Publications

genetic structure and evolution of the vps25 family, a yeast escrt-ii component.	vps25p is the product of yeast gene vps25 and is found in an endosomal sorting complex required for transport (escrt)-ii, along with vps22p and vps36p. this complex is essential for sorting of ubiquitinated biosynthetic and endosomal cargoes into endosomes.	2006	16889659
high degree of conservancy among secreted salivary gland proteins from two geographically distant phlebotomus duboscqi sandflies populations (mali and kenya).	salivary proteins from sandflies are potential targets for exploitation as vaccines to control leishmania infection; in this work we tested the hypothesis that salivary proteins from geographically distant phlebotomus duboscqi sandfly populations are highly divergent due to the pressure exerted by the host immune response. salivary gland cdna libraries were prepared from wild-caught p. duboscqi from mali and recently colonised flies of the same species from kenya.	2006	16952314
salivary gland extracts of culicoides sonorensis inhibit murine lymphocyte proliferation and no production by macrophages.	culicoides biting midges serve as vectors of pathogens affecting humans and domestic animals. culicoides sonorensis is a vector of several arboviruses in north american that cause substantial economic losses to the us livestock industry. previous studies showed that c. sonorensis saliva, like the saliva of many hematophagous arthropods, contains numerous pharmacological agents that affect hemostasis and early events in the inflammatory response, which may enhance the infectivity of culicoides-bo ...	2006	16968936
effect of abiotic factors on seasonal population dynamics of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) in northeastern brazil.	the resurgence of visceral leishmaniasis in brazil increases the need for studies to elucidate the spatial and temporal dynamics of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz and neiva) (diptera: psychodidae), the vector of leishmania infantum, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis in brazil. sand flies were captured in peridomestic habitats biweekly for 3 yr. cross-correlation tests and spectral analysis were used to analyze the simultaneous and lag-time correlations between lu. longipalpis population ...	2006	17017238
detection and identification of leishmania species in field-captured phlebotomine sandflies based on mini-exon gene pcr.	leishmaniasis is one of the most diverse and complex of all vector-borne diseases. because it involves several overlapping species and sandfly vectors, the disease has a complex ecology and epidemiology. adequate therapy and follow-up depend on parasitological diagnosis, but classical methods present several constraints when identifying species. we describe a polymerase chain reaction (pcr) which uses primers designed from mini-exon repetitive sequences that are specific for subgenus leishmaniav ...	2006	17055444
evolution of the yellow/major royal jelly protein family and the emergence of social behavior in honey bees.	the genomic architecture underlying the evolution of insect social behavior is largely a mystery. eusociality, defined by overlapping generations, parental brood care, and reproductive division of labor, has most commonly evolved in the hymenopteran insects, including the honey bee apis mellifera. in this species, the major royal jelly protein (mrjp) family is required for all major aspects of eusocial behavior. here, using data obtained from the a. mellifera genome sequencing project, we demons ...	2006	17065613
molecular polymorphism, differentiation and introgression in the period gene between lutzomyia intermedia and lutzomyia whitmani.	lutzomyia intermedia and lutzomyia whitmani (diptera: psychodidae) are important and very closely related vector species of cutaneous leishmaniasis in brazil, which are distinguishable by a few morphological differences. there is evidence of mitochondrial introgression between the two species but it is not clear whether gene flow also occurs in nuclear genes.	2006	17069656
rhythmic expression of the cycle gene in a hematophagous insect vector.	a large number of organisms have internal circadian clocks that enable them to adapt to the cyclic changes of the external environment. in the model organism drosophila melanogaster, feedback loops of transcription and translation are believed to be crucial for the maintenance of the central pacemaker. in this mechanism the cycle (or bmal1) gene, which is constitutively expressed, plays a critical role activating the expression of genes that will later inhibit their own activity, thereby closing ...	2006	17069657
vavraia lutzomyiae n. sp. (phylum microspora) infecting the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis (psychodidae, phlebotominae), a vector of human visceral leishmaniasis.	vavraia lutzomyiae (microsporida; pleistophoridae) is a new species parasitic in the tropical phlebotomine sandfly, lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera, psychodidae, phlebotominae), a major vector of leishmania chagasi in latin america where human visceral leishmaniasis is endemic. infected larvae and pupae were parasitized in the abdomen, and some adults were parasitized in malpighian tubules and midgut. the sporogonial plasmodium divided by multiple divisions into up to 64 uninucleate sporoblasts. ...	2006	17070748
studies on the cpa cysteine peptidase in the leishmania infantum genome strain jpcm5.	visceral leishmaniasis caused by members of the leishmania donovani complex is often fatal in the absence of treatment. research has been hampered by the lack of good laboratory models and tools for genetic manipulation. in this study, we have characterised a l. infantum line (jpcm5) that was isolated from a naturally infected dog and then cloned. we found that jpcm5 has attributes that make it an excellent laboratory model; different stages of the parasite life cycle can be studied in vitro, it ...	2006	17101050
[spatial distribution of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) and lutzomyia cruzi (mangabeira, 1938) in the state of mato grosso].	visceral leishmaniasis is currently considered an emergent and reemergent disease, in agricultural and urban zones, both in domestic and peridomestic areas. the objective of this work was to verify the spatial distribution of lutzomyia longipalpis and lutzomyia cruzi in mato grosso state. data from 1996 to 2004 was collected by the entomology laboratory, whose captures were carried with a cdc light trap. sixty-eight of the 139 cities in the state have been studied. lutzomyia longipalpis and lutz ...	2006	17119747
phlebotomines (diptera: psychodidae) in forested areas of the serra da bodoquena, state of mato grosso do sul, brazil.	investigation was undertaken on the behaviour of the phlebotomine fauna in caves, forests, and anthropic environments of the serra da bodoquena, between january 1998 and january 2000. this paper reports on the phlebotomines captured in forested areas with automatic light traps (alt), shannon traps (st), aspiration (an), at natural resting sites and by human attractiveness (ha) during 24 h. the diversity and abundance of the species were investigated with alt installed at 16 points (ground level) ...	2006	16830711
synthetic glycovaccine protects against the bite of leishmania-infected sand flies.	leishmaniasis is a vectorborne disease transmitted to human and other mammalian hosts by sand fly bite. in the present study, we show that immunization with leishmania mexicana promastigote secretory gel (psg) or with a chemically defined synthetic glycovaccine containing the glycans found in l. mexicana psg can provide significant protection against challenge by the bite of infected sand flies. only the glycan from l. mexicana was protective; those from other species did not protect against l. ...	2006	16845636
