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In bees from genus Melipona , differential feeding is not enough to fully explain female polyphenism. In these bees, there is a hypothesis that in addition to the environmental component (food), a genetic component is also involved in caste differentiation. This mechanism has not yet been fully elucidated and may involve epigenetic and metabolic regulation. Here, we verified that the genes encoding histone deacetylases HDAC1 and HDAC4 and histone acetyltransferase KAT2A were expressed at all stages of Melipona scutellaris , with fluctuations between developmental stages and castes. In larvae, the HDAC genes showed the same profile of Juvenile Hormone titers—previous reported—whereas the HAT gene exhibited the opposite profile. We also investigated the larvae and larval food metabolomes, but we did not identify the putative queen-fate inducing compounds, geraniol and 10-hydroxy-2E-decenoic acid (10HDA). Finally, we demonstrated that the histone deacetylase inhibitor 10HDA—the major lipid component of royal jelly and hence a putative regulator of honeybee caste differentiation—was unable to promote differentiation in queens in Melipona scutellaris . Our results suggest that epigenetic and hormonal regulations may act synergistically to drive caste differentiation in Melipona and that 10HDA is not a caste-differentiation factor in Melipona scutellaris .

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia among elderly individuals worldwide, leading to a strong motor-cognitive decline and consequent emotional distress and codependence. It is traditionally characterized by amyloidogenic pathway formation of senile plaques, and recent studies indicate that dysbiosis is also an important factor in AD’s pathology. To overcome dysbiosis, probiotics—as kefir—have shown to be a great therapeutic alternative for Alzheimer’s disease. In this present work, we explored kefir as a probiotic and a metabolite source as a modulator of microbiome and amyloidogenic pathway, using a Drosophila melanogaster model for AD (AD-like flies) . Kefir microbiota composition was determined through 16S rRNA sequencing, and the metabolome of each fraction (hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol) was investigated. After treatment, flies had their survival, climbing ability, and vacuolar lesions accessed. Kefir and fraction treated flies improved their climbing ability survival rate and neurodegeneration index. In conclusion, we show that kefir in natura , as well as its fractions may be promising therapeutic source against AD, modulating amyloidogenic related pathways.

Aims To describe the abundance of major phyla and some genera in the gut microbiota of individuals according to dietary habits and examine their associations with inflammatory markers, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular risk profile. Methods A total of 268 non-diabetic individuals were stratified into groups of dietary types (strict vegetarians, lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and omnivores). The taxonomic composition and phylogenetic structure of the microbiota were obtained through the analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. Samples were clustered into operational taxonomic units at 97% similarity using GreenGenes 13.5 database. Clinical, biochemical, and circulating inflammatory markers were compared by ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis test. Results The sample (54.2% women, mean age 49.5 years) was composed of 66 strict vegetarians, 102 lacto-ovo-vegetarians and 100 omnivores. Considering the entire sample, the greatest abundant phyla were Firmicutes (40.7 ± 15.9%) and Bacteroidetes (39.5 ± 19.9%), and no difference in abundances was found between individuals with normal and excess weight. Stratifying by dietary types, the proportion of Firmicutes was lower and of Bacteroidetes was higher in strict vegetarians when compared to lacto-ovo-vegetarians and omnivores. At the genus level, strict vegetarians had a higher Prevotella abundance and Prevotella/Bacteroides ratio than the other groups. They also had a lower proportion of Faecalibacterium than lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and both vegetarian groups had higher proportions than did omnivores. Succinivibrio and Halomonas from the Proteobacteria phylum were overrepresented in omnivores. The omnivorous group showed higher values of anthropometric data, insulin, HOMA-IR, and a worse lipid profile. Inflammatory markers exhibited a gradual and significant increase from the vegetarians and lacto-ovo-vegetarians to the omnivorous group. Conclusions There are differences in gut microbiota composition of individuals with distinct dietary habits, who differ according to their inflammatory and metabolic profiles. Based on the findings relative to bacteria abundances and on their recognized actions in the metabolism, we suggest that exposure to animal foods may favor an intestinal environment which could trigger systemic inflammation and insulin resistance-dependent metabolic disorders.

