RESUMO
Abstract Blood and fecal samples of chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar), albino pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera), rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) and turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) were analyzed to check parasitic prevalence. To record parasites these five avian species were placed kept in separate cages at Avian Conservation and Research Center, Department of Wildlife an Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan. 100 fecal and 100 blood samples for each bird species were inspected to analyze internal parasites. During present study, 17 species of endoparasites 14 from fecal samples and three from blood were examined. Two species of ectoparasites i.e. mite Dermanyssus gallinae 42% and fowl ticks Args persicus 41%were studied. Blood parasites included Plasmodium juxtanucleare 50%, Leucoctoyzoon simond having parasitic prevalence 40%, and Aegyptinella pullorum having parasitic prevalence of 40%. Parasitic species recorded from fecal samples included 6 species of nematodes viz. Allodpa suctoria 2%. Syngamus trachea with parasitic prevalence of 60%, Capillaria annulata 37.5%, Ascardia galli 24%, Capillaria anatis 40% and Heterakis gallinarum 28.3%. Similarly, two species of trematodes viz. Prosthogonimus ovatus having parasitic prevalence of 50% and Prosthogonimus macrorchis 21% were also documented from fecal avian samples . Single cestode species Raillietina echinobothrida having parasitic prevalence of 72% and 3 protozoan species i.e. Eimeria maxima having parasitic prevalence of 21%, Giardia lamblia 41% and Histomonas meleagridis 18% were documented during corpological analysis. In our recommendation, proper sanitation, medication and vaccination of bird's enclousres are suggested to avoid parasites.
RESUMO Amostras de sangue e fezes de perdiz chukar (Alectoris chukar), faisão-albino (Phasianus colchicus), faisão-prateado (Lophura nycthemera), periquito-de-rosa (Psittacula krameri) e perus (Meleagris gallopavo) foram analisadas para verificar a prevalência de parasitas. Para registrar os parasitas, essas cinco espécies de aves foram colocadas em gaiolas separadas no Centro de Conservação e Pesquisa de Aves, Departamento de Vida Selvagem e Ecologia, Universidade de Veterinária e Ciências Animais, Lahore, Paquistão. Cem amostras fecais e 100 amostras de sangue para cada espécie de ave foram inspecionadas para analisar os parasitas internos. Durante o presente estudo, foram examinadas 17 espécies de endoparasitas, 14 de amostras fecais e 3 de sangue. Foram estudadas duas espécies de ectoparasitas, ou seja, o ácaro Dermanyssus gallinae 42% e o carrapato aviário Args persicus 41%. Os parasitas sanguíneos incluíram Plasmodium juxtanucleare 50%, Leucoctoyzoon simond com prevalência parasitária de 40% e Aegyptinella pullorum com prevalência parasitária de 40%. As espécies parasitas registradas em amostras fecais incluíram 6 espécies de nematoides viz. Allodpa suctoria 2%, Syngamus traqueia com prevalência parasitária de 60%, Capillaria annulata 37,5%, Ascardia galli 24%, Capillaria anatis 40% e Heterakis gallinarum 28,3%. Da mesma forma, duas espécies de trematódeos viz. Prosthogonimus ovatus com prevalência parasitária de 50% e Prosthogonimus macrorchis 21% também foram documentados em amostras fecais de aves. Espécies de cestoide único Raillietina echinobothrida com prevalência parasitária de 72% e 3 espécies de protozoários, isto é, Eimeria maxima com prevalência parasitária de 21%, Giardia lamblia 41% e Histomonas meleagridis 18% foram documentadas durante a análise corpológica. Em nossa recomendação, o saneamento adequado, medicação e vacinação de invólucros de pássaros são sugeridos para evitar parasitas.
