Comparison of Sampling Procedures for the Molecular Diagnosis of Leishmaniases.

The present work evaluates sampling protocols, storage procedures, and DNA purification methods for Leishmania spp. detection and quantification in different biological samples. The efficiency of three preservation solutions, a phosphate buffer solution, an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) buffer solution, and 70% ethanol, was compared in combination with three DNA extraction protocols: a commercial silica column kit, salting-out protein precipitation, and organic extraction with phenol-chloroform.

Preliminary observations of the urbanization and domiciliation of the American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Rio Branco, Acre, Western Amazon.

Background: The American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is expanding in peri-urban environments.

Methods: An entomological survey was conducted in the area of the occurrence of an autochthonous urban case of ACL. Sandflies and a parasitological slide of the human case were submitted for molecular diagnosis.

Reporter gene systems: A powerful tool for studies.

Protozoan parasites of the genus are responsible for leishmaniases, one of the most important anthropozoonotic diseases affecting millions of people worldwide. To date, there are no approved vaccines against leishmaniases for humans. At present, available treatment options lack specificity, which may lead to drug resistance and often cause adverse effects.

Finding Correlations Between mRNA and Protein Levels in Development: Is There a Discrepancy?

Multiple genes and proteins have been identified as differentially expressed in the stages of the  life cycle. The differentiation processes are implicated in specific transcriptional and proteomic adjustments driven by gene expression regulation mechanisms. parasites lack gene-specific transcriptional control, and gene expression regulation mostly depends on posttranscriptional mechanisms.

Corrigendum: miR-548d-3p Is Up-regulated in Human Visceral Leishmaniasis and Suppresses Parasite Growth in Macrophages.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.

miR-548d-3p Is Up-Regulated in Human Visceral Leishmaniasis and Suppresses Parasite Growth in Macrophages.

Visceral leishmaniasis caused by in Latin America progress with hepatosplenomegaly, pancytopenia, hypergammaglobulinemia, and weight loss and maybe lethal mainly in untreated cases. miRNAs are important regulators of immune and inflammatory gene expression, but their mechanisms of action and their relationship to pathogenesis in leishmaniasis are not well understood. In the present study, we sought to quantify changes in miRNAs associated with immune and inflammatory pathways using the promastigote infected- human monocytic THP-1 cell model and plasma from patients with visceral leishmaniasis.

miR-294 and miR-410 Negatively Regulate , Arginine Transporter 1/2, and 2 mRNAs in Murine Macrophages Infected with .

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate cellular processes by the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, including immune responses. The shift in the miRNA profiling of murine macrophages infected with can change inflammatory response and metabolism. L-arginine availability and its conversion into nitric oxide by nitric oxide synthase 2 (2) or ornithine (a polyamine precursor) by arginase 1/2 regulate macrophage microbicidal activity.

Endocrine disruption caused by the aquatic exposure to aluminum and manganese in Astyanax altiparanae (Teleostei: Characidae) females during the final ovarian maturation.

Aluminum (Al) and manganese (Mn) can be toxic to aquatic biota and cause endocrine disruption in fish, affecting reproduction. This study evaluates the physiological responses of the ray-finned teleost fish Astyanax altiparanae vitellogenic females after acute exposure (96 h) to Al and Mn (alone and combined) in acid pH followed by the same period of exposure to metal-free water in neutral pH. The aim of this second period of exposure was to assess the recovery capacity from the toxic effects these metals.

Metabolomic Reprogramming of C57BL/6-Macrophages during Early Infection with .

survival inside macrophages depends on factors that lead to the immune response evasion during the infection. In this context, the metabolic scenario of the host cell-parasite relationship can be crucial to understanding how this parasite can survive inside host cells due to the host's metabolic pathways reprogramming. In this work, we aimed to analyze metabolic networks of bone marrow-derived macrophages from C57BL/6 mice infected with wild type (-WT) or arginase knocked out (-arg), using the untargeted Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry (CE-MS) approach to assess metabolomic profile.

miR-548d-3p Alters Parasite Growth and Inflammation in Infection.

American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (ATL) is an endemic disease in Latin America, mainly caused in Brazil by . Clinical manifestations vary from mild, localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) to aggressive mucosal disease. The host immune response strongly determines the outcome of infection and pattern of disease.

Molecular tools confirm natural Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis/L. (V.) shawi hybrids causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Amazon region of Brazil.

Seven isolates from patients with American cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Amazon region of Brazil were phenotypically suggestive of Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis/L. (V.) shawi hybrids.

Aluminum bioconcentration in female Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Perciformes: Cichlidae) and the effects on pituitary gonadotropins.

