Aquiles Eugênico Piedrabuena

Effectiveness of Metarhizium anisopliae against immature stages of Anastrepha fraterculus fruitfly (Diptera : Tephritidae)

The study evaluated the effectiveness of Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae (Hyphomycetes : Moniliales) strain E9, isolated from the pasture spittlebug Deois flavopicta (Hemiptera : Cercopidae), against larvae, prepupae and pupae stage and emergent adults of Anastrepha fraterculus, the South American fruitfly. The bioassay was carried out simulating field conditions, on autoclaved (AS) and non-autoclaved (NAS) soil from typical citrus orchards in the State of Sao Paulo, Southeastern region of Brazil. Various concentrations of conidia were incorporated into the soil the mortality, calculated based on the percentage of adult emergence, was 86% for the highest conidia concentrations: 2.52 x 1010 for AS and 2.52 x 1010 for NAS. The lethal concentration (LC50), expressed as conidia concentration, was 8.44 x 109 conidia/g of soil (S) for AS and 12.23 x 109 conidia/g of soil for NAS.

Total lipids and fatty acids of strains of Metarhizium anisopliae

Dois estagios de desenvolvimento a saber: conidio (C) e micelio (M) em 10 linhagens de Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae e 2 M. anisopliae var. majus, foram estudados em dois diferentes meios de cultivos, minimo (MM) e completo (MC). As linhagens apresentaram-se similares quanto a porcentagem de lipidios totais, porem submetidas ao teste de Tukey, as medias dos conteudos de lipidios do conidio (C) e do micelio (M) cultivados em meio MM e CM respectivamente, mostraram diferenca significativa ao nivel de 5% , indicando assim variabilidade para a producao de lipidios totais. As linhagens 5 e 7, ambas da var. majus, nao apresentam diferencas mensuraveis da variedade anisopliae. Com os acidos graxos C18:1 e C18:2 oleico e linoleico respectivamente, as diferencas foram todas altamente significativas (p= 1%) com a mais alta media de C18:1 para conidio e C18:2 para micelio.

Regeneration of garlic plants (allium sativum L., CV. “Chonan”) via cell culture in liquid medium

SummaryAiming at the genetic improvement of garlic cultivars, a cell suspension protocol was established which includes the induction of friable callus, establishment of cells in liquid medium, plating, regeneration, and bulb formation. Calluses of various textures from compact to friable and from green to yellowish were obtained by culturing explants excised from inner leaves of garlic bulbs on Marashig-Shoog (MS) medium with 2,4 dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D), (1.1 mg/liter [5.0 µM]), picloram (1.2 mg/liter [5.0 µM]), and kinetin (2.1 mg/liter [10 µM]). Friable callus occurred on MS-A contained 2,4-D alone (1.0 mg/liter [4.52 µM]) and this callus was used to develop cell suspension cultures, which were maintained in liquid MS-B medium with a 2,4-D/benzyl adenine (BA) (0.5 mg/liter [2.25 µM]: 0.5 mg/liter [2.22 µM]) ratio. High plating efficiency was obtained on MS-C medium with different naphthalene acetic acid/BA combinations. Regeneration occurred after transfer of the caulogenic mass to MS-C medium containing 10 mg/liter (74.02 µM) and 20 mg/liter (148.04 µM) adenine for 60 days, followed by transfer to adenine-free medium. Plantlets transplanted to soil showed normal phenology. Shoots grown on modified MS medium supplemented with indolylbutryic acid (3.0 mg/liter [14.7 µM]) stimulated bulb formation by 30 days in culture.

Ocorrência de linhagens humana e silvestre de Schistosoma mansoni, na pré-amazônia: I - estudo em moluscos

