The purpose of the present study was to investigate the in vitro and in vivo effects of aluminum sulfate on delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) activity from the brain, liver and kidney of adult mice (Swiss albine). In vitro experiments showed that the aluminum sulfate concentration needed to inhibit the enzyme activity was 1.0-5.0 mM (N = 3) in brain, 4.0-5.0 mM (N = 3) in liver and 0.0-5.0 mM (N = 3) in kidney. The in vivo experiments were performed on three groups for one month: 1) control animals (N = 8); 2) animals treated with 1 g% (34 mM) sodium citrate (N = 8) and 3) animals treated with 1 g% (34 mM) sodium citrate plus 3.3 g% (49.5 mM) aluminum sulfate (N = 8). Exposure to aluminum sulfate in drinking water inhibited ALA-D activity in kidney (23.3 ± 3.7%, mean ± SEM, P<0.05 compared to control), but enhanced it in liver (31.2 ± 15.0%, mean ± SEM, P<0.05). The concentrations of aluminum in the brain, liver and kidney of adult mice were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The aluminum concentrations increased significantly in the liver (527 ± 3.9%, mean ± SEM, P<0.05) and kidney (283 ± 1.7%, mean ± SEM, P<0.05) but did not change in the brain of aluminum-exposed mice. One of the most important and striking observations was the increase in hepatic aluminum concentration in the mice treated only with 1 g% sodium citrate (34 mM) (217 ± 1.5%, mean ± SEM, P<0.05 compared to control). These results show that aluminum interferes with delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase activity in vitro and in vivo. The accumulation of this element was in the order: liver > kidney > brain. Furthermore, aluminum had only inhibitory properties in vitro, while in vivo it inhibited or stimulated the enzyme depending on the organ studied.

Através do uso de armadilhas "pitfall" iscadas com massa fecal fresca de bovinos, realizou-se a coleta de besouros coprófagos (Coleoptera; Scarabaeidae), durante o período de 15 de abril de 1995 a 17 de fevereiro de 1996, em área de pastagem ao lado de confinamento de bovinos, em Piracicaba, SP. Coletou-se um total de 11 espécies distribuidas nos gêneros Aphodius, Ataenius, Trichillum, Eurysternus, Dichotomius e Canthon. Os besouros coprófagos de comportamento endocoprídeo representaram 72,73% das espécies coletadas, sendo estes os de maior ocorrência e a espécie Aphodius lividus parece ser a mais bem adaptada na área estudada.

Coprophagous beetles were collected using pitfall traps baited with cattle manure, in a pasture area next to a cattle feedlot in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil, from April 15, 1995 to February 17, 1996. Eleven species were collected, distributed in the following genera: Aphodius, Ataenius, Trichillum, Eurysternus, Dichotomius and Canthon. The species Aphodius lividus was the most frequently collected.

Besouros predadores da família Histeridae foram coletados através do uso de armadilhas "pitfall" iscadas com massa fecal fresca de bovinos instaladas em área de pastagem em Piracicaba, SP. Coletaram-se durante o período de 15 de abril de 1995 a 17 de fevereiro de 1996, quatro espécies identificadas como Hister punctifer, Phelister panamensis, P. haemorrhous e P. rufinotus. A espécie P. panamensis é um importante predador de ovos e larvas de Haematobia irritans e representou 72,93% do total de insetos coletados.

Histeridae beetles were collected using pitfall traps baited with cattle manure, placed in a pasture area in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. The following species were collected from April 15th 1995 to February 17th 1996.: Hister punctifer, Phelister panamensis, P. haemorrhous and P. rufinotus. The species P. panamensis, an important predator of the horn fly, Haematobia irritans, represented 72,93% of all insects collected.