Assuntos
Animais , Parasitos , Doenças das Aves/epidemiologia , Galliformes , Prevalência , Animais SelvagensRESUMO
Fulvestrant (F), lapatinib (L), and paclitaxel (P) are hydrophobic, anticancer drugs used in the treatment of estrogen receptor (ER) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive breast cancer. In this study, glycidylated PAMAM G4 dendrimers, substituted with F, L, and/or P and targeting tumor cells, were synthesized and characterized, and their antitumor activity against glioma U-118 MG and non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells was tested comparatively with human non-tumorogenic keratinocytes (HaCaT). All cell lines were ER+ and EGFR+. In addition, the described drugs were tested in the context of antinematode therapy on C. elegans. The results show that the water-soluble conjugates of G4P, G4F, G4L, and G4PFL actively entered the tested cells via endocytosis due to the positive zeta potential (between 13.57-40.29 mV) and the nanoparticle diameter of 99-138 nm. The conjugates of G4P and G4PFL at nanomolar concentrations were the most active, and the least active conjugate was G4F. The tested conjugates inhibited the proliferation of HaCaT and A549 cells; in glioma cells, cytotoxicity was associated mainly with cell damage (mitochondria and membrane transport). The toxicity of the conjugates was proportional to the number of drug residues attached, with the exception of G4L; its action was two- and eight-fold stronger against glioma and keratinocytes, respectively, than the equivalent of lapatinib alone. Unfortunately, non-cancer HaCaT cells were the most sensitive to the tested constructs, which forced a change in the approach to the use of ER and EGFR receptors as a goal in cancer therapy. In vivo studies on C. elegans have shown that all compounds, most notably G4PFL, may be potentially useful in anthelmintic therapy.
Assuntos
Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas , Dendrímeros , Glioma , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Parasitos , Humanos , Animais , Lapatinib/farmacologia , Paclitaxel/farmacologia , Fulvestranto , Dendrímeros/farmacologia , Caenorhabditis elegansRESUMO
Amebiasis is caused by the protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica. Treatment options other than metronidazole and its derivatives are few, and their low efficacy against asymptomatic cyst carriers, and experimental evidence of resistance in vitro justify the discovery/repurposing campaign for new drugs against amebiasis. Global metabolic responses to oxidative stress and cysteine deprivation by E. histolytica revealed glycerol metabolism may represent a rational target for drug development. In this study using 14C-labelled glucose, only 11% of the total glucose taken up by E. histolytica trophozoites is incorporated to lipids. To better understand the role of glycerol metabolism in this parasite, we focused on characterizing two important enzymes, glycerol kinase (GK) and glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH). Recombinant GK was biochemically characterized in detail, while G3PDH was not due to failure of protein expression and purification. GK revealed novel characteristics and unprecedented kinetic properties in reverse reaction. Gene silencing revealed that GK is essential for optimum growth, whereas G3PDH is not. Gene silencing of G3PDH caused upregulated GK expression, while that of GK resulted in upregulation of antioxidant enzymes as shown by RNA-seq analysis. Although the precise molecular link between GK and the upregulation of antioxidant enzymes was not demonstrated, the observed increase in antioxidant enzyme expression upon GK gene silencing suggests a potential connection between GK and the cellular response to oxidative stress. Together, these results provide the first direct evidence of the biological importance and coordinated regulation of the glycerol metabolic pathways for proliferation and antioxidative defense in E. histolytica, justifying the exploitation of these enzymes as future drug targets.
Assuntos
Amebíase , Entamoeba histolytica , Parasitos , Humanos , Animais , Antioxidantes , Vias Biossintéticas , Glicerol , Glicerol Quinase , Proliferação de CélulasRESUMO
Tick-borne Babesiosis is a parasitic infection caused by Babesia microti that can infect both animals and humans and may spread by tick, blood transfusions, and organ transplantation. The current therapeutic options for B. microti are limited, and drug resistance is a concern. This study proposes using computational drug design approaches to find and design an effective drug against B. microti. The study investigated the potentiality of nine natural compounds against the pathogenic human B. microti parasite and identified Vasicinone and Evodiamine as the most promising drugs. The ligand structures were optimized using density functional theory, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, quantum mechanics such as HOMO-LUMO, drug-likeness and theoretical absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET), and pharmacokinetics characteristics performed. The results showed that Vasicinone (-8.6 kcal/mol and -7.8 kcal/mol) and Evodiamine (-8.7 kcal/mol and -8.5 kcal/mol) had the highest binding energy and anti-parasitic activity against B. microti lactate dehydrogenase and B. microti lactate dehydrogenase apo form. The strongest binding energy was reported by Vasicinone and Evodiamine; the compounds were evaluated through molecular dynamics simulation at 100 ns, and their stability when they form complexes with the targeted receptors was determined. Finally, the pkCSM web server is employed to predict the ADMET qualities of specific molecules, which can help prevent negative effects that arise from taking the treatment. The SwissADME web server is used to assess the Lipinski rule of five and drug-likeness properties including topological polar surface area and bioavailability. The Lipinski rule is used to estimate significant drug-likeness. The theoretical pharmacokinetics analysis and drug-likeness of the selected compounds are confirmed to be accepted by the Lipinski rule and have better ADMET features. Thus, to confirm their experimental value, these mentioned molecules should be suggested to carry out in wet lab, pre-clinical, and clinical levels.