Foram isoladas na regiao da Baixada Maranhense (Brasil), linhagens humana (H) e silvestre(S) de Schistosoma mansoni a partir de miracidios eclodidos de ovos encontrados em fezes de doentes humanos autoctones da Regiao e de figados de roedores silvestres naturalmente infectados. Biomphalaria glabrata, descentes de caramujos coletados no campo, foram expostos, isoladamente, aos miracidios H e S, mantidos isolados em moluscario e observados durante 100 dias. Moluscos normais foram mantidos nas mesmas condicoes de ambiente em que foram submetidos os infectados e tomados como controle da experiencia. Foram anotados os indices de infeccao dos moluscos, as datas da eliminacao de cercarias, quantidade de larvas eliminadas e mortalidade dos moluscos. Os dados sugeriram melhor adaptacao do esquistossomo da linhagem H a B. glabrata. A linhagem S, por sua vez, foi tres vezes mais virulenta do que a linhagem H. Estes dados foram comparados com os encontrados na literatura especializada e verificado diversidades nos comportamentos parasitologicos das linhagens em estudo, quando comparados com os encontrados nas linhagens H e S oriundas do Vale do Rio Paraiba do Sul, no Estado de Sao Paulo (Brasil).The wild (W) and human (H) strains of Schistosoma mansoni were isolated in the Lowland Region of the Maranhao State (Brazil). The snail progenies from Biomphalaria glabrata collected from that region were exposed to the W miracidia, obtained from livers of wild rodents, and H miracidia from eggs in human stools. A control gruop of normal snails was kept in the same conditions as the infected one. The date of the elimination of cercariae, the quantity of eliminated larvae, the infection index of the moluscs and the mortality rate of the snails were recorded. These data suggested better adaptation of the H strain to B. glabrata. The W strain presented three times more virulence to snails than the H strain. These results were compared with published data of H and W strain from the Paraiba do Sul River Valley and different parasitologic behavior was verified.

Alguns aspectos referentes ao estudo de linhagens de Schistosoma mansoni Sambon, 1907, provenientes dos Estados de Minas Gerais e de São Paulo, Brasil

Foram estudados alguns aspectos do comportamento das linhagens mineira (BE) e paulista (SJ) do S. mansoni. Pesquisou-se a capacidade de penetracao das cercarias de ambas as linhagens e a relacao granulomas hepaticos-vermes. Verificou-se que as cercarias da linhagem BH possuem maior capacidade de penetracao e que o numero de granulomas hepaticos por verme, nas duas linhagens, variou inversamente com o numero de vermes por camundongo.

Aspectos imunológicos e parasitológicos em Biomphalaria tenagophila infectadas por Schistosoma mansoni e outros Digenea

Estudou-se o comportamento de amebocitos de Biomphalaria tenagophila infectadas por Schistosoma mansoni, por outros Digenea e a resistencia a superinfeccao, presente em infeccoes mistas. Foi verificada a atividade fagocitaria dos amebocitos, o numero destas celulas circulantes, a reacao amebocitaria nos tecidos, o perfil eletroforetico da hemolinfa, alem da reacao de imunodifusao. Concluiu-se que moluscos infectados por outros Digenea apresentam resistencia a superinfeccao por S. mansoni, sendo que os amebocitos parecem nao ter participacao direta na destruicao dos esporocistos de S. mansoni nesta eventualidade. Nos moluscos infectados observou-se maior numero de amebocitos circulantes e aumento de capacidade fagocitaria destas celulas.

Avaliação do estado nutricional de crianças e adolescentes com asma

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the nutritional state of children and adolescents with asthma, and to relate this to patient age at the onset of disease, severity of the disease, family per capita income, and the level of maternal schooling. METHODS: A cross sectional study involved 66 patients from he Immunology, Allergy and Pulmonology outpatient clinic of the Hospital das Clinicas of the State University of Campinas (HC/Unicamp). All of the patients suffered from atopic asthma and ranged in age from 4 to 14 years old. The patients were compared to 124 controls. RESULTS: There were no differences among male patients and the controls in the distribution of the z-scores for weight/age (p=0.24), height/age (p=0.61), body mass index (p=0.21), upper arm circumference (p=0.94) and triceps skinfold (p=0.49) in relation to disease severity, age at the first occurrence of disease, family per capita income, and the level of maternal schooling. Similarly, there were no significant differences in the z-scores for weight/age (p=0.13), height/age (p=0.46), body mass index (p=0.13), upper arm circumference (p=0.06) among female patients and their controls. However, there was a difference (p=0.002) between the triceps skinfold of female patients (-0.74±0.84) and the controls (0.17±1.21). No child with asthma was obese (z-scores for body mass index ³ 2). There were no significant differences in of the anthropometrical measurements among patients in relation to family per capita income, the level of maternal schooling, severity of the disease, and age at first occurrence the disease, but the mean weight of boys suffering from moderate asthma was lower than that of the other patients (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The nutritional status of the patients studied was satisfactory so that their body composition was unaffected by the disease, on environment, or by any interaction between these two factors. Our results reinforce the view that an anthropometrical evaluation should be done periodically to assess the consequences of the disease and the impact of any interventions and therapeutic measures used. This will provide a better evaluation of the patients overall health.OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to analyze the nutritional state of children and adolescents with asthma, and to relate this to patient age at the onset of disease, severity of the disease, family per capita income, and the level of maternal schooling. METHODS A cross sectional study involved 66 patients from the Immunology, Allergy and Pulmonology outpatient clinic of the Hospital das Clínicas of the State University of Campinas (HC/UNICAMP). All of the patients suffered from atopic asthma and ranged in age from 4 to 14 years old. The patients were compared to 124 controls. RESULTS There were no differences among male patients and the controls in the distribution of the z-scores for weight/age (p=0.24), height/age (p=0.61), body mass index (p=0.21), upper arm circumference (p=0.94) and triceps skinfold (p=0.49) in relation to disease severity, age at the first occurrence of disease, family per capita income, and the level of maternal schooling. Similarly, there were no significant differences in the z-scores for weight/age (p=0.13), height/age (p=0.46), body mass index (p=0.13), upper arm circumference (p=0.06) among female patients and their controls. However, there was a difference (p=0.002) between the triceps skinfold of female patients (-0.74 +/- 0.84) and the controls (0.17 +/- 1.21). No child with asthma was obese (z-scores for body mass index > or =2). There were no significant differences in of the anthropometrical measurements among patients in relation to family per capita income, the level of maternal schooling, severity of the disease, and age at first occurrence the disease, but the mean weight of boys suffering from moderate asthma was lower than that of the other patients (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS The nutritional status of the patients studied was satisfactory so that their body composition was unaffected by the disease, on environment, or by any interaction between these two factors. Our results reinforce the view that an anthropometrical evaluation should be done periodically to assess the consequences of the disease and the impact of any interventions and therapeutic measures used. This will provide a better evaluation of the patients overall health.

