Targeting transforming growth factor (TGF)‐βRI inhibits activation of β1 integrin and blocks vascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma

Emilia Fransvea, Antonio Mazzocca, Salvatore Antonaci, Gianluigi Giannelli – 24 February 2009 – Vascular invasion is one of the major negative prognostic factors in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), leading to cancer recurrence. To invade, HCC cells must penetrate the vessel wall, consisting of endothelial cells and extracellular matrix components, including fibronectin and fibrinogen. Employing invasive and noninvasive HCC cells, we studied the mechanism underlying vascular invasion.

NKG2D–retinoic acid early inducible‐1 recognition between natural killer cells and kupffer cells in a novel murine natural killer cell–dependent fulminant hepatitis

Xin Hou, Rongbin Zhou, Haiming Wei, Rui Sun, Zhigang Tian – 24 February 2009 – Increasing evidence suggests the contribution of natural killer (NK) cells to pathogenesis of human hepatitis, but the detailed mechanisms have yet to be clearly elucidated. In this study, injection of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) and D‐galactosamine (D‐GalN) was used to establish a novel murine fulminant hepatitis model: results showed that predepletion of either NK cells or Kupffer cells could completely abolish the liver injury.

VSL#3 probiotic treatment attenuates fibrosis without changes in steatohepatitis in a diet‐induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis model in mice

Arumugam Velayudham, Angela Dolganiuc, Michael Ellis, Jan Petrasek, Karen Kodys, Pranoti Mandrekar, Gyongyi Szabo – 24 February 2009 – Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its advanced stage, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), are the most common causes of chronic liver disease in the United States. NASH features the metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and fibrosis. Probiotics exhibit immunoregulatory and anti‐inflammatory activity. We tested the hypothesis that probiotic VSL#3 may ameliorate the methionine‐choline‐deficient (MCD) diet–induced mouse model of NASH.

Graft fibrosis after pediatric liver transplantation: Ten years of follow‐up

Rene Scheenstra, Paul M.G.J. Peeters, Henkjan J. Verkade, Annette S. H. Gouw – 24 February 2009 – Previously we reported the presence of portal fibrosis in 31% (n = 84) of the grafts in protocol biopsies 1 year after pediatric liver transplantation (LTx). To assess the natural history of graft fibrosis after pediatric liver transplantation, we extended the analysis of graft histology in follow‐up protocol biopsy specimens obtained 5 and 10 years after transplantation.

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