Assuntos
Babesia microti , Gastrópodes , Parasitos , Animais , Humanos , Simulação de Acoplamento Molecular , Desenho de Fármacos , Descoberta de Drogas , L-Lactato DesidrogenaseRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Parasitic contamination in vegetables is a reality in several countries and a challenge for food safety. The risk of consumption usually raw, associated with failures in good practices of production, transportation, and preparation further increase the possibility of ingesting contaminated food. Given this, a systematic review was carried out to scientifically demonstrate the effectiveness of sanitization protocols in the parasitic decontamination of plants. METHODS: This review was conducted following the guidelines of the Cochrane Manual, being registered in the PROSPERO protocol base (CRD42020206929) and reported according to the PRISMA 2020 statement. The review evaluated studies published in the MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, FSTA, LILACS, and AGRIS databases, as well as manual searches of related articles, references, and theses and dissertations directories. The meta-analysis was performed using the Revman 5 software program, the bias assessment used the Robins I Tools with some adaptations, and the quality of the evidence was evaluated using GRADE. DISCUSSION: The review included a total of 31 studies, most of which were carried out in countries with a high incidence of plant parasites, such as Brazil and Iran. Interventions combined with 200ppm chlorination preceded by brushing, rinsing, or immersion in detergent showed the greatest efficiency in parasitic decontamination. Despite the high heterogeneity and risk of bias in the primary studies, this review can inspire the planning of new studies which observe the critical and methodological evaluation for research in the field of food safety.
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Parasitos , Verduras , Animais , Aclimatação , Brasil , Bases de Dados FactuaisRESUMO
Theory predicts that temperature fluctuations should reduce performance near an organism's thermal optimum. A new study in PLOS Biology found fluctuations increased parasite transmission instead, highlighting questions about how climate change will impact infectious diseases.
Assuntos
Parasitos , Doenças Parasitárias , Animais , Daphnia , Temperatura , Mudança ClimáticaRESUMO
Climate change has profound effects on infectious disease dynamics, yet the impacts of increased short-term temperature fluctuations on disease spread remain poorly understood. We empirically tested the theoretical prediction that short-term thermal fluctuations suppress endemic infection prevalence at the pathogen's thermal optimum. This prediction follows from a mechanistic disease transmission model analyzed using stochastic simulations of the model parameterized with thermal performance curves (TPCs) from metabolic scaling theory and using nonlinear averaging, which predicts ecological outcomes consistent with Jensen's inequality (i.e., reduced performance around concave-down portions of a thermal response curve). Experimental observations of replicated epidemics of the microparasite Ordospora colligata in Daphnia magna populations indicate that temperature variability had the opposite effect of our theoretical predictions and instead increase endemic infection prevalence. This positive effect of temperature variability is qualitatively consistent with a published hypothesis that parasites may acclimate more rapidly to fluctuating temperatures than their hosts; however, incorporating hypothetical effects of delayed host acclimation into the mechanistic transmission model did not fully account for the observed pattern. The experimental data indicate that shifts in the distribution of infection burden underlie the positive effect of temperature fluctuations on endemic prevalence. The increase in disease risk associated with climate fluctuations may therefore result from disease processes interacting across scales, particularly within-host dynamics, that are not captured by combining standard transmission models with metabolic scaling theory.
Assuntos
Doenças Transmissíveis , Parasitos , Doenças Parasitárias , Animais , Daphnia , Temperatura , FebreRESUMO
Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) caused by protozoan and helminth parasites are among the most common infections in humans in low-and-middle-income countries. IPIs affect not only the health status of a country, but also the economic sector. Over the last decade, pattern recognition and image processing techniques have been developed to automatically identify parasitic eggs in microscopic images. Existing identification techniques are still suffering from diagnosis errors and low sensitivity. Therefore, more accurate and faster solution is still required to recognize parasitic eggs and classify them into several categories. A novel Chula-ParasiteEgg dataset including 11,000 microscopic images proposed in ICIP2022 was utilized to train various methods such as convolutional neural network (CNN) based models and convolution and attention (CoAtNet) based models. The experiments conducted show high recognition performance of the proposed CoAtNet that was tuned with microscopic images of parasitic eggs. The CoAtNet produced an average accuracy of 93%, and an average F1 score of 93%. The finding opens door to integrate the proposed solution in automated parasitological diagnosis.
