Lecanicillium aphanocladii: snake venom phospholipases A2 and proteases as tools to prospect enzymatic inhibitors.

Natural enzyme inhibitors have been widely described in literature because of its pharmacological and cosmetic applications. Fungi found in caves represent a promising source of bioactive substances that are still little explored scientifically. Thus, the present work evaluated the presence of enzymatic modulators in a filtrate obtained from the cultivation of the cave fungus Lecanicillium aphanocladii (Family: Cordycipitaceae). Snake venoms from Bothrops alternatus and Bothrops atrox were used as an enzymatic source for the induction of the phospholipase, proteolytic, thrombolytic, cytotoxic and coagulant activities. Compounds present in the fungal filtrate inhibited 50, 23·8, 26·6, 50·9 and 52·5% of the proteolytic, phospholipase, haemolytic, thrombolytic and coagulant activities respectively. The filtrate was not cytotoxic on erythrocytes, but induced partial dissolution of thrombi. Fungal enzyme inhibitors that have low or no toxicity and can be obtained on a large scale and at low cost are relevant in the medical-scientific context. Therefore, the inhibition of phospholipases A2 and proteases observed in the present work highlights the potential of fungal metabolites for the development of drugs that can be used in the treatment of haemostasis and inflammation-related disorders. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: In this study, secondary metabolites synthesized by Lecanicillium aphanocladii, a fungus isolated from caves, demonstrated modulating action on proteases and phospholipases A2 present in snake venoms of the Bothrops genus, widely used as tools for the study of pathophysiology processes related to haemostasis and inflammation. The results suggest the possibility of future applications for these metabolites in the development of pharmaceuticals of medical-scientific interest.

Descriptive analysis of rabies in wild animals in the state of Sergipe, Brazil / Análise descritiva da raiva em animais silvestres no estado de Sergipe, Brasil

The wild cycle of rabies constitutes a serious challenge to epidemiological surveillance for disease control in domestic, companion or production animals, and in humans. The understanding of rabies virus circulation in the natural environment is increasingly important due to the constancy of natural reservoirs of the disease and the presence of potential vectors of the infection to humans and domestic animals. Aiming to evaluate the occurrence of rabies in the State of Sergipe a total of 935 hematophagous bats (Desmodus rotundus), 46 wild dogs (Cerdocyon thous) and 24 primates (Callithrix spp.) were analyzed from 1987 to 2014, of which 1 bat, 17 crab-eating foxes and no primates were positive. Due to the lack of positive results in hematophagous bats, the main vector of herbivorous rabies, more studies are needed to monitor cases, because from an epidemiological point of view, Sergipe is endemic for herbivorous rabies. Epidemiological surveillance of rabies virus in wild animals is primordial for the success of disease control programs in herds of domestic animals and humans.(AU)

O ciclo silvestre da raiva constitui um sério desafio para a vigilância epidemiológica no controle da doença nos animais domésticos, de companhia ou de produção, e nos seres humanos. O entendimento sobre a circulação do vírus rábico no ambiente natural é cada vez mais importante, em razão da constância de reservatórios naturais da doença e da presença de vetores potenciais da infecção aos humanos e aos animais domésticos. Com o objetivo de avaliar a ocorrência da raiva no estado de Sergipe, foram analisados 935 morcegos hematófagos (Desmodus rotundus), 46 cachorros-do-mato (Cerdocyon thous) e 24 primatas (Callithrix spp.) no período de 1987 a 2014, dos quais resultaram positivos um morcego, 17 cachorros-do-mato e nenhum primata. Em que pese a contundente falta de resultados positivos em morcegos hematófagos, principal vetor da raiva dos herbívoros, mais estudos são necessários no monitoramento dos casos, pois o estado, do ponto de vista epidemiológico, é endêmico para a raiva dos herbívoros. A vigilância epidemiológica do vírus da raiva nos animais silvestres é primordial para o sucesso dos programas de controle da doença em rebanhos de animais domésticos e em seres humanos.(AU)

[Sodium dantrolene (dantrium) in the treatment of neurogenic muscular spasm]. / El dantroleno sódico (Dantrium) en el tratamiento del espasmo muscular neurogénico

Forty patients, whose ages varied from 4 to 65 years, presenting skeletal muscle spascitiy as sequel of cerebral palsy, spinovertebral trauma and cerebral vascular diseases were treated with Dantrium (dantrolene sodium), a drug muscle relaxing. Laboratory data included: electromiography, chronaximetry, EEG and blood and urine tests. Clinical followup revealed subjective improvement in the patients and also objective decrease of spasticity in a satisfactory number. Patients who had improvement with this therapy also had no beneficial results with other drugs.