Long-term survival of olfactory sensory neurons after target depletion.

Life-long addition and elimination of neurons within the adult olfactory epithelium and olfactory bulb allows for adaptive structural responses to sensory experience, learning, and recovery after injury. The interdependence of the two structures is highlighted by the shortened life span of sensory neurons deprived of bulb contact, and has prompted the hypothesis that trophic cues from the bulb contribute to their survival. The specific identity and source of these signals remain unknown.

Role of raloxifene as a potent inhibitor of experimental postmenopausal polyarthritis and osteoporosis.

Objective: In postmenopausal rheumatoid arthritis (RA), both estrogen deficiency and the inflammatory disease contribute to the development of generalized osteoporosis. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with estradiol preserves bone mineral density (BMD) and ameliorates arthritis, but long-term therapy is no longer an option due to significant side effects. We therefore used a mouse model of human RA to test the hypothesis that a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), the raloxifene analog LY117018, could be beneficial in the treatment of both arthritis and osteoporosis.

Identification of target cells for the genomic effects of estrogens in bone.

Estrogen has bone protective effects, but the exact mechanism behind these effects remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to identify the primary target cells in bone for the classical genomic effects of estrogens in vivo. For this purpose we have used reporter mice with a luciferase gene under the control of three estrogen-responsive elements (EREs), enabling detection of in vivo activation of gene transcription.