Reduction of Toxoplasma gondii Development Due to Inhibition of Parasite Antioxidant Enzymes by a Dinuclear Iron(III) Compound.

Toxoplasma gondii, the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, is an obligate intracellular protozoan that can infect a wide range of vertebrate cells. Here, we describe the cytotoxic effects of the dinuclear iron compound [Fe(HPCINOL)(SO4)]2-µ-oxo, in which HPCINOL is the ligand 1-(bis-pyridin-2-ylmethyl-amino)-3-chloropropan-2-ol, on T. gondii infecting LLC-MK2 host cells. This compound was not toxic to LLC-MK2 cells at concentrations of up to 200 µM but was very active against the parasite, with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 3.6 µM after 48 h of treatment. Cyst formation was observed after treatment, as indicated by the appearance of a cyst wall, Dolichos biflorus lectin staining, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy characteristics. Ultrastructural changes were also seen in T. gondii, including membrane blebs and clefts in the cytoplasm, with inclusions similar to amylopectin granules, which are typically found in bradyzoites. An analysis of the cell death pathways in the parasite revealed that the compound caused a combination of apoptosis and autophagy. Fluorescence assays demonstrated that the redox environment in the LLC-MK2 cells becomes oxidant in the presence of the iron compound. Furthermore, a reduction in superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the treated parasites and the presence of reactive oxygen species within the parasitophorous vacuoles were observed, indicating an impaired protozoan response against these radicals. These findings suggest that this compound disturbs the redox equilibrium of T. gondii, inducing cystogenesis and parasite death.

Karyotypic diversity in a population of Bryconamericus aff. iheringii (Characidae).

Bryconamericus comprises 56 species distributed into three groups, on the basis of the position and shape of the maxillary teeth: B. exodon, B. microcephalus and B. iheringii groups. Few cytogenetic data are available for this genus, but the diploid number of 52 chromosomes is quite common, although the karyotypic variability is extensive. This study aimed to characterize a population of B. aff. iheringii and thus contribute more cytogenetic information and better understanding of the structure and karyotypic evolution of this genus. We found 6 cytotypes with different NOR patterns: cytotype I showed a karyotype formula of 12m+10sm+16st+14a (FN = 90) and single NORs; cytotype II with 18m+14sm+10st+10a (FN = 94) and cytotype III with 20m+18sm+4st+10a (FN = 94), showing both single and multiple NORs; cytotype IV with 20m+14sm+12st+6a (NF = 98), cytotype V with 22m+18sm+8st+4a (FN = 100) and cytotype VI with 18m+24sm+6st+4a (FN = 100), all with multiple NORs. Cytotype I is the most different in relation to FN and NOR pattern, and can be regarded as belonging to another species of the genus Bryconamericus, living in sympatry in Três Bocas Stream. The remaining cytotypes may have been generated by crosses between them and by pericentric inversions. Meiotic cells were also analyzed and showed that despite the high karyotypic variability, chromosome pairing occurred normally. The great variability found in B. aff. iheringii may be related to a high degree of polymorphism; nevertheless, the possibility of occurrence of more than one species in this location is not ruled out, demonstrating the need for conservation of the Três Bocas Stream.

PP165. Treatment approaches for preeclampsia: A sample from a big city of a developing country.

INTRODUCTION: Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide, mainly in developing countries. Here we show an example of how is the clinical condition of these patients when they are referred from first care units to a tertiary care teaching maternity in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate how has been the approach for preeclamptic women in a big city of Brazil, an example of developing country. METHODS: This is a retrospective study that evaluated 41 patients that were referred to our hospital from August 2010 to December 2011. In most of the cases patients were referred due to elevations in blood pressure. The diagnosis of preeclampsia was based on the ISSHP recommendations. The diagnosis of severe preeclampsia was based either on clinical symptoms and/or laboratory parameters. Fetal distress was defined when Doppler velocimetry assessment demonstrated abnormal parameters (centralization with abnormal diastolic blood flow at umbilical arteries). RESULTS: Severe preeclampsia was diagnosed in 26 cases (63.4%) and 34 patients were treated with magnesium sulfate (82.9%). One case of eclampsia (2.4%) and five cases of "Abruptio Placentae" (12.1%) were registered. Fetal distress was diagnosed at the moment of admission in 13 cases (31.7%) and two of these fetuses ended in stillbirth (4.8%). Neonatal death occurred in three cases (7.3%), mainly due to extreme preterm delivery. Other outcomes are reported in the following table. ICU: Intensive Care Unit. CONCLUSION: This is a good example of how has been the approach of preeclamptic women in a big city of Brazil. Our results suggest that a special concern about the moment of referring these patients to tertiary care units should be taken by doctors at first care units.

The evolution of the AIDS illness and the polarisation of values.

This article is based on a study carried out in Sao Paolo, Brazil, from 1983 to 1986 among male homosexuals. It deals with the various practices and life-styles which constitute the homosexual world in Sao Paulo, and questions regarding AIDS. An analysis is made of the contrasting biographies of two patients suffering from the AIDS virus. The emphasis will be placed on the evolution of the illness and the changes in values that occur during this period. The ways in which the sexual life-style adopted prior to the illness influences the individual social course or mobility [i.e., trajectory] of the inflicted person will also be illustrated.

PIP: MC and KR are two young men who were living with AIDS in Sao Paulo, Brazil, during 1983-86. MC is a 25-year old son of Italian immigrants and KR is a 24-year old grandson of German immigrants. MC attained a relative degree of professional success by working as an airline steward, while KR was never really able to secure and maintain full-time, gainful employment. The author describes how being diagnosed and living with AIDS changed their lives and the way in which they perceive themselves. As a steward, MC traveled extensively to Europe and the US where he frequented the best gay clubs and saunas. He was open and proud of his homosexuality. Being diagnosed with AIDS and going through its sequelae of morbidity and lost income and productivity, however, changed this self-perception. MC began to deny his homosexuality, embraced religion, and avoided talking about his past. In so doing, he distanced himself from all that was responsible for his currently painful experiences. KR, however, had lived a very modest suburban life, having sexual relations with men in the city for money when the need and desire motivated him. KR enjoyed sex with men, but hated being homosexual. He had therefore denied his homosexuality and hid it from as many people as possible. As it did for MC, diagnosis and hospitalization with AIDS changed KR's life. KR's life, however, changed for the better. Once back at home out of the hospital, KR began telling everyone that he had AIDS. A well-known weekly doing a story on AIDS subsequently used a photo of KR for its cover and began paying KR a minimum salary. For the first time in his life, KR gained notoriety and began receiving affection from a broad segment of the community. KR had achieved some degree of success. KR explained that facing death gave him a newfound openness and the ability to stop considering all that is relative as absolute, such as sexuality, the family, sin, and friendship. Death became the only absolute. MC therefore fell from success to failure, while the opposite was true for KR. Both had been role models for their brothers. Once that role was compromised, the brothers rejected MC and KR. The author notes how individuals, once confronted with situations which fall outside the ordinary social world, are obliged to reconstruct and reinterpret their new situation, and suggests to what extent AIDS becomes a determining factor in recognizing and accepting homosexuality.