Research articles

Here you will find a regularly updated collection of articles published in physiological journals, usually published by physiological societies.

The Physiological Society of Japan

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

The Physiological Society of Japan publishes regularly Science Topics related to a recently published paper.

The latest topic relates to an article published by Yoshifumi Takahata, Yuki Kasashima, Takuya Yoshioka et al in PNAS (A Period1 inducer specifically advances circadian clock in mice.)

Significance
The authors reveal that Mic-628 specifically and sufficiently induces Per1, provoking an abrupt phase advance in mouse behavioral rhythms, regardless of the timing of administration. Disruption of tandem E-boxes in the mPer1 promoter abolishes most of both mPer1 induction and phase-advancing activity, highlighting their role as unique binding sites for the CLOCK–BMAL1 complex. Mass spectrometry identified CRY1 as a potential target, with Mic-628 enhancing CRY1 binding to CLOCK-BMAL1, which tightly correlates with Per1 induction. Moreover, the autonomous PER1-mediated feedback repression likely explains the consistent phase-advancing profile. Overall, Mic-628 exerts its distinctive effect through precise molecular interactions that unveil an additional layer of transcriptional control within the circadian clock. This makes Mic-628 a promising therapeutic candidate for circadian disruptions.

APSselect An April 2026 selection from Journals published by the American Physiological Society (APS)

AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiology: Jaume Padilla et al

ENAC blockade reduces blood pressure and arterial stiffness in adults with obesity and insulin resistance

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Obesity and insulin resistance accelerate arterial stiffening and hypertension, increasing cardiovascular risk. Activation of the epithelial sodium channel (ENAC) contributes to vascular stiffening in preclinical models, yet the vascular effects of ENAC inhibition in adults with obesity and insulin resistance remain poorly characterized. The authors demonstrate that low-dose amiloride reduces blood pressure and improves arterial stiffness in adults with overweight or obesity and features of metabolic syndrome, without major safety concerns.

AJP Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology : Jiahui Yang et al.

Regulatory T cells are induced by gut microbiota through differentially regulating costimulatory molecules of enteric glial cells

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The interactions between gut microbiota and enteric glial cells (EGCs) are increasingly recognized. This study reveals that EGCs possess bacterial phagocytosis and antigen-presentation functions, which are modulated differently by various bacteria. Specifically, Bifidobacterium longum (B.l) relieves DSS-induced colitis by enhancing PD-L1 expression on EGCs and promoting Treg cell differentiation through EGC-mediated immune regulation. Understanding the dual role of EGCs as both neural and immune cells expands our comprehension of gut microbiota-neural-immune interaction in intestinal health.

AJP J Appl Physiol : Stuart J. Hesketh et al.

Morning endurance training induces superior performance adaptations compared with afternoon training in mice

NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study demonstrates that endurance training in the early-active phase induces greater performance adaptations than late-active phase training in mice, resulting in overcoming diurnal differences in exercise performance, despite lower absolute training volumes. These findings reveal exercise timing influences training efficiency, likely via circadian regulation of skeletal muscle metabolism. This work identifies time-of-day as a biologically relevant and underappreciated variable contributing to the heterogeneity of exercise responses, even in tightly controlled preclinical models.

Much more can be found in this month’s selection of articles from APS journals!

Don’t miss Physiology Shorts, published on the website of The Phyiological Society

This 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!

The German Physiological Society (DPG) selects regularly a “Paper of the Month“.

DPG’s latest paper of the month (Jannis Koerner et al) was recently published in Cell.

From the  abstract:Human dermal sleeping nociceptors display ongoing activity in neuropathic pain, affecting 10% of the population. Despite advances in rodents, a molecular marker for these mechano-insensitive C-fibers (CMis) in human skin remains elusive, preventing targeted therapy. Using a Patch-seq approach, we combined single-cell transcriptomics, following electrophysiological characterization, with single-nucleus and spatial transcriptomics from pigs and integrated our findings with cross-species and human transcriptomic data. We functionally identified CMis in pig sensory neurons with patch clamp, using adapted protocols from human microneurography. We identified oncostatin M receptor (OSMR) and somatostatin (SST) as marker genes for CMis. Following dermal injection in healthy human volunteers, oncostatin M, the ligand of OSMR, exclusively modulates CMis. Our findings characterize the molecular architecture of human dermal sleeping nociceptors, providing a framework for mechanistic insight into neuropathic pain and potential therapeutic strategies. 

Pflügers Archiv (the official Journal of the DPG) : a selection made by Armin Kurtz, the former editor in chief of Pflügers Archiv – Eur J Physiol:

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.