The type-1 cannabinoid receptor modulates the hydroelectrolytic balance independently of the energy homeostasis during salt load.

Hydroelectrolytic imbalances, such as saline load (SL), trigger behavioral and neuroendocrine responses, such as thirst, hypophagia, vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) release and hypothalamus­pituitary­adrenal (HPA) axis activation. To investigate the participation of the type-1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) in these homeostatic mechanisms,male adult Wistar rats were subjected to SL (0.3MNaCl) for four days. SL induced not only increases in the water intake and plasma levels of AVP, OT and corticosterone, as previously described, but also increases in CB1R expression in the lamina terminalis, which integrates sensory afferents, aswell as in the hypothalamus, the main integrative and effector area controlling hydroelectrolytic homeostasis. A more detailed analysis revealed that CB1R-positive terminals are in close apposition with not only axons but also dendrites and secretory granules of magnocellular neurons, particularly vasopressinergic cells. In satiated and euhydrated animals, the intracerebroventricular administration of the CB1R selective agonist ACEA (0.1 µg/5 µL) promoted hyperphagia, but this treatment did not reverse the hyperosmolality-induced hypophagia in the SL group. Furthermore, ACEA pretreatment potentiated water intake in the SL animals during rehydration as well as enhanced the corticosterone release and prevented the increase in AVP and OT secretion induced by SL. The same parameters were not changed by ACEA in the animals whose daily food intake was matched to that of the SL group (Pair-Fed). These data indicate that CB1Rs modulate the hydroelectrolytic balance independently of the food intake during sustained hyperosmolality and hypovolemia.

Presence of Mycobacterium leprae DNA and PGL-1 antigen in household contacts of leprosy patients from a hyperendemic area in Brazil.

Leprosy is a highly infectious disease endemic to underdeveloped countries. In Maranhão State, Northeastern Brazil, the hyperendemic rate of 56.11 cases/100,000 inhabitants increased the necessity of better understanding the epidemiological profile of this population, particularly regarding efficient methods for evaluating individuals residing with diagnosed patients to understand disease transmission and the risk of infection. In this study, we examined the percentage of contacts with positive indices for Mycobacterium leprae DNA and phenol-glycolipid-1 antigen (PGL-1). PGL-1 was analyzed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the ML-Flow test, and polymerase chain reaction of oral and nasal secretions of 808 leprosy contacts from Maranhão. PGL-1 was detected in 14.0% of patients and differed by operational classification of the index case (P < 0.05). Seropositive results of ML-Flow were 15.0% and identified individuals with and without Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine scars. Molecular diagnosis detected M. leprae DNA in 5.6% of oral samples and 4.6% of nasal tissues, and 87% of subjects resided with high bacillary load patients. This study reinforces the efficacy of combining molecular and serological techniques to identify potential bacillus carriers in the asymptomatic stage of infection, such as in household contacts, highlighting the importance of these meth-ods for monitoring hyperendemic populations.