Alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroidaxis in animals submitted to early-life trauma

Introduction: Changes in maternal care can affect offspring’s thyroid hormone T3 levels. Pups from highly caring mothers have higher levels of thyroid hormone T3. In humans, physical abuse in childhood is related to lower levels of T3 in adolescence. This study aimed at verifying if early-life trauma in rodents is correlated with T3 levels in adulthood. Methods: From the second day of life, litters of Wistar rats were subjected to reduced nesting material (Early–Life Stress-ELS) or standard care (Controls). In adult life, the animals were chronically exposed to standard diet or standard diet + palatable diet and plasma T3 levels were measured before and after the exposition to diet. Results: Thyroid hormone T3 levels in adult life correlated negatively with the licking and grooming (LG) scores in the ELS group. This correlation disappeared when the animals had the opportunity to choose between two diets chronically. Conclusion: The adverse environment affected maternal behavior and caused marks on the metabolism of the intervention group (T3), which were reverted by chronic palatable food consumption

Leptin Levels, Basal Metabolic Rates, and Insulin Resistance in Obese Pubertal Children

Introduction: Obesity in children and adolescents is considered a serious public health problem. The consequences of overweight can last for life. It is extremely important to have formulas to calculate the basal metabolic rate (BMR) that are truly reliable in relation to the individual caloric expenditure. Objectives: To investigate the association of serum levels of leptin, lipid profile, and insulin resistance (insuline resistance by Homeostatic Model Assessment [HOMA] index) with the body mass index (BMI) z-score of pubertal obese children. In addition, to compare the basal metabolic rate (BMR) evaluation carried out using bioimpedance (BIA) with the Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) equation. Methods: Cross-sectional study including 37 pubertal obese children (aged 7 to 12 years old) seen for the first time in the outpatient care unit specialized in child obesity between June 2013 and April 2014. The participants were assessed regarding anthropometric data, body composition (fat mass) by BIA 310 bioimpedance analyzer (Biodynamic Body Composition Analyser, model 310 - Biodynamics Corporation, Seattle, EUA), and blood pressure. Blood samples were collected to measure glucose, insulin, lipid profile, triglycerides, and leptin. The stage of sexual maturity was determined by self-assessment according to the Tanner scale. Results: Higher leptin levels were found in the severe obesity group (p = 0.007) and, as expected, higher BMI (p < 0.001), and fat mass (p = 0.029). The groups did not differ in relation to insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and blood pressure. The BMR measured by bioimpedance was lower as compared to the measure by the FAO/WHO equation (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These results suggest that severely obese children may present leptin resistance in this early stage of life, (since this hormone is higher in these children). It is suggested that health professionals prioritize the calculation of BMR by bioimpedance, since the FAO/WHO equation seems to overestimate the caloric values

Alterations in the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis in animals submitted to early-life trauma

Introduction: Changes in maternal care can affect offspring’s thyroid hormone T3 levels. Pups from highly caring mothers have higher levels of thyroid hormone T3. In humans, physical abuse in childhood is related to lower levels of T3 in adolescence. This study aimed at verifying if early-life trauma in rodents is correlated with T3 levels in adulthood. Methods: From the second day of life, litters of Wistar rats were subjected to reduced nesting material (Early–Life Stress-ELS) or standard care (Controls). In adult life, the animals were chronically exposed to standard diet or standard diet + palatable diet and plasma T3 levels were measured before and after the exposition to diet. Results: Thyroid hormone T3 levels in adult life correlated negatively with the licking and grooming (LG) scores in the ELS group. This correlation disappeared when the animals had the opportunity to choose between two diets chronically. Conclusion: The adverse environment affected maternal behavior and caused marks on the metabolism of the intervention group (T3), which were reverted by chronic palatable food consumption. Keywords: Trauma; T3; stres

Níveis de leptina, taxa metabólica basal e resistência insulínica em crianças obesas púberes

