Hemoplasmas are bacteria that infect erythrocytes, attaching to the red blood cell. There is a need for more reports of hemoplasma infection prevalence and molecular characterization among cats in Brazil since there are only few published reports. The present work aimed to detect and molecularly characterize the presence of hemotrophic mycoplasmas in domestic cats with outdoor access from São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil. Twenty cats (10%) were positive for Candidatus M. haemominutum, five (2.5%) for M. haemofelis, and four (2.%) for M. turicensis based on 16S rRNA gene PCRs. Five cats (2.5%) were co-positive for Candidatus M. haemominutum and M. haemofelis. PCR diagnosis was confirmed by sequencing; and phylogenetic analysis was based on 16S rRNA and rnpb genes.

The objectives of the present study were the subtyping of Campylobacter jejuni subsp. jejuni strains obtained from humans and different animal species using PCR-RFLP, and the detection, by means of the same technique, of strains related to serotype PEN O19:LIO 7, the main C. jejuni serotype linked to Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Seventy C. jejuni strains isolated from human feces (n=33), primates (n=15), dogs (n=5), swine (n=2), bovines (n=1), abortion material from goats (n=2) and poultry carcasses (n=12), all collected in the state of São Paulo, were subtyped by means of PCR-RFLP of fla A gene, using restriction endonucleases Hae III, Afa I and Mbo I. Seven subtypes were observed when using the enzyme Hae III; eight when using Mbo I; and seven when using Afa I. The combination of the three endonucleases led to 16 fla-RFLP subtypes, from which ten subtypes shared strains of human and animal origin. From these, seven subtypes were observed in human and broiler strains. In eight subtypes, the other animal species shared patterns with human strains. It was inferred that, besides broilers, swine, goats, dogs and primates may be sources of infection for human in São Paulo. PCR-RFLP is a highly discriminatory technique that may be applied to molecular epidemiology studies of samples from different origins. Besides, the study also enabled the detection of two human strains and two primate strains related to serotype PEN O19: LIO 7.

Estabeleceu-se o perfil eletroforético de proteínas séricas de ratos Wistar experimentalmente infectados com Tripanosoma evansi, utilizando-se 40 ratos, distribuídos em oito grupos de cinco animais cada. Um grupo foi mantido como testemunho (G1), e os demais (G2 a G8) foram inoculados, via intraperitoneal, com cerca de 10³tripomastigota de T. evansi. Amostras de sangue para obtenção de soro foram coletadas no quinto (G2), 10º (G3), 15º (G4), 30º (G5), 45º (G6), 60º (G7) e 75º (G1 e G8) dia após as inoculações. O fracionamento das proteínas foi realizado pela técnica SDS-PAGE. Foram identificadas 31 proteínas, sendo sete de fase aguda: ceruloplasmina (101KD), hemopexina (83KD), transferrina (75KD), albumina (66KD), antitripsina (60KD), haptoglobina (44KD) e glicoproteína ácida (38KD). As proteínas com pesos moleculares 12KD; 22KD; 25KD; 28KD; 32,5KD; 35KD; 53,5KD; 63KD e 72KD apareceram apenas nos ratos inoculados com T. evansi.

This study established the electrophoretic profile of serum proteins of Wistar rats experimentally infected with Tripanosoma evansi. For such, 40 rats were allocated into eight groups of five animals. A group was kept as control (G1) and the others (G2 to G8) were intraperitoneally inoculated with 1.0 x 10³ tripomastigote of T. evansi. Blood samples were collected at 5th (G2), 10th (G3), 15th (G4), 30th (G5), 45th (G6), 60th (G7), and 75th (G1 and G8) days after inoculation (DAI). The serum protein concentrations were determined by means of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Thirty-one distinct proteins were identified, seven of these were identified as acute phase proteins: ceruloplasmin (110KD), hemopexin (83KD), transferrin (75KD), albumin (66KD), antitrypsin (60KD), haptoglobin (44KD), and acid glycoprotein (38KD). The proteins with molecular weights 12KD; 22KD; 25KD; 28KD; 32,5KD; 35KD; 53,5KD; 63KD, and 72KD were found only in infected rats.