19 April 2005

Verena Keitel, Martin Burdelski, Ulrich Warskulat, Thomas Kühlkamp, Dietrich Keppler, Dieter Häussinger, Ralf Kubitz – 19 April 2005 – Mutations of the bile salt export pump (BSEP) or the multidrug resistance P‐glycoprotein 3 (MDR3) are linked to impaired bile salt homeostasis and lead to progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC)‐2 and ‐3, respectively. The regulation of bile salt transporters in PFIC is not known.

Ramón Bataller, Erwin Gäbele, Christopher J. Parsons, Terry Morris, Liu Yang, Robert Schoonhoven, David A. Brenner, Richard A. Rippe – 19 April 2005 – Recent evidence indicates that the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) plays a major role in liver fibrosis. Here, we investigate whether the circulatory RAS, which is frequently activated in patients with chronic liver disease, contributes to fibrosis progression. To test this hypothesis, we increased circulatory angiotensin II (Ang II) levels in rats undergoing biliary fibrosis.

Rene Rijnbrand, Yan Yang, Lucy Beales, Francis Bodola, Kathryn Goettge, Lisette Cohen, Robert E. Lanford, Stanley M. Lemon, Annette Martin – 19 April 2005 – Only humans and chimpanzees are fully permissive for replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV), an important cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer worldwide. The absence of suitable animal models limits opportunities for in vivo evaluation of candidate hepatitis C therapeutics and slows progress in the field.

P. Del Poggio, C. Jamoletti, M. Zaccanelli – 19 April 2005

Stanley Martin Cohen, Sushama Gundlapalli, Ami R. Shah, Tricia J. Johnson, John A. Rechner, Donald M. Jensen – 19 April 2005 – As a more consultative but less procedurally oriented specialty, Hepatology has been considered a financial liability in some academic centers. However, no actual data exist on the relative contribution of a Hepatology practice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the direct and indirect (i.e., downstream effect) charges generated by a Hepatology section in comparison with a Gastroenterology section.

Sören V. Siegmund, Hiroshi Uchinami, Yosuke Osawa, David A. Brenner, Robert F. Schwabe – 19 April 2005 – The endogenous cannabinoid anandamide (AEA) is a lipid mediator that blocks proliferation and induces apoptosis in many cell types. Although AEA levels are elevated in liver fibrosis, its role in fibrogenesis remains unclear. This study investigated effects of AEA in primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Anandamide blocked HSC proliferation at concentrations of 1 to 10 μmol/L but did not affect HSC proliferation or activation at nanomolar concentrations.

Luigi E. Adinolfi, Diego Ingrosso, Giuseppe Cesaro, Amelia Cimmino, Maria D'Antò, Rosanna Capasso, Vincenzo Zappia, Giuseppe Ruggiero – 19 April 2005 – The factors and mechanisms implicated in the development of hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐related steatosis are unknown. Hyperhomocysteinemia causes steatosis, and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism induces hyperhomocysteinemia. We investigated the role of these factors in the development of HCV‐related steatosis and in the progression of chronic hepatitis C (CHC).

Dan‐Qing Lou, Jeanne‐Claire Lesbordes, Gaël Nicolas, Lydie Viatte, Myriam Bennoun, Nico Van Rooijen, Axel Kahn, Laurent Renia, Sophie Vaulont – 19 April 2005 – Hepcidin, a recently discovered iron regulatory peptide, is believed to inhibit the release of iron from absorptive enterocytes and macrophages. Liver hepcidin synthesis is induced in vivo by iron stores and inflammation. The molecular basis of the regulation of hepcidin gene expression by these effectors in hepatocytes is currently unknown, although there is strong evidence that indirect mechanisms are involved.

Gianfranco Alpini, Shannon Glaser, Leonardo Baiocchi, Heather Francis, Xuefeng Xia, Gene LeSage – 19 April 2005 – The role of the cholangiocyte apical Na+‐dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) in bile formation is unknown. Bile acid absorption by bile ducts results in cholehepatic shunting, a pathway that amplifies the canalicular osmotic effects of bile acids. We tested in isolated cholangiocytes if secretin enhances ASBT translocation to the apical membrane from latent preexisting intracellular stores.