IntroductionObesity in children andadolescents is considered aseriouspublic healthproblem. The consequences of overweight can last for life. It is extremely important tohave formulas to calculate the basal metabolic rate (BMR) that are truly reliable inrelation to the individual caloric expenditure.ObjectivesTo investigate the association of serum levels of leptin, lipid profile, andinsulin resistance (insuline resistance by Homeostatic Model Assessment [HOMA]index) with the body mass index (BMI) z-score of pubertal obese children. In addition, tocompare the basal metabolic rate (BMR) evaluation carried out using bioimpedance(BIA) with the Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) equation.MethodsCross-sectional study including 37 pubertal obese children (aged 7 to 12years old) seen for thefirst time in the outpatient care unit specialized in child obesitybetween June 2013 and April 2014. The participants were assessed regardinganthropometric data, body composition (fat mass) by BIA 310 bioimpedance analyzer(Biodynamic Body Composition Analyser, model 310 - Biodynamics Corporation,Seattle, EUA), and blood pressure. Blood samples were collected to measure glucose,insulin, lipid profile, triglycerides, and leptin. The stage of sexual maturity wasdetermined by self-assessment according to the Tanner scale.ResultsHigher leptin levels were found in the severe obesity group (p¼0.007) and,as expected, higher BMI (p<0.001), and fat mass (p¼0.029). The groups did not differin relation to insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol(TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-c), and blood pressure. The BMR measured by bioimpedance was lower ascompared to the measure by the FAO/WHO equation (p<0.001). ConclusionsThese results suggest that severely obese children may present leptinresistance in this early stage of life, (since this hormone is higher in these children). It issuggested that health professionals prioritize the calculation of BMR by bioimpedance,since the FAO/WHO equation seems to overestimate the caloric values.IntroduçãoA obesidade em crianças e adolescentes é considerada um graveproblema de saúde pública. As consequências do excesso de peso podem durar avida toda. É extremamente importante ter fórmulas para calcular a taxa metabólicabasal (TMB) que sejam realmente confiáveis em relação ao gasto calórico individual.ObjetivosInvestigar a associação dos níveis séricos de leptina, perfil lipídico eresistência à insulina (índice insuline resistance by Homeostatic Model Assessment[HOMA]) com o escore z do índice de massa corporal (IMC) de crianças obesas púberes.Além disso, comparar a avaliação da taxa metabólica basal (TMB) realizada usando abioimpedância (BIA) com a equação Food and Agricultural Organization/OrganizaçãoMundial de Saúde (FAO/OMS).MétodosEstudo transversal, incluindo 37 crianças obesas pubertárias (de 7 a 12anos) atendidas pela primeira vez no ambulatório especializado em obesidade infantilentrejunho de 2013 eabril de 2014. Osparticipantes foram avaliados quanto aos dadosantropométricos, composição corporal (massa gorda) pelo BIA 310 bioimpedanceanalyzer (Biodynamic Body Composition Analyser, model 310 - Biodynamics Corpora-tion, Seattle, EUA) e pressão arterial. Amostras de sangue foram coletadas para medirglicose, insulina, perfil lipídico, triglicerídeos e leptina. O estágio da maturidade sexualfoi determinado pela autoavaliação de acordo com a escala de Tanner. Resultados Níveis mais elevados de leptina foram encontrados no grupo obesidade grave (p = 0,007) e, como esperado, maior IMC (p < 0,001) e massa gorda (p = 0,029). Os grupos não diferiram em relação à insulina, resistência à insulina (HOMA-IR), triglicerídeos (TG), colesterol total (CT), colesterol de lipoproteína de baixa densidade (LDL-c), colesterol de lipoproteína de alta densidade (HDL-c) e pressão arterial. A TMB medida pela bioimpedância foi menor quando comparada à medida pela equação FAO/OMS (p < 0,001). Conclusões Esses resultados sugerem que crianças gravemente obesas podem apresentar resistência à leptina nesta fase inicial da vida (uma vez que esse hormônio é mais alto nessas crianças). Sugere-se que os profissionais de saúde priorizem o cálculo da TMB por BIA, uma vez que a equação FAO/OMS parece superestimar os valores calóricos

