Nasobiliary drainage induces long‐lasting remission in benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis

Janneke M. Stapelbroek, Karel J. van Erpecum, Leo W. J. Klomp, Niels G. Venneman, Thijs P. Schwartz, Gerard P. van Berge Henegouwen, John Devlin, Carin M. J. van Nieuwkerk, A. S. Knisely, Roderick H. J. Houwen – 22 December 2005 – Benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis (BRIC) is characterized by episodic cholestasis and pruritus without anatomical obstruction. Effective medical treatment is not available.

Hematopoietic mobilization in mice increases the presence of bone marrow–derived hepatocytes via in vivo cell fusion

Oscar Quintana‐Bustamante, Alberto Alvarez‐Barrientos, Alexander V. Kofman, Isabel Fabregat, Juan A. Bueren, Neil D. Theise, José C. Segovia – 22 December 2005 – The mechanisms for in vivo production of bone marrow–derived hepatocytes (BMDHs) remain largely unclear. We investigated whether granulocyte colony–stimulating factor (G‐CSF)–mediated mobilization of hematopoietic cells increases the phenomenon. Recurrent liver injury in mice expressing green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in all hematopoietic‐derived cells was produced by 3 months of carbon tetrachloride (CCL4) injections.

NPC2 is expressed in human and murine liver and secreted into bile: Potential implications for body cholesterol homeostasis

Andrés Klein, Ludwig Amigo, María José Retamal, María Gabriela Morales, Juan Francisco Miquel, Attilio Rigotti, Silvana Zanlungo – 22 December 2005 – The liver plays a critical role in the metabolism of lipoprotein cholesterol and in controlling its elimination through the bile. Niemann‐Pick type C 2 (NPC2), a cholesterol‐binding protein, is key for normal intracellular trafficking of lipoprotein cholesterol, allowing its exit from the endolysosomal pathway into the metabolically active pool of the cell. In addition, NPC2 is a secretory protein from astrocytes and epididymal cells.

Jnk1 but not jnk2 promotes the development of steatohepatitis in mice

Jörn M. Schattenberg, Rajat Singh, Yongjun Wang, Jay H. Lefkowitch, Raina M. Rigoli, Philipp E. Scherer, Mark J. Czaja – 22 December 2005 – Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by hepatic steatosis and varying degrees of necroinflammation. Although chronic oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines, and insulin resistance have been implicated in the pathogenesis of NAFLD, the mechanisms that underlie the initiation and progression of this disease remain unknown.

βKlotho: A new kid on the bile acid biosynthesis block

Marco Arrese, Juan F. Miquel, Meenakshisundaram Ananthanarayanan – 22 December 2005 – We have generated a line of mutant mouse that lacks βKlotho, a protein that structurally resembles Klotho. The synthesis and excretion of bile acids were found to be dramatically elevated in these mutants, and the expression of 2 key bile acid synthase genes, cholesterol 7α‐hydroxylase (Cyp7a1) and sterol 12α‐hydroxylase (Cyp8b1), was strongly upregulated.

Troglitazone inhibits tumor growth in hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo

Jun Yu, Liang Qiao, Lars Zimmermann, Matthias P. A. Ebert, Hongxia Zhang, Wendy Lin, Christoph Röcken, Peter Malfertheiner, Geoffrey C. Farrell – 22 December 2005 – Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) has been implicated in the differentiation and growth inhibition of cancer cells. We examined the effects of PPARγ activation by troglitazone on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell growth, proliferation, and apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. We also studied relationships between PPARγ activation and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) expression.

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