High-fat and obesogenic diets: current and future strategies to fight obesity and diabetes

Obesity, diabetes and their associated diseases are some of the greatest challenges that the world health care systems already face and with prospects of overburdening their capacities and funding. Due to decreased energetic expenditure and increased caloric intake, particularly in saturated fats, the number of people afflicted by said conditions is increasing by the day. Due to the failure, to this day, to effectively and ubiquity prevent and revert these diseases, the research into new compounds and therapeutic strategies is vital. In this review, we explain the most common dietary models of obesity and diabetes and the novel avenues of research we believe will be taken in the next few years in obesity and diabetes research. We primarily focus on the role of mitochondria and how the modulation of mitochondrial function and number as well as several promising therapeutic strategies involving metabolic regulators can positively affect the obese and diabetic status.     

Why Is Seed Production So Variable among Individuals? A Ten-Year Study with Oaks Reveals the Importance of Soil Environment

Mast-seeding species exhibit not only a large inter-annual variability in seed production but also considerable variability among individuals within the same year. However, very little is known about the causes and consequences for population dynamics of this potentially large between-individual variability. Here, we quantified seed production over ten consecutive years in two Mediterranean oak species – the deciduous Quercus canariensis and the evergreen Q. suber - that coexist in forests of southern Spain. First, we calibrated likelihood models to identify which abiotic and biotic variables best explain the magnitude (hereafter seed productivity) and temporal variation of seed production at the individual level (hereafter CV_i), and infer whether reproductive effort results from the available soil resources for the plant or is primarily determined by selectively favoured strategies. Second, we explored the contribution of between-individual variability in seed production as a potential mechanism of satiation for predispersal seed predators. We found that Q. canariensis trees inhabiting moister and more fertile soils were more productive than those growing in more resource-limited sites. Regarding temporal variation, individuals of the two studied oak species inhabiting these resource-rich environments also exhibited larger values of CV_i. Interestingly, we detected a satiating effect on granivorous insects at the tree level in Q. suber, which was evident in those years where between-individual variability in acorn production was higher. These findings suggest that individual seed production (both in terms of seed productivity and inter-annual variability) is strongly dependent on soil resource heterogeneity (at least for one of the two studied oak species) with potential repercussions for recruitment and population dynamics. However, other external factors (such as soil heterogeneity in pathogen abundance) or certain inherent characteristics of the tree might be also involved in this process.     

Functional response of Euseius concordis to densities of different developmental stages of the cassava green mite

Both prey density and developmental stage of pests and natural enemies are known to influence the effectiveness of biological control. However, little is known about the interaction between prey density and population structure on predation and fecundity of generalist predatory mites. Here, we evaluated the functional response (number of prey eaten by predator in relation to prey density) of adult females and nymphs of the generalist predatory mite Euseius concordis to densities of different developmental stages of the cassava green mite Mononychellus tanajoa, as well as the fecundity of adult females of the predator. We further assessed the instantaneous rate of increase, based on fecundity and mortality, of E. concordis fed on eggs, immatures and adults of M. tanajoa. Overall, nymphs and adults of E. concordis feeding on eggs, immatures and females of M. tanajoa had a type III functional response curve suggesting that the predator increased prey consumption rate as prey density increased. Both nymphs and adult females of the predator consumed more eggs than immatures of M. tanajoa from the density of 20 items per leaf disc onwards, revealing an interaction between prey density and developmental stage in the predatory activity of E. concordis. In addition, population growth rate was higher when the predator fed on eggs and immatures in comparison with females. Altogether our results suggest that E. concordis may be a good candidate for the biological control of M. tanajoa populations. However, the efficiency of E. concordis as a biological control agent of M. tanajoa is contingent on prey density and population structure.     

Genetic trend for milk yield in Guzerat herds participating in progeny testing and MOET nucleus schemes

Genetic trends for 305-day milk yield (P305) in Brazilian Guzerat herds under selection were compared. Data from 4898 lactations of 3179 purebred and crossbred cows from various regions of Brazil were used. Milk yield was adjusted for mature age and the contemporary groups were defined as herd and calving year. Genetic parameters were estimated using the MTDFREML program. The model included the random effects of animals and permanent environment, and herd-calving year, calving season and genetic composition as fixed effects. Genetic trends were estimated by linear regression of weighted average estimated breeding values as a function of calving year. The average P305 was 2065 +/- 922 kg and the heritability was 0.23 +/- 0.03. The annual genetic trend in estimated breeding values of cows for P305 was 7.09 +/- 0.71 kg between 1987 and 2004, and 6.47 +/- 2.35 kg between 1997 and 2004. For cows born and raised in the multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) nucleus, this trend was 36.46 +/- 24.54 kg/year between 1997 and 2004, 183.14 +/- 47.94 kg/year between 1997 and 2000, and 9.13 +/- 19.19 kg/year between 2001 and 2004. An average inbreeding coefficient of 0.04 was found for inbred MOET cows in 2004. Increasing the size of the family and introducing new progenies changed reliabilities and predicted transmitting ability estimates of MOET sires. In conclusion, there was a positive genetic trend for milk yield in the MOET nucleus at low inbreeding coefficients due to the increased accuracy and estimated genetic merit, but no changes in the average milk yield were observed.     