Interaction between perceived maternal care, anxiety symptoms, and the neurobehavioral response to palatable foods in adolescents

Studies in rodents have shown that early life trauma leads to anxiety, increased stress responses to threatening situations, and modifies food intake in a new environment. However, these associations are still to be tested in humans. This study aimed to verify complex interactions among anxiety diagnosis, maternal care, and baseline cortisol on food intake in a new environment in humans. A community sample of 32 adolescents and young adults was evaluated for: psychiatric diagnosis using standardized interviews, maternal care using the Parental Bonding Inventory (PBI), caloric consumption in a new environment (meal choice at a snack bar), and salivary cortisol. They also performed a brain fMRI task including the visualization of palatable foods vs. neutral items. The study found a three-way interaction between anxiety diagnosis, maternal care, and baseline cortisol levels on the total calories consumed (snacks) in a new environment. This interaction means that for those with high maternal care, there were no significant associations between cortisol levels and food intake in a new environment. However, for those with low maternal care and who have an anxiety disorder (affected), cortisol was associated with higher food intake; whereas for those with low maternal care and who did not have an anxiety disorder (resilient), cortisol was negatively associated with lower food intake. In addition, higher anxiety symptoms were associated with decreased activation in the superior and middle frontal gyrus when visualizing palatable vs. neutral items in those reporting high maternal care. These results in humans mimic experimental research findings and demonstrate that a combination of anxiety diagnosis and maternal care moderate the relationship between the HPA axis functioning, anxiety, and feeding behavior in adolescents and young adults

Thrifty-eating behavior phenotype at the food court : programming goes beyond food preferences

Introduction: Prenatal growth impairment leads to higher preference for palatable foods in comparison to normal prenatal growth subjects, which can contribute to increased body fat mass and a higher risk for developing chronic diseases in small-for-gestational-age (SGA) individuals throughout life. This study aimed to investigate the effect of SGA on feeding behavior in children and adolescents, as well as resting-state connectivity between areas related to reward, self-control, and value determination, such as orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DL-PFC), amygdala and dorsal striatum (DS). Methods: Caregivers and their offspring were recruited from two independent cohorts in Brazil (PROTAIA) and Canada (MAVAN). Both cohorts included anthropometric measurements, food choice tasks, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. Results: In the Brazilian sample (17 ± 0.28 years, n=70), 21.4% of adolescents were classified as SGA. They exhibited lower monetary-related expenditure to buy a snack compared to controls in the food choice test. Decreased functional connectivity (n=40) between left OFC and left DL-PFC; and between right OFC and: left amygdala, right DS, and left DS were observed in the Brazilian SGA participants. Canadian SGA participants (14.9%) had non-significant differences in comparison with controls in a food choice task at 4 years old ( ± 0.01, n=315). At a follow-up brain scan visit (10.21 ± 0.140 years, n=49), SGA participants (28.6%) exhibited higher connectivity between the left OFC and left DL-PFC, also higher connectivity between the left OFC and right DL-PFC. We did not observe significant anthropometric neither nutrients’ intake differences between groups in both samples. Conclusions: Resting-state fMRI results showed that SGA individuals had altered connectivity between areas involved in encoding the subjective value for available goods and decision-making in both samples, which can pose them in disadvantage when facing food options daily. Over the years, the cumulative exposure to particular food cues together with the altered behavior towards food, such as food purchasing, as seen in the adolescent cohort, can play a role in the long-term risk for developing chronic noncommunicable diseases

Trajetórias da Educomunicação nas Políticas Públicas e a Formação de seus Profissionais

Esta obra é composta com os trabalhos apresentados no primeiro subtema, TRAJETÓRIA – Educação para a Comunicação como Política pública, nas perspectivas da Educomunicação e da Mídia-Educação, do II Congresso Internacional de Comunicação e Educação. Os artigos pretendem propiciar trocas de informações e produzir reflexões com os leitores sobre os caminhos percorridos, e ainda a percorrer, tendo como meta a expansão e a legitimação das práticas educomunicativas e/ou mídia-educativas como política pública para o atendimento à formação de crianças, adolescentes, jovens e adultos, no Brasil e no mundo

