery a spongy 3 x 2 x 1.5 cm mass was removed from the right liver lobe. Microscopically, well developed chorionic villi appeared invading the liver tissue. The patient had a relatively uneventful recovery.

Behaviour of chick embryo aortic cells obtained through nonenzymatic means cultured onto collagen gels.

In the present paper we used a method whereby some of the cellular events that take place in the aortic wall during chick embryo development can be studied in vitro. Collagen gels were utilized to culture endothelial cells obtained through nonenzymatic means from aortic explants isolated from 12- to 14-day-old chick embryos. These cells were characterized by morphological and immunocytochemical criteria. After 72 h, explanted endothelial cells from embryonic aorta formed a monolayer of polygonal cells, which gave rise to elongated cells that migrate into the collagen gel. These cells are similar to those of mesenchyme-like cells observed in vivo at the subendothelial region of 14-day-old chick embryonic aorta. In long-term cultures, some of these cells acquired features either of synthetic smooth muscle cell phenotype, or of fibroblast-like cells very similar to those found in developing aorta. These results indicate that the culture of explants of chick embryo aorta on three-dimensional collagen gel is a valuable system for studying some of the complex morphogenetic events that occur during the development of the aorta.