Tuesday, August 18, 2009

What's new for 'Trypanosomatids' in PubMed

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Search kinetoplastids OR kinetoplastid OR Kinetoplastida OR "trypanosoma brucei" OR leishmania OR brucei OR leishmaniasis OR "African trypanosomiasis"
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PubMed Results
Items 1 -7 of 7

1: Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2009 May-Jun;42(3):309-14.Click here to read

[Spatial distribution of American tegumentary leishmaniasis cases in Campinas, State of São Paulo, between 1992 and 2003.]

[Article in Portuguese]

Nasser JT, Donalisio MR, Vasconcelos CH.

Prefeitura Municipal de Campinas, Campinas, SP.

This is a retrospective study with ecological features that describes the epidemiological pattern and geographical distribution of American tegumentary leishmaniasis cases in Campinas, São Paulo, between 1992 and 2003. The probable infection locations were georeferenced by means of Global Position System and spatially described using Spring 4.01 Beta software from the Brazilian National Space Research Institute. A kernel estimator was applied to identify areas of case concentration, three epidemic areas with higher case intensity were found in the municipal area in 1993/1995 and 2002/2003. Socio-demographic (gender, age, occupation, residence time), closeness of domicile to forest, and clinical form of the disease were studied. Although socio-environment characteristics of the areas were different, epidemics profile were similar. Age, sex and occupational distribution suggest peri-domestic transmission. Proximity to forest has being a risk factor.

PMID: 19684980 [PubMed - in process]

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2: Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2009 May-Jun;42(3):303-8.Click here to read

[Identification of Leishmania species isolated in human cases in Mato Grosso do Sul, by means of the polymerase chain reaction.]

[Article in Portuguese]

Lima Junior MS, Andreotti R, Dorval ME, Oshiro ET, Oliveira AG, Matos Mde F.

Programa de Pós-Graduação em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS.

Leishmaniases are endemic zoonoses in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. Their etiological agents in this region of Brazil are Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi, Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis and Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a tool with high specificity and sensitivity for identifying Leishmania species. This study examined 39 cryopreserved isolates of Leishmania that had been collected by bone marrow aspiration and/or lesion biopsy, depending on the clinical suspicion. The isolates were subjected to DNA extraction and PCR using the following primers: RV1/RV2 for identifying Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi, a1/a2 for Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis and b1/b2 for Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis.Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi was the only species identified in the 37 cases of visceral leishmaniasis.Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis was identified in two isolates from patients with a diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis. The results obtained confirm that it is possible to use these three pairs of primers as a tool for characterizing Leishmania isolates.

PMID: 19684979 [PubMed - in process]

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3: Phytomedicine. 2009 Aug 15. [Epub ahead of print]Click here to read

Volatile components of four Ethiopian Artemisia species extracts and their in vitro antitrypanosomal and cytotoxic activities.

Nibret E, Wink M.

Institut für Pharmazie und Molekulare Biotechnologie, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.

Artemisia species are one of the many traditional medicinal plants of Ethiopia used for the treatment of infectious and non-infectious health problems. In the present study, eight extracts prepared from leaves and aerial parts of four Artemisia species (Artemisia absinthium, A. abyssinica, A. afra, and A. annua) growing in Ethiopia were tested in vitro against bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei brucei. The most active extract was the dichloromethane extract from aerial parts of A. abyssinica with an IC(50) value of 19.13mug/ml. A selectivity index (SI) of 8.24 was obtained with HL-60 cells treated with the same extract. Artemisinin, the best known antimalarial compound from A. annua showed antitrypanosomal activity with an IC(50) value of 35.91mug/ml and with a selectivity index of 2.44. The dichloromethane extracts of the four species were further investigated for their volatile components using GLC/MS. Camphor was detected in the four species and was found to be the principal compound (38.73%) of A. absinthium extract. Octa-3,5-diene-2,7-dione, 4,5-dihydroxy was detected in three species except in A. afra and was present as the main volatile component (54.95%) of A. abyssinica. Epoxylinalool was detected only in A. afra and was the principal component (29.10%) of dichloromethane extract of the plant. Deoxyqinghaosu was only present in A. annua and absent in the other three Artemisia species. Deoxyqinghaosu was the principal volatile component (20.44%) of the dichloromethane extract of A. annua. In conclusion, the dichloromethane extract from aerial part of A. abyssinica should be considered for further study for the treatment of trypanosomiasis.

PMID: 19683909 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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4: Int J Parasitol. 2009 Aug 13. [Epub ahead of print]Click here to read

Probing for primary functions of prohibitin in Trypanosoma brucei.

Týč J, Faktorová D, Kriegová E, Jirků M, Vávrová Z, Maslov DA, Lukeš J.

Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, and Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Ceské Budejovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.

