Marcin Krawczyk, Dieter Lütjohann, Ramin Schirin‐Sokhan, Luis Villarroel, Flavio Nervi, Fernando Pimentel, Frank Lammert, Juan Francisco Miquel – 27 December 2011 – In hepatocytes and enterocytes sterol uptake and secretion is mediated by Niemann‐Pick C1‐like 1 (NPC1L1) and ATP‐binding cassette (ABC)G5/8 proteins, respectively. Whereas serum levels of phytosterols represent surrogate markers for intestinal cholesterol absorption, cholesterol precursors reflect cholesterol biosynthesis.

Philip Starkey Lewis, James Dear, Vivien Platt, Jonathan Moggs, Chris Goldring, B. Kevin Park – 27 December 2011

Ian A. Rowe, Matthew J. Armstrong, Diarmaid D. Houlihan – 27 December 2011

Guoyuan Liu, Songmin Jiang, Chenji Wang, Wei Jiang, Zulong Liu, Chao Liu, Hexige Saiyin, Xianmei Yang, Suqin Shen, Deke Jiang, Ping Zhou, Dingding Han, Xiaohui Hu, Qing Yi, Long Yu – 27 December 2011 – Activation of β‐catenin, the central effector of the canonical wingless‐type (Wnt) pathway, has been implicated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the transcription regulation mechanism of the β‐catenin gene in HCC remains unknown. Here we report that human zinc finger protein 191 (ZNF191) is a potential regulator of β‐catenin transcription.

E. Jenny Heathcote – 27 December 2011

Ursula Ehmer, Sandra Kalthoff, Bastian Fakundiny, Brigitte Pabst, Nicole Freiberg, Ronald Naumann, Michael P. Manns, Christian P. Strassburg – 27 December 2011 – Gilbert syndrome (GS) is characterized by intermittent unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia without structural liver damage, affecting about 10% of the white population. In GS the UGT1A1*28 variant reduces bilirubin conjugation by 70% and is associated with irinotecan and protease inhibitor side effects. The aim of this study was to characterize potential in vivo consequences of UGT1A gene variability in GS.

Vladislav Volarevic, Marija Milovanovic, Biljana Ljujic, Nada Pejnovic, Nebojsa Arsenijevic, Ulf Nilsson, Hakon Leffler, Miodrag L. Lukic – 24 December 2011 – We used concanavalin A (Con A)‐induced liver injury to study the role of galectin‐3 (Gal‐3) in the induction of inflammatory pathology and hepatocellular damage.

Ashwani K. Singal, Hmoud Bashar, Bhupinderjit S. Anand, Sarat C. Jampana, Vineet Singal, Yong‐Fang Kuo – 24 December 2011 – Data on liver transplantation for patients with alcoholic hepatitis are limited. Using the United Network for Organ Sharing database (2004‐2010), adults undergoing liver transplantation for a listing diagnosis of alcoholic hepatitis were matched for age, gender, ethnicity, and model for endstage disease (MELD) score, donor risk index, and year of transplantation with three patients transplanted for a listing diagnosis of alcoholic cirrhosis.

Massimo Iavarone, Giuseppe Cabibbo, Massimo Colombo – 24 December 2011

Shelby Sullivan, Erik P. Kirk, Bettina Mittendorfer, Bruce W. Patterson, Samuel Klein – 24 December 2011 – Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alterations in hepatic lipoprotein kinetics are common metabolic complications associated with obesity. Lifestyle modification involving diet‐induced weight loss and regular exercise decreases intrahepatic triglyceride (IHTG) content and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglyceride (TG) secretion rate.