the fml-vaccine (leishmune) against canine visceral leishmaniasis: a transmission blocking vaccine.	transmission blocking vaccines are one of the control strategies for vector-transmitted protozoan diseases. antibodies raised in the vaccinated host prevent the development of the parasite in the insect vector, interrupting the epidemiological cycle. the fml antigen of leishmania donovani in combination with saponin (fml-vaccine and leishmune) induced 92-97% of protections against zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis. we assayed the ability of fml to inhibit leishmania donovani and leishmania chagasi ...	2006	16386824
lutzomyia longipalpis and the eco-epidemiology of american visceral leishmaniasis, with particular reference to brazil: a review.	an historical review is given of american visceral leishmaniasis (avl), with particular reference to the eco-epidemiology of the disease in brazil. following the first records of avl in this country, in 1934, the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz and neiva, 1912) was incriminated as the principal vector. it is now generally accepted, however, that there exist a number of cryptic species under the name of lu. longipalpis s.l. and that variations in the quantity of the vasodilatory peptide maxad ...	2006	16444411
occurrence of neospora caninum in dogs and its correlation with visceral leishmaniasis in the urban area of campo grande, mato grosso do sul, brazil.	neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular protozoan that can infect domestic and wild canids, as well as ruminants and equines, and is described as causing neuromuscular alteration and death in dogs. visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is an infectious disease that affects both humans and animals, being caused by protozoan parasites of the genus leishmania, of which leishmania (leishmania) chagasi is found in brazil -- transmitted by sand flies, such as lutzomyia longipalpis, in most of the american ...	2006	16310954
genetic structure of natural populations of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) from the brazilian northeastern region.	in latin america, lutzomyia longipalpis is the principal vector of leishmania chagasi, and is associated with the majority of active foci of visceral leishmaniasis. in spite of the fact that this sand fly is spread practically throughout the entire neotropical region, its distribution is not uniform due to geographic and environmental barriers. geographic isolation coupled with reduced flight abilities may contribute to the appearance of cryptic species of lutzomyia longipalpis, which may differ ...	2006	16480941
seasonal variation of lutzomyia longipalpis in belo horizonte, state of minas gerais.	between october, 1997 and september, 1999 in belo horizonte, minas gerais a study of seasonal variation of lutzomyia longipalpis was carried out in three distinct areas of the municipality. sand flies were sampled at 15-day intervals in three residences, in each of which two cdc light traps were installed, one indoors and the other in the peridomicile. a total of 397 sand flies were captured in the three areas, with 65%, 30% and 1% of specimens collected in the eastern, northeast and barreiro di ...	2006	16501767
comparative salivary gland transcriptomics of sandfly vectors of visceral leishmaniasis.	immune responses to sandfly saliva have been shown to protect animals against leishmania infection. yet very little is known about the molecular characteristics of salivary proteins from different sandflies, particularly from vectors transmitting visceral leishmaniasis, the fatal form of the disease. further knowledge of the repertoire of these salivary proteins will give us insights into the molecular evolution of these proteins and will help us select relevant antigens for the development of a ...	2006	16539713
functional analysis of recombinant mutants of maxadilan with a pac1 receptor-expressing melanophore cell line.	maxadilan, a 61-amino-acid vasodilatory peptide, was initially isolated from the salivary glands of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis. although its primary sequence has no homology to that of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide, maxadilan is an agonist for the pac1 receptor. a total of 58 substitution and deletion mutants was engineered in an effort to determine which residues were important for receptor activation. the mutants were characterized functionally using an assay based on ...	2006	16569645
an antivector vaccine protects against a lethal vector-borne pathogen.	vaccines that target blood-feeding disease vectors, such as mosquitoes and ticks, have the potential to protect against the many diseases caused by vector-borne pathogens. we tested the ability of an anti-tick vaccine derived from a tick cement protein (64trp) of rhipicephalus appendiculatus to protect mice against tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) transmitted by infected ixodes ricinus ticks. the vaccine has a "dual action" in immunized animals: when infested with ticks, the inflammatory and ...	2006	16604154
considerations on the effect of anti-sandfly antibodies on biological parameters of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae).	the immunization of vertebrate hosts with vector components may be an alternative for the control of diseases transmitted by insects. in the present study we evaluated the effects of anti-sandfly antibodies on some of the biological parameters of female lutzomyia longipalpis, a vector of visceral leishmaniasis. rabbits were immunized with extracts of gut from blood-fed (gb) or sugar-fed (gs) females, carcass of sugar-fed (cs) or blood-fed (cb) females, and with repeated sandfly bites (bite). imm ...	2006	16680320
[blood meals identification of lutzomyia (lutzomyia) longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) e lutzomyia (lutzomyia) almerioi (galati & nunes, 1999) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay biotin-avidin].	lutzomyia longipalpis and lutzomyia almerioi, phlebotomine species from the fauna of serra da bodoquena, in the state of mato grosso do sul, brazil, have been studied, particularly due to the fact of their abundance and occurrence, the guaicurus settlement, focus of human tegumentary and canine visceral leishmaniasis. in researches that are being carried out in this settlement for identifying the vectors of these parasitosis, 83 engorged females belonging to the species lutzomyia longipalpis and ...	2006	16699647
epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis through spatial analysis, in belo horizonte municipality, state of minas gerais, brazil.	the geographic information system approach has permitted integration between demographic, socio-economic and environmental data, providing correlation between information from several data banks. in the current work, occurrence of human and canine visceral leishmaniases and insect vectors (lutzomyia longipalpis) as well as biogeographic information related to 9 areas that comprise the city of belo horizonte, brazil, between april 2001 and march 2002 were correlated and georeferenced. by using th ...	2006	16699707
ingestion of saliva during carbohydrate feeding by lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera; psychodidae).	the aim of this study was to obtain experimental evidence that phlebotomine saliva is actually ingested during the carbohydrate ingestion phase (before and after blood digestion). the ingestion of carbohydrate was simulated as it occurs in the field by offering the insects balls of cotton soaked in sucrose, sucrose crystals or orange juice cells. the results obtained here showed that ingestion occurred under each condition investigated, as indicated by the presence of apyrase, an enzyme used as ...	2006	16699714
