Analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of essential oils of Eucalyptus.

Many species of the genus Eucalyptus from the Myrtaceae family are used in Brazilian folk medicine for the treatment of various medical conditions such as cold, flue, fever, and bronchial infections. In the current investigation, we evaluated the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of essential oil extracts from three species of Eucalyptus employing various standard experimental test models. Using acetic acid-induced writhes in mice and hot plate thermal stimulation in rats, it was shown that the essential oils of Eucalyptus citriodora (EC), Eucalyptus tereticornis (ET), and Eucalyptus globulus (EG) induced analgesic effects in both models, suggesting peripheral and central actions. In addition, essential oil extracts from the three Eucalyptus species produced anti-inflammatory effects, as demonstrated by inhibition of rat paw edema induced by carrageenan and dextran, neutrophil migration into rat peritoneal cavities induced by carrageenan, and vascular permeability induced by carrageenan and histamine. However, no consistent results were observed for some of the parameters evaluated, both in terms of activities and dose-response relationships, reflecting the complex nature of the oil extracts and/or the assay systems used. Taken together, the data suggest that essential oil extracts of EC, ET, and EG possess central and peripheral analgesic effects as well as neutrophil-dependent and independent anti-inflammatory activities. These initial observations provide support for the reported use of the eucalyptus plant in Brazilian folk medicine. Further investigation is warranted for possible development of new classes of analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs from components of the essential oils of the Eucalyptus species.

[Incidence, morphology and diagnostic studies of Entamoeba gingivalis, Gros, 1849]. / Estudos de freqüência, morfologia e diagnóstico de Entamoeba gingivalis, Gros, 1849.

Entamoeba gingivalis is found only in its trophozoite form and it is postulated that its main transmission mechanism is through the kiss. E. gingivalis is considered pathogenic by some authors and commensal to others. It does not have a defined role in the installation of disease. To address some of this questions we studied a 100 patients who were seen through the Odontological Hospital from the Universidade Federal de Uberlândia in order to determine its frequency in the buccal cavity. The material were collected using swabs from four different buccal sites and the smears were stained by a modified Papanicolaou technique. The results revealed positivity index of 62%. The affinity of the dye to the food vacuole contents and to the ingested bacterias prevents clear visualisation of the central and peripherical chromatin constituents of the parasite's nucleus. Mouth washes with 3ml of saline from 10 patients, were used to evaluate which parasitological method of diagnosis (fresh, iron-haematoxylin stained, Giemsa and Papanicolaou) gives better visualisation of the parasite. The mouth washes sediment from fresh material revealed 100% of positivity and clear visualisation of the free form and locomotion of the trophozoites. No stained technique of the smear showed adequate visualisation, presenting the nucleus partially covered by the food vacuoles. In stained preparations by toluidine blue ultrastructure analysis of the morphology of parasite can be observed.

[The occurrence of Biomphalaria straminea (Pulmonata: Planorbidae) on an aquaculture farm of IBAMA in Uberlândia, MG. Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente a dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis]. / Ocorrência de Biomphalaria straminea (Pulmonata: Planorbidae) na estação de aqüicultura do IBAMA em Uberlândia, MG.

This work evaluates the occurrence of freshwater snails in the IBAMA's fish breeding station in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais State. We verified the presence of Biomphalaria straminea in 39.5% of all breeding tanks. None of the snails were infected by Schistosoma mansoni, but further investigation should be done in the area.

[First evidence of Trypanosoma rangeli in the southeast of Brazil, an endemic region for Chagas' disease]. / Primeira evidência de Trypanosoma rangeli no sudeste do Brasil, região endêmica para doença de Chagas.

This short communication informs the discovery of Trypanosoma rangeli for the first time at Triângulo Mineiro region, South-east of Brazil, a highly endemic area of Chagas' disease and also the natural infection of Didelphis albiventris with the same trypanosome. Both the findings were demonstrated through blood smears, xenodiagnosis, microhematocrit technics and PCR. The last one was realized in faeces and hemolymph of Triatoma infestans utilizing as controls strains of T. rangeli from Colombia.

[Biliary atresia - study of 19 patients]. / Atresia de vias biliares - Estudo de 19 casos.

