Zhangixalusthaoae sp. nov., a new green treefrog species from Vietnam (Anura, Rhacophoridae).

We describe a new treefrog species from Lao Cai Province, northwestern Vietnam. The new species is assigned to the genus Zhangixalus based on a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) dorsum green, smooth; body size medium (SVL 30.1-32.2 in males); (2) fingers webbed; tips of digits expanded into large disks, bearing circum-marginal grooves; (3) absence of dermal folds along limbs; (4) absence of supracloacal fold and tarsal projection. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by: (1) dorsal surface of the head and body green without spots; (2) axilla and groin cream with a black blotch; (3) ventral cream without spot; (4) chin creamy with grey marbling; anterior part of the thigh and ventral surface of tibia orange without spots; posterior parts of thigh orange with a large black blotch; (5) ventral side of webbing orange with some grey pattern (6) iris red-bronze, pupils black; (7) finger webbing formula I1»-1»II1-2III1-1IV, toe webbing formula I½-½II0-1½III»-1¾IV1¾-½V. Phylogenetically, the new species is nested in the same subclade as Z.jodiae, Z.pinglongensis, and Z.yaoshanensis, with genetic distances ranging from 3.23% to 4.68%. The new species can be found in evergreen montane tropical forests at an elevation of about 1,883 m a.s.l. This new discovery brings the number of known genus Zhangixalus species to 42 and the number of species reported from Vietnam to 10.

Pre-ablation regime light-induced optical changes in nanometer thick metal films.

We report on small optical reflection increases after illumination of nanometer thick gold and aluminum thin films on different substrates with single, femtosecond 400 nm wavelength pump laser pulses, in a pre-ablation fluence regime. In this fluence regime, small, irreversible and subtle morphological changes of the sample are observed. Dark-field, scanning electron, and atomic force microscopy images reveal subwavelength spallation features in the aluminum, and delamination in the gold layers in this pre-ablation regime. All of these morphological changes coincide with minute optical increases in the reflectivity, at the 0.1-2% level, as observed in-situ with a weak probe beam. From Liu-analysis, transfer-matrix, and two-temperature model calculations, we infer that in this pre-ablation regime, the aluminum layers already reach the melting temperature. Electron Backscatter Diffraction measurements show that the Al grains melt and resolidify into bigger grains. This suggests that for Al, resolidification into bigger grains is responsible for both the increased reflection, and the spallation in the pre-ablation regime. For gold, the optical change is most likely due to the etalon effect caused by delamination.

Serum Cytokines and Growth Factors in Subjects with Type 1 Diabetes: Associations with Time in Ranges and Glucose Variability.

The detrimental effect of hyperglycemia and glucose variability (GV) on target organs in diabetes can be implemented through a wide network of regulatory peptides. In this study, we assessed a broad panel of serum cytokines and growth factors in subjects with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and estimated associations between concentrations of these molecules with time in ranges (TIRs) and GV. One hundred and thirty subjects with T1D and twenty-seven individuals with normal glucose tolerance (control) were included. Serum levels of 44 cytokines and growth factors were measured using a multiplex bead array assay. TIRs and GV parameters were derived from continuous glucose monitoring. Subjects with T1D compared to control demonstrated an increase in concentrations of IL-1ß, IL-1Ra, IL-2Rα, IL-3, IL-6, IL-7, IL-12 p40, IL-16, IL-17A, LIF, M-CSF, IFN-α2, IFN-γ, MCP-1, MCP-3, and TNF-α. Patients with TIR ≤ 70% had higher levels of IL-1α, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-12 p70, IL-16, LIF, M-CSF, MCP-1, MCP-3, RANTES, TNF-α, TNF-ß, and b-NGF, and lower levels of IL-1α, IL-4, IL-10, GM-CSF, and MIF than those with TIR > 70%. Serum IL-1ß, IL-10, IL-12 p70, MCP-1, MCP-3, RANTES, SCF, and TNF-α correlated with TIR and time above range. IL-1ß, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 p70, MCP-1, RANTES, MIF, and SDF-1α were related to at least one amplitude-dependent GV metric. In logistic regression models, IL-1ß, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 p70, GM-CSF, HGF, MCP-3, and TNF-α were associated with TIR ≤ 70%, and MIF and PDGF-BB demonstrated associations with coefficient of variation values ≥ 36%. These results provide further insight into the pathophysiological effects of hyperglycemia and GV in people with diabetes.

