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Freshwater planarians of the genus Girardia have been introduced all over the world, but little is known about the species involved and their possible impact on autochthonous ecosystems. Using molecular phylogenetics and niche modelling under different climatic scenarios we examine the human-induced spread of alien Girardia species from their original areas of distribution in the Americas to other areas. Our results corroborate that Girardia populations spreading worldwide belong to three species: G. dorotocephala, G. sinensis, and G. tigrina. Our study emphasizes that G. sinensis is native to North America and shows that G. dorotocephala has a broader range of introduced localities than previously known. Niche modelling revealed that the three species have a broad range of potential distribution in extensive regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Regardless of the future climatic scenario, their distributional range will increase towards northern Europe, without diminishing the high suitability of regions in the south. Their environmental requirements, being generalists with high suitability for human-modified habitats, and fissiparous reproduction explain their successful colonization. In the Iberian Peninsula, G. tigrina and G. sinensis have extensive areas of high suitability, overlapping with the more limited suitable areas of autochthonous planarians, pointing to potential detrimental effects of Girardia invaders.

Stenostomum hemisphericum Nassonov, 1924 Figures 8, 9 General morphology. Specimen with 2 zooids, reaching a length of 5 mm (Figs 8, 9). Similar to the specimens analyzed by Marcus (1945a), the brain is divided into 2 portions, the anterior lobes are separated in small independent parts and the posterior lobes are trilobated with 2 light-refracting bodies, constituted by a pear-shaped vesicle (0.01 mm in diameter) and a spherical refractory element in its inner part associated with the posterior lobe. The mouth is rounded. The simplex pharynx is long, consisting of strong muscles, with longitudinal, circular, oblique and lateral muscle fibers. The nephridiopore is subterminal (Fig. 9). The pharyngeal glands showed a restricted distribution around the mouth and the posterior portion of the brain was relatively smaller than that of the specimens from the type locality, in the Holarctic region (Nassonov 1924). Specimens examined. Coll. J.A.L. Braccini and F. Brusa, 12 March 2012, Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Terra de Areia (29��29�� 0 5 �� S, 0 49 ��52��21�� W). No voucher available. Remarks on ecology and distribution. This species was represented by a singleton in the summer/autumn survey and was absent in the winter/spring survey (Table 2). It was described from the Holarctic region (Nassonov 1924); in the Neotropical region, it was reported at Bel��m, northern Brazil (Marcus 1945a) and in the department of Ucayali, Peru (Damborenea et al. 2011). The present record increases its known distribution by about 3000 km to the southeast. Order Dalytyphloplanida Willems, Wallberg, Jondelius, Littlewood, Backeljau, Schockaert & Artois, 2006 Family Provorticidae Beklemischev, 1927 Genus Baicalellia Nassonov, 1930, Published as part of Jo��o A. L. Braccini, Francisco Brusa & Ana M. Leal-Zanchet, 2017, Six freshwater microturbellarian species (Platyhelminthes) in permanent wetlands of the Coastal Plain of southern Brazil: new records, abundance, and distribution, pp. 849-855 in Check List 13 (6) on pages 852-853, DOI: 10.15560/13.6.849, http://zenodo.org/record/1067944, {"references":["Nassonov N (1924) Les trats generaux de la distribution geographique des Turbellaria rhabdocoelida dans la Russie, etc. Bulletin de l'academie des sciences de Russie 327 - 352.","Marcus E (1945 a) Sobre Catenulida Brasileiros. Boletim da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciencias e Letras da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Serie Zoologia 10: 3 - 133.","Damborenea C, Brusa F, Almagro I, Norena C (2011) A phylogene- tic analysis of Stenostomum and its neotropical congeners, with a description of a new species from the Peruvian Amazon Basin. Invertebrate Systematics 25 (2): 155 - 169. https: // doi. org / 10.1071 / IS 10026","Schockaert ER, Hooge M, Sluys R, Schilling S, Tyler S, Artois T (2008) Global diversity of free living flatworms (Platyhelminthes: \" Tur- bellaria \") in freshwater. Hydrobiologia 595: 41 - 48. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / s 10750 - 007 - 9002 - 8"]}

