[Effect of Momordica charantia L. in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei]. / Efeito de Momordica charantia L.em camundongos infectados por Plasmodium berghei.

According to the World Health Organization malaria is one of the major public health problems in Brazil and all over developing countries, where 80% of the population use traditional medicine to solve their primary medical problems. Both treatment and control of this parasitosis have become difficult, because of parasite strains that are resistant to conventional drugs, such as chloroquine. That makes the search for new antimalarial drugs not only important but urgent. We aimed therefore at evaluating the effects of Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei. We used aquose and ethanotic extracts in a dose of 1000 mg/kg of body weight, orally, for five consecutive days (i.e. from day 2 to day 6 postinfection). We then followed up the parasitaemia during the course of infection. Although the population use this plant as an antimalarial, in our experimental conditions, M. charantia extracts have not shown such activity.

Control of parasitic infections among school children in the peri-urban area of Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.

The prevalence of intestinal parasitosis was investigated in a primary school located in Rubião Júnior, a peri-urban district of Botucatu, São Paulo state, Brazil, in order to assess the effect of treatment and practical measures of prophylaxis in the control of parasitic infections among 7-to-18-year-old school children of a low socio-economic status. The first series of parasitological examinations included 219 school children, of which 123 (56.1%) were found to be infected with one or more parasite species. Eighty-four children carrying pathogenic parasites were submitted to various anti-parasitic treatment schedules. We re-evaluated 75 (89%) students after 4 to 6 months post-chemotherapy. The results indicate that the combination of treatment with prophylactic measures has been successful in the control of parasitic infections, since reinfection rates were generally low (< or = 5.3%), except for Giardia lamblia infections (18.6%), and a marked reduction on the prevalence rates was observed with a significant percentage of cure (> or = 73.1%) in children infected with most parasite species. The reasons for the apparent failure in the control of infections caused by Hymenolepis nana and Strongyloides stercoralis are discussed.

[Serologic study of experimental infections by Trypanosoma evansi, in guinea pigs]. / Estudo sorológico de infecções experimentais por Trypanosoma evansi, em cobaias.

Sera of 20 guinea-pigs experimentally infected with Trypanosoma evansi were obtained in order to compare the efficacy of gel diffusion, indirect immunofluorescence and agglutination tests, to detect antibodies to T. evansi. The fluorescent antibody test was positive in six (6) animals and the antibody titres were very low (1:4 to 1:16). The agglutination test detected trypanosomal antibodies in sera one (1) week after infection. After two (2) weeks all animals were positive with high titres (1:8.000 to 1:250.000). Agglutination was inhibited when sera were treated with 2-Mercapto-ethanol. This fact suggests that IgM is the principal class of antibodies in sera of infected guinea-pigs. Precipitating antibodies were not detected during the course of infection.

Alteracoes do sodio, potassio e ureia sericos em camundongos experimentalmente infectados com T. cruzi (Cepa Y). / Serum changes of sodium, potassium and urea in mice experimentally infected with T. cruzi (Strain Y)

Camundongos de 25 dias de idade foram inoculados intraperitonialmente com 200 tripomastigotas sanguineos de T. cruzi, cepa Y. Semanalmente 15 camundongos foram sacrificados para verificacao dos niveis sericos de sodio, potassio e ureia. Os niveis sericos de sodio, potassio e ureia foram encontrados alterados apos 4 a 6 semenas de infeccao. Nossos achados mostram que, mesmo pequenos inoculos, acarretam alteracoes bioquimicas em camundongos em fase cronica da doenca de Chagas

Malaria no municipio de Humaita, Estado do Amazonas. II - Alguns aspectos epidemiologicos comparativos entre 1976 e 1979. / Malaria in the municipality of Humaita, State of Amazonas. II - Some comparative epidemiological aspects of 1976 and 1979

Em 1976 foram estudados 409 e em 1979 foram observados 330 individuos, habitantes das diversas regioes do Municipio de Humaita em povoados situados ao longo das estradas, em localidades na calha do Rio Madeira e na zona urbana.Foram feitas observacoes clinicas completas de todos os individuos estudados, incluindo os antecedentes epidemiologicos. O estudo epidemiologico compreendeu os seguintes elementos: historia pregressa de surtos de malaria, presenca de febre, esplenomegalia e indice esplenico. No seu conjunto os resultados indicam ser a malaria mais frequente, grave e persistente nas estradas, ao contrario das localidades situadas ao longo do Rio Madeira onde ela mostrou tendencia a diminuir no periodo de 1976 a 1979 e sugerem ainda sua ausencia na zona urbana

[Toxoplasma gondii: indirect immunofluorescence diagnosis in swine in the State of São Paulo, Brazil]. / Toxoplasma gondii: diagnóstico pela imunofluorescência indireta em suínos no Estado de Sã0 Paulo, Brasil.

The frequency of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in apparently healthy swine from Botucatu and from São Paulo industrial abattoir was assessed through the indirect immunofluorescence test using blood smears collected in filter paper. 225 (22.5%) of the 1000 samples examined were reagent with titles varying between 1:20 and 1:640.