Acta Physiologica

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No abstract text is available yet for this article.

The liver has many functions including the regulation of nutrient and metabolite levels in the systemic circulation through efficient transport into and out of hepatocytes. To sustain these functions, hepatocytes display large functional heterogeneity. This heterogeneity is reflected by zonation of metabolic processes that take place in different zones of the liver lobule, where nutrient-rich blood enters the liver in the periportal zone and flows through the mid-zone prior to drainage by a central vein in the pericentral zone...

AIMS: Skeletal muscle, with its remarkable plasticity and dynamic adaptation, serves as a cornerstone of locomotion and metabolic homeostasis in the human body. Muscle tissue, with its extraordinary capacity for force generation and energy expenditure, plays a fundamental role in the movement, metabolism, and overall health. In this context, we sought to determine the role of p38α in mitochondrial metabolism since mitochondrial dynamics play a crucial role in the development of muscle-related diseases that result in muscle weakness...

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AIM: Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic switching has been reported to regulate vascular function and thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD) progression. Early growth response 1 (Egr1) is associated with the differentiation of VSMCs. However, the mechanisms through which Egr1 participates in the regulation of VSMCs and progression of TAAD remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of Egr1 in the phenotypic switching of VSMCs and the development of TAAD...

AIM: This investigation addresses Piezo1's expression and mechanistic role in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and delineates its participation in mechanical and inflammatory pain modulation. METHODS: We analyzed Piezo1's expression patterns in DRG neurons and utilized Piezo1-specific shRNA to modulate its activity. Electrophysiological assessments of mechanically activated (MA) currents in DRG neurons and behavioral analyses in mouse models of inflammatory pain were conducted to elucidate Piezo1's functional implications...

AIM: Renal excretion of excess HCO3 - depends on renal cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and is impaired in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF). Urine HCO3 - excretion following oral NaHCO3 -loading may be a simple in vivo biomarker of CFTR function. In this study, we investigated changes in urine acid/base parameters following oral NaHCO3 -loading to comprehensively assess the physiological response to the test and evaluate HCO3 - as the primary test result...

AIM: In the present study, we investigated the involvement of NLRP3 inflammasome in the intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB) changes associated with obesity, and its role in the interplay between enteric glia and intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). METHODS: Wild-type C57BL/6J and NLRP3-KO (-/- ) mice were fed with high-fat diet (HFD) or standard diet for 8 weeks. Colonic IEB integrity and inflammasome activation were assessed. Immunolocalization of colonic mucosal GFAP- and NLRP3-positive cells along with in vitro coculture experiments with enteric glial cells (EGCs) and IECs allowed to investigate the potential link between altered IEB, enteric gliosis, and NLRP3 activation...

AIM: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a growing health problem affecting nearly 1 billion people worldwide. The landmark feature of OSA is chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), accounting for multiple organ damage, including heart disease. CIH profoundly alters both visceral white adipose tissue (WAT) and heart structure and function, but little is known regarding inter-organ interaction in the context of CIH. We recently showed that visceral WAT senescence drives myocardial alterations in aged mice without CIH...

A unique interplay between body and environment embeds and reflects host-microbiome interactions that contribute to sex-differential disease susceptibility, symptomatology, and treatment outcomes. These differences derive from individual biological factors, such as sex hormone action, sex-divergent immune processes, X-linked gene dosage effects, and epigenetics, as well as from their interaction across the lifespan. The gut microbiome is increasingly recognized as a moderator of several body systems that are thus impacted by its function and composition...

AIM: To investigate how delayed post-exercise carbohydrate intake affects muscle glycogen, metabolic- and mitochondrial-related molecular responses, and subsequent high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) capacity. METHODS: In a double-blind cross-over design, nine recreationally active men performed HIIE (10 × 2-min cycling, ~94% W˙peak ) in the fed state, on two occasions. During 0-3 h post-HIIE, participants drank either carbohydrates ("Immediate Carbohydrate" [IC], providing 2...

AIM: We review evidence for effects of physical activity before and during gestation on the course of pregnancy and ask if there are circumstances where physical activity can stress the fetus due to competition for oxygen and energy substrates. RESULTS: We first summarize physiological responses to exercise in nonpregnant people and known physiological adaptations to pregnancy. Comparing the two, we conclude that physical activity prior to and continuing during gestation is beneficial to pregnancy outcome...

AIMS: Metformin has been attributed to cardiovascular protection even in the absence of diabetes. Recent observations suggest that metformin influences the gut microbiome. We aimed to investigate the influence of metformin on the gut microbiota and hypertensive target organ damage in hypertensive rats. METHODS: Male double transgenic rats overexpressing the human renin and angiotensinogen genes (dTGR), a model of angiotensin II-dependent hypertension, were treated with metformin (300 mg/kg/day) or vehicle from 4 to 7 weeks of age...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

AIM: Klotho, a key component of the endocrine fibroblast growth factor receptor-fibroblast growth factor axis, is a multi-functional protein that impacts renal electrolyte handling. The physiological significance of Klotho will be highlighted in the regulation of calcium, phosphate, and potassium metabolism. METHODS: In this review, we compare several murine models with different renal targeted deletions of Klotho and the insights into the molecular and physiological function that these models offer...