Chemotaxis in : Evaluation by the two-chamber capillary assay.

Chemotactic responses play a significant role during differentiation through its life cycle and during infection. The aim of this description has been to portray the modified "two-chamber capillary chemotaxis assay" as a technique useful for quantitative evaluation of chemotaxis after reviewing the methods described until now to assess chemotaxis in . This valued simple and reproducible method convenient for parasite migration determination, was tested by the use of controlled changes in monosaccharide (D-glucose and D-fructose) concentrations as referent ligands.

Chemotactic activities of vasoactive intestinal peptide, neuropeptide Y and substance P in Leishmania braziliensis.

Cell-cell interaction and active migration (and invasion) of parasites into skin host-cell(s) are key steps for successful infection by Leishmania. Chemotaxis constitutes a primordial chapter of Leishmania-host cell interaction, potentially modulated by neuropeptides released into the skin due, for example, to the noxious stimuli represented by the insect bite. Herein we have evaluated in vitro the effect of sensory (Substance P, SP) and autonomic (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide, VIP, and Neuropeptide Y, NPY) neuropeptides on parasite taxis, and investigated the potential modulatory effect of SP on Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis-macrophage interaction.

[Adrenomedullin in the kidney: physiology and pathophysiology].

Adrenomedullin (AM) is a potent vasodilatory 52-aminoacid peptide hormone, ubiquitous with multiple physiological effects which contribute to homeostatic responses. Significantly, it is distributed in the adrenal gland, lung, cardiovascular and renal system. The biological effects of AM are directly mediated by specific receptors as heterodimers composed of the calcitonin-receptor-like receptor (CLR) and one of two receptor activity modifying proteins (RAMP2 or RAMP3).