This is a retrospective analysis of 19 babies born with biliary atresia (12 girls, 7 boys) who were treated at the Hospital das Clínicas of the Ribeirão Preto Medicine School. The portoenterostomy operation was performed in 16 patients. All operations were performed before 12 weeks of postnatal life. Diagnostic laboratory studies are discussed. The authors conclude that the cholestatic jaundice protocol employed proved to be very necessary, can lead to early diagnosis can improve survival.

[Data on the biological cycle of the ascaridoid Ophidascaris trichuriformis, parasite of snakes]. / Données sur le cycle biologique de l'ascaridide Ophidascaris trichuriformis, parasite de serpents.

Ophidascaris trichuriformis is an ascaridoid commonly found in some species of Colubridae snakes. Similarly to what has been observed with several ascaridoid species, in O. trichuriformis the larvae, when still inside the egg-shells, reach the 3th snake stage around the 8th day of incubation in cultures kept at around 25 degrees C. Tentative assays to infect mice, snakes, toads, fish, and tadpoles of Hyla fuscovaria and Bufo sp. was made through the administration of embryonated eggs. Eggs didn't even eclode in mice, snakes or toads in such experiments; while in fish, although the eggs ecloded, its larvae were eliminated after the 4th day. In H. fuscovaria and Bufo sp. tadpoles, larvae were liberated from egg-shells and their development was observed up to the 36th day. They grew from the 6th hour to the above mentioned day, after which larvae were longer in Bufo sp. than in H. fuscovaria. By the 36th day distinction of sexes was possible through examination of genital primordia whose morphology and location differed in male and female larvae. From the 30th day on, following the recognizable beginning of metamorphosis in anuran amphibians and going up to the 65th day after experimental infection, an intense growth of the larvae infecting Bufo sp. was observed; the growth of such larvae was negligible between the 65th and the 85th days. Five snakes (Waglerophis merremii) were given per os larvae obtained from Bufo sp. after the 65th day of infection; these snakes died on the 53th, 54th, 60th, 110th and 116th days after their own infection, respectively, and in each of then 4th stage O. trichuriformis larvae were found in the stomach. The gastric location of such larvae in each snake was identical to the one in which adult worms of this same species are regularly found in natural infections: all of them had the middle part of the body embedded into the stomach wall while both anterior and posterior extremities kept free towards the lumen of the organ.

Natural product chemistry in north-eastern Brazil.

The north-eastern region of Brazil comprises about one third of the country's territory. It is a semi-arid region with a flora rich in aromatic, toxic and medicinal plants. Screening of aromatic plants led to the investigation of about 2000 samples of essential oil from plants from the region and from abroad. Studies done by the Universidade Federal do Ceará and other research groups in the region discovered several new substances with distinct pharmacological activities. Recent examples are: schultezin, hydroxy-bisabolol, trans-annonene, (-)-hardwickic acid, trans-cascarillone, nor-cucurbitacins, oleanolic saponin and chalcone dimer. A social programme called the Living Pharmacy was created to teach poor people how to cultivate and use medicinal plants correctly. A project to develop interaction between the university and industry also arose from these studies.

Naturally acquired infections with Leishmania enriettii Muniz and Medina 1948 in guinea-pigs from São Paulo, Brazil.

Two domestic guinea-pigs (Cavia porcellus), bought in Pinheros, São Paulo State, Brazil, were taken by their owners to a farm in the rural district of Capão Bonito, close to the Atlantic Forest, São Paulo, where they both developed tumour-like and ulcerating lesions on the ears. The causative agent was identified as Leishmania (L.) enriettii, based on biological characters and isoenzyme profiles. Sources of the parasite in wild mammals, and the possible sandfly vector species are discussed.

Plants used in traditional medicine of China and Brazil.

Even though the rationale behind the use of medicinal plants in Brazil and China is different, twenty four species are used in both countries. Scientific name, vulgar name and uses in both countries along with their chemical constituents are listed.

Chagas' disease and HIV co-infection: genotypic characterization of the Trypanosoma cruzi strain.

