Biomedical subjects

A Martínez-Moreno

Publications and source records attributed to A Martínez-Moreno.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Estimation of canine intestinal parasites in Córdoba (Spain) and their risk to public health.

The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in dogs was studied in the province of Córdoba (southern Spain), with special attention to those parasites that can be transmitted to man. The experiment was completed with the examination of soil samples from public parks and city gardens. The study was carried out over a population of 1800 animals entered in the Control Animal Centre (CECA) by coprological methods, and within this group, 300 dogs were sacrificed and necropsied. The prevalence of any intestinal parasitic infection was 71.33%. The following parasites of the gastrointestinal tract were recorded: Isospora canis (22%), Isospora (Cystoisospora) spp. (10.22%), Sarcocystis (2.5%), Hammondia/Neospora (1.94%), Giardia canis (1%), Dipylidium caninum (13.2%), Taenia hydatigena (7.66%), Taenia pisiformis (4%), Uncinaria stenocephala (33.27%), Toxascaris leonina (14.94%), Toxocara canis (17.72%) and Trichuris vulpis (1.66%). Related to public health, it is important to point out the presence of T. canis only in puppies younger than one year and Uncinaria, more frequent in adult dogs. Soil samples of parks revealed the presence of eggs of Toxocara, and it suggests the existence of real risk for human infection.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Pathological and immunohistochemical study of the liver and hepatic lymph nodes of sheep chronically reinfected with Fasciola hepatica, with or without triclabendazole treatment.

Hepatic lesions and changes in the hepatic lymph nodes were examined in groups of sheep infected, and sometimes reinfected, with metacercariae of Fasciola hepatica, with or without treatment with triclabendazole (TCBZ). Hepatic damage was more severe in sheep given small repeated ("trickle") infections than in those given two larger, spaced doses. Inflammatory infiltrates of eosinophils, CD3+ T cells, CD79 alpha+ B cells and IgG+ plasma cells, and the presence of granulomata, were particularly marked in trickle-infected groups, suggesting that the host response to certain fluke or egg antigens causes severe hepatic damage. TCBZ administration induced the elimination of flukes and healing of the majority of hepatic lesions but did not prevent severe hepatic damage produced by later infections.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Oxidative responses during bacterial phagocytosis of polymorphonuclear leucocytes in primarily and secondarily Fasciola hepatica infected goats.

The polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) function, in terms of oxidative response during bacterial phagocytosis, was studied using a Luminol-Dependant Chemiluminiscence (LDCL) assay in primarily and secondarily Fasciola hepatica infected goats. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes of F. hepatica infected goats displayed lower LDCL responses than naive goats. The lowest responses were observed in secondarily infected animals that had higher parasitic burdens and more prominent hepatic lesions. The reduced responses were induced by a functional defect of the circulating PMN but also by a direct involvement of serum factors. Both circulating parasite products and the non protective immune response that occurred during secondary F. hepatica infection of goats could be implied in the alteration of PMN function. These findings suggest the existence of an important mechanism for impairment of the host immune system during goat fasciolosis.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Liver pathology and immune response in experimental Fasciola hepatica infections of goats.

The relationship between the immune response and the pathogenesis of the disease was studied in different primary and secondary experimental Fasciola hepatica infections of goats. The establishment of the infection, measured as percentage of recovered flukes at the necropsy, was similar in primarily and secondarily infected animals (between 19.7% and 24.3%), but the hepatic damage was much more severe in secondarily infected goats, as revealed by the levels of serum hepatic enzymes GGT and LDH. Primary infection evolves to chronic fasciolosis that did not induce the development of resistance, since goats were highly susceptible to secondary infection, showing severe acute and chronic hepatic lesions that led to the death of some animals in each group. The immune response to the infection was proved by the production of specific IgG antibodies to ESP of F. hepatica and the involvement of CD3+ T lymphocytes and lambda IgG+ plasma cells in the hepatic infiltrate. Secondary infection did not induce any difference in either IgG response or in the cellular composition of the infiltrate of hepatic lesions, although this was much more extended. However, neither antibodies nor cell-mediated response were protective: there was no correlation between IgG levels and fluke burden and there was no evidence of cell-mediated killing of the parasite. This suggests the existence of some immune evasion mechanisms in goat infection with F. hepatica. The parasite may depress the local inflammatory and immune response, as suggested by the scarcity of CD3+ T cells in the infiltrate surrounding acute migratory tunnels. Moreover, in secondary infected goats can be suspected an immunological damage of the liver, since a very severe infiltrate of immune cells replaced wide areas of hepatic parenchyma and an immune-mediated damage of hepatocytes could occur.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Pathological and immunohistochemical study of the liver and hepatic lymph nodes in goats infected with one or more doses of Fasciola hepatica.

