Hepatitis B virus suppresses toll‐like receptor–mediated innate immune responses in murine parenchymal and nonparenchymal liver cells

Jun Wu, Zhongji Meng, Min Jiang, Rongjuan Pei, Martin Trippler, Ruth Broering, Agnes Bucchi, Jan‐Peter Sowa, Ulf Dittmer, Dongliang Yang, Michael Roggendorf, Guido Gerken, Mengji Lu, Joerg F. Schlaak – 27 March 2009 – We have previously shown that Toll‐like receptor (TLR)‐activated murine nonparenchymal liver cells [(NPC); Kupffer cells (KC), liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC)] can suppress hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether HBV has the ability to counteract the TLR‐mediated control of its replication.

Hepatitis B virus X protein shifts human hepatic transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β signaling from tumor suppression to oncogenesis in early chronic hepatitis B

Miki Murata, Koichi Matsuzaki, Katsunori Yoshida, Go Sekimoto, Yoshiya Tahashi, Shigeo Mori, Yoshiko Uemura, Noriko Sakaida, Junichi Fujisawa, Toshihito Seki, Kazuki Kobayashi, Koutaro Yokote, Kazuhiko Koike, Kazuichi Okazaki – 27 March 2009 – Hepatitis B virus X (HBx) protein is suspected to participate in oncogenesis during chronic hepatitis B progression. Transforming growth factor β (TGF‐β) signaling involves both tumor suppression and oncogenesis.

An early complement‐dependent and TLR‐4–independent phase in the pathogenesis of ethanol‐induced liver injury in mice

Sanjoy Roychowdhury, Megan R. McMullen, Michele T. Pritchard, Amy G. Hise, Nico van Rooijen, M. Edward Medof, Abram B. Stavitsky, Laura E. Nagy – 27 March 2009 – The innate immune system has been implicated in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease. Although innate immunity is usually considered an early response to injury, previous work implicating innate immunity in ethanol‐induced liver injury focuses primarily on long‐term ethanol exposure.

Liver X receptor mediates hepatitis B virus X protein–induced lipogenesis in hepatitis B virus–associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Tae‐Young Na, Young Kee Shin, Kyung Jin Roh, Shin‐Ae Kang, Il Hong, Sae Jin Oh, Je Kyung Seong, Cheol Keun Park, Yoon La Choi, Mi‐Ock Lee – 27 March 2009 – Although hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) has been implicated in abnormal lipid metabolism in hepatitis B virus (HBV)–associated hepatic steatosis, its underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. Liver X receptor (LXR) plays an important role in regulating the expression of genes involved in hepatic lipogenesis. Here we demonstrate that LXRα and LXRβ mediate HBV‐associated hepatic steatosis.

Blockade of four‐transmembrane L6 family member 5 (TM4SF5)‐mediated tumorigenicity in hepatocytes by a synthetic chalcone derivative

Sin‐Ae Lee, Hyung Won Ryu, Young Mee Kim, Suyong Choi, Mi Ji Lee, Tae Kyoung Kwak, Hyeon Jung Kim, Moonjae Cho, Ki Hun Park, Jung Weon Lee – 27 March 2009 – We previously reported that the four‐transmembrane L6 family member 5 (TM4SF5) was highly expressed in hepatocarcinoma, induced morphological elongation and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition, and caused abnormal cell growth in multilayers in vitro and tumor formation in vivo.

Differential microRNA expression between hepatitis B and hepatitis C leading disease progression to hepatocellular carcinoma

Shunsuke Ura, Masao Honda, Taro Yamashita, Teruyuki Ueda, Hajime Takatori, Ryuhei Nishino, Hajime Sunakozaka, Yoshio Sakai, Katsuhisa Horimoto, Shuichi Kaneko – 27 March 2009 – MicroRNA (miRNA) plays an important role in the pathology of various diseases, including infection and cancer.

Beneficial effects of sorafenib on splanchnic, intrahepatic, and portocollateral circulations in portal hypertensive and cirrhotic rats

Marc Mejias, Ester Garcia‐Pras, Carolina Tiani, Rosa Miquel, Jaime Bosch, Mercedes Fernandez – 27 March 2009 – Portal hypertension, the most important complication in patients with cirrhosis of the liver, is a serious and life‐threatening disease for which there are few therapeutic options.

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