Can a vitamin prevent hepatocellular carcinoma?
Alan P. Venook – 30 December 2003
Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mediates the cyclic adenosine monophosphate‐induced fluid secretion but not the inhibition of resorption in mouse gallbladder epithelium
R H Peters, J H van Doorninck, P J French, R Ratcliff, M J Evans, W H Colledge, J Bijman, B J Scholte – 30 December 2003 – We have studied the physiological role of the cystic fibrosis (CF) gene product (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator [CFTR]) in gallbladder epithelium using a knockout mouse model for CF. We found that normal mouse gallbladder epithelium expresses functional CFTR as shown by reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis and Ussing chamber experiments.
Improvement in cholestasis‐associated fatigue with a serotonin receptor agonist using a novel rat model of fatigue assessment
M G Swain, M Maric – 30 December 2003 – Fatigue is a common complaint in patients with liver disease; however, the etiology of fatigue is poorly understood and no therapeutic options are available to treat it. Altered central neurotransmission, especially serotonergic, appears to play a role in the genesis of fatigue. In this study, we describe a rat model of fatigue assessment using a swim tank, and we used this model to document the degree of fatigue in rat models of cholestasis caused by bile duct resection (BDR) and of hepatitis caused by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) administration.
Risk factors for hemorrhage from gastric fundal varices
T Kim, H Shijo, H Kokawa, H Tokumitsu, K Kubara, K Ota, N Akiyoshi, T Iida, M Yokoyama, M Okumura – 30 December 2003 – The incidence and the risk factors of hemorrhage from gastric fundal varices (FV) have not been fully evaluated. We therefore conducted a retrospective and prospective study to define the incidence and risk factors for such episodes. We investigated 132 patients with cirrhosis and gastric FV. Of these 132 patients, 15 patients had hemorrhagic FV at the time of enrollment.
The anti‐inflammatory drug sodium salicylate inhibits nitric oxide formation induced by interleukin‐1β at a translational step, but not at a transcriptional step, in hepatocytes
K Sakitani, H Kitade, K Inoue, Y Kamiyama, M Nishizawa, T Okumura, S Ito – 30 December 2003 – Recent evidence suggests that nitric oxide (NO) mediates cellular injury under the pathological conditions such as endotoxemia in the liver of rats. Regulation of NO production is crucial for improving the hepatic dysfunction. We have previously reported that, in cultured rat hepatocytes, a single cytokine interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) stimulated a release of nitrite, an oxidation product of NO, into culture medium dose‐ and time‐dependently.
Hepatic drug delivery and gene therapy
M A Zern, T F Kresina – 30 December 2003 – On September 21‐22, 1995, an international meeting entitled “Targeting of Novel Therapeutics to the Liver and GI Tract” was held at the Natcher Conference Center on the campus of the National Institutes of Health. The conference was sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases through the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition and Digestive Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee (DDICC).
Redistribution of canalicular cell membrane enzyme in hepatocytes following their isolation and during early cell culture
R Gratzl, R Lassacher, A Majcen, J Graf – 30 December 2003
Liver cell proliferation induced by nafenopin and cyproterone acetate is not associated with increases in activation of transcription factors NF‐κB and AP‐1 or with expression of tumor necrosis factor α
M Menegazzi, A Carcereri‐De Prati, H Suzuki, H Shinozuka, M Pibiri, R Piga, A Columbano, G M Ledda‐Columbano – 30 December 2003 – Our previous studies have shown a different pattern of immediate early gene and growth factor gene expression between compensatory liver regeneration occurring after cell loss/death and direct hyperplasia induced by primary mitogens.
Expression of hepatocyte growth factor and its receptor, the c‐met proto‐oncogene, in hepatocellular carcinoma
T Ueki, J Fujimoto, T Suzuki, H Yamamoto, E Okamoto – 30 December 2003 – The c‐met proto‐oncogene encodes the tyrosine kinase receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a potent mitogen and motogen for epithelial cells. Because of its profound effects on cell growth and motility, HGF may be important in the development of cancer metastases in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Selective loss of binding sites for the glutamate receptor ligands [3H]kainate and (S)‐[3H]5‐fluorowillardiine in the brains of rats with acute liver failure
A Michalak, R F Butterworth – 30 December 2003 – There is increasing evidence that alterations of glutamatergic function are implicated in the pathogenesis of central nervous system consequences of acute liver failure.