Kukri snakes Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826 of the Western Palearctic with the resurrection of Contia transcaspica Nikolsky, 1902 (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae).

The kukri snakes of the genus Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826 reach the westernmost limits of their distribution in Middle and Southwest Asia (Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkmenistan), and the Palearctic portions of Pakistan. In this article, we review the systematics and distribution of the two species native to this region, Oligodon arnensis (Shaw, 1802) and Oligodon taeniolatus (Jerdon, 1853) based on an integrative approach combining morphological, molecular, and species distribution modeling (SDM) data. Phylogenetic analyses recover O. taeniolatus populations from Iran and Turkmenistan in a clade with the O. arnensis species complex, rendering the former species paraphyletic relative to O. taeniolatus sensu stricto on the Indian subcontinent. To correct this, we resurrect the name Contia transcaspica Nikolsky, 1902 from the synonymy of O. taeniolatus and assign it to populations in Middle-Southwest Asia. So far, Oligodon transcaspicus comb. et stat. nov. is known only from the Köpet-Dag Mountain Range of northeast Iran and southern Turkmenistan, but SDM mapping suggests it may have a wider range. Genetic samples of O. "arnensis" from northern Pakistan are nested in a clade sister to the recently described Oligodon churahensis Mirza, Bhardwaj & Patel, 2021, and are phylogenetically separate from O. arnensis sensu stricto in south India and Sri Lanka. Based on morphological similarity, the Afghanistan and Pakistan populations are assigned to Oligodon russelius (Daudin, 1803) and we synonymize O. churahensis with this species. Our investigation leads us to remove O. taeniolatus from the snake fauna of Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkmenistan, with the consequence that only Oligodon transcaspicus comb. et stat. nov. and O. russelius are present in these countries. Additional studies are needed to resolve the taxonomy of the O. taeniolatus and O. arnensis species complexes on the Indian subcontinent, and an updated key for both groups is provided.

A Dynamic Thermodynamic Resolution Strategy for the Stereocontrolled Synthesis of Streptonigrin.

We report that axially chiral biaryl boronic esters can be generated with control of atroposelectivity by a Binol-mediated dynamic thermodynamic resolution process. These intermediates can be progressed to enantioenriched products through stereoretentive functionalization of the carbon-boron bond. Finally, we have exploited this method in the first highly stereoselective total synthesis of P-streptonigrin.

A new species of Vietnamophryne (Anura: Microhylidae) from Northeastern Vietnam.

A new species of the genus Vietnamophryne is described from Vietnam on the basis of two specimens collected from Tuyen Quang Province, Northeastern Vietnam. The new species is morphologically most similar to Vietnamophryne occidentalis from Thailand, however, it differs from the latter by having large black blotches in the lower jaw region, and a yellow-orange chest and belly. The genetic distance between the new species and other Vietnamophryne taxa is > 2.13% (16S mtDNA gene fragment). Vietnamophryne aurantifusca sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other species of Vietnamophryne by a combination of the following morphological characteristics: Size medium (SVL 17.618.2 mm in males); head wider than long; tympanum medium; finger I longer than half of finger II; dorsal skin relatively smooth with some round nodules, concentrated in the middle of the back, arranged along the length of the back, with a prominent ridge along the spine; Dorsum orangish-brown entirely and paler on margin of back with a small brownish ridge along the spine; sides brownish with creamy patches and orange spots; ventral surface orange, with grey marbling, most intense on the throat, ventral side of arms and thighs, and ventral surfaces of limbs dark grey with some orange spots.

