Epidemiology of Chagas disease in Jaguaruana, Ceará, Brazil. I. Presence of triatomines and index of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in four localities of a rural area

In order to assay the triatomine infestation and domiciliation in the rural area of Jaguaruana district, state of Ceará, Brazil, we studied, from November 2000 to April 2002, 4 localities comprising 158 domiciles as a whole, with an average of 4 inhabitants/house, who are dwelling in there for more than 7 years. Most houses have tile-covered roofs and the walls built with plaster-covered bricks (57%), followed by bricks without plaster (33%), and mud walls (7.5%). A total of 3082 triatomines were captured from different locations, according to the following capture plan: (a). intradomiciles: 238 Triatoma brasiliensis, 6 T. pseudomaculata, 9 Rhodnius nasutus, and 2 Panstrongylus lutzi; (b). peridomiciles (annexes): 2069 T. brasiliensis, 223 T. pseudomaculata, 121 R. nasutus, and 1 P. lutzi; (c). wild, in carnauba palms (Copernicia prunifera): 413 R. nasutus. From the captured triatomines, 1773 (57.5%) were examined. The natural index of Trypanosoma cruzi infection ranged from 10.8% to 30.2% (average of 17%), depending on the species and the location from where the triatomines were captured.     

Studies on vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi in Trinidad, West Indies

Studies on vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas were conducted during 1982-85 as part of an investigation on the epidemiological status of American Trypanosomiasis in Trinidad, West Indies. A total of 148 reduviid bugs were collected from caves, armadillo nests and at light traps, comprising four sylvatic species and totalling 120 Panstrongylus geniculatus (Latreille), two P. rufotuberculatus (Champion), twelve Rhodnius pictipes Stal and fourteen Eratyrus mucronatus Stal. A significantly higher level of infection with T. cruzi was recorded for P. geniculatus (42.5%) compared to R. pictipes (8.3%). The other two bug species were not found to be infected. P. geniculatus seems to be the most important vector in the sylvatic cycle of transmission of T. cruzi in Trinidad.     

The triatomines of northern Peru,with emphasis on the ecology and infection by trypanosomes of Rhodnius ecuadoriensis (Triatominae)

Information on the distribution and synanthropic behaviour of triatomines is essential for Chagas disease vector control. This work summarises such information from northern Peru, and presents new data on Rhodnius ecuadoriensis - an important local vector infesting 10-35% of dwellings in some zones. Three species are strongly synanthropic and may be suitable targets for chemical control of domestic/peridomestic bug populations. Panstrongylus herreri, the main domestic vector in the area, is probably present in sylvatic ecotopes in the Mara?ón river system. R. ecuadoriensis and Triatoma dimidiata seem exclusively domestic; biogeographical and ecological data suggest they might have spread in association with humans in northern Peru. Confirmation of this hypothesis would result in a local eradication strategy being recommended. Presence of trypanosome natural infection was assessed in 257 R. ecuadoriensis; Trypanosoma rangeli was detected in 4% of bugs. Six further triatomine species are potential disease vectors in the region (T. carrioni, P. chinai, P. rufotuberculatus, P. geniculatus, R. pictipes, and R. robustus), whilst Eratyrus mucronatus, E. cuspidatus, Cavernicola pilosa, Hermanlentia matsunoi, and Belminus peruvianus have little or no epidemiological significance. A strong community-based entomological surveillance system and collaboration with Ecuadorian public health authorities and researchers are recommended.     

栀子花氨基酸成分的分析测定

目的:研究栀子花中氨基酸成分的种类及含量,为栀子花的开发利用提供科学依据.方法:将栀子花粉末用盐酸恒温水解处理,水解液用氨基酸自动分析仪测定.结果:栀子花含有17种氨基酸,其中7种人体必需氨基酸的质量分数达26.7mg·g-1,占总量的36.6％.结论:栀子花中氨基酸质量分数达7.3％,是一种很有开发价值的药食两用植物...     

