Mosquitoes can act as vectors of important diseases such as malaria, dengue, Zika virus, yellow fever, Chikungunya and Mayaro fever, in addition to filariasis. The use of insecticides, larvicides, bed nets and repellents, besides the use of drugs as chemoprevention and the treatment of the sick are currently the pillars of the control of these vectors. We studied the biological control against of Anopheles darlingi, Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae using shrimps of the species M. pantanalense, M. amazonicum, M. brasiliense and M. jelskii. Larvae of mosquitoes were collected from the breeding environment and placed in a 500 and 1000 l tank containing 60 shrimps/m2. The predatory activity was evaluated for 30 days and, in all groups it was observed that 100% of the larvae were consumed in few minutes. In the environment, these same species of crustaceans were released in water bodies with the presence of larvae of these insects. In just 72 h there was a marked reduction of the larvae in the release sites of shrimps. Similarly, there was a reduction in the number of adult mosquitoes caught near the breeding sites, allowing to infer that, in places where the crustaceans were released, the predatory activity on the larvae of mosquitoes was sufficient to reduce the number of adult mosquitoes p ≤ 0,05. This is the first description of the predatory activity of M. pantanalense, M. amazonicum, M. brasiliense and M. jelskii on An. darlingi, A. aegypti and C. quinquefasciatus larvae, constituting an important tool of biological control of these parasites-vectors.

ResumoA suspensão de ratos pela cauda é modelo utilizado para investigar o comportamento ósseo em animais impossibilitados de se locomoverem. O osso é um tecido adaptativo que se desenvolve em sua estrutura e função, entre outros fatores, em resposta a forças mecânicas aplicadas a ele e demandas metabólicas que venha sofrer. A ausência de forças mecânicas e de deformação óssea faz com que ocorra uma diminuição na deposição de cálcio por ausência de estímulos nos osteoblastos e osteócitos, favorecendo a ação dos osteoclastos, tornando o osso enfraquecido e quebradiço. Portanto, a ação mecânica é necessária para estimular a resposta óssea local e, assim, proporcionar seu crescimento e remodelamento. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar, através da densitometria radiográfica, se a suspensão pela cauda por 15 e 36 dias altera a densidade mineral óssea das vértebras cervical (C 3 ), torácica (T 6 ) e lombares (L 1 e L 3 ) de ratos Wistar. Trinta Rattus norvegicus albinus, adultos, machos, linhagem Wistar, massa corpórea média de ± 350g, foram divididos em 3 grupos: controle (n=10) -não suspenso; S 15 (n=10) -suspenso por 15 dias e S 36 (n=10) -suspenso por 36 dias. Para análise densitométrica, as vértebras foram radiografadas, escaneadas, digitalizadas e analisadas pelo programa computacional ImageJ ® . Houve aumento estatisticamente significante da densidade mineral óssea no grupo S 15 , provavelmente pela inquietação dos animais à suspensão, com diminuição no grupo S 36 , fato este hipoteticamente ligado à acomodação dos mesmos, concluindo que a suspensão pela cauda alterou a densidade mineral óssea num primeiro momento com diminuição com o passar do tempo.Palavras-chave: Densitometria radiográfica. Coluna vertebral. Ratos. Ausência de carga. AbstractThe suspension of rats by the tail model is used to investigate the behavior of bone in animals unable to move around. Bone is an adaptative tissue that develops in structure and function, among other factors, in response to mechanical forces applied to it and metabolic demands that it will suffer. The absence of mechanical forces and deformation of bone that occurs causes a decrease in calcium deposition in the absence of stimuli on osteoblasts and osteocytes, favoring the action of osteoclasts, making bones weak and brittle. Therefore, the mechanical action is necessary to stimulate local bone response and thus provide growth and remodeling. The aim of this study was to evaluable by radiographic densitometry, the tail suspension for 15 and 36 days alter the bone mineral density of cervical vertebrae (C3), thoracic (T6) and lumbar (L1 and L3) of Wistar rats. Thirty Rattus norvegicus albinus, adult, male, Wistar strain, average body mass ± 350g, were divided into 3 groups: control (n = 10) -not suspended; S 15 (n = 10) -suspended for 15 days and S 36 (n = 10) -suspended for 36 days. For densitometric analysis vertebrae were radiographed, scanned, digitized and analyzed by the computer program ImageJ ® . There was a statistically significant increase in bone mineral dens...

