Conditional deletion of ferritin H in mice induces loss of iron storage and liver damage

Deepak Darshan, Liviu Vanoaica, Larry Richman, Friedrich Beermann, Lukas C. Kühn – 27 August 2009 – Ferritin plays a central role in iron metabolism by acting both as iron storage and a detoxifying protein. We generated a ferritin H allele with loxP sites and studied the conditional ferritin H deletion in adult mice. Ten days after Mx‐Cre induced deletion, ferritin H messenger RNA (mRNA) was below 5% in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow of deleted mice compared to control littermates. Mice lost their cellular iron stores indicating the requirement of ferritin H in iron deposition.

Distinct kinetics and dynamics of cross‐presentation in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells compared to dendritic cells

Anna Schurich, Jan P. Böttcher, Sven Burgdorf, Patrick Penzler, Silke Hegenbarth, Michaela Kern, Andreas Dolf, Elmar Endl, Joachim Schultze, Emmanuel Wiertz, Dirk Stabenow, Christian Kurts, Percy Knolle – 27 August 2009 – Cross‐presentation is an important function of immune competent cells, such as dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, and an organ‐resident liver cell population, i.e., liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs).

Susceptibility to liver fibrosis in mice expressing a connective tissue growth factor transgene in hepatocytes

ZhenYue Tong, Ruju Chen, Daniel S. Alt, Sherri Kemper, Bernard Perbal, David R. Brigstock – 27 August 2009 – Connective tissue growth factor (CCN2) is a matricellular protein that is up‐regulated in many fibrotic disorders and coexpressed with transforming growth factor β. CCN2 promotes fibrogenesis and survival in activated hepatic stellate cells, and injured or fibrotic liver contains up‐regulated levels of CCN2 that are produced by a variety of different cell types, including hepatocytes.

Potential impact of long‐term nucleoside therapy on the mortality and morbidity of active chronic hepatitis B

Mehlika Toy, Irene K. Veldhuijzen, Robert A. de Man, Jan Hendrik Richardus, Solko W. Schalm – 27 August 2009 – The potential impact of long‐term antiviral therapy on the burden of chronic hepatitis B has hardly been documented. The aim of this study was to estimate the effects of prolonged antiviral therapy and antiviral resistance on the mortality and morbidity of active chronic hepatitis B patients.

The role of the hepatocyte cytokeratin network in bile formation and resistance to bile acid challenge and cholestasis in mice

Peter Fickert, Andrea Fuchsbichler, Martin Wagner, Dagmar Silbert, Kurt Zatloukal, Helmut Denk, Michael Trauner – 27 August 2009 – The intermediate filament cytoskeleton of hepatocytes is composed of keratin (K) 8 and K18 and has important mechanical and nonmechanical functions. However, the potential role of the K8/K18 network for proper membrane targeting of hepatocellular adenosine triphosphate–binding cassette transporters and bile formation is unknown.

Compensatory role of P‐glycoproteins in knockout mice lacking the bile salt export pump

Renxue Wang, Huey‐Ling Chen, Lin Liu, Jonathan A. Sheps, M. James Phillips, Victor Ling – 27 August 2009 – Bile salt export pump (BSEP; ATP‐binding cassette, subfamily B, member 11) mutations in humans result in progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 2, a fatal liver disease with greatly reduced bile flow. However in mice, Bsep knockout leads only to mild cholestasis with substantial bile flow and up‐regulated P‐glycoprotein genes (multidrug resistance protein 1a [Mdr1a] and Mdr1b).

Subscribe to