CD95 (FAS) and CD178 (FASL) induce the apoptosis of CD4+ and CD8+ cells isolated from the peripheral blood and spleen of dogs naturally infected with Leishmania spp.

Infected dogs are urban reservoirs of Leishmania chagasi, which is a causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Dogs exhibit immune suppression during the course of this disease, and lymphocyte apoptosis is involved in this process. To investigate apoptosis and the expression levels of FAS-FAS-associated death domain protein (CD95 or APO-1), FASL-FAS ligand protein (CD178), and TRAIL-TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (CD253) receptors in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and spleen leukocytes from 38 symptomatic dogs with moderate VL and 25 healthy dogs were evaluated by flow cytometry.

Arginine decreases Cryptosporidium parvum infection in undernourished suckling mice involving nitric oxide synthase and arginase.

Objective: This study investigated the role of L-arginine supplementation to undernourished and Cryptosporidium parvum-infected suckling mice.

Methods: The following regimens were initiated on the fourth day of life and injected subcutaneously daily. The C.

Zinc and glutamine improve brain development in suckling mice subjected to early postnatal malnutrition.

Objective: The effect of zinc and glutamine on brain development was investigated during the lactation period in Swiss mice.

Methods: Malnutrition was induced by clustering the litter size from 6-7 pups/dam (nourished control) to 12-14 pups/dam (undernourished control) following birth. Undernourished groups received daily supplementation with glutamine by subcutaneous injections starting at day 2 and continuing until day 14.