through biomechanical and densitometric analysis of the corresponding tíbia. We used 40 Wistar rats divided in: GC-control; GD-subjected to denervation; GH-subjected to denervation and hydrotherapy; GHE-subjected to denervation, hydrotherapy followed by electrotherapy and GE-subjected to denervation and electrotherapy. Each group had 20 treatment sessions, 5 per week. The animals were sacrificed and had their hindlimbs dissected to observe the mass, diameter and the quantity of muscle fibers and also density, mineral content and tibia mechanical parameters. All data passed by descriptive statistical analysis-average, Standard Deviation and Variance -ANOVA and Turkey Test to compare two by two, with a significance level of 5%. It can be concluded on the methodology aplied that denervation brings decrease in muscle properties, causing muscle atrophy, but it doesn´t entail losses in bone properties and the use of electrotherapy was able to reverse the fiber quantity.

In Brazil dipters of the Lutzomyia genus are the main vectors of leishmaniasis for humans and animals. However, other hematophagous insects such as ticks, fleas, and horse flies may also be considered potential vectors of this protozoon. This paper, regarding an endemic area for visceral leishmaniasis, is the the first description of the Leishmania spp. presence in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Two A. aegypti mosquitoes were captured: one of them was feeding on a polysymptomatic dog with leishmaniasis, confirmed by parasitic demonstration and positive PCR for Leishmania spp., and the other was collected in the environment where the dog was isolated. The mosquito engorged with dog's blood was crushed between two microscopic slides and the other one was processed by the polymerase chain reaction assay (PCR) searching for the presence of Leishmania spp. DNA. Amastigote forms of Leishmania sp, were observed in the smear prepared from one mosquito by microscopic examination, as well as other protozoa's flagellated forms. In the other insect it was observed Leishmania DNA amplification. This observation reinforces the role of dogs as sources of infection of Leishmania spp. even to other potential vector species. Keywords: Amastigote. Canine. Parasite. Vectors. Zoonosis. ResumoNo Brasil, os dípteros do gênero Lutzomyia são os principais vetores da leishmaniose para humanos e animais. No entanto, tem sido constatado que outras espécies de invertebrados hematófagos, como carrapatos, pulgas e mutucas, também podem ser vetores desse protozoário. Este trabalho, realizado em uma área endêmica de leishmaniose visceral, é a primeira descrição da presença de Leishmania spp. em mosquitos da espécie A. aegypti. Dois mosquitos A. aegypti foram capturados no local onde estava isolado um cão polissintomático acometido por leishmaniose visceral, confirmada pela demonstração do parasita em biópsias de órgãos e por resultado positivo na prova de PCR para Leishmania spp. Um dos mosquitos estava sugando o sangue do cão e o outro estava livre no ambiente. O mosquito ingurgitado com o sangue do animal foi esmagado entre duas lâminas de microscopia e o outro foi processado por meio da reação em cadeia pela polimerase (PCR) aplicada à pesquisa do ADN de Leishmania spp. Ao exame microscópico do esfregaço preparado com o mosquito que estava parasitando o cão foram observadas formas amastigotas de Leishmania spp., bem como formas flageladas de outra espécie de protozoário. No outro inseto foi detectada amplificação de ADN do gênero Leishmania. Esta constatação reforça o papel dos cães como fontes de infecção de Leishmania spp. até mesmo para outras espécies de vetores potenciais.