On the distribution of Gonyosoma prasinum (Blyth, 1854) and Gonyosoma coeruleum Liu, Hou, Ye Htet Lwin, Wang amp; Rao, 2021, with a note on the status of Gonyosoma gramineum Gnther, 1864 (Squamata: Serpentes: Colubridae).

Based on 85 examined specimens, photographs of living specimens and illustrations published in the literature, we refine the distribution ranges of both Gonyosoma prasinum (Blyth, 1854) and of the recently described species Gonyosoma coeruleum Liu, Hou, Ye Htet Lwin, Wang Rao, 2021, which was not clearly addressed in its original description. We also redescribe the syntypes of Coluber prasinus Blyth, 1854 and the holotype of Gonyosoma gramineum Gnther, 1864, we discuss the status of this latter taxon, and we describe the hemipenial morphology of G. coeruleum.

A new species of Xenophrys (Amphibia: Anura: Megophryidae) from Truong Son Range, Vietnam.

A new species of Xenophrys is described from Truong Son Range in Central Vietnam based on morphological and molecular differences. The new species is distinguishable from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: Size medium (SVL 58.871.4 mm in males, 65.687.3 mm in females); tympanum distinct; vomerine teeth present; tongue notched posteriorly; external vocal sac absent; toes with rudimentary webbing; subarticular tubercles absent, lateral fringes narrow along toes; nuptial pads absent in males; dorsal skin of body with weak granules; flank with small tubercles; dorsum with a dorsal ridge in >-< shape; dorsolateral folds prominent; dorsal surface from reddish brown to grayish brown with a brown triangle between the eyes, and a dark brown marking edged along dorsal ridge on the back; and small white spots present on flank and back of thigh. In the phylogenetic analyses, the new species is nested within the genus Xenophrys with interspecific uncorrected genetic p-distances (16S rRNA gene) from 2.22.8% (compared with Xenophrys maosonensis) to 14.414.7% (compared with Xenophrys yeae).

An integrative taxonomic revision of slug-eating snakes (Squamata: Pareidae: Pareineae) reveals unprecedented diversity in Indochina.

Slug-eating snakes of the subfamily Pareinae are an insufficiently studied group of snakes specialized in feeding on terrestrial mollusks. Currently Pareinae encompass three genera with 34 species distributed across the Oriental biogeographic region. Despite the recent significant progress in understanding of Pareinae diversity, the subfamily remains taxonomically challenging. Here we present an updated phylogeny of the subfamily with a comprehensive taxon sampling including 30 currently recognized Pareinae species and several previously unknown candidate species and lineages. Phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA and nuDNA data supported the monophyly of the three genera Asthenodipsas, Aplopeltura, and Pareas. Within both Asthenodipsas and Pareas our analyses recovered deep differentiation with each genus being represented by two morphologically diagnosable clades, which we treat as subgenera. We further apply an integrative taxonomic approach, including analyses of molecular and morphological data, along with examination of available type materials, to address the longstanding taxonomic questions of the subgenus Pareas, and reveal the high level of hidden diversity of these snakes in Indochina. We restrict the distribution of P. carinatus to southern Southeast Asia, and recognize two subspecies within it, including one new subspecies proposed for the populations from Thailand and Myanmar. We further revalidate P. berdmorei, synonymize P. menglaensis with P. berdmorei, and recognize three subspecies within this taxon, including the new subspecies erected for the populations from Laos and Vietnam. Furthermore, we describe two new species of Pareas from Vietnam: one belonging to the P. carinatus group from southern Vietnam, and a new member of the P. nuchalis group from the central Vietnam. We provide new data on P. temporalis, and report on a significant range extension for P. nuchalis. Our phylogeny, along with molecular clock and ancestral area analyses, reveal a complex diversification pattern of Pareinae involving a high degree of sympatry of widespread and endemic species. Our analyses support the "upstream" colonization hypothesis and, thus, the Pareinae appears to have originated in Sundaland during the middle Eocene and then colonized mainland Asia in early Oligocene. Sundaland and Eastern Indochina appear to have played the key roles as the centers of Pareinae diversification. Our results reveal that both vicariance and dispersal are responsible for current distribution patterns of Pareinae, with tectonic movements, orogeny and paleoclimatic shifts being the probable drivers of diversification. Our study brings the total number of Pareidae species to 41 and further highlights the importance of comprehensive taxonomic revisions not only for the better understanding of biodiversity and its evolution, but also for the elaboration of adequate conservation actions.

