Histopathology of Endocrine Organs of Miranda's White-Lipped Frogs (Leptodactylus macrosternum) from Cultivated and Non-Cultivated Regions in Semi-Arid Northeastern Brazil.

Endocrine disruption defines the influence of environmental contaminants on the control of behaviour, growth and reproduction of free-living species. Amphibians are considered as bioindicators of environmental balance in aquatic and terrestrial systems and of physiological and immunological sensitivity to environmental stressors. In the Caatinga Domain of northeastern Brazil, the Lower Jaguaribe River (LJR) region is outstanding for the conservation of anurans and has considerable species diversity.

CXCL10 treatment promotes reduction of IL-10 regulatory T (Foxp3 and Tr1) cells in the spleen of BALB/c mice infected by Leishmania infantum.

American visceral leishmaniasis is caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum. The control of the disease depends on the magnitude of the Th1 cell response and IL-10 producing regulatory T cells. Administration of chemokine, such as CXCL10, has shown promising results in the leishmaniasis treatment.

A new species of Hepatozoon Miller, 1908 (Apicomplexa: Adelerina) from the snake Philodryas nattereri Steindachner (Squamata: Dipsadidae) in northeastern Brazil.

Based on both unique morphological characteristics of the gamont, distinct changes caused to the host erythrocyte and analysis of partial 18S rRNA gene sequences, a new parasite of the genus Hepatozoon Miller, 1908 is described from the snake Philodryas nattereri Steindachner (Squamata: Dipsadidae) in northeastern Brazil. The new species, Hepatozoon musa n. sp.