What's new for 'Trypanosomatids' in PubMed

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Sent on Tuesday, 2012 April 24
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 - 9 of 9

1.	J Parasitol Res. 2012;2012:930257. Epub 2012 Mar 15. Toll-like receptors in leishmania infections: guardians or promoters? Faria MS, Reis FC, Lima AP. Source Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Bloco G, CCS, Ilha do Fundão, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil. Abstract Protozoa of the genus Leishmania cause a wide variety of pathologies ranging from self-healing skin lesions to visceral damage, depending on the parasite species. The outcome of infection depends on the quality of the adaptive immune response, which is determined by parasite factors and the host genetic background. Innate responses, resulting in the generation of mediators with anti-leishmanial activity, contribute to parasite control and help the development of efficient adaptive responses. Among those, the potential contribution of members of the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) family in the control of Leishmania infections started to be investigated about a decade ago. Although most studies appoint a protective role for TLRs, there is growing evidence that in some cases, TLRs facilitate infection. This review highlights recent advances in TLR function during Leishmania infections and discusses their potential role in restraining parasite growth versus yielding disease.
	PMID: 22523644 [PubMed - in process]

2.	J Parasitol Res. 2012;2012:165126. Epub 2012 Feb 22. Innate immune activation and subversion of Mammalian functions by leishmania lipophosphoglycan. Franco LH, Beverley SM, Zamboni DS. Source Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, FMRP/USP, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. Abstract Leishmania promastigotes express several prominent glycoconjugates, either secreted or anchored to the parasite surface. Of these lipophosphoglycan (LPG) is the most abundant, and along with other phosphoglycan-bearing molecules, plays important roles in parasite infectivity and pathogenesis in both the sand fly and the mammalian host. Besides its contribution for parasite survival in the sand fly vector, LPG is important for modulation the host immune responses to favor the establishment of mammalian infection. This review will summarize the current knowledge regarding the role of LPG in Leishmania infectivity, focusing on the interaction of LPG and innate immune cells and in the subversion of mammalian functions by this molecule.
	PMID: 22523640 [PubMed - in process]

3.	Clin Infect Dis. 2012 Apr 20. [Epub ahead of print] Fluconazole effectiveness against Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis: Is the evidence enough? Torres JR, Suárez JA. Source Infectious Diseases Section, Tropical Medicine Institute of Caracas, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
	PMID: 22523256 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

4.	Vet Parasitol. 2011 Dec 29. [Epub ahead of print] Leishmanicidal activity in vitro of Musa paradisiaca L. and Spondias mombin L. fractions. Accioly MP, Bevilaqua CM, Rondon FC, de Morais SM, Machado LK, Almeida CA, de Andrade HF Jr, Cardoso RP. Source Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Brazil. Abstract Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a zoonotic disease characterized by infection of mononuclear phagocytes by Leishmania chagasi. The primary vector is Lutzomyia longipalpis and the dog is the main domestic reservoir. The control and current treatment of dogs using synthetic drugs have not shown effectiveness in reducing the incidence of disease in man. In attempt to find new compounds with leishmanicidal action, plant secondary metabolites have been studied in search of treatments of VL. This study aimed to evaluate the leishmanicidal activity of Musa paradisiaca (banana tree) and Spondias mombin (cajazeira) chemical constituents on promastigotes and amastigotes of L. chagasi. Phytochemical analysis by column chromatography was performed on ethanol extracts of two plants and fractions were isolated. Thin layer chromatography was used to compare the fractions and for isolation the substances to be used in vitro tests. The in vitro tests on promastigotes of L. chagasi used the MTT colorimetric method and the method of ELISA in situ was used against amastigotes besides the cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells. Of the eight fractions tested, Sm1 and Sm2 from S. mombin had no action against promastigotes, but had good activity against amastigotes. The fractions Mp1 e Mp4 of M. paradisiaca were very cytotoxic to RAW 264.7 cells. The best result was obtained with the fraction Sm3 from S. mombin with IC(50) of 11.26μg/ml against promastigotes and amastigotes of 0.27μg/ml. The fraction Sm3 characterized as tannic acid showed the best results against both forms of Leishmania being a good candidate for evaluation in in vivo tests. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.
	PMID: 22521971 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