Background Evidence of multimorbidity has come mainly from high-income regions, while disparities among racial groups have been less explored. This study examined racial differences in multimorbidity in the multiracial cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health ( Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde do Adulto ), ELSA-Brasil. Methods The study examined baseline (2008–2010) data for 14 099 ELSA-Brasil participants who self-reported being white, mixed-race, or black. A list of 16 morbidities was used to evaluate multimorbidity, operationalised by simple count into ≥ 2, ≥ 3, ≥ 4, ≥ 5 and ≥ 6 morbidities, in addition to evaluating the number of coexisting conditions. Prevalence ratios (PR) were estimated from logistic models and a quantile model was used to examine racial differences graphically in the distribution quantiles for the number of morbidities. Results Overall prevalence of multimorbidity (≥ 2 morbidities) was 70% and, after controlling for age and sex, was greater among mixed-race and black participants – by 6% (PR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.03–1.08) and 9% (PR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.06–1.12), respectively – than among white participants. As the cutoff value for defining multimorbidity was raised, so the strength of the association increased, especially among blacks: if set at ≥ 6 morbidities, the prevalence was 27% greater for those of mixed-race (PR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.07–1.50) and 47% greater for blacks (PR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.22–1.76) than for whites. The disparities were smaller in the lower morbidity distribution quantiles and larger in the upper quantiles, indicating a heavier burden of disease, particularly on blacks. Conclusions Multimorbidity was common among adults and older adults in a Brazilian cohort, but important racial inequalities were found. Raising the cutoff point for defining multimorbidity revealed stronger associations between race/skin colour and multimorbidity, indicating a higher prevalence of multimorbidity among mixed-race and black individuals than among whites and that the former groups coexisted more often with more complex health situations (with more coexisting morbidities). Interventions to prevent and manage the condition of multimorbidity that consider the social determinants of health and historically discriminated populations in low- and middle-income regions are necessary.

Background The association between diabetes and obesity is very well established. Faced with this, several anthropometric indices of adiposity are often involved in studies on diabetes. Our main goal in this paper is to evaluate the association between body adiposity index (BAI) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a sample of the Brazilian population after 5-year follow-up. Methods The data used come from the Baependi Heart Study cohort, which consists of two periods: cycle 1 (2005–2006) and cycle 2 (2010–2013). Individuals of both sexes (n = 1121) were selected by excluding participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus at baseline or those that were lost to follow-up. Results The diabetic subjects showed higher systolic blood pressure, BAI, body mass index, waist circumference and fasting glucose levels. In addition, using mixed-effects logistic regression, we found that the elevation of a single unit of BAI represented an increase of 8.4% in the risk of a patient developing T2DM (OR = 1.084 [95% CI 1.045–1.124]). Conclusions Obesity is recognised as one of the most important risk factors for T2DM and BAI has proven to be a useful tool in estimating the risk of a patient developing T2DM in a Brazilian population.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is linked to brain degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Women, especially during menopausal transition, show increased susceptibility to AD-related brain changes. This study investigated the sex-specific neurostructural impact of MetS on brain regions vulnerable to AD. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 500 participants (303 women, 197 men) from the Baependi Heart Study cohort, Brazil. High-resolution T1-weighted MRI scans were used for volumetric analysis of AD-related regions of interest (ROIs). Non-parametric quantile regression models compared ROI volumes between MetS and Non-MetS groups, stratified by sex and age (median split), adjusting for age and education. Results: No significant differences in ROI volume were observed between the MetS and Non-MetS groups in men. In women, findings were age-dependent. The younger cohort (≤48 years) with MetS exhibited significantly smaller left hippocampal volume (p = 0.02) and a trend toward smaller left middle temporal gyrus volume (p = 0.05) compared to Non-MetS. The older cohort (>48 years) with MetS showed a significantly larger right amygdala volume (p < 0.001). Furthermore, age-related volume decline in the hippocampus and middle temporal gyrus was significant in Non-MetS women but not in women with MetS, suggesting that MetS may be a confounding factor in age-related neurodegeneration. Conclusions: MetS is associated with sex-specific alterations in AD-vulnerable brain structures. In women, MetS may influence medial temporal lobe atrophy pre-menopause, and is linked to amygdala enlargement post-menopause. These exploratory results generate the hypothesis that MetS may uniquely predispose women to AD-related neurodegeneration, which requires critical longitudinal confirmation.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant loss of human lives and a worldwide decline in quality of life. Although our understanding of the pandemic has improved significantly since the beginning, the natural history of COVID-19 and its impacts on under-represented populations, such as Indigenous people from America, remain largely unknown. We performed a retrospective serological survey with two Brazilian Indigenous populations (n=624), Tupiniquim and Guarani-Mbyá. Samples were collected between September 2020 and July 2021: a period comprising the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 variants and the beginning of COVID-19 vaccination in Brazil. Seroconversions against S and N antigens were assessed using three different commercially available ELISA kits. Samples were also used to assess the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in the same population (n=529). Seroconversion against SARS-CoV-2 antigens was considered positive if at least one of the three ELISA kits detected levels of specific antibodies above the threshold specified by the manufacturer. In this sense, we report 56.0% (n=349/623) of seroconverted individuals. Relative seroconversion peaked after introduction of the Coronavac vaccine in February 2021. Vaccination increased the production of anti-S IgG from 3.9% to 48.6%. Our results also indicated that 11.0% (n=46/417) of all individuals were positive for TB. Seroconversion to SARS-CoV-2 was similar between individuals with positive tuberculosis test results to those with negative test results. Most vaccinated individuals seroconverted to SARS-CoV-2, indicating that Coronavac may be as protective in individuals from these indigenous groups as observed in the general Brazilian population. COVID-19 severity was minimal regardless of incomplete vaccine coverage, suggesting that vaccination may not be the only factor protecting individuals from severe COVID-19. Tuberculosis is highly prevalent and not associated with increased seroconversion to SARS-CoV-2.