Assuntos
Enteropatias Parasitárias , Redes Neurais de Computação , Parasitos , Parasitos/classificação , Parasitos/citologia , Parasitos/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Conjuntos de Dados como Assunto , Óvulo/classificação , Óvulo/citologia , Microscopia , Humanos , Enteropatias Parasitárias/diagnóstico , Enteropatias Parasitárias/parasitologia , AnimaisRESUMO
Although larval diet quality may affect adult mosquito fitness, its impact on parasite development is scarce. Plant pollen from Zea mays, Typha latifolia, and Prosopis juliflora was ultraviolet-sterilized and examined for effects on larval development, pupation rate, adult mosquito longevity, survival and infectivity. The control larvae were fed Tetramin fish food as a comparator food. Four treatment and two control groups were used for each pollen diet, and each experimental tray had 25 larvae. Female An. arabiensis were starved overnight and exposed to infectious blood using a membrane-feeding system. The Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test were used for analysis. The Z. mays pollen diet increased malaria mosquito survival and pupation rate (91.3%) and adult emergence (85%). Zea mays and Tetramin fish food had comparable adulthood development times. Adults who emerged from larvae fed Z. mays pollen had the longest average wing length (3.72 mm) and were more permissive to P. vivax (45%) and P. falciparum (27.5%). They also survived longer after feeding on infectious blood and had the highest number of P. vivax oocysts. Zea mays pollen improved larval development, adult mosquito longevity, survival and infectivity to Plasmodium. Our findings suggest that malaria transmission in Z. mays growing villages should be monitored.
Assuntos
Culicidae , Malária Falciparum , Malária Vivax , Malária , Parasitos , Plasmodium , Animais , Zea mays , Etiópia , Longevidade , Dieta , Pólen , LarvaRESUMO
Chilodonella hexasticha is a harmful parasitic ciliate that can cause severe damage to fish and high mortalities worldwide. Its congeneric species, C. uncinata, is a facultative parasite that not only can be free-living but also can parasitize on fish gills and fins. In this study, single-cell transcriptomes of these two species were assembled and characterized. Numerous enzymes related to energy metabolism and parasitic adaption were identified through annotation in the Non-Redundant (NR), Clusters of Orthologous Genes (COG), Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. The expression of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (Cox1) and ATP synthase F1, delta subunit (ATP5D) was up-regulated in C. hexasticha compared with C. uncinata. The oxidative phosphorylation process was also enriched in C. hexasticha. The main mitochondrial metabolic pathways in C. hexasticha were depicted and enzymes related to energy metabolism pathways were compared between these two species. More importantly, mitochondrial division inhibitor 1 (mdivi-1) proved to be very effective in killing both C. hexasticha and C. uncinata, which could be a novel drug for Chilodonellosis control. This study can help us better understand the energy metabolisms of C. hexasticha and C. uncinata and provide new insight into novel targets for chilodonellosis control. Meanwhile, the transcriptome data can also facilitate genomic studies of these two species in the future.
Assuntos
Cilióforos , Parasitos , Animais , Transcriptoma , Aclimatação , Perfilação da Expressão GênicaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial respiration plays a central role in the survival of many eukaryotes, including apicomplexan parasites. A 479-bp fragment from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene is widely used as a barcode to identify genetic lineages of avian malaria parasites Plasmodium and related haemosporidians. Here we looked for evidence of selection in the avian Plasmodium cyt b gene, using tests of selection and protein structure modeling. We also tested for the association between cyt b polymorphism and the host specificity of these parasites. RESULTS: Based on 1,089 lineages retrieved from the Malavi database, we found that the frequency of the most conserved amino acids in most sites was more than 90%, indicating that the protein diversity of the avian Plasmodium cyt b barcode was low. The exceptions were four amino acid sites that were highly polymorphic, though the substitutions had only slight functional impacts on the encoded proteins. The selection analyses revealed that avian Plasmodium cyt b was under strong purifying selection, and no positively selected sites were detected. Besides, lineages with a wide host range tend to share cyt b protein haplotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Our research indicates that purifying selection is the dominant force in the evolution of the avian Plasmodium cyt b lineages and leads to its low diversity at the protein level. Host specificity may also play a role in shaping the low mitochondrial diversity in the evolution of avian malaria parasites. Our results highlight the importance of considering selection pressure on the cyt b barcode region and lay a foundation for further understanding the evolutionary pattern of mitochondrial genes in avian malaria.