identification of sex pheromones of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) populations from the state of são paulo, brazil.	in brazil, four populations of lutzomyia longipalpis each producing different sex pheromones are recognised. it has been suggested that these chemotype populations represent true sibling species. in this study we present the results of an analysis, by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, of the pheromones of males l. longipalpis from two different municipalities of the state of são paulo. our study showed that l. longipalpis from these two municipalities produced different sex pheromone ...	2006	16699721
shared microsatellite loci in glossina morsitans sensu lato (diptera: glossinidae).	estimation of allelic frequencies at three microsatellite loci among 20 populations of glossina morsitans morsitans westwood, glossina morsitans submorsitans newstead, and glossina morsitans centralis machado indicated only two of 99 alleles were shared between three subspecies and 18 between any two subspecies; 81 alleles were unshared. the conserved flanking regions of each locus were completely shared. genetic differentiation among subspecies, based on allele size, was rst = 0.87, close to th ...	2006	16739429
[lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) at a suburban focus of visceral leishmaniasis in the chicamocha canyon, santander, colombia].	between 1998 and 2000, the occurrence of 8 cases of american visceral leishmaniasis in children from a recently established human settlement in guatiguará, in the municipality of piedecuesta (santander, colombia) indicated the possible presence of leishmania transmission in this locality. this observation motivated the current entomological investigation.	2006	17361847
[seroprevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis in sector 8 of neiva and in four municipalities of huila, colombia].	canine visceral leishmaniasis in endemic areas of colombia could be a public health risk factor given the zoonotic nature of the disease. ninety-six human cases of visceral leishmaniasis were reported in colombia in 2004, 5 of them in huila, where lutzomyia longipalpis has been incriminated as the main vector species.	2006	17361848
leishmania (viannia) braziliensis infection in two colombian dogs: a note on infectivity for sand flies and response to treatment.	although canine cutaneous leishmaniasis has been reported in several foci of south america, no published information from colombia is available.	2006	17361862
distinct transmission cycles of leishmania tropica in 2 adjacent foci, northern israel.	transmission of leishmania tropica was studied in 2 adjacent foci in israel where vector populations differ. only phlebotomus sergenti was found infected with l. tropica in the southern focus; p. arabicus was the main vector in the northern focus. rock hyraxes (procavia capensis) were incriminated as reservoir hosts in both foci. l. tropica strains from the northern focus isolated from sand flies, cutaneous leishmaniasis cases, and rock hyraxes were antigenically similar to l. major, and strains ...	2006	17326936
ecological niche modeling for visceral leishmaniasis in the state of bahia, brazil, using genetic algorithm for rule-set prediction and growing degree day-water budget analysis.	two predictive models were developed within a geographic information system using genetic algorithm rule-set prediction (garp) and the growing degree day (gdd)-water budget (wb) concept to predict the distribution and potential risk of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in the state of bahia, brazil. the objective was to define the environmental suitability of the disease as well as to obtain a deeper understanding of the eco-epidemiology of vl by associating environmental and climatic variables with d ...	2006	18686237
characterization of a blood activated chitinolytic system in the midgut of the sand fly vectors lutzomyia longipalpis and phlebotomus papatasi.	we characterized a cdna from phlebotomus papatasi, ppchit1, which encodes a midgut specific chitinase and show the presence of a functional, blood-induced chitinolytic system in sand flies. ppchit1 is detected only in the midgut and is regulated by blood feeding. a recombinant protein (rppchit1) produced in hek 293-f cells exhibited a similar activity profile to that found in the native protein against several specific substrates, including an oligomeric glycol chitin and synthetic 4-methyl-umbe ...	2005	16313571
the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ace) gene family of anopheles gambiae.	members of the m2 family of peptidases, related to mammalian angiotensin converting enzyme (ace), play important roles in regulating a number of physiological processes. as more invertebrate genomes are sequenced, there is increasing evidence of a variety of m2 peptidase genes, even within a single species. the function of these ace-like proteins is largely unknown. sequencing of the a. gambiae genome has revealed a number of ace-like genes but probable errors in the ensembl annotation have left ...	2005	16329762
molecular fingerprinting of leishmania infantum strains following an outbreak of visceral leishmaniasis in central israel.	human and canine visceral leishmaniasis caused by leishmania infantum emerged in central israel after an absence of over 30 years. the origin of this outbreak was investigated by examining genetic polymorphisms in 37 strains isolated from dogs and patients with visceral leishmaniasis in the continuously active northern israeli and west bank foci and in a new israeli focus using dna fingerprinting with the human multilocus minisatellite probe 33.15. analysis of the patterns obtained by dna finger ...	2005	16333098
analysis of the sex pheromone extract of individual male lutzomyia longipalpis sandflies from six regions in brazil.	although the phlebotomine sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) (diptera: psychodidae) is generally accepted to be a species complex, it is unclear how many members there are, how they are related and which are the main vectors of leishmaniasis. the vectorial capacity of each sibling species is likely to differ, thus a means of identifying the most important vector species is of critical importance to the epidemiology and control of this debilitating disease in south and central ame ...	2005	16336313
saliva from lutzomyia longipalpis induces cc chemokine ligand 2/monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression and macrophage recruitment.	saliva of bloodfeeding arthropods has been incriminated in facilitating the establishment of parasite in their host. we report on the leukocyte chemoattractive effect of salivary gland homogenate (sgh) from lutzomyia longipalpis on saliva-induced inflammation in an air pouch model. sgh (0.5 pair/animal) was inoculated in the air pouch formed in the back of balb/c or c57bl/6 mice. l. longipalpis sgh induced a significant influx of macrophages in balb/c but not in c57bl/6 mice. sgh-induced cell re ...	2005	16339576
lutzomyia longipalpis peritrophic matrix: formation, structure, and chemical composition.	sandflies are vectors of several pathogens, constituting serious health problems. lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) is the main vector of leishmania chagasi, agent of visceral leishmaniasis. they synthesize a thick bag-like structure that surrounds the bloodmeal, named peritrophic matrix (pm). one of the major roles of pm in blood-fed insects includes protection against ingested pathogens by providing a defensive barrier to their development. we used traditional and modern morphological ...	2005	16465730