Many factors influence the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Here, we investigated the associations between socio-demographic characteristics and familial history with the 5-year incidence of T2DM in a family-based study conducted in Brazil. T2DM was defined as baseline fasting blood glucose [greater than or equal to] 126 mg/dL or the use of any hypoglycaemic drug. We excluded individuals with T2DM at baseline or if they did not attend two examination cycles. After exclusions, we evaluated a sample of 1,125 participants, part of the Baependi Heart Study (BHS). Mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to assess T2DM incident given different characteristics. At the 5-year follow-up, the incidence of T2DM was 6.7% (7.2% men and 6.3% women). After adjusting for age, sex, and education status, the model that combined marital and occupation status, skin color, and familial history of T2DM provided the best prediction for T2DM incidence. Only marital status was independently associated with T2DM incidence. Individuals that remained married, despite having significantly increased their weight, were significantly less likely to develop diabetes than their divorced counterparts.

This study evaluates the association of anthropometric indexes and the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after a 5-year follow-up. This analysis included 1091 middle-aged participants (57% women, mean age 47 ± 15 years) who were free of T2DM at baseline and attended two health examinations cycles [cycle 1 (2005–2006) and cycle 2 (2010–2013)]. As expected, the participants who developed T2DM after five years (3.8%) had the worst metabolic profile with higher hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity rates. Besides, using mixed-effects logistic regression and adjustment for sex, age, and glucose, we found that one unit increase in body adiposity index (BAI) was associated with an 8% increase in their risk of developing T2DM (odds ratio [OR] = 1.08 [95% CI, 1.02–1.14]) and visceral adiposity index (VAI) was associated with a risk increase of 11% (OR = 1.11 [95% CI, 1.00–1.22]). Moreover, a one-unit increase in the triglycerides-glucose index (TyG) was associated with more than four times the risk of developing T2DM (OR = 4.27 [95% CI, 1.01–17.97]). The interquartile range odds ratio for the continuous predictors showed that TyG had the best discriminating performance. However, when any of them were additionally adjusted for waist circumference (WC) or even body mass index (BMI), all adiposity indexes lost the effect in predicting T2DM. In conclusion, TyG had the most substantial predictive power among all three indexes. However, neither BAI, VAI, nor TyG were superior to WC or BMI for predicting the risk of developing T2DM in a middle-aged normoglycemic sample in this rural Brazilian population.

In the 15th century, ~900,000 Native Americans, mostly Tupí speakers, lived on the Brazilian coast. By the end of the 18th century, the coastal native populations were declared extinct. The Tupí arrived on the east coast after leaving the Amazonian basin ~2,000 y before present; however, there is no consensus on how this migration occurred: toward the northern Amazon and then directly to the Atlantic coast, or heading south into the continent and then migrating to the coast. Here we leveraged genomic data from one of the last remaining putative representatives of the Tupí coastal branch, a small, admixed, self-reported Tupiniquim community, as well as data of a Guaraní Mbyá native population from Southern Brazil and of three other native populations from the Amazonian region. We demonstrated that the Tupiniquim Native American ancestry is not related to any extant Brazilian Native American population already studied, and thus they could be considered the only living representatives of the extinct Tupí branch that used to settle the Atlantic Coast of Brazil. Furthermore, these data show evidence of a direct migration from Amazon to the Northeast Coast in pre-Columbian time, giving rise to the Tupí Coastal populations, and a single distinct migration southward that originated the Guaraní people from Brazil and Paraguay. This study elucidates the population dynamics and diversification of the Brazilian natives at a genomic level, which was made possible by recovering data from the Brazilian coastal population through the genomes of mestizo individuals.