Assuntos
Malária Aviária , Parasitos , Animais , Genes Mitocondriais , Citocromos b/genética , AminoácidosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The erythrocytic stage of the life cycle of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, consists of trophozoite, schizont and gametocyte stages in humans. Various anti-malarial agents target different stages of the parasite to produce treatment outcomes. This study reports on the stage-specific anti-malarial activity of heptaphylline and imperatorin against human P. falciparum in addition to their cytotoxicity and selectivity indices (SI). METHODS: The compounds were isolated from Clausena anisata using column chromatography and their structures elucidated using NMR spectroscopy. The anti-malarial activity was determined by measuring the trophozoitocidal, schizonticidal and gametocytocidal activities of the compounds using the SYBR green assay. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using the tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay. RESULTS: Heptaphylline and imperatorin produced trophozoitocidal, schizonticidal and gametocytocidal activities with IC50s of 1.57 (0.2317)-26.92 (0.3144) µM with those of artesunate (the standard drug) being 0.00024 (0.0036)-0.0070 (0.0013) µM. In the cytotoxicity assay, the compounds produced CC50S greater than 350 µM and SI of 13.76-235.90. Also, the trophozoitocidal and schizonticidal activities of the compounds were more pronounced than their gametocytocidal activity. Imperatorin was 42.04% more trophozoitocidal than hepthaphyline. However, hepthaphyline has more schizonticidal and gametocytocidal properties than imperatorin. CONCLUSION: Heptaphylline and imperatorin are promising anti-malarial agents, since they possess potent anti-malarial activity with weak cytotoxicity on RBCs. However, imperatorin is a better anti-malarial prophylactic agent whereas heptaphylline is a better malaria treatment agent.
Assuntos
Alcaloides , Antimaláricos , Antiprotozoários , Clausena , Furocumarinas , Malária Falciparum , Parasitos , Humanos , Animais , Antimaláricos/farmacologia , Furocumarinas/farmacologia , Malária Falciparum/tratamento farmacológicoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Multiplicity of infection (MOI) is an important measure of Plasmodium falciparum diversity, usually derived from the highly polymorphic genes, such as msp1, msp2 and glurp as well as microsatellites. Conventional methods of deriving MOI lack fine resolution needed to discriminate minor clones. This study used amplicon sequencing (AmpliSeq) of P. falciparum msp1 (Pfmsp1) to measure spatial and temporal genetic diversity of P. falciparum. METHODS: 264 P. falciparum positive blood samples collected from areas of differing malaria endemicities between 2010 and 2019 were used. Pfmsp1 gene was amplified and amplicon libraries sequenced on Illumina MiSeq. Sequences were aligned against a reference sequence (NC_004330.2) and clustered to detect fragment length polymorphism and amino acid variations. RESULTS: Children < 5 years had higher parasitaemia (median = 23.5 ± 5 SD, p = 0.03) than the > 5-14 (= 25.3 ± 5 SD), and those > 15 (= 25.1 ± 6 SD). Of the alleles detected, 553 (54.5%) were K1, 250 (24.7%) MAD20 and 211 (20.8%) RO33 that grouped into 19 K1 allelic families (108-270 bp), 14 MAD20 (108-216 bp) and one RO33 (153 bp). AmpliSeq revealed nucleotide polymorphisms in alleles that had similar sizes, thus increasing the K1 to 104, 58 for MAD20 and 14 for RO33. By AmpliSeq, the mean MOI was 4.8 (± 0.78, 95% CI) for the malaria endemic Lake Victoria region, 4.4 (± 1.03, 95% CI) for the epidemic prone Kisii Highland and 3.4 (± 0.62, 95% CI) for the seasonal malaria Semi-Arid region. MOI decreased with age: 4.5 (± 0.76, 95% CI) for children < 5 years, compared to 3.9 (± 0.70, 95% CI) for ages 5 to 14 and 2.7 (± 0.90, 95% CI) for those > 15. Females' MOI (4.2 ± 0.66, 95% CI) was not different from males 4.0 (± 0.61, 95% CI). In all regions, the number of alleles were high in the 2014-2015 period, more so in the Lake Victoria and the seasonal transmission arid regions. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the added advantages of AmpliSeq in haplotype discrimination and the associated improvement in unravelling complexity of P. falciparum population structure.
