A Brazilian regional basic diet-induced chronic malnutrition drives liver inflammation with higher ApoA-I activity in C57BL6J mice.

Malnutrition is still considered endemic in many developing countries. Malnutrition-enteric infections may cause lasting deleterious effects on lipid metabolism, especially in children living in poor settings. The regional basic diet (RBD), produced to mimic the Brazilian northeastern dietary characteristics (rich in carbohydrate and low in protein) has been used in experimental malnutrition models, but few studies have explored the effect of chronic RBD on liver function, a central organ involved in cholesterol metabolism. This study aimed to investigate whether RBD leads to liver inflammatory changes and altered reverse cholesterol metabolism in C57BL6/J mice compared to the control group, receiving a standard chow diet. To evaluate liver inflammation, ionized calcium-binding adapter protein-1 (IBA-1) positive cell counting, interleukin (IL)-1ß immunohistochemistry, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-10 transcription levels were analyzed. In addition, we assessed reverse cholesterol transport by measuring liver apolipoprotein (Apo)E, ApoA-I, and lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) by RT-PCR. Furthermore, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was measured to assess liver function. RBD markedly impaired body weight gain compared with the control group (P<0.05). Higher hepatic TNF-α (P<0.0001) and IL-10 (P=0.001) mRNA levels were found in RBD-challenged mice, although without detectable non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Marked IBA-1 immunolabeling and increased number of positive-IBA-1 cells were found in the undernourished group. No statistical difference in serum ALT was found. There was also a significant increase in ApoA mRNA expression in the undernourished group, but not ApoE and LCAT, compared with the control. Altogether our findings suggested that chronic RBD-induced malnutrition leads to liver inflammation with increased ApoA-I activity.

A Brazilian regional basic diet-induced chronic malnutrition drives liver inflammation with higher ApoA-I activity in C57BL6J mice

Malnutrition is still considered endemic in many developing countries. Malnutrition-enteric infections may cause lasting deleterious effects on lipid metabolism, especially in children living in poor settings. The regional basic diet (RBD), produced to mimic the Brazilian northeastern dietary characteristics (rich in carbohydrate and low in protein) has been used in experimental malnutrition models, but few studies have explored the effect of chronic RBD on liver function, a central organ involved in cholesterol metabolism. This study aimed to investigate whether RBD leads to liver inflammatory changes and altered reverse cholesterol metabolism in C57BL6/J mice compared to the control group, receiving a standard chow diet. To evaluate liver inflammation, ionized calcium-binding adapter protein-1 (IBA-1) positive cell counting, interleukin (IL)-1β immunohistochemistry, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-10 transcription levels were analyzed. In addition, we assessed reverse cholesterol transport by measuring liver apolipoprotein (Apo)E, ApoA-I, and lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) by RT-PCR. Furthermore, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was measured to assess liver function. RBD markedly impaired body weight gain compared with the control group (P<0.05). Higher hepatic TNF-α (P<0.0001) and IL-10 (P=0.001) mRNA levels were found in RBD-challenged mice, although without detectable non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Marked IBA-1 immunolabeling and increased number of positive-IBA-1 cells were found in the undernourished group. No statistical difference in serum ALT was found. There was also a significant increase in ApoA mRNA expression in the undernourished group, but not ApoE and LCAT, compared with the control. Altogether our findings suggested that chronic RBD-induced malnutrition leads to liver inflammation with increased ApoA-I activity.

Leprosy among children and adolescents under 15 years-old in a city of Legal Amazon, Brazil.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Leprosy is yet an important infectious disease in Brazil. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of leprosy among children and adolescents in a countryside city from Legal Amazon region. RESULTS: there was a high frequency of Hansen's disease among children from 5 to 9 years-old, predominantly females, with multibacillary form, and dimorphous types. CONCLUSION: due to late diagnosis and higher frequency of treatment abandonment leprosy is a serious public health problem among children and adolescents is this small city.