New insights into the pro-oxidant mechanism of dehydroleucodine on Trypanosoma cruzi.

Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), is one of the most important neglected diseases in Latin America. The limited use of the current nitro-derivative-based chemotherapy highlights the need for alternative drugs and the identification of their molecular targets.

Antiproliferative effect and ultrastructural alterations induced by 5-O-methylembelin on Trypanosoma cruzi.

Background: Embelin (EMB), obtained from Oxalis erythrorhiza Gillies ex Hooker et Arnott (Oxalidaceae), was reported against Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. Additionally, antiprotozoan activity against Plasmodium falciparum was reported for its methylated derivative (ME).

Purpose: To evaluate the potential anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity of EMB, ME and 2,5-di-O-methylembelin (DME) and analyze the possible mechanism of action.

Epididymal α-l-fucosidase and its possible role in remodelling the surface of bull spermatozoa.

The mammalian epididymis provides an appropriate environment for sperm maturation. During the epididymal transit, spermatozoa undergo biochemical and morphological changes that lead to the acquisition of the fertilizing capacity. In this study we analysed the fucosylation status of membrane glycoproteins in the spermatozoa obtained from different regions of the bull epididymis.

Analysis of the rumen bacterial diversity of goats during shift from forage to concentrate diet.

High-grain feeding used in the animal production is known to affect the host rumen bacterial community, but our understanding of consequent changes in goats is limited. This study was therefore aimed to evaluate bacterial population dynamics during 20 days adaptation of 4 ruminally cannulated goats to the high-grain diet (grain: hay - ratio of 40:60). The dietary transition of goats from the forage to the high-grain-diet resulted in the significant decrease of rumen fluid pH, which was however still higher than value established for acute or subacute ruminal acidosis was not diagnosed in studied animals.

Acute intrastriatal administration of quinolinic acid affects the expression of the coat protein AP-2 and its interaction with membranes.

Clathrin-coated vesicle endocytosis is thought to be crucial for the maintenance of synaptic transmission and for the cell plasticity at the nervous system. In this study, we demonstrated that acute intrastriatal administration of quinolinic acid (QUIN), an agonist of the N-methyl-D: -aspartate receptor, induces a decrease of the coat protein AP-2 expression and affects their interaction with membranes. By western blot analysis we observed that at 24 h after QUIN intrastriatal injection, alpha1 subunit of AP-2 and alpha2, at lesser extent, were reduced in the striatal membranes.