First description of the tadpole of Kurixalus baliogaster (Inger, Orlov, and Darevsky, 1999) (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Vietnam, with comments on reproductive biology.

To date, 20 species of Kurixalus Ye, Fei, and Dubois have been described, and all of these species are distributed throughout South and Southeast Asia, from eastern India, throughout Myanmar and the mountainous regions of southern China, to Indochina, western and northern peninsular Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, and the Philippines (Frost 2021). Descriptions of the tadpoles of only 6 species have been published: K. berylliniris and K. wangi Wu, Huang, Tsai, Li, Jhang, Wu (Wu et al. 2016); K. eiffingeri (Boettger) (Kuramoto Wang 1987); K. idiootocus (Kuramoto Wang) (Kuramoto Wang 1987); K. cf. verrucosus (Boulenger) (Ziegler Vences 2002), and Kurixalus yangi Yu, Hui, Rao, Yang (Humtsoe et al. 2020). A description of the tadpoles of K. baliogaster (Inger, Orlov, Darevsky) is also given in the species description (Inger et al. 1999), but described larvae are assigned tentatively to this species in the published text. Additional studies on the identification of the conspecificity of the described tadpoles with K. baliogaster have not been conducted. Based on the much larger size of the tadpole body (TL up to 40.3 mm), as well as the labial tooth row formula 6(26)/5(1) given by Inger et al. (1999), we concluded that these described tadpoles cannot be larval K. baliogaster and most likely belong to some other species of rhacophorid frogs.

A new record of odd-scaled snake (Serpentes, Xenodermidae) from Vietnam: expanded description of Parafimbrios vietnamensis based on integrative taxonomy.

Based on the combination of molecular and morphological data, we herein report the second known finding of the xenodermid snake species Parafimbrios vietnamensis Ziegler, Ngo, Pham, Nguyen, Le & Nguyen, 2018. The male individual was found in the Yen Bai Province of northwestern Vietnam, more than 200 km from the type locality in Lai Chau Province. Genetic divergence between the newly-collected male and the holotype was low (1.7%), and is in agreement with morphological data that supports that they are conspecific. We give a detailed description of the morphological characters and coloration of the new record and provide an expanded diagnosis of P. vietnamensis. Parafimbrios is a poorly-understood genus, and our recent discovery brings the total number of known specimens of the genus to nine, 1/3 of them having been found in Vietnam (one specimen of P. lao and now two specimens of P. vietnamensis).

Gekko phuyenensis sp. nov. (Squamata: Gekkonidae), a new species from southern Vietnam.

A new species of the genus Gekko Laurenti, 1768 is described from Phu Yen Province, southern Vietnam based on morphological and molecular evidence. Gekko phuyenensis sp. nov. differs from other congeners by its moderate size, with a snout-vent length of 90.292.8 mm; nares in contact with rostral; internasal 1; interorbitals 35 or 36; ventrals 3032; dorsal tubercle rows 9 or 10; precloacal pores 12 or 13 in males and precloacal pits 13 in female; subdigital lamellae under first finger 1821, fourth finger 19 or 20, first toe 1820, and fourth toe 2123; subcaudals median enlarged; no webbing between toes; and the absence of tubercles on hind limbs. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial gene COI (681 bp) using the geckos from Phu Yen and its congeners in southern Vietnam resolve the new species as the sister lineage to G. cf. grossmanni from Khanh Hoa Province. Genetic distances between G. phuyenensis sp. nov. and its congeners in southern Vietnam range from 16.924.2%. The discovery of this new species raises the number of known species of Gekko in Vietnam to 14.

