Thrombospondin‐1 is a novel negative regulator of liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy through transforming growth factor‐beta1 activation in mice

Hiromitsu Hayashi, Keiko Sakai, Hideo Baba, Takao Sakai – 22 November 2011 – The matricellular protein, thrombospondin‐1 (TSP‐1), is prominently expressed during tissue repair. TSP‐1 binds to matrix components, proteases, cytokines, and growth factors and activates intracellular signals through its multiple domains. TSP‐1 converts latent transforming growth factor‐beta1 (TGF‐β1) complexes into their biologically active form. TGF‐β plays significant roles in cell‐cycle regulation, modulation of differentiation, and induction of apoptosis.

Caveolin‐1 orchestrates the balance between glucose and lipid‐dependent energy metabolism: Implications for liver regeneration

Manuel Alejandro Fernández‐Rojo, Christina Restall, Charles Ferguson, Nick Martel, Sally Martin, Marta Bosch, Adam Kassan, Gary M. Leong, Sheree D. Martin, Sean L. McGee, George E.O. Muscat, Robin L. Anderson, Carlos Enrich, Albert Pol, Robert G. Parton – 22 November 2011 – Caveolin‐1 (CAV1) is a structural protein of caveolae involved in lipid homeostasis and endocytosis.

Protease‐activated receptor 2 promotes experimental liver fibrosis in mice and activates human hepatic stellate cells

Virginia Knight, Jorge Tchongue, Dinushka Lourensz, Peter Tipping, William Sievert – 16 November 2011 – Protease‐activated receptor (PAR) 2 is a G‐protein–coupled receptor that is activated after proteolytic cleavage by serine proteases, including mast cell tryptase and activated coagulation factors. PAR‐2 activation augments inflammatory and profibrotic pathways through the induction of genes encoding proinflammatory cytokines and extracellular matrix proteins. Thus, PAR‐2 represents an important interface linking coagulation and inflammation.

Homozygosity mapping identifies a bile acid biosynthetic defect in an adult with cirrhosis of unknown etiology

Vered Molho‐Pessach, Jonathan J. Rios, Chao Xing, Kenneth D.R. Setchell, Jonathan C. Cohen, Helen H. Hobbs – 16 November 2011 – The most common inborn error of bile acid metabolism is 3β‐hydroxy‐Δ5‐C27‐steroid oxidoreductase (3β‐HSD) deficiency, a disorder that usually presents in early childhood with hepatic dysfunction. Timely diagnosis of this disorder is crucial because it can be effectively treated with primary bile acid replacement. Here we describe a 24‐year‐old woman from Iran with cirrhosis of unknown etiology.

Family history of liver cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma

Federica Turati, Valeria Edefonti, Renato Talamini, Monica Ferraroni, Matteo Malvezzi, Francesca Bravi, Silvia Franceschi, Maurizio Montella, Jerry Polesel, Antonella Zucchetto, Carlo La Vecchia, Eva Negri, Adriano Decarli – 16 November 2011 – Familial clustering of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been frequently reported in eastern Asiatic countries, where hepatitis B infection is common. Little is known about the relationship between family history of liver cancer and HCC in Western populations.

Hepatic ratio of phosphatidylcholine to phosphatidylethanolamine predicts survival after partial hepatectomy in mice

Ji Ling, Todd Chaba, Lin‐Fu Zhu, René L. Jacobs, Dennis E. Vance – 16 November 2011 – A major predictor of failed liver resection and transplantation is nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is linked to a wide spectrum of diseases including obesity and diabetes that are increasingly prevalent in Western populations. Thus, it is important to develop therapies aimed at improving posthepatectomy outcomes in patients with NAFLD, as well as to improve the evaluation of patients slated for hepatic surgery.

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