Leishmanicidal activity of the venoms of the Scorpions Brotheas amazonicus and Tityus metuendus.

Leishmaniasis is a vector-transmitted zoonosis caused by different species of the genus Leishmania, with a wide clinical spectrum. It is a public health problem aggravated by a series of limitations regarding treatment. In the search for new therapeutic alternatives, scorpion venoms are a source of multifunctional molecules that act against the natural resistance of pathogens. This work evaluated the antileishmanial potential of Brotheas amazonicus and Tityus metuendus venoms against the promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis e Leishmania guyanensis. The venoms of B. amazonicus and T. metuendus were evaluated for their constituents using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). Growth inhibition and death of promastigotes were evaluated in the presence of diferente crude venom concentrations (100 µg/mL, 50 µg/mL, 10 µg/mL, 1 µg/mL) after one hour of incubation at 25 °C. The FTIR spectra of both venoms exhibited bands in approximate regions, revealing that both exhibit similar functional groups. Crude venom from both scorpion species showed similar or superior leishmanicidal effects to the standart drug N-methylglucamine antimoniate. At the highest concentration of 100 µg/mL, cultures of L. guyanensis treated with the venom of B. amazonicus showed the highest mortality percentages, above 28%, while T. metuendus venom showed the highest activity against L. amazonensis, with mortality above 7%. This preliminar study demonstrates that B. amazonicus and T. metuendus venoms can be important tools in the search for new drugs Against leishmaniasis. Next step involves evaluating the activity against the amastigote forms and purifying the venom proteins in order to identify the best anti-leishmania candidates.

Effectiveness and safety of foam sclerotherapy with 5% ethanolamine oleate in the treatment of low-flow venous malformations in the head and neck region: a case series.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of 5% ethanolamine oleate (EO) foam in the treatment of low-flow venous malformations in the head and neck region. Seventeen consecutive patients (six male, 11 female) and 34 low-flow venous malformations were enrolled. The vascular anomalies ranged between 20mm and 80mm in size. The typical clinical indication was a swelling (88.2%) with a purple colour (85.3%); the most frequent location was the tongue (23.5%). Ethanolamine oleate foam was produced via the Tessari method and applied at 10mg per 1cm to the vascular anomalies. This process resulted in the highest clinical healing score in 64.7% of cases, and half of the patients reported a high level of satisfaction (score >9). In the majority of cases (88.2%), the patients reported that the pain immediately postoperative was mild or moderate. There were direct relationships between vascular anomaly size and the volume of EO applied, the number of sessions, and healing (P<0.05). No recurrence was observed during 6 months of follow-up. This case series showed the effectiveness and safety of 5% EO foam for the treatment of venous malformations in the head and neck region.

Venom characterization of the Amazonian scorpion Tityus metuendus.

The soluble venom from the scorpion Tityus metuendus was characterized by various methods. In vivo experiments with mice showed that it is lethal. Extended electrophysiological recordings using seven sub-types of human voltage gated sodium channels (hNav1.1 to 1.7) showed that it contains both α- and ß-scorpion toxin types. Fingerprint analysis by mass spectrometry identified over 200 distinct molecular mass components. At least 60 sub-fractions were recovered from HPLC separation. Five purified peptides were sequenced by Edman degradation, and their complete primary structures were determined. Additionally, three other peptides have had their N-terminal amino acid sequences determined by Edman degradation and reported. Mass spectrometry analysis of tryptic digestion of the soluble venom permitted the identification of the amino acid sequence of 111 different peptides. Search for similarities of the sequences found indicated that they probably are: sodium and potassium channel toxins, metalloproteinases, hyaluronidases, endothelin and angiotensin-converting enzymes, bradykinin-potentiating peptide, hypothetical proteins, allergens, other enzymes, other proteins and peptides.

Isolation and characterization of yeasts capable of efficient utilization of hemicellulosic hydrolyzate as the carbon source.

Few yeasts have shown the potential to efficiently utilize hemicellulosic hydrolyzate as the carbon source. In this study, microorganisms isolated from the Manaus region in Amazonas, Brazil, were characterized based on their utilization of the pentoses, xylose, and arabinose. The yeasts that showed a potential to assimilate these sugars were selected for the better utilization of lignocellulosic biomass. Two hundred and thirty seven colonies of unicellular microorganisms grown on hemicellulosic hydrolyzate, xylose, arabinose, and yeast nitrogen base selective medium were analyzed. Of these, 231 colonies were subjected to sugar assimilation tests. One hundred and twenty five of these were shown to utilize hydrolyzed hemicellulose, xylose, or arabinose as the carbon source for growth. The colonies that showed the best growth (N = 57) were selected, and their internal transcribed spacer-5.8S rDNA was sequenced. The sequenced strains formed four distinct groups in the phylogenetic tree, and showed a high percentage of similarity with Meyerozyma caribbica, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Trichosporon mycotoxinivorans, Trichosporon loubieri, Pichia kudriavzevii, Candida lignohabitans, and Candida ethanolica. The discovery of these xylose-fermenting yeasts could attract widespread interest, as these can be used in the cost-effective production of liquid fuel from lignocellulosic materials.

Diversity of propanil-degrading bacteria isolated from rice rhizosphere and their potential for plant growth promotion.