Lesions produced by Fasciola hepatica in the liver, gall-bladder and hepatic lymph nodes (HLNs) of four groups of five goats are described; in addition, the distribution of CD3+ T lymphocytes and IgG-lambda light chain-bearing cells was analysed in the hepatic lesions and HLNs. One group of goats received a single oral dose of metacercariae, but the other four groups received four or five doses at different intervals over a period of 11 weeks. Animals that survived were killed 53-55 weeks after the first infective dose. Goats were more susceptible to multiple doses than to a single dose, even when the total number of metacercariae was the same. This greater susceptibility was manifested by the occurrence of deaths and the severity of hepatic lesions. CD3+ lymphocytes were sparse in the infiltrate surrounding the acute migratory tracts, suggesting inhibition of the local cell-mediated immune response. Goats with numerous hepatic calcareous granulomas showed the most severe hepatic damage, including marked cirrhosis, with a striking infiltrate of CD3+ T lymphocytes and lambda IgG- plasma cells, replacing extensive areas of hepatic parenchyma, in which hypertrophy of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum of hepatocytes was evident. These findings were observed mainly in the goats given more than one infective dose.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Immunohistochemical study of the local immune response to Fasciola hepatica in primarily and secondarily infected goats.

The distribution of CD2, CD4, CD8, gamma/delta T-lymphocytes, B-cells and IgG lambda-light chain (lambda-IgG) containing cells were analysed in the inflammatory infiltrate associated to hepatic lesions and gallbladder (HL), and in hepatic lymph nodes (HLN) of goats primarily and secondarily infected with Fasciola hepatica. In the HL, CD2 and CD8 T-cells were more numerous (p=0.01) in secondarily rather than in primarily infected goats, whereas CD4 T-lymphocytes were less numerous than CD8 and showed no significant change in both groups. The ratio CD4/CD8 was 0.66 and 0.39 for primarily and secondarily infected goats, respectively. In contrast, in the HLN, CD4 were more numerous than CD8 T-cells, the ratio CD4/CD8 was 2.0 in control, 1.5 and 1.3 in primary and secondary infections, respectively. Gamma/delta T-lymphocytes were scarce in the HL and moderate in the HLN of both primarily and secondarily infected animals. B-cells (IgM+, lambda-IgG+ or CD79+) varied from scarce or moderate in the HL to abundant in the HLN, where CD79+-cells were mainly located in lymphoid follicles and IgM and IgG in plasma-cells of the medullary cords, suggesting an intense local humoral immune response. However, this response did not prevent the hepatic damage in secondarily infected goats, in which hepatic lesions were more severe than in primarily infected ones.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Comparative scanning electron microscopy of third-instar Hypoderma spp. (Diptera: Oestridae).

Scanning electron microscope study of third-instar larvae of four species of Hypoderma revealed differences among species in the pattern of spination, spine morphology and morphology of the spiracular plates. These observations identify characters that enable the differentiation of Hypoderma actaeon and H. diana, parasitizing red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Europe, and provide additional characters for differentiating H. bovis and H. lineatum parasitizing cattle.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Humoral and cellular immune responses to experimental Fasciola hepatica infections in goats.

Humoral and cellular immune responses to Fasciola hepatica excretory-secretory products (ESPs) in primary and secondary experimental infections in goats were studied. Primary infection induced the development of chronic subclinical fascioliasis that did not affect the establishment of flukes coming from the secondary infection, as the same percentages of recovered flukes were found in both groups. The specific IgG response to F. hepatica ESPs was similar in primary and secondary infections; challenge flukes did not induce any modification in the IgG response. The specific lymphocyte response to F. hepatica ESPs was absent in most of the infected goats, both primarily and secondarily infected. A modulation of the nonspecific cellular responses to mitogens was also observed. All infected goats showed a reduced proliferative response to concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin. According to our results, humoral and cellular responses to F. hepatica ESPs in goats have no protective effect on the establishment of flukes and the development of disease in either primary or secondary infections.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Triclabendazole treatment in experimental goat fasciolosis: anthelmintic efficacy and influence in antibody response and pathophysiology of the disease.