Development and Validation of a Diagrammatic Scale to Assess the Severity of Black Rot of Crucifers in Kale

The aim of this study was to develop a diagrammatic scale to evaluate black rot (Xanthomonas campestris pv. compestris) severity on kale (Brassica oleraceae var. acephala) leaves. The diagrammatic scale was developed and validated with eight levels of severity, ranging from 0.19 to 48.8%. More than 95% of the leaves collected from the field showed severity levels ranging from 0.1 to 21%, and 5% of the leaves showed severities higher than 22%. The validation of the scale was performed by 10 inexperienced evaluators, and the data were analysed with two methods: linear regression and Lin's statistics. Without the scale, most evaluators overestimated disease severity, whereas the use of the scale resulted in increased precision, accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility of the estimates according to both validation methods. In conclusion, the proposed diagrammatic scale proved to be useful for assessments of black rot severity in kale leaves. The scale may be of interest to researches performing studies on epidemiology or breeding for resistance.     

Interstitial and vascular type V collagen morphologic disorganization in usual interstitial pneumonia.

Recent evidence suggests that type V collagen plays a role in organizing collagen fibrils, thus maintaining fibril size and spatial organization uniform. In this study we sought to characterize the importance of type V collagen morphological disorganization and to study the relationship between type V collagen, active remodeling of the pulmonary vascular/parenchyma (fibroblastic foci), and other collagen types in usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). We examined type V collagen and several other collagens in 24 open lung biopsies with histological pattern of UIP from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We used immunofluorescence, morphometry, and three-dimensional reconstruction to evaluate the amount of collagen V and its interaction with the active remodeling progression in UIP, as well as types I and III collagen fibers. Active remodeling progression was significantly related to type V collagen density (p<0.05), showing a gradual and direct increase to minimal, moderate, and severe fibrosis degree in UIP and in the three different areas: normal, intervening, and mural-organizing fibrosis in UIP. Parenchymal changes were characterized by morphological disorganization of fibrillar collagen with diverse disarray and thickness when observed by three-dimensional reconstruction. We concluded that in the different temporal stages of UIP, vascular/parenchyma collagen type V is increased, in disarray, and is the most important predictor of survival.     

Coenzyme Q-10 improves preservation of mitochondrial functionality and actin structure of cryopreserved stallion sperm

Coenzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10) is a cofactor for mitochondrial electron transport chain and may be an alternative to improve sperm quality of cryopreserved equine semen. This work aimed to improve stallion semen quality after freezing by adding CoQ-10 to the cryopreservation protocol. Seven saddle stallions were utilized. Each animal was submitted to five semen collections and freezing procedures. For cryopreservation, each ejaculate was divided in three treatments: 1) Botucrio® diluent (control); 2) 50 μmol CoQ-10 added to Botucrio® diluent; 3) 1 mmol CoQ-10 added to Botucrio® diluent. Semen batches were analyzed for sperm motility characteristics (CASA), plasma and acrosomal membranes integrity and mitochondrial membrane potential (by fluorescence probes propidium iodide, Hoechst 33342, FITC-PSA and JC-1, respectively), alterations in cytoskeletal actin (phalloidin-FITC) and mitochondrial function (diaminobenzidine; DAB). The 1 mmol CoQ-10 treatment presented higher (P<0.05) amount (66.8%) of sperm cells with fully stained midpiece (indicating high mitochondrial activity) and higher (P<0.05) amount (81.6%) of cells without actin reorganization to the post-acrosomal region compared to control group (60.8% and 76.0%, respectively). It was concluded that the addition of 1 mmol CoQ-10 to the freezing diluent was more effective in preserving mitochondria functionality and cytoskeleton of sperm cells submitted to cryopreservation process.     

24-Epibrassinolide alleviates drought effects in young Carapa guianensis plants,improving the hydraulic safety margin,gas exchange and antioxidant defence

• Climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme events such as droughts, limiting plant growth and productivity. Exogenous application of plant growth regulators, such as 24-epibrassinolide (EBR), might be a solution as this molecule is organic, eco-friendly, and biodegradable. This is the first research to examine possible roles of EBR on the hydraulic safety margin, physiological behaviour, and metabolism in Carapa guianensis Aubl. (Meliaceae) exposed to drought. C. guianensis is a widely distributed tree in tropical forests of the Amazon.
• The objective was to determine whether EBR can improve tolerance to water deficit in young C. guianensis by measuring hydraulic traits, nutritional, biochemical and physiological responses, and biomass. The experiment had four randomized treatments: two water conditions (control and water deficit) and two concentrations of EBR (0 and 100 nM EBR).
• EBR increased the water potential and hydraulic safety margin, increased CO₂ fixation, and improved stomatal performance. EBR also stimulated antioxidant defences (SOD, CAT, APX, and POX).
• Overall, tretreatment with EBR improved drought tolerance of young C. guianensis plants.