Getting to the heart of the matter: CCN2 plays a role in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) is overexpressed in diabetes. Diabetic rats possess myocardial and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. In a recent report, Wang and colleagues (Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2009 Jul 22. [Epub ahead of print]) show that CCN2 directly mediates cardiomyocyte hypertrophy as well as that induced by high glucose and fatty acid. CCN2 acted via the TrkA receptor. These data are the subject of this commentary, and emphasize that CCN2 may be an excellent target for therapy in diabetes.     

Bodytime: On the Interaction of Body, Identity, and Society

Bodytime: On the Interaction of Body, Identity, and Society. Susanne Lundin and Lynn Åkesson. eds. Lund, Sweden: Lund University Press, 1996. 196 pp.     

Kin recognition in Rana cascadae tadpoles: maternal and paternal effects

Cascades frog (Rana cascadae) tadpoles preferentially associate with full siblings over half sibling and half siblings over non-siblings when reared with siblings or as isolates. These tadpoles can use cues of maternal or paternal origin in distinguishing siblings from non-siblings, but maternal cues are preferred over paternal cues. This suggests that a hierarchy of cue importance may exist. Our results are consistent with both a phenotypic matching and a genetic recognition system of kin recognition. Thus, both learned and innate components may play a role in R. cascadae sibling recognition. Kin recognition may facilitate preferential treatment of kin, such as cooperation in food finding or in warning against predators, and therefore those individuals behaving altruistically in kin groups can increase their inclusive fitness.     

Cytogenetic studies on mid-trimester abortuses

Summary Cell cultures were set up from the skin, the kidneys, the small intestines, the gonads, and/or the lungs of 103 second trimester spontaneous abortuses. Out of these abortuses 55 gave rise to cell cultures with satisfactory growth. A normal diploid chromosome complement was found in 35 and a chromosome abnormality could be detected in 20 abortuses. X monosomy, autosomal aneuploidy, and structural aberration was observed in 5, 7 and 8 of the 20 abortuses with abnormal karyotypes, respectively. A special characteristic of the results was the high incidence of mosaics among aneuploidies and the frequent occurrence of structural anomalies. Based on these results and on those reported in the literature a pattern of chromosomal-genetic selection occurring during prenatal life was proposed.