湖北栀子花挥发油的GC/MS分析

利用水蒸气蒸馏法从湖北栀子花鲜花中提取栀花挥发油。通过ＤＢ－５弹性石英毛细管柱ＧＣ／ＭＳ分析所得栀子花挥发油,共鉴定了４０个化合物并测定了其相对含量。湖北子发挥发油的主要成分为芳樟醇（１７．９２％）,茉莉内酯（９．１１％）和惕各酸顺－３－己烯酯（６．５４％）。     

Induction of apoptosis by La Crosse virus infection and role of neuronal differentiation and human bcl-2 expression in its prevention.

La Crosse virus causes a highly cytopathic infection in cultured cells and in the murine central nervous system (CNS), with widespread neuronal destruction. In some viral infections of the CNS, apoptosis, or programmed cell death, has been proposed as a mechanism for cytopathology (Y. Shen and T. E. Shenk, Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 5:105-111, 1995). To determine whether apoptosis plays a role in La Crosse virus-induced cell death, we performed experiments with newborn mice and two neural tissue culture models. Newborn mice infected with La Crosse virus showed evidence of apoptosis with the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nicked-end labeling (TUNEL) assay and, concomitantly, histopathological suggestion of neuronal dropout. Infection of tissue culture cells also resulted in DNA fragmentation, TUNEL reactivity, and morphological changes in the nuclei characteristic of apoptotic cells. As in one other system (S. Ubol, P. C. Tucker, D. E. Griffin, and J. M. Hardwick, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:5202-5206, 1994), expression of the human proto-oncogene bcl-2 was able to protect one neuronal cell line, N18-RE-105, from undergoing apoptosis after La Crosse virus infection and prolonged the survival of infected cells. Nevertheless, expression of bcl-2 did not prevent eventual cytopathicity. However, a human neuronal cell line, NT2N, was resistant to both apoptosis and other types of cytopathicity after infection with La Crosse virus, reaffirming the complexity of cell death. Our results show that apoptosis is an important consequence of La Crosse virus infection in vivo and in vitro.     

SMART技术构建栀子cDNA文库

目的:构建栀子叶片cDNA文库。方法:提取栀子叶片总RNA。利用SMART技术合成双链cDNA。双链cDNA经限制酶Sfil酶切后与pDNR-LIB质粒连接。利用电刺激转化法将重组质粒导入E.coli DH5α而获得文库。利用PCR法检测文库的重组率。结果:原始文库滴度为2.63×105cfu/ml。随机检测文库中的15个克隆,表明重组率约为86.7%。选择14个插入片段的长度在400bp以上的克隆进行测序和生物信息学分析,结果预测的全长基因占所检测序列的64.3%。结论:成功构建了栀子叶片的cDNA文库,为栀子基因的结构和功能的研究提供了基础。     

New scenarios of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission in the Orinoco region of Colombia

Rhodnius prolixus, a blood-sucking triatomine with domiciliary anthropophilic habits, is the main vector of Chagas disease. The current paradigm of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission in Columbia includes a sylvatic and domiciliary cycle co-existing with domestic and sylvatic populations of reservoirs. The aim of this study is to evaluate the population densities and relative abundance of triatomines and mammals that may be involved in the sylvatic cycle of Chagas disease to clarify the epidemiological scenario in an endemic area in the province of Casanare. Insect vectors on Attalea butyracea palms were captured using both manual searches and bait traps. The capture of mammals was performed using Sherman and Tomahawk traps. We report an infestation index of 88.5% in 148 palms and an index of T. cruzi natural infection of 60.2% in 269 dissected insects and 11.9% in 160 captured mammals. High population densities of triatomines were observed in the sylvatic environment and there was a high relative abundance of reservoirs in the area, suggesting a stable enzootic cycle. We found no evidence of insect domiciliation. Taken together, these observations suggest that eco-epidemiological factors shape the transmission dynamics of T. cruzi, creating diverse scenarios of disease transmission.     

Could the bug Triatoma sherlocki be vectoring Chagas disease in small mining communities in Bahia,Brazil?