5.	Acta Med Port. 2011 Jul;24(4):649-52. Epub 2011 Dec 12. [Panniculitis in the setting of visceral leishmaniasis]. [Article in Portuguese] Lencastre A, João A, Lopes MJ. Source Serviço de Dermatologia. Hospital de Santo António dos Capuchos. Lisboa. Portugal. Abstract A 38-year-old male with a past history of intravenous drug use, AIDS and Visceral Leishmaniasis in 2000, was hospitalized after presenting with fever, myalgias and arthralgias, fatigue, hepatosplenomegaly and oedema of the inferior limbs. On the tenth day of admission, the patient developed painful subcutaneous nodules of the thighs and a Dermatology consultation was requested. A clinical and histological diagnosis of Leishmania Panniculitis was made, in the setting of Visceral Leishmaniasis recurrence. Leishmania Panniculitis is rarely found simultaneously with Visceral Leishmaniasis, and it is more frequently seen in HIV co-infected patients. In this case, the skin involvement allowed for an early diagnosis and histological confirmation of Leishmaniasis recrudescence to be made.
	PMID: 22521027 [PubMed - in process]

6.	BMC Complement Altern Med. 2012 Apr 20;12(1):49. [Epub ahead of print] In vitro antiplasmodial, antileishmanial and antitrypanosomal activities of selected medicinal plants used in the traditional Arabian Peninsular region. Al-Musayeib NM Nmm, Mothana RA Ram, Matheeussen A Am, Cos P Pc, Maes L Lm. Abstract ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Worldwide particularly in developing countries, a large proportion of the population is at risk for tropical parasitic diseases. Several medicinal plants are still used traditionally against protozoal infections in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Thus the present study investigated the in vitro antiprotozoal activity of twenty-five plants collected from the Arabian Peninsula. METHODS: Plant materials were extracted with methanol and screened in vitro against erythrocytic schizonts of Plasmodium falciparum, intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania infantum and Trypanosoma cruzi and free trypomastigotes of T. brucei. Cytotoxic activity was determined against MRC-5 cells to assess selectivity. The criterion for activity was an IC50 < 10 ug/ml (<5 ug/ml for T. brucei) and selectivity index of >4. RESULTS: Antiplasmodial activity was found in the extracts of Chrozophora oblongifolia, Ficus ingens, Lavandula dentata and Plectranthus barbatus. Amastigotes of T. cruzi were affected by Grewia erythraea, L. dentata, Tagetes minuta and Vernonia leopoldii. Activity against T. brucei was obtained in G. erythraea, L. dentata, P. barbatus and T. minuta. No relevant activity was found against L. infantum. High levels of cytotoxicity (MRC-5 IC50 < 10 ug/ml) and hence non-specific activities were noted in Cupressus empervirens, Kanahia lanifloraand Kniphofia sumarae. CONCLUSION: The results endorse that medicinal plants can be promising sources of natural products with antiprotozoal activity potential. The results support to some extent the traditional uses of some plants for the treatment of parasitic protozoal diseases.
	PMID: 22520595 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