sand fly specificity of saliva-mediated protective immunity in leishmania amazonensis-balb/c mouse model.	immune response of balb/c mice to the salivary antigens of sand flies was found to vary with different species used, i.e. phlebotomus papatasi, phlebotomus sergenti and lutzomyia longipalpis. exposure of mice to bites of these sand flies elicits production of antibodies, which are largely specific to different saliva antigens previously identified as unique to the respective fly species. when immunized intradermally (i.d.) with salivary gland lysates (sgl) of l. longipalpis, balb/c mice develope ...	2005	15866511
a sensitive flow cytometric methodology for studying the binding of l. chagasi to canine peritoneal macrophages.	the leishmania promastigote-macrophage interaction occurs through the association of multiple receptors on the biological membrane surfaces. the success of the parasite infection is dramatically dependent on this early interaction in the vertebrate host, which permits or not the development of the disease. in this study we propose a novel methodology using flow cytometry to study this interaction, and compare it with a previously described "in vitro" binding assay.	2005	15913461
importance of lutzomyia longipalpis in the dynamics of transmission of canine visceral leishmaniasis in the endemic area of porteirinha municipality, minas gerais, brazil.	a study of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz and neiva, 1912) (diptera: psychodidae), the primary vector of american visceral leishmaniasis (avl), and the canine form of the disease, was carried out in porteirinha. the city is situated in the northern part of the brazilian state of minas gerais and is an endemic area of avl. systematic phlebotomine captures were performed in seven districts with previously reported cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis, during 2 years (january 2000--december 2001). a ...	2005	15975718
genetic homogeneity within leishmania (l.) infantum isolated from human and dogs: the relationship with the sandfly fauna distribution in endemic areas of nueva esparta state, venezuela.	leishmania infantum has been described as a highly polymorphic group of parasites, responsible for visceral leishmaniasis and cutaneous leishmaniasis. in this paper we report the life-cycle of l. (l.) infantum in an endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis in venezuela, by using molecular diagnosis and characterization of parasites isolated from dogs, humans with visceral leishmaniasis and sand flies. the molecular characterization was carried out by use of kdna restriction analysis, dot-blot hybr ...	2005	15977897
detection of species-specific antibody response of humans and mice bitten by sand flies.	sand fly saliva plays an important role in leishmania transmission. we characterized the host antibody response to saliva from 3 sand fly species. specific igg was observed in sera from experimentally bitten mice as well as in sera from individuals living in the endemic area of leishmania tropica in sanliurfa, turkey. sera of sanliurfa inhabitants showed high igg levels against saliva of phlebotomus sergenti and p. papatasi, the 2 most abundant sand fly species in this area, but did not react wi ...	2005	15991492
effect of salivary gland extract of leishmania vector, lutzomyia longipalpis, on leukocyte migration in ova-induced immune peritonitis.	salivary gland extracts (sge) from lutzomyia longipalpis potentate l. major infection by inducing a th2 immune response. however, the effect of sge on the effector phase of immune response is not known. herein, we demonstrate that sge inhibited neutrophil migration in ovalbumin (ova)-induced peritonitis in immunized mice. sge pretreatment of mice inhibited ova-induced cd4+ and cd8+ t lymphocyte migration. the ova-induced production of tnf-alpha, il-1beta and leukotriene b4 (ltb4), neutrophil che ...	2005	15997469
the transcriptome of the salivary glands of the female western black-legged tick ixodes pacificus (acari: ixodidae).	sequencing of an ixodes pacificus salivary gland cdna library yielded 1068 sequences with an average undetermined nucleotide of 1.9% and an average length of 487 base pairs. assembly of the expressed sequence tags yielded 557 contigs, 138 of which appear to code for secreted peptides or proteins based on translation of a putative signal peptide. based on the blastx similarity of these contigs to 66 matches of ixodes scapularis peptide sequences, only 58% sequence identity was found, indicating a ...	2005	16102420
tick saliva is a potent inhibitor of endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis.	we report for the first time that saliva of the hard tick and lyme disease vector, ixodes scapularis, is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis. saliva (< or = 1:500 dilutions) or salivary gland (0.1-0.5 pairs/assay) dose-dependently inhibits microvascular endothelial cell (mvec) proliferation. inhibition was also detected with the saliva of the cattle tick boophilus microplus but not with the salivary gland of anopheles gambiae, an. stephensi, lutzomyia longipalpis, phlebotomus papatasi, aedes aegy ...	2005	16113800
[aspects of the ecology and behaviour of phlebotomines in endemic area for visceral leishmaniasis in state of minas gerais].	studies on the behavioral and feeding habits of some species of phlebotominae sand flies have contributed to the comprehension of the epidemiology of leishmaniasis. in the present work, systematic captures were performed monthly in the municipality of porteirinha (mg) using 28 light traps (cdc) from january to december 2002. fourteen different species of phlebotomine were captured in a total of 1,408 specimens. the highest percentage of individuals (53.3%) was collected in the peridomicile again ...	2005	16172760
lutzomyia longipalpis in clorinda, formosa province, an area of potential visceral leishmaniasis transmission in argentina.	phlebotomine captures were performed during 2004 in clorinda, argentina. clorinda is located across the branches of the paraguay river in front of asunción city, paraguay. reports of canine and human visceral leishmaniasis in asunción have been increasing since 1997, however neither leishmaniasis cases nor sand flies were ever recorded from clorinda. light traps were located in migration paths (bridges, port), and peridomestic environments of clorinda and surrounding localities. lutzomyia longip ...	2005	16184223
garsa: genomic analysis resources for sequence annotation.	summary: growth of genome data and analysis possibilities have brought new levels of difficulty for scientists to understand, integrate and deal with all this ever-increasing information. in this scenario, garsa has been conceived aiming to facilitate the tasks of integrating, analyzing and presenting genomic information from several bioinformatics tools and genomic databases, in a flexible way. garsa is a user-friendly web-based system designed to analyze genomic data in the context of a pipeli ...	2005	16210424
male sex pheromones and the phylogeographic structure of the lutzomyia longipalpis species complex (diptera: psychodidae) from brazil and venezuela.	lutzomyia longipalpis, a sibling complex, is the main vector of leishmania chagasi/infantum. discriminating between siblings is important as they may differ in vectorial capacity. lutzomyia longipalpis populations display distinct male sex pheromone chemotypes. we investigated the phylogeographic pattern of variation at microsatellite loci from 11 populations from brazil and venezuela related to their male pheromone. temporal genetic differentiation was mostly not significant at the same site. s ...	2005	16222018
(1s,3s,7r)-3-methyl-alpha-himachalene from the male sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) induces neurophysiological responses and attracts both males and females.	lutzomyia longipalpis adult males form leks on or near hosts and release (1s,3s,7r)-3-methyl-alpha-himachalene from their tergal glands to lure females to the same site for mating and feeding. here we have examined whether the male-produced attractant could also serve as a male aggregation stimulus. high resolution chiral capillary gas chromatography analysis of male tergal gland extracts, synthetic (1s,3s,7r)-3-methyl-alpha-himachalene, and a synthetic mixture of all isomers of 3-methyl-alpha-h ...	2005	16226273
