High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) and anti-HMGB1 antibodies and their relation to disease characteristics in systemic lupus erythematosus

Introduction  

High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear non-histone protein. HMGB1, which is secreted by inflammatory cells and passively released from apoptotic and necrotic cells, may act as a pro-inflammatory mediator. As apoptotic cells accumulate in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), HMGB1 levels might be increased in SLE. HMGB1 may also serve as an autoantigen, leading to the production of anti-HMGB1 antibodies. In this study we determined levels of HMGB1 and anti-HMGB1 in SLE patients in comparison to healthy controls (HC) and analysed their relation with disease activity.     

A Modified Track Tube for Detecting Beach Mice

ABSTRACT Standard track tube designs are ineffective for long-term monitoring of beach mice (Peromyscus polionotus) largely because of blowing sand and rain in the coastal dune habitat. We developed a novel track tube design with the tube elevated, capped on one end, and covered on the other end with a short 90° elbow tube. We tested this tube design against 2 other designs (elevated and ground). Our elevated 90° elbow track tubes detected beach mouse tracks more often and they were disturbed less frequently than elevated or ground tubes. Elevated 90° elbow track tubes are a practical means for managers to conduct long-term monitoring of beach mouse populations.     

Effect of Non-narcotic Analgesics on Membrane Permeability of Molluscan Neurones

IT is difficult to study how analgesics act: not only are the pharmacokinetics complex, but assessment of drug activity is subjective. Certain discrepancies occur regarding the analgesic potency of several compounds and also disagreement concerning their site of action^1–4. No proposed mechanism of action^2,3 is widely accepted.     

Evolution of Eye Regression in the Cavefish Astyanax: Apoptosis and the Pax-6 Gene

SYNOPSIS. The eye is an extraordinary organ in terms of itsdevelopment and evolution. In cave animals, the eye is sometimesreduced or eliminated as a consequence of adaptation to lifein perpetual darkness. We have used the characid teleost Astyanaxmexicanus as a model system to investigate the mechanisms ofeye degeneration during the evolution of a cave vertebrate.Eyed surface populations of Astyanax entered caves during thePleistocene, and their descendants lost their eyes and pigmentation.Astyanax populations exhibiting various degrees of eye regressionhave been reported in 29 Mexican caves. Surface populationswith characteristics of the ancestral stock still exist in thevicinity of these caves. Thus, Astyanax represents one of thefew instances in which the ancestral (surface fish) and thederived (cavefish) developmental modes are extant and availablefor comparative studies. The cavefish embryo develops an opticprimordium consisting of a lens vesicle and optic cup but therudimentary eye arrests in development and degenerates. Herewe report that eye degeneration is accompanied by extensiveapoptosis and downregulation of the Pax-6 gene in the developinglens. The results suggest that alterations in lens developmentare important factors in eye regression during cavefish evolution.