Assuntos
Malária Falciparum , Parasitos , Criança , Feminino , Masculino , Animais , Humanos , Pré-Escolar , Plasmodium falciparum/genética , Quênia/epidemiologia , Malária Falciparum/epidemiologia , Alelos , Febre , Proteína 1 de Superfície de Merozoito/genéticaRESUMO
In the twenty-first century Korea, "Pristine Vegetables(ì²ì ì±ì)" refers to organic products grown without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. However, the meaning of "Pristine" was radically different until 1970s. After the Korean War, the infection rate of intestinal parasite reached almost 100 percent in Korean population. Disruption in chemical fertilizers manufacturing pressured farmers to use night-soil, which was contaminated with parasite eggs, causing the vicious cycle of infection. At the same time, rapid urbanization increased the demands of fresh vegetables in the city, leading to a large amount of semi-urban agricultural practices. This was closely linked with the national economy; as most of Korean vegetable products were contaminated with parasites, they were deemed unsuitable for export. In 1957, US Army stationed in Seoul issued a guideline for producing local vegetables acceptable for US troop consumption. This gave rise to the concept of "Pristine Vegetables" that were free of any infectious materials. These practices continued well into the 1970s. Due to the lack of sewage treatment system, the waste of urban population provided necessary fertilizer for these farmers without much cost. In order to secure public health, the Korean government actively encouraged the use of chemical fertilizers, naming the vegetables "Pristine." This effort included the ban of night-soil in urban and semi-urban farms and the establishment of Pristine Vegetable Shops. However, the rapid decline of parasitic diseases in the population and the rising concerns of environmental pollutions reshaped Pristine Vegetables from chemical to organic in the 1980s. Thus, Pristine Vegetable in Korea during late twentieth century exemplifies rapid transformation of the urban environment, showing shifted concept of cleanness and contaminants among the public and policymakers, as well as acceptable risk of the urban environment in Korea.
Assuntos
Militares , Parasitos , Animais , Humanos , Verduras , Solo , Fertilizantes , República da CoreiaRESUMO
Motility is essential for apicomplexan parasites to infect their hosts. In a three-dimensional (3D) environment, the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii moves along a helical path. The cortical microtubules, which are ultra-stable and spirally arranged, have been considered to be a structure that guides the long-distance movement of the parasite. Here, we address the role of the cortical microtubules in parasite motility, invasion and egress by utilizing a previously generated mutant (dubbed 'TKO') in which these microtubules are destabilized in mature parasites. We found that the cortical microtubules in â¼80% of the non-dividing (i.e. daughter-free) TKO parasites are much shorter than normal. The extent of depolymerization was further exacerbated upon commencement of daughter formation or cold treatment, but parasite replication was not affected. In a 3D Matrigel matrix, the TKO mutant moved directionally over long distances, but along trajectories that were significantly more linear (i.e. less helical) than those of wild-type parasites. Interestingly, this change in trajectory did not impact either movement speed in the matrix or the speed and behavior of the parasite during entry into and egress from the host cell.
Assuntos
Parasitos , Toxoplasma , Animais , Toxoplasma/genética , Microtúbulos , MovimentoRESUMO
Parasites generally have a negative effect on the health of their host. They represent a huge health burden, as they globally affect the health of the infested human or animal in the long term and, thus, impact agricultural and socio-economic outcomes. However, parasite-driven immune-regulatory effects have been described, with potential therapeutic relevance for autoimmune diseases. While the metabolism in both the host and parasites contributes to their defense and is the basis for nematode survival in the intestine, it has remained largely understudied due to a lack of adequate technologies. We have developed and applied NAD(P)H fluorescence lifetime imaging to explanted murine intestinal tissue during infection with the natural nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus to study the metabolic processes in both the host and parasites in a spatially resolved manner. The exploitation of the fluorescence lifetime of the co-enzymes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), hereafter NAD(P)H, which are preserved across species, depends on their binding status and the binding site on the enzymes catalyzing metabolic processes. Focusing on the most abundantly expressed NAD(P)H-dependent enzymes, the metabolic pathways associated with anaerobic glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation/aerobic glycolysis, and NOX-based oxidative burst, as a major defense mechanism, were distinguished, and the metabolic crosstalk between the host and parasite during infection was characterized.