Prohibitin (PHB) 1 and 2 are small conserved proteins implicated in a number of functions in the mitochondrion, as well as in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. The current understanding of PHB functions comes from studies of model organisms such as yeast, worm and mouse, but considerable debate remains with regard to the primary functions of these ubiquitous proteins. We exploit the tractable reverse genetics of Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, in order to specifically analyze the function of PHB in this highly divergent eukaryote. Using inducible RNA interference (RNAi) we show that PHB1 is essential in T. brucei, where it is confined to the cell's single mitochondrion forming a high molecular weight complex. PHB1 and PHB2 appear to be indispensible for mitochondrial translation. Their ablation leads to a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, however no effect on the level of reactive oxygen species was observed. Flagellates lacking either PHB1 or both PHB1 and PHB2 exhibit significant morphological changes of their organelle, most notably its inflation. Even long after the loss of the PHB proteins, mtDNA was unaltered and mitochondrial cristae remained present, albeit displaced to the periphery of the mitochondrion, which is in contrast to other eukaryotes.

PMID: 19683530 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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5: Acta Trop. 2009 Aug 13. [Epub ahead of print]Click here to read

Genes of cathepsin L-like proteases in Trypanosoma rangeli isolates: markers for diagnosis, genotyping and phylogenetic relationships.

Ortiz PA, Silva FM, Cortez AP, Lima L, Campaner M, Pral EM, Alfieri SC, Teixeira MM.

Department of Parasitology, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

We have sequenced genes encoding cathepsin L-like (CatL-like) cysteine proteases from isolates of Trypanosoma rangeli from humans, wild mammals and Rhodnius species of Central and South America. Phylogenetic trees of sequences encoding mature CatL-like enzymes of T. rangeli and homologous genes from other trypanosomes, Leishmania spp. and bodonids positioned sequences of T. rangeli (rangelipain) closest to T. cruzi (cruzipain). Phylogenetic tree of kinetoplastids based on sequences of CatL-like was totally congruent with those derived from SSU rRNA and gGAPDH genes. Analysis of sequences from the CatL-like catalytic domains of 17 isolates representative of the overall phylogenetic diversity and geographical range of T. rangeli supported all the lineages (A-D) previously defined using ribosomal and spliced leader genes. Comparison of the proteolytic activities of T. rangeli isolates revealed heterogeneous banding profiles of cysteine proteases in gelatin gels, with differences even among isolates of the same lineage. CatL-like sequences proved to be excellent targets for diagnosis and genotyping of T. rangeli by PCR. Data from CatL-like encoding genes agreed with results from previous studies of kDNA markers, and ribosomal and spliced leader genes, thereby corroborating clonal evolution, independent transmission cycles and the divergence of T. rangeli lineages associated with sympatric species of Rhodnius.

PMID: 19683503 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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6: Mol Immunol. 2009 Aug 12. [Epub ahead of print]Click here to read

Leishmania major parasites induced macrophage tolerance: Implication of MAPK and NF-kappaB pathways.

Ben-Othman R, Dellagi K, Guizani-Tabbane L.

Laboratory of Immunopathology, Vaccinology and Molecular Genetics (LIVGM), WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training in Leishmaniasis and Laboratoire International Associé Ingenierie Biomoléculaire-(LIA-CNRS), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 13, Place Pasteur - B. P. 74, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere, Tunisia.

During infection pathogens elicit early inflammatory events and modulate mediators of the host inflammatory response. We show in the present study that the two stages of the Leishmania parasite differentially modulate the production of inflammatory cytokines with amastigotes inducing cytokine production but not promastigotes. However once they infect macrophages both stages were able to induce a state of tolerance characterized by the inhibition of TNFalpha production in response to a subsequent contact with the parasite. This effect was not due to the action of soluble deactivating cytokines released in the supernatant, but likely reflect direct cell-parasite interactions. Moreover, we show that parasite viability is required for macrophage tolerisation. Cross-stimulation experiments using two stimuli namely Leishmania and LPS, demonstrated a hierarchy of signalling with LPS mediating abrogation of Leishmania tolerance but not vice versa. Indeed, while LPS was able to overcome Leishmania induced tolerance LPS induced cell tolerance was refractory to subsequent Leishmania stimulation. This state of tolerance correlates with the hypo responsiveness of MAPK transduction pathways and defective activation of NF-kappaB transcription factor.

PMID: 19682748 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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7: PLoS Pathog. 2009 Feb;5(2):e1000199. Epub 2009 Feb 27.Click here to read Click here to read References for this PMC Article, Free in PMC, LinkOut

Infectious diseases of the nervous system and their impact in developing countries.

Bruzzone R, Dubois-Dalcq M, Grau GE, Griffin DE, Kristensson K.

Hong Kong University-Pasteur Research Centre, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. bruzzone@hku.hk

PMID: 19247436 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC2642628

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