The Editor’s Picks for 2018 have been released for the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. According to the editorial team, the focus of this journal is on “the regulation of whole organismal function that requires the interplay of multiple organ and tissue systems.”

The top comparative physiology articles of 2018 included:

An article by Hersh et al., who provided evidence that little skates may be useful models for exploring how white blood cells are produced as the process is similar to humans.

Riley et al. examined how black bears avoid muscle atrophy from disuse during hibernation. The hope is to discover new ways to prevent atrophy in humans – such as during bed rest or even spaceflight.

Image of a guinea pig by Rex tremendae majestatis via Wikimedia Commons

Lastly, Botting et al. examined how intrauterine growth restriction affects the risk for cardiovascular disease later in life. Growth restriction of this kind results in reduced supply of oxygen as well as nutrients to developing fetuses. This study showed that guinea pigs exposed to low oxygen or poor nutrition in utero could lead to adverse cardiovascular outcomes as adults.

Sources: 

Samson WK, Evans RG, Langhans W, Yosten GLC. Editors’ Picks for 2018 demonstrate the diversity of research in regulatory, integrative, and comparative physiology. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00151.2019

Hersh TA, Dimond AL, Ruth BA, Lupica NV, Bruce JC, Kelley JM, King BL, Lutton BV. A role for the CXCR4-CXCL12 axis in the little skate, Leucoraja erinacea. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 315: R218–R229, 2018. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00322.2017. 

Riley DA, Van Dyke JM, Vogel V, Curry BD, Bain JLW, Schuett R, Costill DL, Trappe T, Minchev K, Trappe S. Soleus muscle stability in wild hibernating black bears. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 315: R369–R379, 2018. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00060.2018.

Botting KJ, Loke XY, Zhang S, Andersen JB, Nyengaard JR, Morrison JL. IUGR decreases cardiomyocyte endowment and alters cardiac metabolism in a sex- and cause-of-IUGR-specific manner. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 315: R48–R67, 2018. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00180.2017.