Christophe Frémin, Frédéric Ezan, Pierre Boisselier, Anne Bessard, Gilles Pagès, Jacques Pouysségur, Georges Baffet – 28 March 2007 – The mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) ERK1 and ERK2 have been implicated in various physiological events, and specific targeting of these MAPKs could affect cell proliferation in many cell types. First, to evaluate the potential specific roles of these two MAPKs, we analyzed the mitogenic response in regenerating liver after partial hepatectomy (PH) and in primary culture of hepatocytes isolated from ERK1‐deficient mice.

Nicholas Shackel, Geoffrey McCaughan – 28 March 2007

Alan F. Hofmann – 28 March 2007

Elisa Wurmbach, Ying‐bei Chen, Greg Khitrov, Weijia Zhang, Sasan Roayaie, Myron Schwartz, Isabel Fiel, Swan Thung, Vincenzo Mazzaferro, Jordi Bruix, Erwin Bottinger, Scott Friedman, Samuel Waxman, Josep M. Llovet – 28 March 2007 – Although HCC is the third‐leading cause of cancer‐related deaths worldwide, there is only an elemental understanding of its molecular pathogenesis. In western countries, HCV infection is the main etiology underlying this cancer's accelerating incidence.

Theodorus B. M. Hakvoort, Jacqueline L. M. Vermeulen, Wouter H. Lamers – 28 March 2007

Jay H. Hoofnagle, Edward Doo, T. Jake Liang, Russell Fleischer, Anna S.F. Lok – 28 March 2007 – Chronic hepatitis B is caused by persistent infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), a unique DNA virus that replicates through an RNA intermediate produced from a stable covalently closed circular DNA molecule. Viral persistence appears to be due to inadequate innate and adaptive immune responses. Chronic infection has a variable course after several decades resulting in cirrhosis in up to one‐third of patients and liver cancer in a proportion of those with cirrhosis.

Tehila Ben Moshe, Hila Barash, Tae‐Bong Kang, Jin‐Chul Kim, Andrew Kovalenko, Eitan Gross, Marcus Schuchmann, Rinat Abramovitch, Eithan Galun, David Wallach – 28 March 2007 – Caspase‐8 has been implicated in signaling for apoptotic cell death and for certain nonapoptotic functions. However, knowledge of actual physiological or pathophysiological processes to which this enzyme contributes is lacking.

Helen H. Wang, Shailendra B. Patel, Martin C. Carey, David Q.‐H. Wang – 28 March 2007 – Sitosterolemia is caused by mutations in either ABCG5 or ABCG8, but simultaneous mutations of these genes have never been observed.

Vladimir Savransky, Ashika Nanayakkara, Angelica Vivero, Jianguo Li, Shannon Bevans, Philip L. Smith, Michael S. Torbenson, Vsevolod Y. Polotsky – 28 March 2007 – Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). OSA is associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in obese subjects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CIH on the liver in the absence of obesity. Lean C57BL/6J mice (n = 15) on a regular chow diet were exposed to CIH for 12 weeks and compared with pair‐fed mice exposed to intermittent air (IA, n = 15).

Christoph Schmöcker, Karsten H. Weylandt, Lena Kahlke, Jingdong Wang, Hartmut Lobeck, Gisa Tiegs, Thomas Berg, Jing X. Kang – 28 March 2007 – Cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) are key factors in liver inflammation. Supplementation with essential omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 PUFA) has been demonstrated to lower TNF‐α and IL‐1 production in mononuclear cells. An inflammation‐dampening effect has been observed with increased omega‐3 fatty acid supplementation in several inflammatory diseases.