Examining life-course influences on chronic disease: the importance of birth cohort studies from low- and middle- income countries. An overview

The objectives of this overview are to describe the past and potential contributions of birth cohorts to understanding chronic disease aetiology; advance a justification for the maintenance of birth cohorts from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC); provide an audit of birth cohorts from LMIC; and, finally, offer possible future directions for this sphere of research. While the contribution of birth cohorts from affluent societies to understanding disease aetiology has been considerable, we describe several reasons to anticipate why the results from such studies might not be directly applied to LMIC. More than any other developing country, Brazil has a tradition of establishing, maintaining and exploiting birth cohort studies. The clear need for a broader geographical representation may be precipitated by a greater collaboration worldwide in the sharing of ideas, fieldwork experience, and cross-country cohort data comparisons in order to carry out the best science in the most efficient manner. This requires the involvement of a central overseeing body - such as the World Health Organization - that has the respect of all countries and the capacity to develop strategic plans for `global' life-course epidemiology while addressing such issues as data-sharing. For rapid progress to be made, however, there must be minimal bureaucratic entanglements.

Short-term exposure of mice to cigarette smoke and/or residual oil fly ash produces proximal airspace enlargements and airway epithelium remodeling

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with inflammatory cell reactions, tissue destruction and lung remodeling. Many signaling pathways for these phenomena are still to be identified. We developed a mouse model of COPD to evaluate some pathophysiological mechanisms acting during the initial stage of the disease. Forty-seven 6- to 8-week-old female C57/BL6 mice (approximately 22 g) were exposed for 2 months to cigarette smoke and/or residual oil fly ash (ROFA), a concentrate of air pollution. We measured lung mechanics, airspace enlargement, airway wall thickness, epithelial cell profile, elastic and collagen fiber deposition, and by immunohistochemistry transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), macrophage elastase (MMP12), neutrophils and macrophages. We observed regional airspace enlargements near terminal bronchioles associated with the exposure to smoke or ROFA. There were also increases in airway resistance and thickening of airway walls in animals exposed to smoke. In the epithelium, we noted a decrease in the ciliated cell area of animals exposed to smoke and an increase in the total cell area associated with exposure to both smoke and ROFA. There was also an increase in the expression of TGF-β1 both in the airways and parenchyma of animals exposed to smoke. However, we could not detect inflammatory cell recruitment, increases in MMP12 or elastic and collagen fiber deposition. After 2 months of exposure to cigarette smoke and/or ROFA, mice developed regional airspace enlargements and airway epithelium remodeling, although no inflammation or increases in fiber deposition were detected. Some of these phenomena may have been mediated by TGF-β1.

Evaluation of some residual bioactivities of microencapsulated Phaseolus lunatus protein fraction with carboxymethylated flamboyant (Delonix regia) gum/sodium alginate

Recent studies have shown the beneficial effect of peptides, an unexploited source could be Phaseolus lunatus being an important raw material for those functional products in order to improve their utilization. In addition to improve the beneficial effect of bioactive peptides the microencapsulation could be a way to protect the peptides against the environment to which they are exposed. P. lunatus protein fraction (<10 kDa of weight) was encapsulated using a blend of carboxymethylated flamboyant gum (CFG) and sodium alginate (SA) at different concentrations of CaCl2 and hardening times. After in vitro digestion of microcapsules the residual activity, in the intestinal system, both inhibition of agiotensin-converting enzyme (I-ACE) and antioxidant activity obtained were in a range of 0.019-0.136 mg/mL and 570.64-813.54 mM of TEAC respectively. The microencapsulation employed CFG/SA blends could be used controlled delivery of peptide fractions with potential use as a nutraceutical or therapeutic agents.

Morfologia e função cardíacas em pacientes renais crônicos, com ou sem diurese residual, em tratamento hemodialítico

Em pacientes com doença renal crônica (DRC) em hemodiálise (HD), a hipertrofia ventricular esquerda (HVE) está relacionada ao aumento do índice de resistência vascular periférica (IRVP) total e à sobrecarga de volume. A presença da diurese residual (DR) nesses pacientes possibilita maior controle volêmico. Avaliamos as modificações morfofuncionais do ventrículo esquerdo (VE) em pacientes com DRC em HD com e sem diurese residual. Trinta e um pacientes não diabéticos foram divididos em dois grupos: com diurese residual (DR+) (n = 17) e sem diurese residual (DR-) (n = 14). Em ambos os grupos, DR+ vs. DR-, ocorreram diferenças no índice cardíaco (3,9 ± 0,20 vs. 3,0 ± 0,21 L/min/m²; p = 0,0056), no índice sistólico (54 ± 2,9 vs. 45 ± 3,3 mL/b/m²; p = 0,04), no volume diastólico final (141 ± 6,7 vs. 112 ± 7,6 mL; p = 0,008), no diâmetro diastólico final (52 ± 0,79 vs. 48 ± 1,12 mm; p = 0,0072) e no IRVP total (1.121 ± 56 vs. 1.529 ± 111 dina.seg.cm-5; p = 0,001). O grupo DR+ apresentou menor espessamento relativo de parede (ERP) do que o DR- (0,38 ± 0,01 vs. 0,45 ± 0,01; p = 0,0008). A fração de ejeção (66,00 ± 1,24 vs. 66,0 ± 1,46%; p = 0,873) e o índice de massa ventricular esquerda (132 ± 6,0 vs. 130 ± 8,3 g/m; p = 0,798) foram similares em ambos os grupos. O volume de diurese residual correlacionou-se com o espessamento da parede ventricular (r = 0,42; p = 0,0186) e com o índice de resistência vascular periférica (r = -0,48; p = 0,0059). Em conclusão, a presença ou não da diurese residual, em pacientes com doença renal crônica e em hemodiálise, pode ser responsável por modificações na função cardíaca sistólica.

Corruption, income, and rule of law: empirical evidence from developing and developed economies

This article presents an empirical analysis based on cross-country data concerned with two points regarding corruption: (i) its effects on income; and (ii) how to mitigate corruption. The findings can be highlighted in two points. Firstly the idea that corruption is intrinsically connected with income is confirmed. Secondly, the traditional argument that an increase in rule of law represents a good strategy in the fight against corruption is valid for developing countries. Furthermore, this study reveals that the search for increasing the human development index represents a rule of thumb for high levels of income and to control corruption.