Catenula leuca Marcus, 1945 Figures 4, 5 General morphology. Elongated and slender body (length to 1 mm) with rounded anterior and posterior, Published as part of Jo��o A. L. Braccini, Francisco Brusa & Ana M. Leal-Zanchet, 2017, Six freshwater microturbellarian species (Platyhelminthes) in permanent wetlands of the Coastal Plain of southern Brazil: new records, abundance, and distribution, pp. 849-855 in Check List 13 (6) on page 851, DOI: 10.15560/13.6.849, http://zenodo.org/record/1067944, {"references":["Marcus E (1945 a) Sobre Catenulida Brasileiros. Boletim da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciencias e Letras da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Serie Zoologia 10: 3 - 133."]}

Catenula evelinae (Marcus, 1945) Larsson, Ahmadzadeh & Jondelius, 2008 Figures 2, 3 General morphology. The body, with length varying between 0.6 and 0.8 mm, is elongate with truncated ante- rior tip and rounded posterior tip. The anterior region has long-ciliated sensorial cells and a statocyst with a statolith in the prostomium base (Figs 2, 3). In addition, there is a pre-oral swelling with ciliated furrows and occurrence of conspicuous epidermal inclusions. The intestine is located in the posterior 2/3 of the body. A protonephridium duct is visible in the posterior 1/6 of the body and the nephridiopore is subterminal (Fig. 3). Specimens examined. MZU 00203: coll. J.A.L. Braccini and F. Brusa, 26 March 2012, Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Tramandaí (30°05ʹ09ʺ S, 050°10ʹ24ʺ W); coll. J.A.L. Braccini and F. Brusa, 26 March 2012, Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Capivari do Sul (30°10ʹ22ʺ S, 050°23ʹ10ʺ W). Remarks on ecology and distribution. Species with low abundance in each wetland in the summer/autumn survey and absent from the winter/spring survey (Table 2). Catenula evelinae was previously reported only for its type locality, in the city of São Paulo, in southeast Brazil (Marcus 1945a). Thus, the present record represents a southeastern range extension of about 800 km. the Coastal Plain during 2 surveys done in 2012. tips; pre-oral region longer than wide. There is a statocyst located approximately in the middle of the cephalic lobe; a ciliated pit is absent. The intestine is large, 2/3 of the body length (Figs 4, 5). Specimens examined. MZU 00204: coll. J.A.L. Braccini and F. Brusa, 12 March 2012, Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Osório (Wetland 3) (29°52ʹ02ʺ S, 050°05ʹ24ʺ W). Remarks on ecology and distribution: Species with moderate abundance in the summer/autumn survey, but absent in the winter/spring survey (Table 2). Similarly to C. evelinae, C. leuca was previously recorded only in its type locality, in the city of São Paulo (Marcus 1945a). The present record, thereby, increases its known distribution about 800 km to the southeast. Catenula turgida (Zacharias, 1902) Larsson, Ahmadzadeh & Jondelius, 2008 Figures 6, 7 General morphology. Body length (0.4–0.6 mm) similar to those from the Holarctic region; mean length a little shorter than that of São Paulo specimens (0.6–0.8 mm). Their main morphological characteristics are: absence of statocysts, body length 5 or 6 times longer than wide, preoral ring with 4 longitudinal grooves on each side (Figs 6, 7) and 3–4 µm long rhabdoids. Specimens examined. MZU 00205: coll. J.A.L. Braccini and F. Brusa, 12 March 2012, Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Tramandaí (30°05ʹ09ʺ S, 050°10ʹ24ʺ W). Remarks on ecology and distribution. This species had low abundance in both surveys (Table 2). It was described from the Holarctic region (Zacharias 1902, Larsson and Willems 2010) and previously reported for the Neotropical region in the city of São Paulo, in southeast Brazil (Marcus 1945a, b). The present record represents an extension of its known distribution about 800 km to the southeast.