rodent malaria parasites plasmodium chabaudi and p. vinckei do not increase their rates of gametocytogenesis in response to mosquito probing.	several vector-borne infectious agents facultatively alter their life history strategies in response to local vector densities. some evidence suggests that malaria parasites invest more heavily in transmission stage production (gametocytogenesis) when vectors are present. such a strategy could rapidly increase malaria transmission rates, particularly when adult mosquitoes begin to appear after dry seasons. however, in contrast to a recent experiment with a rodent malaria (plasmodium chabaudi), w ...	2005	16243686
modulation of murine cellular immune response and cytokine production by salivary gland lysate of three sand fly species.	saliva of sand flies (diptera: phlebotominae) plays an important role in transmission of leishmania parasites by modulating host immune response. however, because of the different protein compositions of saliva, the immunomodulatory effects may vary among sand fly species. we have therefore analysed and compared the immunomodulation effects of salivary gland lysate (sgl) of three different sand flies. spleen cells from balb/c mice were incubated with sgl of phlebotomus papatasi, p. sergenti or l ...	2005	16255746
experimental infection of leishmania (l.) chagasi in a cell line derived from lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera:psychodidae).	the present work describes the in vitro infection of a cell line lulo, derived from lutzomyia longipalpis embryonic tissue, by leishmania chagasi promastigotes. this infection process is compared with a parallel one developed using the j774 cell line. the l. chagasi mh/co/84/ci-044b strain was used for experimental infection in two cell lines. the cells were seeded on glass coverslips in 24-well plates to reach a final number of 2 x 10(5) cells/well. parasites were added to the adhered lulo and ...	2005	16302061
malaria parasite growth is stimulated by mosquito probing.	the ability of malaria parasites to respond positively to the presence of feeding mosquito vectors would clearly be advantageous to transmission. in this study, anopheles stephensi mosquitoes probed mice infected with the rodent malaria parasite, plasmodium chabaudi. growth of asexual stages was accelerated and gametocytes appeared 1-2 days earlier than in controls. this first study, to our knowledge, of the effects of mosquitoes on 'in-host' growth and development of plasmodium has profound imp ...	2005	17148162
inflammatory cell infiltration and high antibody production in balb/c mice caused by natural exposure to lutzomyia longipalpis bites.	sand flies inject saliva into the mammalian host when probing for a blood meal. understanding the initial vertebrate reactions against sand fly saliva is important for possible interventions because these insects transmit diseases to humans and other animals. little is known of these reactions to new world sand flies. repeated exposure of balb/c mice to lutzomyia longipalpis bites leads to local inflammatory cell infiltration comprised of neutrophils, macrophages, and eosinophils. total igg and ...	2005	15728873
[visceral leishmaniasis: a study on phlebotomine sand flies and canine infection in montes claros, state of minas gerais].	visceral leishmaniasis in brazil was initially associated with rural areas. however, due to several environmental modifications such as deforestation, urbanization and intense migratory processes, there has been an expansion of endemic areas, leading to urbanization of the disease, mainly in the central and northeastern regions of brazil. in the municipality of montes claros, located in the north of the state of minas gerais, an epidemiological survey on vl was carried out. a canine serological ...	2005	15821789
a role for adenosine deaminase in drosophila larval development.	adenosine deaminase (ada) is an enzyme present in all organisms that catalyzes the irreversible deamination of adenosine and deoxyadenosine to inosine and deoxyinosine. both adenosine and deoxyadenosine are biologically active purines that can have a deep impact on cellular physiology; notably, ada deficiency in humans causes severe combined immunodeficiency. we have established a drosophila model to study the effects of altered adenosine levels in vivo by genetic elimination of adenosine deamin ...	2005	15907156
structure and distribution of sensilla on maxillary palps and labella of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) sand flies.	the typology, number, size, and distribution pattern of labellar and palpal sensilla of male and female lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz and neiva, 1912) sand flies were analyzed by scanning electron and light microscopy, contributing to the construction of a gustatory and olfactory map in this important vector species. about 35 trichoid sensilla, sorted into three different classes according to their lengths, are present on the two labellar lobes. five distinct structures are observed in the maxilla ...	2005	16003785
geographic and voltinism differentiation among north american ostrinia nubilalis (european corn borer) mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase haplotypes.	dna sequence of european corn borer, ostrinia nubilalis (hubner) (lepidoptera: crambidae), mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase i (cox1) and ii (cox2) genes were characterized and used for population genetic analysis. twenty-six point mutations were identified from a 2,156 bp dna sequence alignment. the frequency of polymorphic cox1ddei and haeiii, and cox2 sau3ai and mspi restriction sites were determined from 1,414 individuals by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism ...	2004	15861250
[enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay biotin/avidin method standardization, for identification of lutzomyia (lutzomyia) longipalpis bloodmeals (lutz & neiva, 1912)].	bloodmeals taken by insects constitute an important parameter for clarifying aspects of the transmission of zoonoses, including leishmaniases. immunological assays can be used to investigate the attraction of vectors to animals, which may be hosts of these parasitoses. the objective of this study was to standardize a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and titer samples with different time periods of digestion, in laboratory-bred lutzomyia longipalpis fed on rats. in the light of the high ...	2004	15765591
analysis of the copulatory courtship songs of lutzomyia longipalpis in six populations from brazil.	the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis lutz & neiva (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae), the main vector of leishmania infantum in the americas, is believed to be a species complex, although the status of different brazilian populations is still somewhat unclear. preliminary analysis of the acoustic signals that are produced during copulation by l. longipalpis males has suggested the existence of three sibling species in brazil. in the current report, we analyze in more detail a number of paramete ...	2004	15535620
phlebotomine sand flies in porteirinha, an area of american visceral leishmaniasis transmission in the state of minas gerais, brazil.	a study of the phlebotomine sand fly fauna was carried out in an endemic area of american visceral leishmaniasis (avl) in the municipality of porteirinha, in the brazilian state of minas gerais. captures were performed with cdc light traps in 7 districts, 5 days per month, during 2 consecutive years (january 2000 to december 2001). a total of 3240 sand flies were captured and identified. sixteen species were found, among which 15 belonged to the genus lutzomyia and one to the genus brumptomyia. ...	2004	15543410