Estudo translacional sobre o uso do alimento do tipo "comfort food" como alívio nos sintomas de ansiedade relacionada ao trauma na infância

Introdução: Em roedores, variações do cuidado materno programam o funcionamento do eixo hipotálamo-hipófise-adrenal persistentemente, sendo que filhotes de mães pouco cuidadoras são mais ansiosos e reagem com maiores níveis de corticosterona frente a um estressor na vida adulta. Em nosso grupo, vimos, através de um modelo experimental em roedores, que o trauma neonatal afeta o cuidado materno, levando à maior ansiedade na vida adulta. A ansiedade foi mensurada, através da medida do consumo alimentar em um ambiente novo, e esses animais traumatizados na infância responderam com maiores níveis de corticosterona ao estresse agudo na vida adulta. Sugere-se que os níveis aumentados de corticosterona estejam envolvidos nas alterações de comportamento alimentar observadas nesse modelo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar o efeito do consumo de “comfort-food” sobre comportamentos relacionados à ansiedade, à resposta neuroendócrina ao estresse e à ativação cerebral em indivíduos com e sem exposição ao trauma no início da vida, utilizando um modelo animal e uma amostra clínica. Métodos: A partir do segundo dia de vida, ninhadas de ratos Wistar e suas genitoras foram submetidas à redução de material para confeccionar o ninho (intervenção-modelo de trauma neonatal). Durante 5 semanas na vida adulta, as fêmeas receberam a opção de dieta do tipo “comfort food” + dieta regular (similar à ração padrão). Após, os animais foram subdividos e direcionados a três experimentos onde foram avaliados: 1) a ansiedade que foi mensurada usando o teste de supressão alimentar pela novidade (NSFT), e a 2) a resposta neuroendócrina a 20 minutos de estresse por contenção foi verificada pela mensuração dos níveis plasmáticos de corticosterona no basal, imediatamente, 20, 40 e 70 minutos após o fim do estresse, 3) e a avaliação do consumo de “comfort food” após a aplicação farmacológica de diazepan. Nos humanos, o projeto é o seguimento de uma pesquisa realizada com crianças e adolescentes em 2008 que avaliou aspectos nutricionais e psiquiátricos. Em 2013, uma amostra representativa desta amostra inicial realizou reavaliação que incluía o Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) (avaliação da percepção do cuidado materno recebido), avaliação do consumo alimentar num ambiente desconhecido (refeição à escolha na lancheria do Centro de Pesquisa Clínica - CPC), assim como coleta de cortisol salivar. Dados de neuroimagem desses indivíduos ao visualizar imagens de alimentos palatáveis versus alimentos neutros foram processados e analisados. Resultados: No estudo experimental, as genitoras do grupo intervenção apresentaram cuidado materno com menos variabilidade e menor qualidade quando comparadas às genitoras controles. Após o consumo crônico de “comfort food”, o grupo intervenção apresentou menores níveis de corticosterona em teste de estresse por contenção de movimentos e não diferiu em relação ao grupo controle na ansiedade e no consumo calórico de alimento de conforto após o uso de ansiolítico. No estudo clínico, houve interação entre cuidado materno, ansiedade e cortisol basal no consumo calórico em um ambiente novo (lanche). Nos indivíduos ansiosos que receberam menor cuidado materno na infância, o consumo calórico varia em função do cortisol, sem efeito nos outros grupos. Os dados de neuroimagem funcional sugerem que os indivíduos que receberam alto cuidado materno, conforme aumenta a ansiedade, ocorre uma dimiuição da ativação da área cerebral relacionada com impulsividade (giro frontal superior e médio), deixando-os menos inibidos. Em contrapartida, nos indivíduos que receberam baixo cuidado materno isso não ocorreu. Além disso, no grupo com alto cuidado materno, há menor ativação do precúneo frente à visualização de alimentos palatáveis versus itens neutros independente da ansiedade. Conclusão: O consumo de alimento palatável foi utilizado pelas fêmeas do grupo intervenção, para inibir os sintomas de ansiedade e, consequentemente, diminuir os níveis de corticosterona. Nos humanos, o consumo calórico varia em função do cortisol, sem efeito nos outros grupos. A resposta de diminuição da ativação do giro frontal seria considerada uma resposta “padrão/normal”, pois à medida que aumenta a