[Growth analysis of 566 children from the fourteen day care centers of Paulínia (São Paulo, Brazil), with ages ranging from 3 months to 3 years].

To study the growth of 566 children (273 males and 293 females) from fourteen day care centers of Paulínia (São Paulo, Brazil), with ages ranging from 3 months to 3 years, admitted from March 1st to May 31st, 1993, the authors analyzed the z-score distribution of height for age and weight for height in relation to age group, per capita family income, social class levels, mothers education level and child birth weight. The Kruskal-Wallis test and the Multiple Comparison test were used in the statistical analysis. The children with less than 24 months or with birth weight less than 3000 g as the children with mothers education level less than four years, presented left deviated distribution in the height for age z-score. The weight for height score was less satisfactory in the group with per capita income less than one salary, in the group with birth weight less than 3000 g, and in the group with ages superior to 18 months.Therefore, institutional actions concerning the children and their parents are recommended in order to attenuate these factors.

Evolução das imunoglobunilas envolvidas na resposta imune de camundongos ao Schistosoma mansoni

Foi estudada a evolucao das imunoglobulinas envolvidas na resposta imune de camundongos ao Schistosoma mansoni durante oito semanas de infeccao, utilizando soros pluri-especificos como reativos biologicos e a tecnica da imunoeletroforese bidimensional. Os resultados expressaram modulacao da resposta imune humoral, tanto em soros de animais parasitados (I) como nos normais, tomados como controle (C). Aumentos relativos dos niveis de imunoglobulinas entre estes dois grupos foram constatados pela relacao I/C. Foi possivel verificar o aparecimento de uma resposta primaria, ocorrida entre o inicio da doenca e a segunda semana de infeccao, constituida de IgM e IgA, e uma secundaria, iniciada na sexta semana de infeccao, constituida pelas IgA; IgG1 e IgM, com aumentos relativos de 4.5; 3 e 2 vezes normal.The evolution of immunoglobulins involved in the immune response of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni was studied by using plurispecific sera and the bi-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis technique. Determinations of the level of different immunoglobulins in infected animals and control groups which were mantained under similar conditions detected significant variations in both groups over the 8 weeks of observation. The study of the relationship (I/C) between the level of immunoglobulins of the infected animals (I) and that of corresponding control (C) showed that the infected animals presented a primary response (1-2 weeks after infection date) and a secondary response that was initiated in the 6th week of infection, with levels of IgA, IgG and IgM that were respectively 4.5, 3 and 2 times higher than those of corresponding control.

Linear growth in asthmatic children

Asthma is the most frequent chronic inflammatory disease in childhood, and its prevalence has increased remarkably over the last decades. Therefore, the scientific community became interested in studying the growth of the affected children. The relationship between asthma and growth suffers the influence of the clinical picture, of therapeutics, but the different study methods make it difficult to distinguish the factors responsible for the growth retardation detected by some authors. This review has the purpose of providing an overall outlook on this matter.