A controlled test of the efficacy of triclabendazole against all stages (early immature, late immature and mature) of Fasciola hepatica has been performed in experimentally infected goats. The influence of triclabendazole treatment on the pathophysiology of the disease, in terms of haematological parameters and serum enzyme levels, and in the dynamics of production of specific antibodies to excretory/secretory products (ESP) of F. hepatica were also examined. Goats were orally infected with 200 viable metacercarie and treated at 4, 8 and 16 weeks postinfection (PI) with triclabendazole at the dose rate of 10 mg kg-1 body weight. The drug can be regarded as highly effective against mature (100%) and late immature (99.2%) flukes and effective against early immature flukes (94.9%). A moderate anaemia was found associated with the presence of late immature and mature flukes in bile ducts. Treatment with triclabendazole, by eliminating most of these flukes, largely reduced haematological alterations. Serum levels of the enzymes aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and gamma-glutathione transferase reflected hepatic damage during goat fasciolosis. Early treatment (at 4 weeks PI) prevents the development of both parenchyma and bile ducts lesions; treatment at 8 weeks PI only prevents bile ducts lesions and treatment at 16 weeks PI has no appreciable effect on the development of the main hepatic lesions. The antibody response to F. hepatica ESP, as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, was also affected by treatment with triclabendazole. In all treated animals a peak in antibody levels was observed between weeks 9 and 13, followed by a drop whose magnitude depended on the efficacy of treatment. In those animals in which triclabendazole was highly effective, antibody levels fell back to negative values similar to those recorded preinoculation at 18-21 weeks PI.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1995

Humoral and cell-mediated immunity in natural and experimental canine leishmaniasis.

This paper describes immunological and clinicopathological findings in dogs naturally and experimentally infected with progressive visceral leishmaniasis. Eight dogs were intravenously inoculated with 5 x 10(7) stationary phase promastigotes of Leishmania infantum (LEM 2002, ZMON-1). A further eight naturally infected dogs were diagnosed by parasitological and serological methods and selected according to their clinical and immunological condition. Clinical, hematological, pathological and parasitological examinations, including parasite burden and distribution, were included in the study. Antibody production was estimated by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence assay techniques; the cellular immune response was studied by means of the skin test and the lymphocyte proliferation test. Experimentally infected dogs developed a chronic and progressive disease with the same clinical signs shown by naturally infected dogs. Both naturally and experimentally infected dogs developed the same histopathological reaction, but to differing degrees. Parasite burden and distribution were related to the extent of lesions, and were consequently less pronounced in experimentally infected dogs. The main feature of the immune response in experimental and natural infection was the lack of specific T-cell response to leishmanial antigen. Non-specific responses to mitogens were normal (i.e. as compared with healthy dogs) throughout the experimental infection, but were partially suppressed (65.3%) in naturally infected animals. A remarkable humoral response was evident in both natural and experimental infection: IgG-isotype antibodies were detected in experimental infection at 50-70 days post infection, and their production increased during the course of the infection. However, high titers were observed only in naturally infected dogs.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Immunological and histological study of T- and B-lymphocyte activity in canine visceral leishmaniosis.

Lymphocyte activity during canine leishmaniosis was studied by histological and immunological methods in experimental and natural infections. Eight dogs were inoculated with 5 x 10(7) promastigotes of Leishmania infantum, LEM 75, zimodeme MON-1, and maintained for 110 days post-infection. Another eight dogs with advanced natural infection were identified by parasitological and serological methods. Three techniques were used: the lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) to study T-cell activity, immunofluorescence assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure antibody production (B-cell activity), and methyl green-pyronin staining to assess tissue responses of lymphocytes. There was a noticeable B-cell response, reflected both histologically and immunologically. High percentages of activated lymphocytes and plasma cells were evident in lymphoid organs and production of specific antibodies was seen throughout the infection. LTT results showed a T-cell unresponsiveness during canine leishmaniosis. These same immunohistological features were observed, although to different degrees, in both experimental and natural infections.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Hypodermosis in the red deer Cervus elaphus in Córdoba, Spain.

The prevalence of red deer hypodermosis and the life cycle of Hypodermia diana Brauer 1858 in three provinces of the south of Spain, Córdoba, Jaen and Ciudad Real, were studied by inspecting 254, thirty-eight and thirty-five deer from each province respectively. The prevalence of infestations was: Córdoba, 87.75%; Jaen, 92.10%, Ciudad Real, 91.42%. From this we deduced an overall prevalence of 88.67%, comprising 88.23% in male deer and 89.96% in female deer. The intensity of the parasitism in 213 of the 245 animals from Córdoba varied between one warble per animal to more than 100 in 28 of the inspected animals. The chronology of the life cycle during the hunting period (October to the end of February) was investigated.

Animals↗