Two new cryptic species of Microhyla Tschudi, 1838 (Amphibia, Anura, Microhylidae) related to the M. heymonsi group from central Vietnam.

The Microhyla heymonsi species complex from central Vietnam was examined, and based upon morphological and molecular evidence, two new species are described. The discovery of Microhyla daklakensis sp. nov. and Microhyla ninhthuanensis sp. nov. brings the total number of known species in the genus to 46 and the species number of Microhyla in Vietnam to 13. The Truong Son Range harbors the highest diversity of the genus Microhyla with 11 recorded species so far. However, this apparent micro-endemic diversity is at risk because of habitat loss by deforestation, which highlights the necessity of further research leading to improved conservation measures.

A revision of the dark-bellied, stream-dwelling snakes of the genus Hebius (Reptilia: Squamata: Natricidae) with the description of a new species from China, Vietnam and Thailand.

Species of the genus Hebius Thompson, 1913 with 17 or 19 dorsal scale rows at midbody and an overall dark venter are reviewed, including the two species previously known as Parahelicops annamensis Bourret, 1934 and Pararhabdophis chapaensis Bourret, 1934. Specimens with 17 scale rows are morphologically similar to Hebius venningi (Wall, 1910), which is here redefined based on external morphological characters such as scalation, and dorsal and ventral patterns. Consequently, Natrix nigriventer Wall, 1925 is resurrected from its synonymy with Hebius venningi, whereas Natrix taronensis Smith, 1940, previously considered a subspecies of H. venningi or a full species by some authors but without justification, is here confirmed to full species status. Another group of species, mostly similar in coloration and pattern to the H. venningi group but with 19 dorsal scale rows, includes H. modestus (Günther, 1875), H. deschauenseei (Taylor, 1934) and a new species which is described herein based on specimens from northern Vietnam, southern China and north-eastern Thailand due to distinct morphological differences. We also provide updated taxonomic accounts for the species of this group, including an identification key and distribution maps.

Geographical range evolution of the genus Polypedates (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from the Oligocene to present.

Currently, the genus Polypedates comprises 26 species distributed in South, Southeast, and East Asia. Because of their relatively low dispersal capability and intolerance to seawater, this genus is ideal for the study of terrestrial range evolution that extends into the island archipelagos of southeastern Asia. In this study, based on data compiled for Polypedatesfrom previous studies and partial mitochondrial and nuclear genes collected in this study, we performed systematic biogeographical analysis. We confirmed a Sundaland origin for the extant genus and showed northward dispersal into mainland Southeast Asia and Asia, which coincided with the timing of paleoclimatic change from the Oligocene to Middle Miocene. Climate fluctuations had a profound impact on species diversification within the genus Polypedates. Furthermore, the Red River did not mediate species exchange between Southeast Asia and mainland Asia until the end of the Miocene, with the sudden onset of northward dispersal in several clades independently at that time. Alternatively, the lineage of widespread insular P. leucomystaxstrongly supports the hypothesis of terrestrial connection between island archipelagos of Southeast Asia during the Mid-Pleistocene paleoclimate fluctuations. Our biogeographical analysis also supports the recent introduction of P. leucomystax to the Philippines and Ryukyus, as previously suggested.

Multiplex Bead Array Assay of a Panel of Circulating Cytokines and Growth Factors in Patients with Albuminuric and Non-AlbuminuricDiabetic Kidney Disease.

