To establish the relationships of the lizard- and mammal-infecting Leishmania, we characterized the intergenic spacer region of ribosomal RNA genes from L. tarentolae and L. hoogstraali. The organization of these regions is similar to those of other eukaryotes. The intergenic spacer region was approximately 4 kb in L. tarentolae and 5.5 kb in L. hoogstraali. The size difference was due to a greater number of 63-bp repetitive elements in the latter species. This region also contained another element, repeated twice, that had an inverted octanucleotide with the potential to form a stem-loop structure that could be involved in transcription termination or processing events. The ribosomal RNA gene localization showed a distinct pattern with one chromosomal band (2.2 Mb) for L. tarentolae and two (1.5 and 1.3 Mb) for L. hoogstraali. The study also showed sequence differences in the external transcribed region that could be used to distinguish lizard Leishmania from the mammalian Leishmania. The intergenic spacer region structure features found among Leishmania species indicated that lizard and mammalian Leishmania are closely related and support the inclusion of lizard-infecting species into the subgenus Sauroleishmania proposed by Saf'janova in 1982.

Este estudo tem por objetivo avaliar a ocorrência de translocação bacteriana em ratos submetidos a oclusão intestinal e verificar a capacidade de uma dieta imunoestimuladora em reduzir a incidência de translocação bacteriana nestes animais. Foram utilizados 24 ratos da linhagem Wistar, adultos, machos, pesando entre 180 e 240g, que foram divididos em três grupos, contendo oito animais cada. Ao grupo C (Controle) foi oferecida uma ração padrão para ratos, ao grupo I (Imunomodulação), uma dieta imunoestimuladora, e ao grupo D (Desnutrição) foi oferecida uma dieta padrão com a metade da oferta. Após sete dias, todos os animais foram submetidos a oc1usão intestinal por ligadura do íleo terminal. Após 18 horas da operação, com técnica asséptica, o abdome foi aberto e foram retirados 6ml de sangue da veia cava inferior, para determinação da glicemia, albumina e contagem de leucócitos. O baço, fígado e linfonodo mesentérico foram removidos separadamente, para estudo rnicrobiológico, e segmento do jejuno proximal, para estudo histológico. A ingesta calórica foi semelhante nos grupos C e I e a metade no grupo D. A média de glicemia foi inferior no grupo D. As culturas do linfonodo mesentérico, baço e fígado foram positivas em todos os animais do grupo D, em 58,3% dos ratos do grupo I e em 66,6% dos ratos do grupo C. As alterações histológicas foram mínimas quando comparados os três grupos. Conclui-se que a translocação bacteriana ocorre em ratos submetidos a oclusão intestinal e que o suporte nutricional com dieta imunoestimuladora é capaz de reduzir a incidência de translocação bacteriana em ratos com oclusão intestinal.

The aim of this study was to analyze the occurrence of bacterial translocation following intestinal occlusion in rats and to verify the importance of a immune-enhancing diet in reducing the rate of bacterial translocation in these animals. Twenty-four adult, male Wistar rats were used, weighing 180 to 240g, divided into three groups of eight rats each. Group C (Control) received a rat chow group 1 (Immunmodulation) a immune-enhancing diet and group D ( Malnutrition) received the half of the same rat chow as group C. After seven days all rats were subjected to intestinal occlusion by ligation of the terminal ileum. After 18 hours, under strictly aseptic technique the abdomen was opened and 6 ml of blood was withdrawn from the inferior vena cava for the determination of the blood glucose, albumin and leukocyte count. The spleen, liver and mesenteric lymph node were removed separately to microbiologic study and a segment of the proximal jejunum for histologic study. Caloric intake was similar in groups C and I and half in group D. Blood glucose levels were lower in group D. The microbiologic culture of the mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen and liver were positive in all animals of group D, in 58.3% of group I and in 66.6% of the rats of the group C. Histological changes were minimal when the three groups were compared. It is concluded that bacterial translocation occurs in rats subjected to intestinal occlusion and that nutritional support with an immune-enhancing diet is able to reduce the rate of bacterial translocation in rats with intestinal occlusion.