Expression of Concern

Expression of Concern ‐ follow up

On 6 May 2016 The Journal of Physiology issued Expressions of Concern regarding each of the following articles:

Article 1: Eduardo R. Ropelle, José R. Pauli, Patrícia Prada, Dennys E. Cintra, Guilherme Z. Rocha, Juliana C. Moraes, Marisa J. S. Frederico, Gabrielle da Luz, Ricardo A. Pinho, José B. C. Carvalheira, Licio A. Velloso, Mario A. Saad & Cláudio T. De Souza (2009). Inhibition of hypothalamic Foxo1 expression reduced food intake in diet‐induced obesity rats. J Physiol, 587(10), pp 2341–2351. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2009.170050

Article 2: Article: Souza Pauli LS, Ropelle EC, de Souza CT, Cintra DE, da Silva AS, de Almeida Rodrigues B, de Moura LP, Marinho R, de Oliveira V, Katashima CK, Pauli JR & Ropelle ER (2014). Exercise training decreases mitogen‐activated protein kinase phosphatase‐3 expression and suppresses hepatic gluconeogenesis in obese mice. J Physiol, 592(6), 1325–40. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2013.264002.

Article 3: Eduardo R. Ropelle, José R. Pauli, Dennys E. Cintra, Marisa J. S. Frederico, Ricardo A. De Pinho, Lício A. Velloso & Cláudio T. De Souza (2009). Acute exercise modulates the Foxo1/PGC‐1α pathway in the liver of diet induced obesity rats. J. Physiol. 587(9):2069‐76. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2008.164202.

Article 4: Claudio T. De Souza, Marisa J.S. Frederico, Gabrielle da Luz, Dennys E. Cintra, Eduardo R. Ropelle, Jose R. Pauli, and Licio A. Velloso (2010). Acute exercise reduces hepatic glucose production through inhibition of the Foxo1/HNF‐4α pathway in insulin resistant mice. J. Physiol 588.12, 2239–2253.

Since the Expressions of Concern were issued, The Journal of Physiology editorial office has heard from the institutions of the corresponding authors: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)[for Eduardo Ropelle], and University of Extermo Sul Catarinense (UNESC) [for Claudio De Souza], following their investigations into this matter.

The investigation by UNICAMP concluded that Dennys Esper Correa Cintra was not involved in the production of western blot figures in any of the four articles.

The investigation by UNICAMP concluded that  Patricia de Oliveira Prada was not involved in the production of western blot figures in article 1.

The investigation by UNICAMP concluded that José Rodrigo Pauli was not involved in the production of western blot figures in articles 2, 3 and 4. They could not fully establish his involvement in article 1, although if he did participate in the production of western blot figures, his involvement was limited.

Eduardo Rochete Ropelle was  responsible for the production of western blot figures in article 2. He recognized that the band of figure 3b in this article identified as beta actin was the same as figure 8h of an article, of which he was first author, published in 2010 in the journal PloS Biology, in which it is identified as alpha tubulin.

Related to the causes of such error, Ropelle listed factors including the high quantity of students and researchers that attended their laboratory during the production of the results; the high quantity of western blots made by these students; the study of only one phenomena in many experimental groups; the western blots registry system based on radiograph scanning containing blot results of different students; and electronic archives which were vulnerable to format and name change by a third party since their registry was made in a public computer. He detailed the actions that were since implemented in his laboratory (FCA‐Limeira) in order to ensure the correct representation of experimental results in future studies.

The Journal of Physiology staff are satisfied that the duplication of the western blot was accidental, and was caused by poor scientific and recording practices. Due to the multiple cases of possible duplication of the western blot in the four articles listed above and other journals, the Expression of Concern will remain in place indefinitely for article 2.

Eduardo Rochete Ropelle informed the UNICAMP investigating committee that  that the researcher Claudio T De Souza, who was then at UNESC, centralized the production of figures in articles 1, 3 and 4.

Journal staff contacted UNESC on multiple occasions. UNESC responded stating that they cannot investigate this case as Claudia De Souza “no longer belongs to our staff of researchers”. The three Expressions of Concerns will therefore remain in place indefinitely for articles 1, 3 and 4.