Data from our cohort, one of the largest so far reported, add to the evidence that proinflammatory cytokines such as Interleukin-1, Interleukin-6, Interleukin-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α are important in SLE pathogenesis.
A new renal function test was developed based upon the pharmacologic effects of furosemide to quantify separately the rates of electrolyte and water reabsorption by different segments of the human nephron in vivo. Since furosemide impairs active NaCl transport to Henle's loop and the attendant hypertonicity of the interstitium, osmotic water reabsorption from collecting ducts decreases and the unreabsorbed volume is lost into the urine, causing a rise in flow rate. This volume is computed from the difference in urine flow rate during furosemide with respect to that previously measured during maximal water diuresis alone. Starting from this value, an appropriate set of equations allows the separate calculation of Na reabsorption by the loop of Henle and by the distal tubule. Studies to validate this hypothesis were performed by clearance techniques during maximal water diuresis in 58 normal controls, in 19 patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites, and in 11 patients with chronic renal failure. Measurements were performed before and after the intravenous administration of 50 mg furosemide. The quantitative measurements of segmental solute reabsorption in normal subjects were consistent with results obtained by different methods in man and experimental animals, fully validating this new method. In addition, the data allowed to establish that distal reabsorption is depressed because of reduced proximal delivery in cirrhosis, as a result of impaired transport along Henle's loop in chronic renal disease, while permeability of collecting ducts to water was normal in both conditions. Though still approximate, this new furosemide test represents a considerable improvement over current methods for measuring segmental transport by the human nephron.
Elasmobranchs represent important components of marine ecosystems, but they can be vulnerable to overexploitation. This has driven investigations into the population genetic structure of large-bodied pelagic sharks, but relatively little is known of population structure in smaller demersal taxa, which are perhaps more representative of the biodiversity of the group. This study explores spatial population genetic structure of the small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula), across European seas. The results show significant genetic differences among most of the Mediterranean sample collections, but no significant structure among Atlantic shelf areas. The data suggest the Mediterranean populations are likely to have persisted in a stable and structured environment during Pleistocene sea-level changes. Conversely, the Northeast Atlantic populations would have experienced major changes in habitat availability during glacial cycles, driving patterns of population reduction and expansion. The data also provide evidence of male-biased dispersal and female philopatry over large spatial scales, implying complex sex-determined differences in the behaviour of elasmobranchs. On the basis of this evidence, we suggest that patterns of connectivity are determined by trends of past habitat stability that provides opportunity for local adaptation in species exhibiting philopatric behaviour, implying that resilience of populations to fisheries and other stressors may differ across the range of species.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.