In the past few years, new aspects of the immunopathology of Chagas' disease have been described in immunosuppressed patients, such as fatal central nervous system lesions related to the reactivation of the parasite. This article is the first description of the genotypic characterization, at the strain level, of Trypanosoma cruzi isolated from a patient with Chagas' disease/AIDS co-infection. The presence of four hypodense lesions was observed in the cranial compute tomographic scan. the diagnosis of AIDS was assessed by the detection of anti-HIV antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot techniques. The CD4+ lymphocyte counts were maintained under 200 cells/mm3 during one year demonstrating the severity of the state of immunosuppression. Chagas' disease was confirmed by serological and parasitological methods. Trypomastigote forms were visualized in a thick blood smear. The parasite isolated is genotypically similar to the CL strain. The paper reinforces that cerebral Chagas' disease can be considered as another potential opportunistic infection in AIDS resulting from the reactivation of a dormant T. cruzi infection acquired years earlier.

Ocorrência de Biomphalaria straminea (Pulmonata: Planorbidae) na estação de aqüicultura do IBAMA em Uberlândia, MG / The occurrence of Biomphalaria straminea (Pulmonata: Planorbidae) on an aquaculture farm of IBAMA in Uberlândia, MG. Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente a dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis

Este trabalho avalia a ocorrência de moluscos planorbídeos na estação de psicultura do IBAMA em Uberlândia, Minas Gerais. Constatou-se a presença de Biomphalaria straminea em 39,5% dos tanques de criação. Nenhum dos caramujos estava infectado por Schistosoma mansoni, mas investigações complementares devem ser realizadas na área.

This work evaluates the occurrence of freshwater snails in the IBAMA's fish breeding station in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais State. We verified the presence of Biomphalaria straminea in 39.5% of all breeding tanks. None of the snails were infected by Schistosoma mansoni, but further investigation should be done in the area.

Primeira evidência de Trypanosoma rangeli no sudeste do Brasil, região endêmica para doença de Chagas / First evidence of Trypanosoma rangeli in the southeast of Brazil, an endemic region for Chagas' disease

Informa-se, pela primeira vez, os achados de Trypanosoma rangeli no Triângulo Mineiro, Sudeste do Brasil, área altamente endêmica para doença de Chagas, assim como a infecção natural da espécie Didelphis albiventris.com este mesmo tripanosoma. Estes foram demonstrados por esfregaços sangüíneos, xenodiagnóstico, hemocultura, microhematócrito e PCR. A PCR foi realizada nas fezes e hemolinfa de Triatoma infestans, usando como controle cepas de T. rangeli provenientes da Colômbia.

This short communication informs the discovery of Trypanosoma rangeli for the first time at Triângulo Mineiro region, South-east of Brazil, a highly endemic area of Chagas' disease and also the natural infection of Didelphis albiventris with the same trypanosome. Both the findings were demonstrated through blood smears, xenodiagnosis, microhematocrit technics and PCR. The last one was realized in faeces and hemolymph of Triatoma infestans utilizing as controls strains of T. rangeli from Colombia.

Plants used in traditional medicine of China and Brazil

Eventhough the rationale behind the use of medicinal plantes in Brazil and Chine is different, twenty four species are used in both countries. Scientific name, vulgar name and uses in both countries along with their chemical constituents are listed.

Identification of Leishmania mexicana mexicana in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Foi identificado pela primeira vez a presenca de L. mexicana mexicana no Estado de Sao Paulo - Vale do Ribeira, a partir de casos humanos e de cao domestico, atraves da caracterizacao biologica (in vivo e in vitro) e bioquimica (enzimas)

Leishmaniose tegumentar canina: inquérito soroepidemiológico em áreas rural e urbana no Município de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais / Canine cutaneous leishmaniosis: soroepidemiological inquiry in urban and rural area of Uberlandia - Minas Gerais - Brazil

A partir de um surto de Leishmaniose Tegumentar (LT) humana no Triângulo Mineiro e Alto Paranaíba, propusemo-nos investigar a infecçäo natural em cäes em áreas rural e urbana do Município de Uberlândia - Minas Gerais. Os cäes foram submetidos a exames clínico, hemoparasitológico e sorológico (reaçäo de imunofluorescência indireta). Foram examinados 429 cäes sendo 100 da área rural e 329 da área urbana. A RIFI demonstrou que 1 por cento dos animais da zona rural e 10,6 por cento dos animais da área urbana foram reagentes para Leishmania. Este achado parece indicar que a infecçäo canina na regiäo de estudo é ativa e que o cäo poderá representar um importante papel como reservatório da infecçäo, podendo participar na disseminaçäo e formaçäo de novos focos de endemia também em área urbana