Searches for Chagas disease vectors were performed at the type locality from which Triatoma sherlocki Papa et al. (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) was described in the municipality of Gentio do Ouro, in the state of Bahia, Brazil, and in a small artisan quarry‐mining community ～13 km distant in a remote area of the same municipality. The latter site represents a new locality record for this species. Adults, nymphs and exuviae of T. sherlocki were found in 21% of human dwellings, indicating that the species is in the process of domiciliation. Prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in collected bugs was 10.8%. Simple predictive approaches based on environmental similarity were used to identify additional sites likely suitable for this species. The approach successfully predicted an additional five sites for the species in surrounding landscapes. Ecological and entomological indicators were combined to discuss whether this scenario likely represents an isolated case or an emerging public health problem.     

Blood lactate disappearance at various intensities of recovery exercise

Numerous studies have reported that following intense exercise the rate of blood lactate (La) disappearance is greater during continuous aerobic work than during passive recovery. Recent work indicates that a combination of high- and low-intensity work may be optimal in reducing blood La. We tested this hypothesis by measuring the changes in blood La levels following maximal exercise during four different recovery patterns. Immediately following 50 S of maximal work, subjects (n = 7) performed one of the following recovery treatments for 40 min: 1) passive recovery (PR); 2) cycling at 35% maximal O2 uptake (VO2 max) (35% R); 3) cycling at 65% VO2 max (65% R); 4) cycling at 65% for 7 min followed by cycling at 35% for 33 min (CR). The treatment order was counterbalanced with each subject performing all treatments. Serial blood samples were obtained throughout recovery treatments and analyzed for La. The rate of blood La disappearance was significantly greater (P less than 0.05) in both the 35% R and CR when compared with either the 65% R or PR. No significant difference (P greater than 0.05) existed in the rate of blood La disappearance between the 35% R and CR. These data do not support the hypothesis that exercise recovery at a combination of intensities is superior to a recovery involving continuous submaximal exercise in lowering blood La following maximal work.     

Evaluation of physiological responses during recovery following three resistance exercise programs

The present study was conducted to examine (a) whether there is an association between maximal oxygen uptake (Vo(2)max) and reduction in postexercise heart rate (HR) and blood lactate concentrations ([La]) following resistance exercise and (b) how intensity and Volume of resistance exercise affect postexercise Vo(2). Eleven regularly weight-trained males (20.8 +/- 1.3 years; 96.2 +/- 14.4 kg, 182.4 +/- 7.3 cm) underwent 4 sets of squat exercise on 3 separate occasions that differed in both exercise intensity and volume. During each testing session, subjects performed either 15 repetitions.set(-1) at 60% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM) (L), 10 repetitions.set(-1) at 75% of 1RM (M), or 4 repetitions.set(-1) at 90% of 1RM (H). During each exercise, Vo(2) and HR were measured before (PRE), immediately post (IP), and at 10 (10P), 20 (20P) 30 (30P), and 40 (40P) minutes postexercise. The [La] was measured at PRE, IP, 20P, and 40P. Decrease in HR (DeltaHR) was determined by subtracting HR at 10P from that at IP, whereas decrease in [La] (Delta[La]) was computed by subtracting [La] at 20P from that at IP. A significant correlation (p < 0.05) was found between Vo(2)max and DeltaHR in all exercise conditions. A significant correlation (p < 0.05) was also found between Vo(2)max and Delta[La] in L and M but not in H. The Vo(2) was higher (p < 0.05) during M than H at IP and 10P, while no difference was seen between L and M and between L and H. These results indicate that those with greater aerobic capacity tend to have a greater reduction in HR and [La] during recovery from resistance exercise. In addition, an exercise routine performed at low to moderate intensity coupled with a moderate to high exercise volume is most effective in maximizing caloric expenditure following resistance exercise.     