A panel of cytokines and growth factors, mediating low-grade inflammation and fibrosis, was assessed in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and different patterns of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Patients with long-term T2D (N = 130) were classified into four groups: no signs of CKD; estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 without albuminuria; albuminuria and eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2; albuminuria and eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Thirty healthy subjects were acted as control. Twenty-seven cytokines and growth factors were assessed in serum by multiplex bead array assay. Serum hs-CRP, urinary nephrin, podocine, and WFDC2 were measured by ELISA. Patients with T2D showed elevated IL-1Ra, IL-6, IL-17A, G-CSF, IP-10, MIP-1α, and bFGF levels; concentrations of IL-4, IL-12, IL-15, INF-γ, and VEGF were decreased. IL-6, IL-17A, G-CSF, MIP-1α, and bFGF correlated negatively with eGFR; IL-10 and VEGF demonstrated negative associations with WFDC2; no relationships with podocyte markers were found. Adjusted IL-17A and MIP-1α were predictors of non-albuminuric CKD, IL-13 predicted albuminuria with preserved renal function, meanwhile, IL-6 and hsCRP were predictors of albuminuria with eGFR decline. Therefore, albuminuric and non-albuminuric CKD in T2D patients are associated with different pro-inflammatory shifts in the panel of circulating cytokines.

SGLT2 Inhibitor Empagliflozin and DPP4 Inhibitor Linagliptin Reactivate Glomerular Autophagy in db/db Mice, a Model of Type 2 Diabetes.

Recent data have indicated the emerging role of glomerular autophagy in diabetic kidney disease. We aimed to assess the effect of the SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin, the DPP4 inhibitor linagliptin, and their combination, on glomerular autophagy in a model of type 2 diabetes. Eight-week-old male db/db mice were randomly assigned to treatment with empagliflozin, linagliptin, empagliflozin-linagliptin or vehicle for 8 weeks. Age-matched non-diabetic db/+ mice acted as controls. To estimate glomerular autophagy, immunohistochemistry for beclin-1 and LAMP-1 was performed. Podocyte autophagy was assessed by counting the volume density (Vv) of autophagosomes, lysosomes and autolysosomes by transmission electron microscopy. LC3B and LAMP-1, autophagy markers, and caspase-3 and Bcl-2, apoptotic markers, were evaluated in renal cortex by western blot. Vehicle-treated db/db mice had weak glomerular staining for beclin-1 and LAMP-1 and reduced Vv of autophagosomes, autolysosomes and lysosomes in podocytes. Empagliflozin and linagliptin, both as monotherapy and in combination, enhanced the areas of glomerular staining for beclin-1 and LAMP-1 and increased Vv of autophagosomes and autolysosomes in podocytes. Renal LC3B and Bcl-2 were restored in actively treated animals. LAMP-1 expression was enhanced in the empagliflozin group; caspase-3 expression decreased in the empagliflozin-linagliptin group only. Mesangial expansion, podocyte foot process effacement and urinary albumin excretion were mitigated by both agents. The data provide further explanation for the mechanism of the renoprotective effect of SGLT2 inhibitors and DPP4 inhibitors in diabetes.

A combined approach of mitochondrial DNA and anchored nuclear phylogenomics sheds light on unrecognized diversity, phylogeny, and historical biogeography of the torrent frogs, genus Amolops (Anura: Ranidae).

The genus Amolops ("torrent frogs") is one of the most species-rich genera in Ranidae, with 59 recognized species. This genus currently includes six species groups diagnosed mainly by morphology. Several recent molecular studies indicated that the classification of species groups within Amolops remains controversial, and key nodes in the phylogeny have been inadequately resolved. In addition, the diversity of Amolops remains poorly understood, especially for those from incompletely sampled regions. Herein, we investigate species-level diversity within the genus Amolops throughout southern China and Southeast Asia, and infer evolutionary relationships among the species using mtDNA data (16S, COI, and ND2). Molecular analyses indicate nine unnamed species, mostly distributed in the Himalayas. We then utilized anchored hybrid enrichment to generate a dataset representing the major mitochondrial lineages to resolve phylogenetic relationships, biogeography, and pattern of species diversification. Our resulting phylogeny strongly supports the monophyly of four previously identified species groups (the A. ricketti, A. daiyunensis, A. hainanensis, and A. monticola groups), but paraphyly for the A. mantzorum and A. marmoratus groups, as previously defined. We erect one new species group, the A. viridimaculatus group, and recognize Dubois' (1992) subgenus Amo as the A. larutensis species group. Biogeographic analysis suggests that Amolops originated on the Indo-Burma/Thai-Malay Peninsula at the Eocene/Oligocene boundary, and dispersed outward, exemplifying a common pattern observed for the origin of Asian biodiversity. The early divergence within Amolops coincides with the Himalayan uplift and the lateral extrusion of Indochina at the Oligocene/Miocene boundary. Our results show that paleoclimatic and geomorphological events have profoundly influenced the patterns of lineage diversification within Amolops.

