Rbfox-regulated alternative splicing is critical for zebrafish cardiac and skeletal muscle functions.

Rbfox RNA binding proteins are implicated as regulators of phylogenetically-conserved alternative splicing events important for muscle function. To investigate the function of rbfox genes, we used morpholino-mediated knockdown of muscle-expressed rbfox1l and rbfox2 in zebrafish embryos. Single and double morphant embryos exhibited changes in splicing of overlapping sets of bioinformatically-predicted rbfox target exons, many of which exhibit a muscle-enriched splicing pattern that is conserved in vertebrates.

Synthetic spider silk fibers spun from Pyriform Spidroin 2, a glue silk protein discovered in orb-weaving spider attachment discs.

Spider attachment disc silk fibers are spun into a viscous liquid that rapidly solidifies, gluing dragline silk fibers to substrates for locomotion or web construction. Here we report the identification and artificial spinning of a novel attachment disc glue silk fibroin, Pyriform Spidroin 2 (PySp2), from the golden orb weaver Nephila clavipes . MS studies support PySp2 is a constituent of the pyriform gland that is spun into attachment discs.

Pyriform spidroin 1, a novel member of the silk gene family that anchors dragline silk fibers in attachment discs of the black widow spider, Latrodectus hesperus.

Spiders spin high performance threads that have diverse mechanical properties for specific biological applications. To better understand the molecular mechanism by which spiders anchor their threads to a solid support, we solubilized the attachment discs from black widow spiders and performed in-solution tryptic digests followed by MS/MS analysis to identify novel peptides derived from glue silks. Combining matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry and cDNA library screening, we isolated a novel member of the silk gene family called pysp1 and demonstrate that its protein product is assembled into the attachment disc silks.

Clinical experience with Andriol Testocaps--the first Austrian surveillance study on the treatment of late-onset hypogonadism.

Objective: The objective of this study was to document the efficacy and tolerability of the new formulation of Andriol Testocaps in the treatment of late-onset hypogonadism in a clinical practice setting.

Methods: The primary inclusion criterion was symptomatic testosterone deficiency, as confirmed by laboratory testing (morning total testosterone <12 nmol/L) on two separate occasions. The study was performed in 43 centres in Austria and a dosage of oral testosterone undecanoate of 2 x 80 mg/day was used for three months.

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of nandrolone decanoate in human immunodeficiency virus-infected men with mild to moderate weight loss with recombinant human growth hormone as active reference treatment.

Objective: We compared the effectiveness of a biweekly regimen of 150 mg nandrolone with placebo in HIV-infected men with mild to moderate weight loss and contrasted its effects against a Food and Drug Administration-approved regimen of recombinant human (rh)GH.

Methods: In this placebo-controlled, randomized, 12-wk trial, placebo and nandrolone (150 mg im biweekly) were administered double blind, and rhGH (6 mg sc daily) was administered in an open-label manner. Participants were HIV-infected men with 5-15% weight loss over 6 months and on stable antiretroviral therapy for more than 12 wk.