中药栀子类药材资源调查和商品药材鉴定

目的 :对中药栀子类药材进行品种整理。方法 :到产地进行原植物调查并对收集到的国内 30余件商品药材进行了性状鉴定。结果 :列出了栀子原植物分类检索表、产地分布表和商品药材鉴定表。结论 :我国栀子属植物约有 10个品种 ,商品药材的来源以栀子为主 ,其次为水栀子、大红栀子 ,其它仅为地方用药     

Presence of Panstrongylus rufotuberculatus (Champion, 1899) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) in Argentina.

Panstrongylus rufotuberculatus is reported for the first time in Argentina. Four adults were attracted by the light of human dwellings in Calilegua National Park, Jujuy, at 1150 masl within the subtropical humid forest. The individuals were similar to those described in the literature. The epidemiological significance of this species is very low in the area, although deforestation might increase its role in the transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi.     

Isolation of eukaryotic ribosomal proteins. Purification and characterization of the 60 S ribosomal subunit proteins La, Lb, Lf, P1, P2, L13', L14, L18', L20, and L38

The proteins of the large subunit of rat liver ribosomes were separated into seven groups by stepwise elution from carboxymethylcellulose with LiCl at pH 6.5. Ten proteins (La, Lb, Lf, P1, P2, L13', L14, L18', L20, and L38) were isolated from three groups (A60, B60, and D60) by ion exchange chromatography on carboxymethylcellulose and DEAE-cellulose, and by filtration through Sephadex. The amount of protein obtained varied from 0.3 to 3.8 mg. Two of the proteins (La and L18') had no detectable contamination; the impurities in the others were not greater than 8%. The molecular weight of the proteins was estimated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate; the amino acid composition was determined. Several additional acidic proteins were identified: P1a and P1b are phosphorylated derivatives of P1; P2a, P2b, and P2c are phosphorylated derivatives of P2. P1 and P2 are distinct proteins but both have large amounts of alanine (20.4 and 17.5 mol %).     

Ca2+ displacement by Polymyxin B from sarcolemma isolated by 'gas dissection' from cultured neonatal rat myocardial cells

Amphiphilic, cationic Polymyxin B is shown to displace Ca2+ from 'gas dissected' cardiac sarcolemma in a dose-dependent, saturable fashion. The Ca2+ displacement is only partially reversible, 57% and 63%, in the presence of 1 mM or 10 mM Ca2+, respectively. Total Ca2+ displaced by a non-specific cationic probe, lanthanum (La3+), at maximal displacing concentration (1 mM) was 0.172 +/- 0.02 nmol/microgram membrane protein. At 0.1 mM, Polymyxin B displaced 42% of the total La3+-displaceable Ca2+ or 0.072 +/- 0.01 nmol/microgram protein. 5 mM Polymyxin displaced Ca2+ in amounts equal to those displaced by 1 mM La3+. Pretreatment of the membranes with neuraminidase (removal of sialic acid) and protease leads to a decrease in La3+-displaceable Ca2+ but to an increase in the fraction displaced by 0.1 mM Polymyxin from 42% to 54%. Phospholipase D (cabbage) treatment significantly increased the La3+-displaceable Ca2+ to 0.227 +/- 0.02 nmol/microgram protein (P less than 0.05), a gain of 0.055 nmol. All of this phospholipid specific increment in bound Ca2+ was displaced by 0.1 mM Polymyxin B. The results suggest that Polymyxin B will be useful as a probe for phospholipid Ca2+-binding sites in natural membranes.     

栀子兰色素可能为栀子粉末外用抗炎消肿时的活性物质

传统中药山栀子中的环烯醚萜成分及尼平（ｇｅｎｉｐｉｎ）与甘氨酸反应可形成兰色素,初步药理实验显示,该兰色色素对小鼠具有抗炎和镇痛作用,推测栀子兰色素可能为民间将栀子粉末外用抗炎消肿时的活性物质。     

