Short‐term therapy with peroxisome proliferation‐activator receptor‐α agonist Wy‐14,643 protects murine fatty liver against ischemia–reperfusion injury

Narci C. Teoh, Jacqueline Williams, Jennifer Hartley, Jun Yu, Robert S. McCuskey, Geoffrey C. Farrell – 9 November 2009 – Steatosis increases operative morbidity/mortality from ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI); few pharmacological approaches have been protective.

Reduction of advanced liver fibrosis by short‐term targeted delivery of an angiotensin receptor blocker to hepatic stellate cells in rats

Montserrat Moreno, Teresa Gonzalo, Robbert J. Kok, Pau Sancho‐Bru, Marike van Beuge, Josine Swart, Jai Prakash, Kai Temming, Constantino Fondevila, Leonie Beljaars, Marie Lacombe, Paul van der Hoeven, Vicente Arroyo, Klaas Poelstra, David A. Brenner, Pere Ginès, Ramón Bataller – 9 November 2009 – There is no effective therapy for advanced liver fibrosis. Angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptor blockers attenuate liver fibrogenesis, yet their efficacy in reversing advanced fibrosis is unknown.

Pitfalls of liver stiffness measurement: A 5‐year prospective study of 13,369 examinations

Laurent Castéra, Juliette Foucher, Pierre‐Henri Bernard, Françoise Carvalho, Daniele Allaix, Wassil Merrouche, Patrice Couzigou, Victor de Lédinghen – 9 November 2009 – Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) based on transient elastography (TE, FibroScan) is gaining in popularity for noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis. However, LSM has limitations, which have not yet been thoroughly evaluated. We prospectively investigated the frequency and determinants of LSM failure and unreliable results over a 5‐year period, based on 13,369 examinations (134,239 shots).

Ghrelin attenuates hepatocellular injury and liver fibrogenesis in rodents and influences fibrosis progression in humans

Montserrat Moreno, Javier F. Chaves, Pau Sancho‐Bru, Fernando Ramalho, Leandra N. Ramalho, Maria L. Mansego, Carmen Ivorra, Marlene Dominguez, Laura Conde, Cristina Millán, Montserrat Marí, Jordi Colmenero, Juan J. Lozano, Pedro Jares, Josep Vidal, Xavier Forns, Vicente Arroyo, Juan Caballería, Pere Ginès, Ramón Bataller – 9 November 2009 – There are no effective antifibrotic therapies for patients with liver diseases. We performed an experimental and translational study to investigate whether ghrelin, an orexigenic hormone with pleiotropic properties, modulates liver fibrogenesis.

Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase signaling in hepatic stellate cells blocks the progression of hepatic fibrosis

Gakuhei Son, Ian N. Hines, Jeff Lindquist, Laura W. Schrum, Richard A. Rippe – 29 October 2009 – The hepatic stellate cell (HSC) is the primary cell type in the liver responsible for excess collagen deposition during fibrosis. Following a fibrogenic stimulus the cell changes from a quiescent vitamin A–storing cell to an activated cell type associated with increased extracellular matrix synthesis and increased cell proliferation.

The niche of stellate cells within rat liver

Iris Sawitza, Claus Kordes, Sven Reister, Dieter Häussinger – 29 October 2009 – It is well‐accepted that hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) can develop into myofibroblast‐like cells that synthesize extracellular matrix proteins and contribute to liver fibrosis. Recently, molecular markers of stem/progenitor cells were discovered in HSCs of rats. Moreover, the cells displayed the capacity to differentiate and to participate in liver regeneration.

Nitric oxide suppresses transforming growth factor‐β1–induced epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition and apoptosis in mouse hepatocytes

Xinchao Pan, Xunde Wang, Weiwei Lei, Lihua Min, Yanan Yang, Xin Wang, Jianguo Song – 29 October 2009 – Nitric oxide (NO) is a multifunctional regulator that is implicated in various physiological and pathological processes. Here we report that administration of NO donor S‐nitroso‐N‐acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) inhibited transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1)‐induced epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) and apoptosis in mouse hepatocytes.

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