In this study, we measured aluminum (Al) bioconcentration in the brain, ovaries, and liver of Oreochromis niloticus females, and analyzed the effects of exposure to Al and acidic pH on the gene expression of follicle-stimulating hormone (βfsh) and luteinizing hormone (βlh) in these animals. Mature females were divided into 4 groups, thus being maintained for 96 h in one of the following conditions: control at neutral pH (Ctr); Al at neutral pH (Al); acidic pH (Ac), and Al at acidic pH (Al-Ac). pH alone did not influence Al bioconcentration in the brain.

Initial survey on the use of animals in scientific research and teaching reveals divided opinion of the Brazilian population.

Objective: Specific legislation regulating the use of animals in research in Brazil was introduced in 2008. However, the viewpoint of the Brazilian population regarding the use of animals in research and teaching activities remains largely unknown. Investigation of the public viewpoint on and understanding of the topic is required given the current shifts in the animal ethics scenario in Brazil.

One Health Approach to Leishmaniases: Understanding the Disease Dynamics through Diagnostic Tools.

Leishmaniases are zoonotic vector-borne diseases caused by protozoan parasites of the genus that affect millions of people around the globe. There are various clinical manifestations, ranging from self-healing cutaneous lesions to potentially fatal visceral leishmaniasis, all of which are associated with different species. Transmission of these parasites is complex due to the varying ecological relationships between human and/or animal reservoir hosts, parasites, and sand fly vectors.

Dual transcriptome analysis reveals differential gene expression modulation influenced by arginase and host genetic background.

The outcome of infection is strongly influenced by the host's genetic background. BALB/c mice are susceptible to infection, while C57BL/6 mice show discrete resistance. Central to the fate of the infection is the availability of l-arginine and the related metabolic processes in the host and parasite.

Identification of Leishmania species by high-resolution DNA dissociation in cases of American cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Background: American cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infectious dermatosis caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, which comprises a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations depending on the parasite species involved in the infections and the immunogenetic response of the host. The use of techniques for amplification of the parasites DNA based on polymerase chain reaction polymerase chain reaction and the recent application of combined techniques, such as high-resolution DNA dissociation, have been described as a viable alternative for the detection and identification of Leishmania spp. in biological samples.

In Vivo Infection with Leishmania amazonensis to Evaluate Parasite Virulence in Mice.

Leishmania spp. are protozoan parasites that cause leishmaniases, diseases that present a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations from cutaneous to visceral lesions. Currently, 12 million people are estimated to be infected with Leishmania worldwide and over 1 billion people live at the risk of infection.

Author Correction: Differential immune response modulation in early Leishmania amazonensis infection of BALB/c and C57BL/6 macrophages based on transcriptome profiles.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

MicroRNAs: Biological Regulators in Pathogen-Host Interactions.

An inflammatory response is essential for combating invading pathogens. Several effector components, as well as immune cell populations, are involved in mounting an immune response, thereby destroying pathogenic organisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. In the past decade, microRNAs (miRNAs), a group of noncoding small RNAs, have emerged as functionally significant regulatory molecules with the significant capability of fine-tuning biological processes.

Differential immune response modulation in early Leishmania amazonensis infection of BALB/c and C57BL/6 macrophages based on transcriptome profiles.

The fate of Leishmania infection can be strongly influenced by the host genetic background. In this work, we describe gene expression modulation of the immune system based on dual global transcriptome profiles of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) from BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice infected with Leishmania amazonensis. A total of 12,641 host transcripts were identified according to the alignment to the Mus musculus genome.

Metabolomic Profile of BALB/c Macrophages Infected with : Deciphering L-Arginine Metabolism.

Background: Leishmaniases are neglected tropical diseases that are caused by , being endemic worldwide. L-arginine is an essential amino acid that is required for polyamines production on mammal cells. During infection of macrophages, L-arginine is used by host and parasite arginase to produce polyamines, leading to parasite survival; or, by nitric oxide synthase 2 to produce nitric oxide leading to parasite killing.

Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis type 2 as probable etiological agent of canine cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazilian Amazon.

Canine cutaneous leishmaniasis (CCL) is a zoonosis of public health interest, and in the Americas, Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis has been identified as the main etiological agent. The present study sought to investigate Leishmania spp. infection in domestic dogs from a rural area of the Xapuri municipality, Acre state, Brazilian Amazonia.

Melatonin and Infection Altered miR-294, miR-30e, and miR-302d Impacting on , , and 2 Expression.

Leishmaniases are neglected diseases that cause a large spectrum of clinical manifestations, from cutaneous to visceral lesions. The initial steps of the inflammatory response involve the phagocytosis of and the parasite replication inside the macrophage phagolysosome. Melatonin, the darkness-signaling hormone, is involved in modulation of macrophage activation during infectious diseases, controlling the inflammatory response against parasites.