Lean ZSF1 rats in basic research on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Aims: ZSF1 obese rats harbouring two mutant leptin receptor alleles (Lepr and Lepr) develop metabolic syndrome and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), making them a widely used animal model in cardiometabolic research. Studies using ZSF1 rats have contributed significantly to the elucidation of pathophysiological mechanisms underlying HFpEF and therapeutic strategies against this multi-organ syndrome. In contrast, hybrid, lean ZSF1 rats (L-ZSF1) do not develop HFpEF and generally serve as controls, disregarding the possibility that the presence of one mutant Lepr allele might affect left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), diastolic dysfunction and other relevant HFpEF parameters, such as N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and cardiac inflammation, which could increase during disease manifestation.

Species traits, landscape quality and floral resource overlap with honeybees determine virus transmission in plant-pollinator networks.

Emerging infectious diseases pose a threat to pollinators. Virus transmission among pollinators via flowers may be reinforced by anthropogenic land-use change and concomitant alteration of plant-pollinator interactions. Here, we examine how species' traits and roles in flower-visitation networks and landscape-scale factors drive key honeybee viruses-black queen cell virus (BQCV) and deformed wing virus-in 19 wild bee and hoverfly species, across 12 landscapes varying in pollinator-friendly (flower-rich) habitat.