trypanosomatid flagellum biogenesis: arl-3a is involved in several species.	overexpression in leishmania amazonensis promastigotes of the gtpase-deficient small g protein ldarl-3a-q70l specifically provokes the loss of the flagella without affecting cell viability and body size. however, motility is lost and, remarkably, cells do not survive in the insect vector lutzomyia longipalpis gut, leading to interruption of parasite transmission. we report here that overexpression of the same protein in leishmania major, leishmania donovani, and crithidia fasciculata also led to ...	2004	15582509
a fourth chemotype of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) from jaibas, minas gerais state, brazil.	lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz and neiva) is a species complex of lutzomyia pseudolongipalpis (arrivillaga and feliciangeli) and at least three other as yet undefined siblings. isozyme and mitochondrial studies of allopatric populations across central and south america have suggested the presence of four "clades" that have been hypothesized to have arisen mainly because of geographical isolation mechanisms. parallel studies of sexual behavior as well as cross-mating and genetic analysis, of both al ...	2004	15605640
participation of rhipicephalus sanguineus (acari: ixodidae) in the epidemiology of canine visceral leishmaniasis.	the vectorial competence of the tick rhipicephalus sanguineus is discussed in relation to the epidemiology of canine visceral leishmaniasis, taking into account its strict association with dogs and the low indices of natural infection presented by its known vector, the phlebotomine sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis. in order to evaluate natural infection by leishmania chagasi and the infectivity of these parasites in the tick, 39 specimens (6 females, 11 males and 22 nymphs) of r. sanguineus were r ...	2004	15725545
visceral leishmaniasis caused by leishmania infantum in a spanish patient in argentina: what is the origin of the infection? case report.	the question "where have you been?" is a common one asked by doctors in northern europe and america when faced with clinical symptoms not typical of their country. this question must also arise in the clinics of developing countries in which non-autochthonous cases such as the one described here can appear. important outbreaks of leishmania infantum have been recorded in the last decade in several latin american countries but its presence has not yet been recorded in argentina. we report the fir ...	2004	15225352
transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis by sand flies is enhanced by regurgitation of fppg.	sand flies are the exclusive vectors of the protozoan parasite leishmania, but the mechanism of transmission by fly bite has not been determined nor incorporated into experimental models of infection. in sand flies with mature leishmania infections the anterior midgut is blocked by a gel of parasite origin, the promastigote secretory gel. here we analyse the inocula from leishmania mexicana-infected lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies. analysis revealed the size of the infectious dose, the underlyi ...	2004	15269771
pacap modulation of the colon-inferior mesenteric ganglion reflex in the guinea pig.	we investigated the effect of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (pacap) on the colon-inferior mesenteric ganglion (img) reflex loop in vitro. pacap27 and pacap38 applied to the img caused a prolonged depolarization and intense generation of fast epsps and action potentials in img neurones. activation of pacap-preferring receptors (pac1-rs) with the selective agonist maxadilan or vasoactive intestinal peptide (vip)/pacap (vpac) receptors with vip produced similar effects whereas prio ...	2004	15284351
[lutzomyia whitmani periurbanization in a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the state of maranhão, brazil].	an entomological survey was performed in the periurban area of the municipality of dom pedro in the state of maranhão in 2000, in order to estimate the abundance of lutzomyia longipalpis, due to the occurrence of one suspect death caused by kala azar. however, it was surprisingly verified that 82.4% (2,440 specimens) from the total of 2,961 sand flies captured in the peridomicile were lutzomyia whitmani. this association has indicated a new pattern for cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission (urban ...	2004	15330071
[visceral leishmaniasis among indians of the state of roraima, brazil: clinical and epidemiologic aspects of the cases observed from 1989 to 1993].	a description of the epidemiological profile of visceral leishmaniasis among indians in the state of roraima, brazil, was based on the clinical characteristics of human and dog disease, ecological aspects of the area where the cases occurred and entomologic investigations performed from 1989 to 1993. the 82 human cases were reported in six out of eight counties that existed then in the state; there was a 69.5% predominance of male cases among those registered and a greater (52.4%) occurrence of ...	2004	15334263
identification of the most abundant secreted proteins from the salivary glands of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis, vector of leishmania chagasi.	using massive cdna sequencing, proteomics and customized computational biology approaches, we have isolated and identified the most abundant secreted proteins from the salivary glands of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis. out of 550 randomly isolated clones from a full-length salivary gland cdna library, we found 143 clusters or families of related proteins. out of these 143 families, 35 were predicted to be secreted proteins. we confirmed, by edman degradation of lu. longipalpis salivary prote ...	2004	15371479
genetic divergence in the cacophony ivs6 intron among five brazilian populations of lutzomyia longipalpis.	genes involved in the reproductive isolation are particularly useful as molecular markers in speciation studies. lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae), a putative species complex, is a vector of visceral leishmaniasis in latin america. we isolated from this species a fragment homologous to cacophony, a drosophila gene that encodes features of the lovesong, an acoustic signal that is important in the sexual isolation of closely related species and known to vary considerably ...	2004	15461432
blocked stomodeal valve of the insect vector: similar mechanism of transmission in two trypanosomatid models.	the regurgitation of metacyclic stages from the sand fly cardia is thought to be the prevailing mechanism of leishmania transmission. this regurgitation may result through damage of the stomodeal valve and its mechanical block by the parasites. we found this phenomenon in three sand fly-leishmania models and also in avian trypanosomes transmitted by culex mosquitoes. phlebotomus duboscqi, phlebotomus papatasi, lutzomyia longipalpis, and culex pipiens were membrane-fed on blood containing leishma ...	2004	15491584
vesicular stomatitis virus evolution during alternation between persistent infection in insect cells and acute infection in mammalian cells is dominated by the persistence phase.	vesicular stomatitis virus has the potential for very rapid evolution in the laboratory, but like many other arboviruses, it evolves at a relatively slow rate in the natural environment. previous work showed that alternating replication in different cell types does not promote stasis. in order to determine whether other factors promote stasis, we compared the fitness trajectories of populations evolving during acute infections in mammalian cells, populations evolving during persistent infections ...	2004	15507610
