Cholestasis shuts down calcium signaling in cholangiocytes

Juliette Martin, Jean‐François Dufour – 5 January 2004 – Background & Aims: Cholestasis is one of the principal manifestations of liver disease and often results from disorders involving bile duct epithelia rather than hepatocytes. A range of disorders affects biliary epithelia, and no unifying pathophysiologic event in these cells has been identified as the cause of cholestasis.

Role of thromboxane derived from COX‐1 and ‐2 in hepatic microcirculatory dysfunction during endotoxemia in mice

Hiroyuki Katagiri, Yoshiya Ito, Ken‐ichiro Ishii, Izumi Hayashi, Makoto Suematsu, Shohei Yamashina, Takahiko Murata, Shuh Narumiya, Akira Kakita, Masataka Majima – 5 January 2004 – Although thromboxanes (TXs), whose synthesis is regulated by cyclooxygenase (COX), have been suggested to promote inflammation in the liver, little is known about the role of TXA2 in leukocyte endothelial interaction during endotoxemia.

Better efficacy of a 12‐month interferon alfa‐2b retreatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C relapsing after a 6‐month treatment: A multicenter, controlled, randomized trial

Jean‐Louis Payen, Jacques Izopet, Virginie Galindo‐Migeot, Valérie Lauwers‐Cances, Jean‐Pierre Zarski, Jean‐Marie Seigneurin, Elizabeth Dussaix, Jean‐Jacques Voigt, Janick Selves, Karl Barange, Jacqueline Puel, Jean‐Pierre Pascal, Le Groupe D'étude et De Traitement du Virus De L'hépatite C (Get.vhc) – 30 December 2003 – We studied the efficacy of three interferon alfa‐2b (IFN‐α2b) regimens for the retreatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with prior complete response followed by relapse.

Endotoxin suppresses the oltipraz‐mediated induction of major hepatic glutathione transferases and cytochromes P450 in the rat

Karine Mahéo, Fabrice Morel, Jocelyne Antras‐Ferry, Sophie Langouët, Fabienne Desmots, Laurent Corcos, André Guillouzo – 30 December 2003 – The effect of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a classic inducer of the acute‐phase response, has been analyzed on both constitutive and oltipraz (a chemoprotective agent)‐inducible messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and enzyme activities of major cytochromes P450 (CYPs) and glutathione transferases (rGSTs) in rat liver.

The modified dipeptide, enalapril, an angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor, is transported by the rat liver organic anion transport protein

K. Sandy Pang, Pi Jun Wang, Alfred Y. Chung, Allan W. Wolkoff – 30 December 2003 – Oatp1, the organic anion transport polypeptide, is an integral membrane protein cloned from rat liver that mediates the uptake of various organic anions such as bromosulfophthalein (BSP) and taurocholate (TCA). Recent studies by others revealed that the thrombin inhibitor, CRC 220, a modified dipeptide, was transported by oatp1. The present study was designed to examine whether another modified peptide, enalapril, an angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor, was also a substrate.

Expression and regulation of leukotriene‐synthesis enzymes in rat liver cells

Kazuo Shimada, Javier Navarro, Douglas E. Goeger, Shamimunisa B. Mustafa, Paul H. Weigel, Steven A. Weinman – 30 December 2003 – The liver plays a major role in metabolism and elimination of leukotrienes (LT). It produces cysteinyl leukotrienes (cLT), and cLT have been implicated in hepatocellular toxicity in several models of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐associated liver injury.

Splenorenal shunt blood flow by transit‐time ultrasound as an index of collateral circulation in portal hypertensive rats

Paul Calès, Frédéric Oberti, Nary Veal, Joël Fort, Mehdi Kaassis, Frédéric Moal, Christophe Aubé, Eric Vuillenin, Christophe Pilette, Hervé Rifflet, Renaud Trouvé – 30 December 2003 – The aim of this study was to develop a technique that could serve as an index of portosystemic shunt (PSS) blood flow in portal hypertensive rats whose main shunt is the splenorenal shunt (SRS). The main hemodynamic measurements performed were: SRS blood flow by the transit‐time ultrasound (TTU) method, percentage of PSS, and regional blood flows by the microsphere method.

Ischemia/reperfusion injury in the liver of BALB/c mice activates AP‐1 and nuclear factor κB independently of IκB degradation

Ralf M. Zwacka, Yulong Zhang, Weihong Zhou, Jeff Halldorson, John F. Engelhardt – 30 December 2003 – For many inherited and acquired hepatic diseases, liver transplantation is the only possible therapeutic strategy. Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) damage to donor tissue is thought to be one component that may play a role in the decline of posttransplant tissue function and ultimately rejection. The transcription factors, AP‐1 and nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB), play important roles in the acute cellular responses to tissue damage, as well as the inflammatory phase following I/R.

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