Descreve-se uma nova espécie de Geoplana Stimpson, 1857 ocorrente na Floresta Nacional de São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Geoplana rubidolineata sp. nov. possui padrão de coloração característico, além de uma combinação de caracteres da morfologia interna, que a diferencia das demais espécies que apresentam epitélio com aparência estratificada revestindo o átrio feminino.A new species of Geoplana Stimpson, 1857, registered for the National Forest of São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, is described. Geoplana rubidolineata sp. nov. has a characteristic colour pattern, as well as a combination of characters of the internal morphology, which differentiate it from other species presenting a lining in the female atrium with multilayered aspect.

The genus Cratera Carbayo et al. was proposed to encompass five species of Geoplaninae from southeastern Brazil that were mainly recorded in the state of São Paulo. Here we describe a new species of the genus, C. steffeni sp. nov., that occurs in areas of Araucaria Forest in southern Brazil, which augments the known distribution of Cratera. The new species is distinguished from others of the genus by its characteristic colour pattern and a combination of internal morphological characters.

Estrogens are effective antioxidants in diverse biological systems. Despite their antioxidant activities, it is not known yet whether estrogens prevent or alleviate liver toxicity induced by oxidative stress. In the present work, we studied this possibility by examining in vitro the protective potential of different estrogen compounds (17beta-estradiol, 2-hydroxyestradiol, and diethylstilbestrol) against tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced hepatocyte damage. Various parameters such as cell viability, lipid peroxidation, adenine nucleotide content, and thiol status were measured as an index of cytotoxicity. The protective effects of estrogens were compared to those of the iron chelator deferoxamine. The molecules tested prevented oxidant-induced cell death differently, showing variable degrees of protection. Deferoxamine was the most potent agent, followed by diethylstilbestrol and 2-hydroxyestradiol, 17beta-estradiol being the least efficient. The inhibitory effects on lipid and thiol oxidations paralleled the effects on cell viability. The molecules also reduced the oxidant-induced ATP depletion, except for 17beta-estradiol which had no effect on the decreased ATP levels. Our results suggest that the mechanisms of the preventive actions of estrogens may be related not only to their antioxidant activity against free radicals, but also and to a lesser extent to the maintenance of the normal redox status of the cell, which partially recovers the intracellular GSH levels.

The preventive effects of estrogens on FeSO4-induced lipid peroxidation are closely correlated with their inhibition of Fe(II) oxidation during peroxidation. Estrogens affected the redox status of iron in aqueous solution with varying degrees of effectiveness. 2-Hydroxyestradiol substantially decreased the oxidation of Fe(II) and was the most potent Fe(III) reductant. Diethylstilbestrol and 4-hydroxyestradiol also exhibited reduction properties, whereas the phenolic estrogens 17 beta-estradiol, estrone, and 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol displayed slighter or no effects. Present results demonstrate that catecholestrogens and diethylstilbestrol directly alter the iron redox chemistry, this fact probably being involved in the antioxidant effects of these molecules.

The antioxidant effects of natural estrogens (estrone, E1; 17 beta-estradiol), synthetic estrogens (17 alpha-ethynylestradiol, EE2; mestranol, MES; diethylstilbestrol, DES) and catecholestrogens (2-hydroxyestradiol; 4-hydroxyestradiol, 4-OHE2) on lipid peroxidation induced by different means in rat liver microsomes were investigated. The extent of lipid peroxidation was determined by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Prooxidants included Fe3+/ADP/reduced NADPH, Fe2+/ascorbate, tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH) and 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) (AAPH). Estrogens and catecholestrogens decreased lipid peroxidation in all four systems tested. In the iron/ascorbate model it was shown that (i) 4-OHE2 and DES had analogous patterns of inhibition, irrespective of the presence of NADPH or the functional integrity of the microsomes, and (ii) the antioxidant activities of E1, EE2 and MES were dependent on the assay conditions with the activity being markedly higher when estrogen metabolism was favored. When peroxidation was initiated by the peroxyl radical generator AAPH, the inhibitory effects observed were least pronounced. Our data also showed that, in each of the systems, all inhibitors displayed the same order of inhibitory potency with DES and catecholestrogens being the most potent antioxidants under all experimental conditions used. The present results confirm earlier findings and point toward a link between estrogen metabolism and estrogen antioxidant activity. The data also indicate that estrogens and catecholestrogens interact with the peroxidative process at different levels with their interactions with iron or the metal-derived species being the most important modes of inhibition.