Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor alpha induction of uncoupling protein 2 protects against acetaminophen‐induced liver toxicity

Andrew D. Patterson, Yatrik M. Shah, Tsutomu Matsubara, Kristopher W. Krausz, Frank J. Gonzalez – 9 February 2012 – Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose causes acute liver failure in humans and rodents due in part to the destruction of mitochondria as a result of increased oxidative stress followed by hepatocellular necrosis.

Hepatic androgen receptor suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis through modulation of cell migration and anoikis

Wen‐Lung Ma, Cheng‐Lung Hsu, Chun‐Chieh Yeh, Ming‐Heng Wu, Chiung‐Kuei Huang, Long‐Bin Jeng, Yao‐Ching Hung, Tze‐Yi Lin, Shuyuan Yeh, Chawnshang Chang – 9 February 2012 – Early reports suggested androgen/androgen receptor (AR) signals promote hepatocarcinogenesis. However, all antiandrogen clinical trials failed in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) without reasonable explanations. We examined AR functions in HCC cancer metastasis in this study.

Fibronectin is essential for survival but is dispensable for proliferation of hepatocytes in acute liver injury in mice

Kei Moriya, Keiko Sakai, Michel H. Yan, Takao Sakai – 9 February 2012 – Acute liver injury causes massive hepatocyte apoptosis and/or fatal liver damage. Fibronectin, an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, is prominently expressed during adult tissue repair. However, the extent of fibronectin dependence on hepatocyte response to acute liver damage remains to be defined.

Stat3‐mediated activation of microRNA‐23a suppresses gluconeogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma by down‐regulating Glucose‐6‐phosphatase and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma, coactivator 1 alpha

Bo Wang, Shu‐Hao Hsu, Wendy Frankel, Kalpana Ghoshal, Samson T. Jacob – 9 February 2012 – Considerable effort has been made in elucidating the mechanism and functional significance of high levels of aerobic glycolysis in cancer cells, commonly referred to as the Warburg effect. Here we investigated whether the gluconeogenic pathway is significantly modulated in hepatocarcinogenesis, resulting in altered levels of glucose homeostasis.

Major vault protein: A virus‐induced host factor against viral replication through the induction of type‐I interferon

Shi Liu, Qian Hao, Nanfang Peng, Xin Yue, Yu Wang, Yanni Chen, Jianguo Wu, Ying Zhu – 9 February 2012 – Major vault protein (MVP) is the major constituent of vaults and is involved in multidrug resistance, nucleocytoplasmic transport, and cell signaling. However, little is known about the role of MVP during viral infections. In this study, high levels of MVP were found in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, sera, and liver tissue from patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) relative to healthy individuals.

Hepatitis C virus selectively perturbs the distal cholesterol synthesis pathway in a genotype‐specific manner

Paul J. Clark, Alexander J. Thompson, David M. Vock, Lisa E. Kratz, Adviye A. Tolun, Andrew J. Muir, John G. McHutchison, Mani Subramanian, David M. Millington, Richard I. Kelley, Keyur Patel – 9 February 2012 – Hepatitis C virus (HCV) subverts host cholesterol metabolism for key processes in its lifecycle. How this interference results in the frequently observed, genotype‐dependent clinical sequelae of hypocholesterolemia, hepatic steatosis, and insulin resistance (IR) remains incompletely understood.

Immunoprophylaxis against and prevention of recurrent viral hepatitis after liver transplantation

Marie A. Laryea, Kymberly D. Watt – 8 February 2012 – The reinfection of the hepatic allograft with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus can have important sequelae that result in poor long‐term patient and graft survival. Although a response to treatment with antiviral medications can improve these outcomes, not all patients tolerate these medications or experience viral eradication. Avoiding reinfection of the graft is the most effective means of improving the long‐term outcomes for these patient populations.

Treatment with sildenafil and treprostinil allows successful liver transplantation of patients with moderate to severe portopulmonary hypertension

Trina J. Hollatz, Alexandru Musat, Susanne Westphal, Catherine Decker, Anthony M. D'Alessandro, Jon Keevil, Li Zhanhai, James R. Runo – 8 February 2012 – Portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) refers to pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with portal hypertension with or without evidence of an underlying liver disease. Despite the potential for curing PoPH with liver transplantation, the presence of moderate or severe PoPH is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and is, therefore, a contraindication to transplantation.

Resource implications of expanding the use of donation after circulatory determination of death in liver transplantation

Robert Hayden Broomhead, Sanjiv Patel, Bimbi Fernando, James O'Beirne, Susan Mallett – 8 February 2012 – In the United Kingdom, liver transplantation using donation after circulatory determination of death (DCDD) organs has increased steadily over the last few years and now accounts for 20% of UK transplant activity. The procurement of DCDD livers is actively promoted as a means of increasing the donor pool and bridging the evolving disparity between the wait‐list length and the number of transplants performed.

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