ansiedade, aumenta consequentemente a vontade de ingerir alimentos palatáveis, o que não ocorre nos indivíduos de baixo cuidado materno, permitindo-nos inferir que o sistema esteja tão alterado que essa região específica relacionada à impulsividade não responda mais ao estímulo específico de visualização de alimentos. Esses resultados em humanos reproduzem os achados em roedores e demonstram que variações de cuidado materno podem mediar a relação entre cortisol/ansiedade e as alterações de comportamento alimentar na vida adulta.Introduction: Variations in maternal care in rats can program the function of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis persistently; pups raised by low maternal care mothers are more anxious and secrete more corticosterone in response to stress in adulthood. In our research group, we demonstrated that early life stress affects maternal care and increases anxiety, measured by food consumption in a new environment, as well as exacerbates the HPA response to an acute stress. It is suggested that increase in corticosterone levels modulate the altered feeding behavior observed in this model. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of “comfort-food” consumption on the anxiety-related behaviors the neuroendocrine response to acute and brain activation in individuals exposed or not to early life adversity, using a rodent model and a clinical sample. Methods: By the second day of life litters of Wistar rats were subjected to reduced nesting material protocol (Early–Life Stress) or standard care (Controls). During five weeks the both groups received ad libitum comfort food diet and regular diet on their homecage. The following experiments were performed: 1) anxiety was assessed using the novelty-suppressed feeding test (NSFT), 2) the neuroendocrine stress response to 20 minutes restraint stress was verified by measuring plasma corticosterone levels at baseline and immediately, 20, 40, and 70 min. following the stress exposure 3) comfort food consumption after diazepan injected. In the human study, the project is a follow up of a project that evaluated nutritional and psychiatric aspects in children and adolescents in a comunitariam sample in 2008. In 2013, a representative subsample was evaluated using the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI-maternal care evaluation), food consumption in a new environment (meal choice at a snack bar- at Clinical Research Center- CPC), as well as baseline salivary cortisol. Neuroimaging data were analyzed in a task facing palatable foods versus neutral objects. Results: In the experimental study, ELS dams demonstrated lower variability and poorer quality of maternal care compared to controls. After the chronic comfort food exposure, ELS group showed lower levels of corticosterone in response to restraint stress and the previously reported differences in anxiety were not seen anymore. Food consumption after anxiolytic injection was similar among the groups. In the clinical study, it was found an interaction between maternal care, anxiety and baseline cortisol levels in the total calories consumption (snack) in a new environment. In anxious individuals that reported low maternal care during childhood, calories consumption varies according to cortisol (negative correlation), while in non-anxious the correlation is opposite, without other groups effects. The neuroimaging data suggests that individuals receiving high maternal care, have diminished activation in the superior and middle frontal gyrus according to increasing anxiety symptoms score, but individuals receiving low maternal care this relationship was not seen. In addition the group reporting high maternal care had decreased activation in the precuneus independent of the anxiety levels. Conclusion: Palatable food intake by ELS females rats was used to ameliorate anxiety symptoms and consequent to diminish corticosterone levels in response to acute stress. In humans, the calories consumption varies according to cortisol and anxiety scores in those reporting low maternal care, without other groups effects. Brain responses to food pictures also vary according to early rearing and anxiety symptoms. These results in humans reproduced experimental research findings and demonstrate that variations in maternal care mediate the cortisol and anxiety effects on feeding behavior in adulthood