Dengue virus (DENV) of the Flaviviridae family is a single positive-stranded RNA virus that is transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The objective of this study was to investigate the use of chloroquine (CLQ) as an antiviral drug against dengue virus in monkeys. To analyze the action of the drug in vivo, nonhuman primates groups (Aotus azarai infulatus) were inoculated with a subcutaneous injection of a virulent strain of DENV-2, treated and untreated CLQ. Blood hematological, viremia, and serum biochemical values were obtained from 16 DENV-2-inoculated, treated and untreated; four received only CLQ and one mock-infected Aotus monkeys. Monkey serum samples (day 0-10 post-inoculation) were assayed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Cytometric Bead Array for determination of viremia and inflammatory cytokines, respectively. Additionally, body temperature and activity levels were determined. In the present work, CLQ was effective on replication of DENV-2 in Aotus monkeys; a time viremia reduction was observed compared with the controls. The concentration of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interferon gamma in the serum of the animals had a statistically significant reduction in the groups treated with CLQ after infection compared with the controls. A significant decrease in systemic levels of the liver enzyme aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was also observed in the animals treated with CLQ after infection compared with the controls. These results suggest that CLQ interferes in DENV-2 replication in Aotus monkeys.

RESUMO.-Os autores descreveram a origem e composição do plexo braquial de quatro Saimiri sciureus, pertencentes ao Centro Nacional de Primatas (Cenp), Ananindeua/PA, os quais foram ϐixados com formaldeído e dissecados. Os achados revelaram que o plexo braquial desta espécie é constituído por ϐibras neurais provenientes da união das raízes dorsais e ventrais das vértebras cervicais C4 a C8 e torácica T1, e organizado em quatro troncos. Cada tronco formou um nervo ou um grupo de nervos, cuja origem variou entre os animais; na maioria, foi encontrado o tronco cranial originando o nervo subclávio, o tronco médio-cranial dando origem aos nervos supraescapular, subescapular, parte do radial, e em alguns casos ao nervo axilar, nervo musculocu- The authors described the origin and composition of the brachial plexus of four Saimiri sciureus, from the National Primate Center (Cenp), Ananindeua/PA, which were ϐixed with formaldehyde and dissected. Findings revealed that the brachial plexus of this species is composed by nervous ϐibers from the roots of cervical vertebrae C4 to C8 and thoracic vertebrae T1, and organized into four branchs. Each branch has formed a nerve or a group of nerves, the origin was varied between animals, mostly were found the cranial trunk originate the subclavian nerve; the medium-cranial originate the suprascapular, subscapular, part of radial and in some cases the axillary, musculocutaneous and median nerves; the medium-caudal trunk originate part of radial nerve and in some cases the axillary, musculocutaneous, median, thoracodorsal, ulnar and medial cutaneous of forearm nerves, the last two nerves also originate from the caudal trunk. tâneo e ao nervo mediano; o tronco médio-caudal formou parte do nervo radial, e em alguns casos os nervos axilar, nervo musculocutâneo, nervo mediano, nervo toracodorsal, nervo ulnar e nervo cutâneo medial do antebraço, sendo os dois últimos também originados no tronco caudal. TERMOS DE INDEXAÇÃO: Nervos, plexo braquial, primata não humano, macaco-de-cheiro, Saimiri sciureus.

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BACKGROUND Non-human primates contribute to the spread of the yellow fever virus (YFV) and the establishment of transmission cycles in endemic areas. OBJECTIVE To describe the severe histopathological aspects of YFV infection, 10 squirrel monkeys were infected with YFV and blood, brain, liver, kidney, spleen, heart, lung, lymph node and stomach were collected at 1-7, 10, 20 and 30 days post-infection (dpi). METHODS Histopathological analysis and detection of the genome and viral antigens and neutralising antibodies were performed by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and neutralisation test, respectively. FINDINGS Only one animal died from the experimental infection. The genome and viral antigens were detected in all investigated organs (1-30 dpi) and the neutralising antibodies from seven to 30 dpi. The brain contained perivascular haemorrhage (6 dpi); in the liver, midzonal haemorrhage and lytic necrosis (6 dpi) were observed. The kidney had bleeding in the Bowman’s capsule and tubular necrosis (6 dpi). Pyknotic lymphocytes were observed in the spleen (1-20 dpi), the lung had haemorrhage (2-6 dpi), in the endocardium it contained nuclear pyknosis and necrosis (2-3 dpi) and the stomach contained blood in the lumen (6 dpi). MAIN FINDINGS Squirrel monkeys reliably reproduced the responses observed in human cases of yellow fever and, therefore, constitute an excellent experimental model for studies on the pathophysiology of the disease.

Saimiri sciureus is one of the smallest Cebidae native of Amazon region and also found at the biological reserve of northeast Atlantic forest. It is an omnivore animal, with diversified diet that directly influences the lingual mucosa, which includes certain types of papillae with different organization levels. The present study attempted to describe the morphological and ultrastructure aspects of the dorsal surface of the S. sciureus. Five tongues of de S. sciureus were analyzed from three males and two females who died from natural causes and were obtained from breeding colonies of CENP-Ananindeua-PA. Main macroscopic features were a general triangular shape with a craniocaudal elongation pointed apex. Tissue samples--apex, body, and root of tongue--were fixed in modified Karnovsky solution, following standard scanning protocol, mounted in stubs, coated by gold, and analyzed by Scanning Electron Macroscopy (SEM). Four types of papillae were described: filiform (along all tissue extension with 154 μm of diameter), fungiform (along all tissue extension with 272 μm of diameter), vallate [just three units in caudal (dorsal) portion with 830 μm of diameter] and foliate (one pair at caudolateral surface with ∼ 13 projections and 3000 μm in length). Data analysis indicates that the distribution and ultra structural morphology of the S. sciureus lingual papillae are some similar to other primates.