JCI table of contents: September 14, 2006
...62 METABOLIC DISEASE: TNF-alpha makes obese rodents put on weight Although we know that an individu...n three different rodent models of obesity. If the rodents lacked one of the receptors for TNF-alpha, the number and energy burning function of the mitochondri...Rodent's bizarre traits deepen mystery of genetics, evolution
... down to it, voles deserve more attention." Small rodents often confused for mice, except with shorter tails and beady eyes, voles live throughout the Northern Hemisphere and are often considered agricultural pests because they eat vegetation. Nevertheless, voles are an "evolutionary enigma" with many bizar...University of Florida study shows leptin could combat type 2 diabetes
...m keeping blood sugar and insulin levels down, the rodents that received gene therapy also lived longer than obese rodents that did not, Kalra said. "Currently we do not know if that is due to the correction of the diabe...USGS at The Wildlife Society: From sea-ice change to contaminants to predators and prey
...to U.S. seaports in the early 1900's via commensal rodents and quickly spread into native rodent populations, including prairie dogs (Cynomys species). Mortality in plague-infected prairie dog colonies often reaches 95-99 percent, and the disease frequently results in local extinctions and population reducti...What animals can tell us about hemorrhage, organ transplants and aging
...a lower metabolic rate. A study of birds, bats and rodents finds differences within their cells that may help explain the longer-than-expected life span of birds and bats, Kristan said. These are just two of the symposia taking place at the conference. There are plenty of fresh and interesting story line...Longer-lived rodents have lower levels of thyroid hormone
... an important role in longevity, with longer-lived rodents showing significantly lower levels of a thyroid ho...he study "Differential thyroid hormone activity in rodents with different life spans" at a poster session Oct. 9 at Comparative Physiology 2006: Integrating Di...MIT material stops bleeding in seconds
...biodegradable liquids can stop bleeding in wounded rodents within seconds, a development that could significantly impact medicine. When the liquid, composed of protein fragments called peptides, is applied to open wounds, the peptides self-assemble into a nanoscale protective barrier gel that seals the woun...Scientists identify switch for brain's natural anti-oxidant defense
...egelman and his colleagues exposed normal mice and rodents lacking PGC-1a to a nerve toxin that accelerates the production of free radicals. Mice without PGC-1a suffered more brain damage because they couldn't turn on their anti-oxidant defenses. Finally, to investigate whether increasing PGC-1a activity in...Molecule discovered to be key to pain sensitivity
...e shown that specific strains or related groups of rodents have significant differences in their risk of developing either neuropathic pain, which results from nerve damage, or inflammatory pain, associated with the immune system's response to injuries or conditions like arthritis. But except for some rare ...Funnel in the eye: Signal focusing increases photosensitivity
...en necessary. The consequences for these nocturnal rodents are devastating. Klaus Willecke says that their rod vision is extremely impeded, so that their visual perception is very limited in poor light. Protein kinase A mediated phosphorylation of connexin36 in mouse retina results in decreased gap junctio...Antioxidants: New kid on the block for pain relief?
... "Other investigators have given antioxidants to rodents after experimentally inducing pain and have found that the drugs relieve pain to a similar extent."...Blame our evolutionary risk of cancer on body mass
...ion by creating a unique test. She investigated 15 rodents from across the globe to determine what level of t....' " For over a year, Gorbunova collected deceased rodents from around the world and had them shipped to her lab in chilled containers. She analyzed their tiss...Dental crowns reveal the diet of a species
...ts diet. For instance, the teeth of carnivores and rodents differ in almost every aspect, but if a carnivore ...i scientists discovered that although the teeth of rodents and predators seem very different, the values describing their complexity correspond if the species ...Linchpin discovered in insulin metabolism
...tor to mice,' he explains. Unlike fruit flies, the rodents do not have just one cytohesin at their disposal, they have four. Professor Famulok wanted to find out whether they play a similar crucial role in the insulin metabolism of mice as 'Titch' does in the fly and discovered the following: 'Liver cells of...White blood cells in lung produce histamine seen in allergies
...e to mycoplasma, a common respiratory infection in rodents and humans. One population had a genetic abnormality that causes a total lack of mast cells; the other population was made up of normal, wild-type mice. Both populations of infected mice developed pneumonia. "We thought the mice without mast cells ...Scientists discover new species of distinctive cloud-forest rodent
...uitless. I. barbarabrownae belongs to a family of rodents known as "spiny rats" because most of the species in that family bristle with spines. Its discovery has necessitated a re-examination of this tropical American family, especially its closest relatives, the bush-tailed tree rats found in South America...Joslin discovers protein that causes blood vessel leakage and swelling with diabetic retinopathy
...ng the pathology of both of these diseases because rodents with diabetes, which investigators often use as a ... introduced these same proteins in the vitreous of rodents and examined their effects on retinal blood vessels to gain better understanding of the actions that...JDRF-funded researchers discover protein that causes blood vessel leakage and swelling in eyes
...e had difficulties studying these diseases because rodents with diabetes, which investigators often use to study diabetic eye disease, do not naturally produce many of the changes in the retina observed in humans. Dr. Feener and his colleagues developed a revolutionary high-speed protein analysis technolog...Discovery could lead to better control of hemorrhagic fever viruses
... them to more severe infection when exposed to the rodents that carry the viruses. Choe's lab is now trying to find the cellular receptor for other viruses that cause hemorrhagic fever in humans. In 2003, Choe's lab collaborated with Farzan's lab to identify angiotensin converting enzyme2 (ACE2) as the rec...UGA researcher receives grant to study risks of jet fuel exposure
...ans working on military bases. Recent studies in rodents have shown that exposure to vapors from jet fuel may affect the immune system, and people who regularly work with it have complained of symptoms such as skin rashes and headaches, Fisher said. With this grant, we hope to generate information that can...