7.	J Food Prot. 2012 Mar;75(3):601-6. Survival in vitro and virulence of Trypanosoma cruzi in açaí pulp in experimental acute Chagas disease. Barbosa RL, Dias VL, Pereira KS, Schmidt FL, Franco RM, Guaraldo AM, Alves DP, Passos LA. Source Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil. rodrigo@cemib.unicamp.br Abstract Chagas disease is a parasitic infection with high socioeconomic impact throughout Latin America. Although this severe, incurable disease can be transmitted by several routes, oral transmission is currently the most important route in the Amazon Basin. Açaí pulp has nutritional properties and is popular throughout Brazil and abroad. However, this pulp has been associated with microepidemics of acute Chagas disease (ACD) in northern Brazil, where açaí fruit is the main food supplement. In this study, we examined the in vitro survival and in vivo virulence of Trypanosoma cruzi Y strain in açaí pulp. Aliquots of in natura açaí pulp produced in Belém city in the northern Brazilian state of Pará were mixed with 10⁵ trypomastigotes. The samples were incubated at room temperature or at 4 or -20°C for various periods, and the parasites were isolated by forced sieving. The resulting eluates were examined by microscopy, and the trypomastigotes were administered intraperitoneally, orally, or by gavage to immunodeficient mice (C.B-17-Prkdc(scid)/PasUnib) that had been pretreated with antibiotics. Parasitemia was quantified by the Brener method, and mortality was recorded daily. All routes of administration resulted in ACD. A 5-day delay in the onset of parasitemia occurred with oral administration. The survival and virulence of the parasites were unaffected by prior incubation at room temperature for 24 h, at 4°C for 144 h, and at -20°C for 26 h. These results indicate that T. cruzi can survive and retain its virulence in açaí pulp under various conditions and that cooling and freezing are not suitable methods for preventing foodborne ACD.
	PMID: 22410239 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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8.	Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2012 Mar;86(3):455-8. New discoveries of sylvatic Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) throughout the Bolivian Chaco. Waleckx E, Depickère S, Salas R, Aliaga C, Monje M, Calle H, Buitrago R, Noireau F, Brenière SF. Source Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle, Université Montpellier - CNRS - IRD, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, La Paz, Bolivia. etienne.waleckx@ird.fr Abstract Sylvatic populations of Triatoma infestans might be involved in the recolonization of human dwellings. We report here the discoveries of new T. infestans sylvatic foci in the Bolivian Chaco. Eighty-one triatomines were caught, 38 of which were identified as T. infestans. Triatoma sordida and Panstrongylus geniculatus were the other species collected. One T. infestans and one T. sordida were infected with Trypanosoma cruzi TcI; one T. infestans was infected with TcII. These discoveries add to the debate on the geographic distribution of sylvatic T. infestans populations, the geographic origin of the species, and the epidemiological role of these populations. PMCID: PMC3284361 [Available on 2013/3/1]
	PMID: 22403316 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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9.	Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2012 Mar 2;419(1):38-42. Epub 2012 Feb 1. The GTPase TcRjl of the human pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi is involved in the cell growth and differentiation. dos Santos GR, Nepomuceno-Silva JL, de Melo LD, Meyer-Fernandes JR, Salmon D, Azevedo-Pereira RL, Lopes UG. Source Laboratório de Parasitologia Molecular, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, CCS, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. wykim@sookmyung.ac.kr Abstract The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas Disease, undergoes through a complex life cycle where rounds of cell division and differentiation occur initially in the gut of triatominae vectors and, after transmission, inside of infected cells in vertebrate hosts. Members of the Ras superfamily of GTPases are molecular switches which play pivotal regulatory functions in cell growth and differentiation. We have previously described a novel GTPase in T. cruzi, TcRjl, which belongs to the RJL family of Ras-related GTP binding proteins. Here we show that most of TcRjl protein is found bound to GTP nucleotides and may be locked in this stage. In addition, we show that TcRjl is located close to the kinetoplast, in a region corresponding possibly to flagellar pocket of the parasite and the expression of a dominant-negative TcRjl construct (TcRjlS37N) displays a significative growth phenotype in reduced serum medium. Remarkably, overexpression of TcRjl inhibits differentiation of epimastigotes to trypomastigote forms and promotes the accumulation of intermediate differentiation stages. Our data suggest that TcRjl might play a role in the control of the parasite growth and differentiation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
	PMID: 22326867 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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