Assuntos
Infecções por Nematoides , Parasitos , Humanos , Animais , Camundongos , NAD , Fosforilação Oxidativa , Intestinos/diagnóstico por imagemRESUMO
Objectives: The widespread occurrence of anti-malarial drug resistance threatens the current efforts to control malaria in African regions. Molecular marker surveillance helps to track the emergence and spread of drug-resistant malaria cases. Methods: A total of 237 Plasmodium falciparum infections imported from central Africa to Zhejiang Province, China, between 2016 and 2021, were investigated. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples of each patient and nested PCRs was used to detect molecular markers in k13, Pfcrt, and Pfmdr1 genes. The spatial and temporal distributions of the molecular markers were analyzed. Results: A limited polymorphism of k13 was observed, including two nonsynonymous (D464E and K503E) and five synonymous mutations. Wild-type CVMNK of Pfcrt predominated (78.5%), whereas 19.5% of the samples harbored the mutant haplotype, CVIET. The point mutation Y184F and the single mutant haplotype NF of Pfmdr1 were the most frequently observed. The geographical distributions of the Pfcrt and Pfmdr1 haplotypes displayed distinct patterns, with the mutant haplotype of Pfcrt more common in Gabon (53.9%) and Congo (50.0%), and wild haplotypes of Pfmdr1 more frequently found in Cameroon, Angola, and Congo. The prevalence of wild-type CVMNK of Pfcrt increased from 68.5-74.6% in 2016-2017 to 81.8-87.5% in 2018-2021. The proportion of wild-type Pfmdr1 also increased from 27.1% in 2016 to 38.5% in 2019. Conclusion: The geographical and temporal distribution of k13, Pfcrt, and Pfmdr1 polymorphisms in P. falciparum parasites imported from central Africa between 2016 and 2021 are demonstrated. Our data provide updated evidence that can be used to adjust anti-malarial drug policies in central Africa and China.
Assuntos
Antimaláricos , Parasitos , Humanos , Animais , Plasmodium falciparum/genética , Antimaláricos/farmacologia , Biomarcadores , África Central/epidemiologiaRESUMO
Cats have an important and different place due to their close relationships with humans. Since most of the parasites they carry are zoonotic, it is important to detect them. According to the research, Dipylidium caninum, Joyeuxiella pasqualei, Toxocara spp., Toxascaris leonina, Giardia spp., Isospora spp., and Toxoplasma sp. were found to be higher in cats compared to other parasites. It has been determined that scabies and flea infestations are common as ectoparasites. This review aims to present the reported parasites and their prevalence rates in cats in Türkiye. Keywords: Cat, helminth, ectoparasite, protozoan, Türkiye.
Assuntos
Infestações por Pulgas , Parasitos , Escabiose , Toxoplasma , Humanos , Gatos , Animais , ToxocaraRESUMO
Background: For many years, the treatment of malaria was based on clinical presumptive diagnosis, making its differential diagnosis with other causes of hyperthermia difficult. This drug pressure has led to the emergence of Plasmodium strains resistant to the most commonly used antimalarial drugs. This is why in 2004, the health authorities decided to revise the policy of malaria management by adopting a new strategy based on the rational use of artemisininbased combination therapies after the biological confirmation of suspected malaria cases. The biological diagnosis is an essential part of malaria management. The gold standard technique for diagnosis is the thick drop combined with the calculation of parasite density (PD), which is determined on the basis of the number of parasites counted in a microscopic field against a proposed standard number of leukocytes. The number of leukocytes used to calculate the parasite density should ideally be the actual number of leukocytes in the patient per cubic millimetre of blood. However, in the absence of the availability of a blood count at the time of the thick drop, an average number of 8 000 leukocytes/mm3 was used by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to estimate the parasite density. Nonetheless, in Benin the average number of leukocytes adopted by the National Malaria Control Programme (PNLP) is 6 000/mm3. The aim of our study was to determine the impact of the leukocyte count on the calculation of the parasite density in cases of uncomplicated malaria. Method: The study was a cross-sectional study with an analytical aim and took place in 2 hospitals in Benin, the Klouékanmey zone hospital in the south of Benin and the Djougou health centre in