NDV F48E9株与La Sota株F蛋白B细胞表位差异分析区段的鉴定和免疫原性比较

本文对预测的NDV F48E9强毒株和La Sota 疫苗株F蛋白优势表位进行比较分析。根据预测结果设计克隆了两个毒株F蛋白各4段表位区,分别将每个毒株的4段表位区连接到原核表达载体上进行了体外表达,鉴定得到4段多肽的大小分别是P1：8.0KD、P2:10.8KD、P5:13.5KD、P6:10.5KD。应用F48E9和LaSota特异性抗血清对表达各肽段进行了抗原性鉴定,P1、P2、P5、P6段均呈阳性反应,表明其中含有线性B细胞表位。其中F48E9 P5 (FP5)和La Sota P5(LP5)与血清反应时有明显差异。FP5和LP5与鸡IL-18成熟肽（m ChIL-18）蛋白以不同组合免疫SPF鸡,ELISA检测各组的免疫活性,结果发现FP5与m ChIL-18蛋白联合免疫组的抗体水平高于LP5与m ChIL-18蛋白联合免疫组、FP5、LP5单独免疫组;用NDV F48E9株攻毒结果显示FP5具有20%的保护率,说明P5段与F蛋白免疫原性相关,而LaSota P5不能抵抗强毒的攻击,证明该表位区域在两个毒株之间存在着免疫原性差异。     

Intrusive versus domiciliated triatomines and the challenge of adapting vector control practices against Chagas disease

Chagas disease prevention remains mostly based on triatomine vector control to reduce or eliminate house infestation with these bugs. The level of adaptation of triatomines to human housing is a key part of vector competence and needs to be precisely evaluated to allow for the design of effective vector control strategies. In this review, we examine how the domiciliation/intrusion level of different triatomine species/populations has been defined and measured and discuss how these concepts may be improved for a better understanding of their ecology and evolution, as well as for the design of more effective control strategies against a large variety of triatomine species. We suggest that a major limitation of current criteria for classifying triatomines into sylvatic, intrusive, domiciliary and domestic species is that these are essentially qualitative and do not rely on quantitative variables measuring population sustainability and fitness in their different habitats. However, such assessments may be derived from further analysis and modelling of field data. Such approaches can shed new light on the domiciliation process of triatomines and may represent a key tool for decision-making and the design of vector control interventions.     

Epidemiology of Chagas disease in Ecuador. A brief review

Chagas disease is a complex public health problem that has been underestimated in Ecuador. Here we review the relevant published information, and present unpublished and new data that help to understand the current Chagas disease epidemiological situation and its evolution in the country. Three main characteristics have been identified: (i) persistence of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission in already known foci; (ii) a marked endemicity in some urban areas of Guayaquil; and (iii) the transformation of new Amazon foci into truly endemic areas. The situation in other suspect areas remains uncertain. Five Triatominae species have been implicated in the transmission of T. cruzi to people in Ecuador (Triatoma dimidiata, Rhodnius ecuadoriensis, R. pictipes, R. robustus and Panstrongylus geniculatus), but some others may also play a role in some areas (P. rufotuberculatus, P. howardi, T. carrioni and P. chinai). Other Triatominae reported seem to have little or no epidemiological relevance (T. venosa, T. dispar, Eratyrus mucronatus, E. cuspidatus, P. lignarius and Cavernicola pilosa). High frequency of acute cases and severe chronic disease has been observed. Although cardiomyopathy is more frequent, serious digestive disease is also present. It is estimated that around 120,000-200,000 people may be infected. 2.2 to 3.8 million people are estimated to live under transmission risk conditions.     

Direct process integration of extraction and expanded bed adsorption in the recovery of crocetin derivatives from Fructus Gardenia

A process that integrated an extraction tank (EXT) and an expanded bed adsorption (EBA) into a new system EXT-EBA for direct purifying crocetin derivatives from Fructus Gardenia was described. Conditions were set to allow the extraction and purification in a single step. A comparison between the integrated process and the conventional process to purify crocetin derivatives was presented. The integrated process resulted in 52.79% recovery of crocin compared to 24.12% in the conventional process. The process time and solvent used were decreased in the integrated process. The result suggests that the EXT-EBA integrates extraction, clarification, and purification in a single step, greatly simplifying the process flow and reducing the cost and time of extraction and purification of crocetin derivatives from Fructus Gardenia.