Research Highlights
Physiology is a wide spanning discipline, and it is interesting to follow its journey into the unknown in different organs, and with ever more sophisticated methods. This research is reflected by high quality publications in physiological journals. Have a look!
Physiological Research
The results of this research as well as of comparative physiology and mathematical modelling, provide ever growing insight into the body’s functions, mechanisms of disease and new therapies, including gene therapy and development of vaccines. The close interaction between basic physiological research and clinical work, has improved human health and life span and holds even more promises for the future.
A most interesting aspect of current physiology is that, unlike in past centuries, novel models and techniques have reduced or replaced the need to destroy or dissect organs and tissues to improve understanding of function. Now we can learn from growing cells and stimulating them to form tissues and even “organs”. It has become almost routine for physiologists to manipulate gene expression to study function in the intact animal. We are obtaining novel and unique insights into the principles of self-organisation of cells and their mutual interactions. Exciting times, indeed!
Physiology is a wide spanning discipline, and it is interesting to follow its journey into the unknown in different organs, and with ever more sophisticated methods. This research is reflected by high quality publications in physiological journals. Have a look!
Plügers Archiv – a selection:
made by Armin Kurtz, the former editor in chief of Pflügers Archiv – Eur J Physiol:
Selected Publication:
Pflügers Arch – Eur J Physiol. Volume 475, issue 1, January 2023 Special Issue: Body and mind: how somatic feedback signals shape brain activity and cognition.
From Pflügers Archiv we highlight a thematic collection of papers. These are in a Special Issue entitled “Body and mind: how somatic feedback signals shape brain activity and cognition”.
During recent years, body-to-brain signaling is gaining increasing attention. Understanding interactions between the brain and “peripheral” functions (cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, hormonal and others) bears great potential for basic neurosciences as well as for pathophysiology and clinical innovations. A major focus of the Special Issue is on respiration as a fundamental rhythm which has astonishing impact on brain function and cognition. However, this example can and should be generalized to a modern understanding of embodiment – after all, the brain is an organ, and as such is embedded into the entire organism and its environment.
APSselect
An October 2025 Selection from APS Journals
Vincent Ribas et al.
From the abstract: Biological sex shapes metabolic tissue physiology, largely through sex-biased gene regulation. Our comprehensive transcriptomic analysis reveals that sex-biased genes in liver and white adipose tissue undergo the most significant regulation during obesity-driven metabolic dysfunction, resulting in a loss of their bias. This disruption highlights a previously unrecognized role of sex-biased genes in maintaining metabolic health in both males and females.
Christian S. DeSouza et al.
Circulating endothelial extracellular vesicles progressively increase with age and are associated with endothelial vasodilator dysfunction
From the abstract: Aging is associated with progressive decline in endothelium-dependent vasodilation. Mechanisms underlying this decline in endothelial function are not fully understood. Circulating endothelial cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EMVs) have been linked to endothelial dysfunction. The results of the study demonstrate that circulating EMVs increase with age in healthy males and are associated with endothelial vasodilator dysfunction. Circulating EMVs represent a novel systemic biomarker, and potential mediator, of age-related decline in endothelium-dependent vasodilation.
Cathy van Horik et al.
The impact of hyperoxia and antibiotics on lung mesenchymal cells in experimental bronchopulmonary dysplasia
From the abstract: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common adverse outcome in preterm neonates, and a high risk for early-onset emphysema and asthma. BPD is characterized by disrupted alveolar and microvascular development, due to a variety of pathogenic factors, such as hyperoxia, inflammation and dysbiosis. [In mice it was found that] hyperoxia significantly impaired alveolar development, whereas both hyperoxia and antibiotics exposure impaired lung microvascular development. Moreover, hyperoxia reduced the number of pericytes, proliferative mesenchymal progenitors, matrix fibroblasts and alveolar myofibroblasts. Hyperoxia and antibiotics-induced reduced bacterial load affects the mesenchymal cell population, which may contribute to the development of BPD.
Much more can be found in this month’s selection of articles from APS journals!
The German Physiological Society (DPG)
selects regularly a “Paper of the Month“
DPG’s latest paper of the month (Fenja Knoeop et al) was recently published in Circulation Research
From the abstract: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a life-threatening and progressive yet incurable disease. The hallmarks of PH comprise (1) sustained contraction and (2) excessive proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). A major stimulus to which PASMCs are exposed during PH development is altered mechanical stress, originating from increased blood pressure, changes in blood flow velocity, and a progressive stiffening of pulmonary arteries. Mechanosensitive ion channels, including Piezo1 (Piezo-type mechanosensitive ion channel component-1), perceive such mechanical stimuli and translate them into a variety of cellular responses, including contractility or proliferation.
This study provides evidence that Piezo1 expressed in PASMCs is critically involved in the pathogenesis of PH by controlling pulmonary vascular tone, arterial remodeling, and associated lung capillary rarefaction due to endothelial cell senescence.
The Physiological Society of Japan publishes regularly
Science Topics
related of a recently published paper.
The latest topic relates to an article published by Kaei Ryu et al. in Proc. Natl. Acad Sci.
From the abstract (“Significance”) Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels have an extracellularly extended S4 segment. However, whether this long S4 contributes to gating is still unknown. Here, we elucidated the functional contribution of the extended part of S4 to voltage-dependent gating. Structure-based mutational analysis revealed that the extracellular parts of S4, S5, and the S1-S2 linker form salt bridge networks that are functionally involved in gating. We then used voltage clamp fluorometry to confirm that the S4 movement is indeed influenced by the salt bridge network. Interestingly, mutations of these extracellular arginine residues have been implicated in heart diseases, including sick sinus syndrome. Our findings add to the current understanding of the gating mechanisms of HCN channels and how mutations can cause HCN channel dysfunction.
PSJ celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023. On this occasion the Journal of Physiology compiled a collection of some of the most influential research published by Japanese authors in this journal. Have a closer look here!
Don’t miss
Physiology Shorts
These new and engaging video feature from The Journal of Physiology aims to deliver short and informative research snapshots directly from the authors of research papers selected by the Editors of the journal!