evidence for the involvement of vpac1 and vpac2 receptors in pressure-induced vasodilatation in rodents.	a transient increase in skin blood flow in response to an innocuous local pressure application, defined as pressure-induced vasodilatation (piv), delays the occurrence of ischaemia, suggesting a protective feature against applied pressure. the piv response depends on capsaicin-sensitive nerve fibres and calcitonin gene-related peptide (cgrp) has been shown to be involved. in these fibres, cgrp coexists with pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (pacap). three distinct receptors medi ...	2004	14578481
allomonal effect of breath contributes to differential attractiveness of humans to the african malaria vector anopheles gambiae.	background: removal of exhaled air from total body emanations or artificially standardising carbon dioxide (co2) outputs has previously been shown to eliminate differential attractiveness of humans to certain blackfly (simuliidae) and mosquito (culicidae) species. whether or not breath contributes to between-person differences in relative attractiveness to the highly anthropophilic malaria vector anopheles gambiae sensu stricto remains unknown and was the focus of the present study. methods: the ...	2004	14748930
sand fly saliva enhances leishmania amazonensis infection by modulating interleukin-10 production.	after transmission through the bite of female sand flies, leishmania spp. can cause a broad spectrum of disease manifestations collectively known as leishmaniases. l. amazonensis is endemic in south america, where it causes cutaneous, diffuse cutaneous, and visceral leishmaniasis. in this study, we have provided evidence that salivary gland extracts (sge) of lutzomyia longipalpis enhances l. amazonensis infection. balb/c mice infected intradermally in the ear with 10(5) metacyclic promastigotes ...	2004	14977924
lutzomyia longipalpis salivary gland homogenate impairs cytokine production and costimulatory molecule expression on human monocytes and dendritic cells.	in this report, we describe an investigation of the effects of lutzomyia longipalpis sand fly salivary gland homogenates (sgh) on cytokine production and expression of costimulatory molecules on human monocytes, macrophages (mphis), and dendritic cells (dcs). sgh of l. longipalpis induced an increase in interleukin-6 (il-6), il-8 and il-12p40 production but a decrease in tumor necrosis factor alpha and il-10 production by lipopolysaccharida (lps)-stimulated monocytes. we also examined the expres ...	2004	14977931
[absence of lutzomyia longipalpis in some endemic visceral leishmaniasis areas in rio de janeiro municipality].	the first autochthonous case of human visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in the municipality of rio de janeiro was diagnosed in 1977. since 1980, 54 autochthonous cases have been diagnosed in various locations, and since 1993 some 17 autochthonous human cases have been reported. eight of these occurred in the neighborhood of barra de guaratiba and the others were distributed in the following neighborhoods: camorim, colônia, grota funda, grumari, ilha de guaratiba, and carapiá. from september 1996 to de ...	2004	14999355
negative effect of antibodies against maxadilan on the fitness of the sand fly vector of american visceral leishmaniasis.	lutzomyia longipalpis expresses a salivary protein called maxadilan (max) that functions to dilate vertebrate blood vessels and thereby to facilitate the sand fly's acquisition of blood. we hypothesized that antibodies specific for one of many max variants would inhibit vasodilatory function of that variant. in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that antibodies against a specific max variant decreased vasodilatory function. more specifically, antibodies against max blocked vasodilation of a co ...	2004	15031517
antigenic diversity in maxadilan, a salivary protein from the sand fly vector of american visceral leishmaniasis.	the salivary protein maxadilan (max) is a vasodilator and immunomodulator from the sand fly vector of the protozoan parasite leishmania chagasi. vaccinating balb/c mice with sand fly salivary gland extracts or with max protects the host against l. major infection. because of the potential use of max in an anti-leishmania vaccine, we characterized the vertebrate host igg response to max in the present study. our immunochemical analysis indicated that antibodies to max were detected in balb/c mice ...	2004	15031518
mosquito appetite for blood is stimulated by plasmodium chabaudi infections in themselves and their vertebrate hosts.	arthropod vectors of disease may encounter more than one infected host during the course of their lifetime. the consequences of super-infection to parasite development are rarely investigated, but may have substantial epidemiological and evolutionary consequences.	2004	15151700
down-regulation of gp63 in leishmania amazonensis reduces its early development in lutzomyia longipalpis.	the zinc protease (gp63) of promastigotes was found to play a role in the sand fly part of the leishmania life cycle. lutzomyia longipalpis females were fed with promastigotes (10(6) per ml) of a leishmania amazonensis clone whose gp63 was up- and down-regulated by directional cloning into p6.5 for sense- and anti-sense transcription. early development was found to differ significantly between the sense- and anti-sense transfectants 2 days post-feeding. the sense transfectants overexpressing gp6 ...	2004	15158771
comparative vectorial efficiency of lutzomyia evansi and lu. longipalpis for transmitting leishmania chagasi.	the infection rates and development of leishmania chagasi in two sandfly species, lutzomyia evansi and lutzomyia longipalpis, were evaluated under natural and experimental conditions. natural infection rates of lu. evansi in san andrés de sotavento (colombia) and montañas de peraza (venezuela) (0.05 and 0.2%, respectively) were similar to those previously recorded for this species in colombia and venezuela and for lu. longipalpis in many foci of american visceral leishmaniasis (avl). both sand f ...	2003	12505180
[experimental infection of equus asinus with leishmania chagasi cunha & chagas, 1937].	four equus asinus were challenged with promastigotes of leishmania chagasi cunha & chagas, 1937, and followed up for 12 months. they were observed by means of direct testing for promastigotes in smears and culture of peripheral blood, fragments from inferior lip, bone marrow, spleen and liver and the immunological assays elisa and trald. the post-necropsy histological examination demonstrated a small number of amastigotes in the liver of two animals. elisa and trald tests were positive at the 8t ...	2003	15049109
horizontal stratification of the sand fly fauna (diptera: psychodidae) in a transitional vegetation between caatinga and tropical rain forest, state of bahia, brazil.	a study about the horizontal stratification of the sand fly fauna in two distinct ecosystems, caatinga area, endemic for visceral leishmaniasis, and the tropical rain forest area, endemic for cutaneous leishmaniasis, was performed in the state of bahia, brazil. lutzomyia longipalpis was predominant in the caatinga, and following it came the species l. capixaba and l. oswaldoi. in the tropical rain forest other species were found, such as l. intermedia, l. migonei, l. whitmani, l. yuilli, l.fisch ...	2003	14595447
physiological consequences of drug resistance in leishmania and their relevance for chemotherapy.	in the early twentieth century, infectious diseases were a leading cause of death worldwide. through the following years, morbidity and mortality caused by infectious diseases decreased considerably in the developed world, but not in the developing world, where infectious diseases remain an important reason for concern. for example, leishmaniosis has become into a serious third world problem. this is mainly due to an increasing frequency of drug-resistance in leishmania and an enhanced risk of c ...	2003	14613496
