Sex in mammals is genetically determined; females normally have two X chromosomes, and males normally have one X and one Y chromosome. But sometimes an individual with two X chromosomes is born with male genitalia, in a case of XX male sex reversal. The incidence of XX male sex reversal in humans is roughly 1ContinueContinue reading “Sex reversal linked to Sox3”
Category Archives: research news
Inflammatory response brings mice down
New research led by scientists at Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN) suggests a link between systemic inflammatory responses and depressive behavior in mice. More work is needed to define the association more thoroughly, but the study results identify a new mechanism for depressive illness and suggest that new therapies targeting inflammatory response pathways may find clinicalContinueContinue reading “Inflammatory response brings mice down”
The secret to primate success
In a changing environment, fitness of a population might be expected to fluctuate, as environmental variables influence that population’s fertility and survival rates. In a recent analysis of long-term fitness of seven primate populations, however, changes in adult survival rates were relatively small (Am. Nat. doi:10.1086/657443; published online 30 November 2010). Lab Anim. (NY) 40,ContinueContinue reading “The secret to primate success”
Telomerase turns back the clock
Telomeres are ‘caps’ of DNA located at the ends of chromosomes that shorten as cells divide. The loss of telomeres is associated with tissue atrophy, stem cell depletion, organ failure and impaired injury response, and this structural and functional decline accelerates with age. Scientists have wondered whether restoring telomere function could slow or even stopContinueContinue reading “Telomerase turns back the clock”
Alternate energy pathway, longer life
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is commonly used in research on longevity because of its relative simplicity and amenability to genetic manipulation. Worms carrying certain genetic mutations, called Mit mutants, have compromised energy pathways but surprisingly long lifespans. Jeffrey A. Butler (University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio) and colleagues have proposed that MitContinueContinue reading “Alternate energy pathway, longer life”
Air pollution linked to obesity, inflammation
Roughly one-third of the US population may be at an increased risk of developing health problems resulting from exposure to polluted air containing fine particulates. The tiny size of these pollutants allows them to travel deep into the lungs or other organs, potentially causing damage. In a new study, the specific effects of exposure toContinueContinue reading “Air pollution linked to obesity, inflammation”
Bisphenol-A may compromise fertility
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical present in materials many people use every day, such as polycarbonate plastics and the inner coatings of food and beverage containers. Exposure to BPA is quite pervasive: the chemical has been detected in the urine of more than 92% of those in the US who have been tested, and levelsContinueContinue reading “Bisphenol-A may compromise fertility”
Variation, selection and adaptation in fruit flies
Various studies have been done to analyze the genomics of adaptation in response to selective pressures, mostly using asexual organisms with relatively small genomes, such as bacteria. Now, a new study has looked at this process in a sexually reproducing organism—the tiny fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). Lab Anim. (NY) 39, 330 (2010). view full textContinueContinue reading “Variation, selection and adaptation in fruit flies”
‘Going under’ and ‘coming to’ follow different paths
Despite their widespread use in surgical procedures, it is not clearly understood how anesthetics affect the central nervous system (CNS). It is generally believed that induction of anesthesia results from drug-induced modification of CNS function, whereas emergence from anesthesia is a passive process that occurs, inversely, as anesthetic is eliminated from the CNS. If thisContinueContinue reading “‘Going under’ and ‘coming to’ follow different paths”
How fish oil fights inflammation
Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fish oils, are known to be effective in treating conditions associated with insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, such as diabetes. Now, thanks to new research from Jerrold Olefsky of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and colleagues, the mechanisms underlying these anti-inflammatory properties isContinueContinue reading “How fish oil fights inflammation”
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