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Article
Open AccessOral intake of xanthohumol attenuates lipoteichoic acid-induced inflammatory response in human PBMCs
The aim of the study was to determine if xanthohumol, a prenylated chalcone found in Hop (Humulus lupulus), has anti-inflammatory effects in healthy humans if applied in low doses achievable through dietary intak...
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Article
Open AccessFibroblast Growth Factor 9 is expressed by activated hepatic stellate cells and promotes progression of hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is closely associated with liver fibrosis. Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and cancer-associated myofibroblasts are key players in liver fibrogenesis and hepatocarcinogenesis. Overe...
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Article
BMP6-induced modulation of the tumor micro-milieu
Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer with rising incidence, creating a significant health problem. We discovered increased expression of bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6) in melanoma cells and tissu...
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Article
Confounding influence of tamoxifen in mouse models of Cre recombinase-induced gene activity or modulation
Tamoxifen (TAM) is commonly used for cell type specific Cre recombinase-induced gene inactivation and in cell fate tracing studies. Inducing a gene knockout by TAM and using non-TAM exposed mice as controls le...
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Article
Open AccessThe potential of silymarin for the treatment of hepatic disorders
Silymarin has long been used as a hepatoprotective remedy. Chronic toxicity studies in rodents have confirmed that silymarin has a very low toxicity. These data support its history as a safe medication in hepa...
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Article
Role of Fibroblast Growth Factors and Their Receptors in Liver Fibrosis and Repair
Fibrosis is a highly conserved and coordinated protective response to tissue injury. Also liver fibrosis is a wound healing process in response to chronic liver injury. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and the...
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Article
A genome-wide association study confirms PNPLA3 and identifies TM6SF2 and MBOAT7 as risk loci for alcohol-related cirrhosis
Felix Stickel and colleagues report the results of a genome-wide association study of alcohol-related cirrhosis. They confirm PNPLA3 as a susceptibility locus and identify new association signals in MBOAT7 and TM...
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Article
Open AccessHepatoprotective effect of oral application of a silymarin extract in carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats
Silymarin derived from the milk thistle plant “Silybum marianum” is composed of four major flavonolignans. Clinical as well as experimental studies indicate hepatoprotective effects of silymarin. However, the ...
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Article
Effect of acute beer ingestion on the liver: studies in female mice
The aim of the present study was to assess whether the effects of acute consumption of stout or pilsner beer on the liver differ from those of plain ethanol in a mouse model.
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Article
Immunologic and metabolic characteristics of HPV-negative and HPV-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinomas are strikingly different
An HPV infection is involved in the etiology of about 25 % of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). It has been postulated that a strong antitumoral immune response in HPV-positive tumors represents ...
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Article
Open AccessRecent advances in 2D and 3D in vitro systems using primary hepatocytes, alternative hepatocyte sources and non-parenchymal liver cells and their use in investigating mechanisms of hepatotoxicity, cell signaling and ADME
This review encompasses the most important advances in liver functions and hepatotoxicity and analyzes which mechanisms can be studied in vitro. In a complex architecture of nested, zonated lobules, the liver ...
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Article
Hepatic stellate cells—the pericytes in the liver
Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are pericytes of liver in the space between parenchymal cells and sinusoidal endothelial cells of the hepatic lobule. HSCs comprise specialized functions such as vitamin A storage...
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Article
Open AccessDNA methylation is associated with downregulation of the organic cation transporter OCT1 (SLC22A1) in human hepatocellular carcinoma
Organic cation transporters (OCTs) determine not only physiological processes but are also involved in the cellular uptake of anticancer agents. Based on microarray analyses in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), SLC...
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Article
Clinical significance of histone deacetylases 1, 2, 3, and 7: HDAC2 is an independent predictor of survival in HCC
Histone deacetylases (HDAC) are responsible for the transcriptional control of genes through chromatin remodeling and control tumor suppressor genes. In several tumors, their expression has been linked to clin...
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Article
Discrimination of steatosis and NASH in mice using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common cause of hepatic dysfunction. The disease spectrum ranges from hepatic steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The aim of this study was to identi...
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Article
Open AccessActivating transcription factor-3 (ATF3) functions as a tumor suppressor in colon cancer and is up-regulated upon heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibition
Activating transcription factor-3 (ATF3) is involved in the complex process of cellular stress response. However, its exact role in cancer is discussed controversially because both tumor suppressive and oncoge...
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Article
Lipid accumulation in hepatocytes induces fibrogenic activation of hepatic stellate cells
Despite the initial belief that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a benign disorder, it is now recognized that fibrosis progression occurs in a significant number of patients. Furthermore, hepatic steatosis...
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Article
Open AccessENMD-1198, a novel tubulin-binding agent reduces HIF-1alpha and STAT3 activity in human hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) cells, and inhibits growth and vascularization in vivo
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a highly vascularized tumor entity and the process of angiogenesis is essential for the growth of HCC. Importantly, the pro-angiogenic transcription factors HIF-1α and...
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Article
Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 is Elevated in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease and Exerts Fibrogenic Effects on Human Hepatic Stellate Cells
Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the main extracellular matrix (ECM)-producing cells in liver fibrogenesis. The excessive synthesis of ECM proteins deteriorates hepatic architecture and results in liver fibro...
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Article
Complement factor 5 is a quantitative trait gene that modifies liver fibrogenesis in mice and humans
Fibrogenesis or scarring of the liver is a common consequence of all chronic liver diseases. Here we refine a quantitative trait locus that confers susceptibility to hepatic fibrosis by in silico map** and show...