the north. It involved a population of 476 children aged between 6 and 59 months who were seen in consultation and in whom the clinical diagnosis of simple Plasmodium falciparum malaria was suspected. Children aged between 6 and 59 months, weighing at least 5 kg, with an axillary temperature ≥ 37.5°C at the time of consultation or a history of fever in the last 24 hours or other symptoms pointing to the diagnosis of malaria were included. Infestation was mono-specific for Plasmodium falciparum. Informed consent was required from the child's parents or guardian. The criteria for non-inclusion in our study were the presence of at least one sign of malaria severity, signs of severe malnutrition or a febrile state related to underlying infectious diseases other than malaria. Thick blood count and haemogram were systematically performed in all included children. Parasite density was calculated according to 3 methods, first using a weighted leukocyte count of 6 000/mm3 recommended by the Benin National Malaria Control Programme (PNLP), then a leukocyte count of 8 000/mm3 recommended by the World Health Organisation and finally the patient's actual leukocyte count obtained from the blood count. It should be noted that these different samples were respectively taken on the day of inclusion in compliance with the conditions of the pre-analytical phase in force in our medical biology laboratory. Results: At the end of our study, 313 children, i.e. 65.76% of our study population had a positive white blood cell count with a positivity rate of 62.14% in Djougou, i.e. 174 children, and 70.9% in Klouékanmey, i.e. 139 children. The average leukocyte count in these children was 11,580/mm3. Among them, 205 children had an abnormal white blood cell count, i.e. 17 cases of leukopenia (5.43%) and 188 cases of hyperleukocytosis (60.06%). Using successively the average number of 6 000 leukocytes/mm3 proposed by the Benin PNLP and that of 8 000 leukocytes/mm3 proposed by the WHO, the average parasite densities were respectively 47,943 and 63,936 trophozoïtes/µl against 92,290 trophozoïtes/µl when the real number of leukocytes of the patients was used for the calculation of the PD. By using an average of 6 000 leukocytes/mm3 for PD calculation, 60% of the calculated PDs were underestimated and 6% were overestimated. Using an average of 8 000 leukocytes/mm3 resulted in 49% of PD being underestimated and 15% being overestimated. The difference between the three calculation methods was considered statistically significant (p value <0.05). Conclusion: The use of 6 000 or 8 000 coefficients for the estimation of parasitaemia could lead to a significant underestimation of the parasite load.
Assuntos
Malária , Parasitos , Animais , Humanos , Criança , Lactente , Pré-Escolar , Benin/epidemiologia , Estudos Transversais , Malária/diagnóstico , Leucócitos , FebreRESUMO
Eight species (four new) of Urocleidoides are reported from Characiformes and Gymnotiformes fishes of the coastal drainages of the Eastern Amazon. Urocleidoides vanini n. sp. is characterized by having a male copulatory organ (MCO) with three and a half counterclockwise rings, absence of vaginal sclerite, and a V-shaped ventral bar. Urocleidoides atilaiamarinoi n. sp. has MCO with two and a half counterclockwise rings, dumbbell-shaped accessory piece, similar anchors, open V-shaped ventral bar, and open U-shaped dorsal bar. Urocleidoides macrosoma n. sp. exhibits an elongate and robust body, MCO comprising one counterclockwise ring, similar anchors with wavy point, and dumbbell-shaped ventral and dorsal bars. Urocleidoides nataliapasternakae n. sp. has MCO comprising two and a half counterclockwise rings, vaginal canal convoluted, point of the dorsal anchor with ornamentation as sclerotized shredded filaments, elongate dumbbell-shaped ventral bar, and U-shaped dorsal bar. Urocleidoides naris and Urocleidoides brasiliensis from H. malabaricus (Characiformes) and the incertae sedis species, Urocleidoides gymnotus and Urocleidoides carapus, from Sternopygus macrurus (Gymnotiformes) are reported, and their molecular sequences are presented in this study. Phylogenetic analyses based on molecular data (28S rDNA and COI mtDNA) reveal that species of Urocleidoides lacking vaginal sclerite are closely related to species that possess vaginal sclerite, suggesting that the absence of vaginal sclerite in Urocleidoides may be the result of a secondary loss. The relationships between species of Urocleidoides and other Neotropical dactylogyrids are also addressed.