The herbicide propanil has long been used in rice production in southern Brazil. Bacteria isolated from contaminated soils in Massaranduba, Santa Catarina, Brazil, were found to be able to grow in the presence of propanil, using this compound as a carbon source. Thirty strains were identified as Pseudomonas (86.7%), Serratia (10.0%), and Acinetobacter (3.3%), based on phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA. Little genetic diversity was found within species, more than 95% homology, suggesting that there is selective pressure to metabolize propanil in the microbial community. Two strains of Pseudomonas (AF7 and AF1) were selected in bioreactor containing chemotactic growth medium, with the highest degradation activity of propanil exhibited by strain AF7, followed by AF1 (60 and 40%, respectively). These strains when encapsulated in alginate exhibited a high survival rate and were able to colonize the rice root surfaces. Inoculation with Pseudomonas strains AF7 and AF1 significantly improved the plant height of rice. Most of the Pseudomonas strains produced indoleacetic acid, soluble mineral phosphate, and fixed nitrogen. These bacterial strains could potentially be used for the bioremediation of propanil-contaminated soils and the promotion of plant growth.

Characterization of an endophytic bacterial community associated with Eucalyptus spp.

Endophytic bacteria were isolated from stems of Eucalyptus spp (Eucalyptus citriodora, E. grandis, E. urophylla, E. camaldulensis, E. torelliana, E. pellita, and a hybrid of E. grandis and E. urophylla) cultivated at two sites; they were characterized by RAPD and amplified rDNA restriction analysis (ARDRA). Endophytic bacteria were more frequently isolated from E. grandis and E. pellita. The 76 isolates were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing as Erwinia/Pantoea (45%), Agrobacterium sp (21%), Curtobacterium sp (9%), Brevibacillus sp (8%), Pseudomonas sp (8%), Acinetobacter sp (4%), Burkholderia cepacia (2.6%), and Lactococcus lactis (2.6%). Genetic characterization of these endophytic bacteria isolates showed at least eight ARDRA haplotypes. The genetic diversity of 32 Erwinia/Pantoea and 16 Agrobacterium sp isolates was assessed with the RAPD technique. There was a high level of genetic polymorphism among all the isolates and there was positive correlation between the clusters and the geographic origin of the strains. These endophytic bacteria were further analyzed for in vitro interaction with endophytic fungi from Eucalyptus spp. We found that metabolites secreted by Erwinia/Pantoea and B. cepacia isolates had an inhibitory growth effect on some endophytic fungi, suggesting that these metabolites play a role in bacterial-fungal interactions inside the host plant. Apparently, these bacteria could have an important role in plant development; in the future they may be useful for biological control of diseases and plant growth promotion, as well as for the production of new metabolites and enzymes.

Brain cancer mimicking an acute coronary syndrome.

The authors report the case of a 62-year-old woman admitted to hospital for episodes of chest pain with ischemic abnormalities at ECG without enzyme release. Coronography confirmed a normal coronary tree with mild ascending aortic dilatation. Subsequent diagnostic and clinical examinations resulted normal. Episodes of chest pain and dyspnea persisted over the following days. Administration of nitrates, calcium antagonist, diuretic, antidepressant agents for suspected syndrome X led to partial improvement of clinical symptoms. The patient was discharged from the hospital. A few days later she was referred to the neurology department because of an episode of transient dysarthria, hyposthenia and paresthesis localized to the right lower and upper limbs associated with chest pain. A brain computed tomography showed an expansive solid mass. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and stereotaxis biopsy confirmed the etiology of the lesion to be a glioblastoma. The patient died soon thereafter from respiratory and cardiocirculatory arrest.

Implantação de modelo de excelência no controle da tuberculose na área programática, municipio do Rio de Janeiro- Relato de um começo promissor

O Plano Nacional de Controle da Tuberculose, 1999, prevê a construção de uma rede de excelência de combate a tuberculose aglutinando esforços dos três níveis de governo, da sociedade e de universidades. Um modelo desta proposta foi implantado na Área Programática 4 do município do Rio de Janeiro (Jacarepaguá, Barra da Tijuca e Cidade de Deus), integrando ações e parcerias. Neste trabalho, são apresentados os primeiros resultados obtidos em uma das Unidades de Saúde, a Unidade Integrada de Saúde Hamilton Land (UISHL), localizada na Cidade de Deus. Nela, o modelo visava aumentar a captação dos casos e diminuir o abandono de tratamento. São também descritos 1) a metodologia do planejamento conjunto com pactuação das metas e recursos necessários; 2) o treinamento das equipes multiprofissionais e dos agentes de saúde; 3) a implantação da supervisão da administração do tratamento; 4) o sistema de visita domiciliar e de busca ativa de faltosos, de contatos e de sintomáticos respiratórios; 5) o sistema de registro com controle de qualidade e 6) as estratégias para o envolvimento da comunidade. Resultados: com a implantação do modelo, de novembro/99 a abril de 2000, houve aumento de (oitenta e cinco porcento),(sete porcento) na captação dos casos novos; de (cento e oitenta e um,oito porcento)na captação dos sintomáticos respiratórios e o abandono foi reduzido a zero. Conclui-se que a busca da excelência no controle da tuberculose passa pela integração dos vários atores responsáveis, demandando esforço e uma metodologia apropriada em torno de objetivos comuns pactuados. Este pode ser o caminho para que o demonstrado na UISHL possa se reproduzir em outros locais do país