Empagliflozin alleviates podocytopathy and enhances glomerular nephrin expression in db/db diabetic mice.

BACKGROUND: Modern guidelines recommend sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors as the preferred antihyperglycemic agents for patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. However, the mechanisms underlying the renal protective effect of SGLT2 inhibitors are not fully understood. AIM: To estimate the effect of the SGLT2 inhibitor, empagliflozin (EMPA), on the structure of podocytes and nephrin expression in glomeruli in db/db diabetic mice. METHODS: We treated 8-wk-old male db/db mice with EMPA (10 mg/kg/d) or vehicle for 8 wk. Age-matched male db/+ mice were included as non-diabetic controls. Parameters of body composition, glycemic and lipid control, and plasma concentrations of leptin, insulin and glucagon were assessed. We evaluated renal hypertrophy as kidney weight adjusted to lean mass, renal function as plasma levels of creatinine, and albuminuria as the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR). Renal structures were studied by light and transmission electron microscopy with a focus on mesangial volume and podocyte structure, respectively. Glomerular nephrin and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) were assessed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Severe obesity and hyperglycemia developed in db/db mice prior to the start of the experiment; increased plasma concentrations of fructosamine, glycated albumin, cholesterol, leptin, and insulin, and elevated UACR were detected. Mesangial expansion, glomerular basement membrane thickening, and increased area of TGF-ß staining in glomeruli were revealed in vehicle-treated mice. Podocytopathy was manifested by effacement of foot processes; nephrin-positive areas in glomeruli were reduced. EMPA decreased the levels of glucose, fructosamine and glycated albumin, UACR, kidney hypertrophy, mesangial expansion, glomerular basement membrane thickening, and glomerular TGF-ß staining, alleviated podocytopathy and restored glomerular staining of nephrin. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that EMPA attenuates podocytopathy in experimental diabetic kidney disease. The anti-albuminuric effect of EMPA could be attributed to mitigation of podocyte injury and enhancement of nephrin expression.

Integrative taxonomy of the Asian skinks Sphenomorphus stellatus (Boulenger, 1900) and S. praesignis (Boulenger, 1900) with the resurrection of S. annamiticus (Boettger, 1901) and the description of a new species from Cambodia.

Molecular phylogenetic analyses of the sister species Sphenomorphus stellatus and S. praesignis based on the mitochondrial genes 12S and 16S rRNA recover the former as paraphyletic with respect to the latter in that a specimen of S. stellatus from the type locality in Peninsular Malaysia is more closely related to S. praesignis than to Indochinese populations of S. stellatus. Furthermore, the phylogeny indicates that the Indochinese populations represent two species, thus resulting in four major lineages within this clade. These relationships are consistent with multivariate and univariate analyses of morphological and discrete color pattern data which statistically define and diagnose the four lineages and together with the molecular data, provide the foundation for robust, testable, species-level hypotheses. As such, S. stellatus is herein restricted to Peninsular Malaysia; S. annamiticus is resurrected for the circum-continental populations ranging through southeastern Thailand, southern Cambodia, and southern Vietnam; a new species-S. preylangensis sp. nov.-is described from an isolated mountain, Phnom Chi, from the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary in central Cambodia; and the taxonomy of S. praesignis remains unchanged. The description of S. preylangensis sp. nov. underscores the necessity to conserve this remnant of lowland evergreen rainforest in the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary.