As parasitoses provocadas por protozoários ou helmintos patogênicos afetam mais de dois bilhões de pessoas no mundo. Considerando os problemas gerados por infecções parasitárias e a necessidade do uso correto dos medicamentos prescritos, o objetivo deste trabalho foi detectar a freqüência de infecção por enteroparasitos e o uso de agentes quimioterápicos em crianças moradoras na periferia de Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. Foram analisadas noventa e seis crianças em idade pré-escolar, que realizaram o exame parasitológico de fezes e que fizeram uso de antiparasitários. A eficácia do tratamento foi avaliada pelo exame parasitológico repetido seis meses após o tratamento. O mesmo teste diagnóstico foi utilizado para avaliar a cura que foi definida como a ausência de ovos e cistos nas fezes. Das crianças estudadas, 79 (82,3%) estavam infectadas com um ou mais parasitas, os mais prevalentes foram Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura e Giardia lamblia. Os antiparasitários mais utilizados foram mebendazol (86% das prescrições) e metronidazol (30,3%) de acordo com a prevalência da infecção. A porcentagem de cura das 79 crianças estudadas após 6 meses do tratamento foi 65,3% para A. lumbricoides e 66,1% para T. trichiura. Este estudo sugere que um programa de educação continuada voltado para a prevenção e tratamento das infecções parasitárias tem se mostrado uma ferramenta útil na erradicação destas patologias.

Parasitic infections caused by intestinal protozoan and helminths affect more than two billion people worldwide and chemotherapy is the most commonly used therapeutic procedure. Considering the problems created by parasitic infections and the incorrect use of drugs, the aim of this work was to detect the frequency of enteroparasites infection and to estimate the use of chemotherapeutic agents in children living in the periphery of the city of Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Ninety-six preschool age children, who had parasitological exams and who used antiparasitic drugs, were analyzed. The efficacy of treatment was evaluated by stool examination repeated six months after treatment. The same diagnostic test was used to evaluate parasitological cure, which was defined as absence of eggs and cysts in the stool. From these children, 79 (82.3%) were contaminated by some species of parasite, the most prevalent were Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and Giardia lamblia. The most commonly used drugs were mebendazole (86% of prescriptions) and metronidazole (30.3%). The cure rate in the 79 children, examined 6 months after treatment, was 65.3% for A. lumbricoides and 66.1% for T. trichiura. This study suggests that a continuous education program regarding the prevention and treatment of parasitic infections is an essential tool for their eradication.

Tetratrichomonas didelphidis is a flagellated protozoan found in the intestine of opossums. The specimens were stained by the Giemsa method and by FLUTAX-2, an active fluorescent derivative of Taxol which binds to the ab-tubulin polimerized of microtubules of cells. Giemsa stain revealed the morphological features of trichomonads such as four anterior flagella, undulating membrane, axostyle and posterior flagellum. An intense fluorescence was observed in living trophozoites of T. didelphidis and Trichomonas vaginalis (used as control), incubated with FLUTAX-2. An analysis of the composition of the cytoskeleton of T. didelphidis will contribute to understanding the cellular morphology of the parasites.

Several diagnostic techniques have been employed for the detection of Trichomonas vaginalis. Microtubules constitute the cytoskeleton in eukaryotic cells and are sensitive to antimitotic drugs, such as Taxol (paclitaxel). We used FLUTAX a fluorescent taxoid - to analyze the microtubule distribution in living trophozoites of T. vaginalis in urine and in vaginal discharge. A high intensity of fluorescence was observed in living T. vaginalis, epithelial cells and leukocytes present in urine and vaginal discharge. Our preliminary results show the perspective of a new diagnostic technique for trichomonosis and will contribute to the understanding of the cytoskeleton of T. vaginalis.

Shape variations of strains of Trichomonas vaginalis were demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) following inoculation on McCoy cell monolayers and after interaction with human erythrocytes. The parasites adhered to both cells and presented amoeboid forms, with pseudopodia-like extensions. Several amoeboid organisms swam freely over the cell monolayers and produced aggregates. These unusual forms of the urogenital flagellate may be a response to the composition of the culture medium and may play an important role in the pathogenic process of T. vaginalis.

Tetratrichomonas didelphidis (Hegner and Ratcliffe 1927) Andersen and Reilly 1965 is a flagellate protozoan from the intestine, cecum and colon of Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758. The prevalence of T. didelphidis in opossums D. albiventris was studied in the Botanical Garden, Porto Alegre City in the southernmost Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. T. didelphidis was found in seven of eight cultures of swabbed rectums, representing a prevalence of 87.5% in D. albiventris. In the present investigation it was observed that the T. didelphidis found in the intestine content of D. albiventris had the same morphological characteristics as those previously described by other authors in the D. marsupialis, being probably the same protozoan species in both host species.

In in vitro assay the hemolytic activity of live isolates and clones of Trichomonas gallinae was investigated. The fresh isolates and clones were tested against human erythrocytes of groups A, B, AB, and O, and against erythrocytes of six adult animals of different species (rabbit, rat, chicken, horse, bovine, and sheep). Results showed that each of the isolates and clones tested lysed all human blood groups, as well as rabbit, rat, chicken, horse, bovine and sheep erythrocytes. No hemolysin released by the parasites could be identified. Parasite culture supernatants of hemolysis assays, tested in the presence of human erythrocytes did not induce any hemolytic activity. Trichomonads culture supernatants from 18, 24, and 48 hr extracts of sonicated parasites or cold killed organisms tested with human erythrocytes did not exhibit hemolysis. Although an hemolytic activity of T. gallinae was clearly demonstrated, a relationship between hemolysis and cell pathogenicity is not yet clearly established.

Tetratrichomonas didelphidis (Hegner and Ratcliffe, 1927) Andersen and Reilly, 1965 is a flagellate protozoan from the intestine, cecum, and colon of Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758. The parasite was found and isolated in the rectal glands in Pavlova starch-containing media in Florianópolis, SC, Brasil from D.

ABSTRACT Trichomonas gallinae (Rivolta, 1878) is a parasitic protozoan of the upper digestive tract and various organs of different avian groups, being common among the Columbids, was isolated described and its prevalence studies in the Southern Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul. The morphology study of the live specimens done by examination of fresh and stained specimens, showed that the T. gallinae isolated has the same morphological characteristics as the upper digestive tract trichomonads previously described by other authors

The in vitro hemolytic activity of live strains and clones of trophozoites of Trichomonas vaginalis was investigated. The isolates and clones were tested against human erythrocytes of groups A, B, AB, and O, and against erythrocytes of six adult animals of different species (rabbit, rat, chicken, horse, bovine, and sheep). Results showed that each of the isolates and clones tested lysed all human blood groups, as well as rabbit, rat, chicken, horse, bovine and sheep erythrocytes. No hemolysin released by the parasites could be identified. Hemolysis did not occur with trichomonads culture supernatants, and either with sonicated extracts of T. vaginalis, and nor with previously killed organisms

A atividade hemolítica de 11 cepas e 6 clones de T. vaginalis foi estudado in vitro. As cepas e os clones foram incubados com eritrócitos humanos do sistema ABO e com eritrócitos de seis animais adultos (coelho, rato, galinha, cavalo, bovino e ovino). Os resultados mostraram que todas as cepas e os clones de T. vaginalis hemolisaram as hemácias humanas e dos animais. Nenhuma hemolisina libertada pelo parasito pôde ser identificada. Os dados obtidos sugerem que a atividade hemolítica não é devida a libertação de uma hemolisina pelo T. vaginalis ou por um produto de seu metabolismo. A hemólise das hemácias não ocorreu com o sobrenadante das culturas do tricomonas, com também com os extratos sonicados e com os organismos previamente mortos

Se investigó la actividad hemolítica de 11 cepas y 6 clones vivos de Trichomonas vaginalis. Las cepas y los clones fueron subsecuentemente estudiados frente a los eritrocitos de 7 especies animales adultas. Cada una das 11 cepas y 6 clones lisó los eritrocitos de todos los grupos sangüineos humanos, lo mismo que los de conejo, rata, pollo, caballo, bovino y ovino. No se detectó la liberación de hemolisina por el parásito (cepas y clones). Los resultados sugieren que la acividad hemolítica no es debida a la liberación de hemolisina por la T. vaginalis o por un producto de su metabolismo

The authors studied the hematologic alterations of 14 dogs experimentally infected with Trypanosoma (Tripanozoon) evansi (Steel, 1885) Balbiani, 1888. The acute phase of parasitemia was characterized by a decrease in erythrocyte and platelet numbers, in mean corpuscular hemoglobin rate and in hematocrit, and by an increase in the rate of partial prothrombin activation time (p < 0.05). The presence of infection did not cause any alterations in mean corpuscular volume, hemoglobin levels, leukocyte numbers, prothrombin time, or plasma fibrinogen (p > 0.05)

Los autores estudiaran las alteraciones hematológicas de 14 perros experimentalmente infectados con Trypanosoma evansi (Steel, 1885) Balbiani, 1888. LA fase aguda se caracterizó por la disminución del número de eritrocitos, plaquetas y de la tasa de hemoglobina corpuscular media (CHCM), del hematocrito y por un aumento del índice de activación del tiempo de tromboplastina parcial (ATTP) (p < 0.05). La presencia de infección no causó alteraciones en el volumen corpuscular medio (VCM), en la tasa de hemoglobina, en el número de leucocitos, en el tiempo de protrombina (TP) y en el fibrinogeno plasmático (p > 0.05)

Os autores estudiaram as alteracoes hematológicas de 14 caes experimentalmente infectados com Trypanosoma (Trypanozoon) evansi (Steel, 1885) Balbiani, 1888. A fase aguda da parasitemia caracterizou-se pela diminuicao do número de eritrocitos, das plaquetas, da taxa de hemoglobina corpuscular média (CHCM), do hematocrito, e pelo aumento do indice de ativacao do tempo de tromboplastina parcial (ATTP) (p < 0.05). A presenca da infeccao nao ocasionou alteracoes no volume corpuscular médio (VCM), na taxa de hemoglobina, no número de leucócitos, no tempo de protrombina (TP) e no fibrinogenio plamático (p > 0.05)

The hemolytic activity of live isolates and clones of Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus was investigated. The isolates were tested against human erythrocytes. No hemolytic activity was detected by the isolates of T. foetus. Whereas the isolates of T. vaginalis lysed erythrocytes from all human blood groups. No hemolysin released by the parasites could be detected. Our preliminary results suggest that hemolysis depend on the susceptibility of red cell membranes to destabilization and the intervention of cell surface receptors as a mechanism of the hemolytic activity. The mechanism could be subject to strain-species-genera specific variation of trichomonads. The hemolytic activity of T. vaginalis is not due to a hemolysin or to a product of its metabolism. Pretreatment of trichomonads with concanavalin A reduced levels of hemolysis by 40%.