control trial of lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. in the island of margarita, venezuela.	the incidence of the american visceral leishmaniasis (avl) in the island of margarita, a major tourist centre in venezuela, has been increasing between 1998 and 2001. lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. is the recognized vector, which was found naturally infected with leishmania spp, indistinguishable from the parasites recovered from dogs and children. in 1999-2000, we conducted a control trial in santa ana del valle and las cabreras, which have similar epidemiological and ecological conditions. the tri ...	2003	14641849
[blood feeding sources and peridomiciliation of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) (psychodidae, phlebotominae)].	a precipitin test was employed to study the alimentary tract content of lutzomyia longipalpis in the intra- and peridomiciliary environments in the municipality of raposa, maranh o state, a transmission area for visceral leishmaniasis or kala azar. out of 2,240 female sandflies captured, 547 (24.4%) had fed on vertebrate blood, with the following proportions: avian (87.9%); rodent (47.2%); human (42.4%); canine (27.6%); opossum (26.6%); and equine (22.5%). based on a survey of 120 human dwelling ...	2003	14666218
molecular characterization of llchit1, a midgut chitinase cdna from the leishmaniasis vector lutzomyia longipalpis.	during development within the midgut of the sand fly vector, leishmania parasites after undergoing differentiation and multiplication must escape the peritrophic matrix (pm). although leishmania chitinase is believed to take part in promoting the escape of the parasite from the pm by inducing degradation of chitin fibers, it is conceivable that a sand fly-derived chitinase can also have a role in such an event. here we describe the molecular cloning and partial characterization of a complete cdn ...	2003	12609513
genetic characterization of glucose transporter function in leishmania mexicana.	both insect and mammalian life cycle stages of leishmania mexicana take up glucose and express all three isoforms encoded by the lmgt glucose transporter gene family. to evaluate glucose transporter function in intact parasites, a null mutant line has been created by targeted disruption of the lmgt locus that encompasses the lmgt1, lmgt2, and lmgt3 genes. this deltalmgt null mutant exhibited no detectable glucose transport activity. the growth rate of the deltalmgt knockout in the promastigote s ...	2003	12651954
canine visceral leishmaniasis in barra de guaratiba, rio de janeiro, brazil: assessment of risk factors.	barra de guaratiba is a coastal area of the city of rio de janeiro where american visceral leishmaniasis (avl) is endemic. although control measures including killing of dogs and use of insecticides have been applied at this locality, the canine seroprevalence remains at 25% and during 1995 and 1997 eight autochthonous human cases were notified. in order to evaluate factors related to the increase of the risk for leishmania (leishmania) chagasi infection in dogs we have screened 365 dogs by anti ...	2003	12754572
a follow-up of beagle dogs intradermally infected with leishmania chagasi in the presence or absence of sand fly saliva.	in this study, we compare the development of infection and/or disease in beagle dogs intradermally infected with leishmania chagasi, in the presence or absence of lutzomyia longipalpis saliva, with those of intravenously infected animals. spleen samples of all the animals inoculated with parasites had positive polymerase chain reaction tests for leishmania dna. positive spleen cultures for leishmania were detected earlier (p < or = 0.018) and were more frequent (five out of the five animals) in ...	2003	12781472
the salivary purine nucleosidase of the mosquito, aedes aegypti.	a cdna clone originating from adult female aedes aegypti mosquitoes was found with substantial similarity to nucleosidases of the ec 3.2.2.1 enzyme class. although this type of enzyme is unusual in animals, abundant enzyme activity was found in salivary homogenates of this mosquito, but not in salivary homogenates of the mosquitoes anopheles gambiae and culex quinquefasciatus, or the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis. aedes salivary homogenate hydrolyses inosine and guanosine to hypoxanthine and xa ...	2003	12459196
intradermal infection model for pathogenesis and vaccine studies of murine visceral leishmaniasis.	the levels of protection found in vaccine studies of murine visceral leishmaniasis are significantly lower than for cutaneous leishmaniasis; whether this is due to the high-challenge murine model employed and/or is a consequence of differences required in tissue-specific local immune responses is not understood. consequently, an intradermal murine model of visceral leishmaniasis has been explored. intradermal inoculation established a chronic infection in susceptible mice which was associated wi ...	2003	12496190
genetic identification of two sibling species of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) that produce distinct male sex pheromones in sobral, ceará state, brazil.	lutzomyia longipalpis, the main sandfly vector for new world visceral leishmaniasis is a complex of an as yet undefined number of sibling species. at present, there is no consensus on the status (single species vs. species complex) of brazilian populations. we applied five microsatellite loci to test the hypothesis that l. longipalpis occurs as two sympatric cryptic species in sobral, ceará state, brazil as predicted by male sex pheromone chemotypes described previously for field specimens from ...	2003	12803639
[pcr as a tool in confirming the experimental transmission of leishmania chagasi to hamsters by lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera:psychodidae)].	the use of pcr (polymerase chain reaction) was evaluated for its effectiveness as a tool in the detection of transmission of leishmania chagasi to a hamster host, mesocricetus auratus, by insect vector bite. two pairs of uninfected and anesthetized hamsters were introduced into cages containing infected females of the typical phlebotomine sand fly vector, lutzomyia longipalpis. the flies were experimentally infected with leishmania chagasi and the infection was verified by dissection of subsampl ...	2003	12872564
anti-complement activity in the saliva of phlebotomine sand flies and other haematophagous insects.	the saliva of haematophagous insects has a series of pharmacological activities which may favour blood feeding. in the present study, an inhibitory effect on the complement system was observed in salivary extracts obtained from the phlebotomine sand flies lutzomyia longipalpis and lu. migonei. saliva from lu. longipalpis was capable of inhibiting both the classical and alternative pathways, while that from lu. migonei acted only on the former. other haematophagous insect species were screened fo ...	2003	12885192
immunomodulatory effects of maxadilan and phlebotomus papatasi sand fly salivary gland lysates on human primary in vitro immune responses.	leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease transmitted by the bite of leishmania-infected sand flies. here we show for the first time the ability of maxadilan (max), a vasodilatory peptide isolated from the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis, and salivary gland lysate (sgl) from phlebotomus papatasi to decrease the secretion of type 1 cytokines and to enhance the production of the type 2 cytokine interleukin (il)-6 by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pbmc) and monocytes. we found max decreased th ...	2003	12911520