RPS6KB1 (ribosomal protein S6 kinase, 70 kDa, polypeptide 1) plays a key role in regulating protein translation. The role of RPS6KB1 in HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma) has not been fully investigated. This study was undertaken to determine the clinicopathological features and prognostic value of RPS6KB1 in HCC. We examined RPS6KB1 expression in ...

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in human cancers. It has been reported that lncRNA highly up-regulated in liver cancer (HULC) is dramatically up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) contributes importantly to the development of HCC. However, the function of HULC in HCC mediated ...

There is an urgent need to develop reliable biomarkers of environmental hypoxia exposure in marine organisms in order to assess the ecological impacts of the marked increase in coastal hypoxia worldwide. Full-length hypoxia-inducible factor HIF-1α and HIF-2α cDNAs were cloned and characterized from dragonet Callionymus valenciennei, a representative epibenthic teleost ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: miR-182 is one of the most significantly up-regulated miRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Metastasis suppressor 1 (MTSS1), one target gene of miR-182, plays an important role in the metastasis of cancers. However, it remains unclear that the exact function and mechanism of miR-182 and MTSS1 in HCC. METHODS: ...

Multifunctional redox protein human thioredoxin (TRX-1) is reduced by thioredoxin reductase (TRX-R). The aim of the present study was to examine the distribution of TRX-1 and TRX-R expressions in gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) to clarify their usefulness as prognostic factors after surgical resection. Immunohistochemical staining for TRX-1 and TRX-R was performed ...

Cytosolic sulfotransferase 2B1b (SULT2B1b) catalyzes the sulfation of 3β-hydroxysteroids and functions as a selective cholesterol and oxysterol sulfotransferase. Activation of liver X receptors (LXRs) by oxysterols has been known to be an antiproliferative factor. Overexpression of SULT2B1b impairs LXR's response to oxysterols, by which it regulates lipid metabolism. The aim ...

Inhibitors of protein deacetylases represent a novel therapeutic option for cancer diseases due to their effects on transcriptional regulation by interfering with histones acetylation and on several other cellular pathways. Recently, their ability to modulate several transcription factors and, interestingly, also co-factors, which actively participate in formation and modulation of ...

To investigated whether sall3 transcription was regulated by promoter CpG island hypermethylation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The cell lines Huh7, HepG2, SK-HEP1, SMMC7721, Bel7402, QGY7703 and a cohort of 38 HCC tissue specimens and corresponding nontumorous tissues were subjected to analysis for sall3 promoter CpG island methylation and mRNA transcription. ...

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of curcumin on the liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in rats, and to elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms. Rats were administered with CCl4 together with or without curcumin for 6 weeks. Hepatic damage was evaluated by analysis of ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of sex steroids on hepatic inflammatory pathways in short-term chronically ethanol-fed rats. METHODS: Ovariectomized female Wistar rats (8-12 weeks old, n = 8 per treatment group) were implanted with osmotic pumps releasing 17β-estradiol (20 μg/24 h) or testosterone (25 μg/24 h) and fed liquid diets with or without ethanol (8 % w/v) for ...

The aims of this study were to assess the utility of the PXB mouse model of a chimeric human/mouse liver in studying human-specific effects of an important human hepatotoxic drug, the PPARγ agonist, troglitazone. When given orally by gavage for 7 days, at dose levels of 300 and 600 ppm, ...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen has been used as a health product and natural remedy in traditional medicine for cardiovascular diseases for more than 1000 years in Asia, including China, Japan, and Korea. Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) are the major effective ingredients extracted from Panax notoginseng. AIM OF ...

Zearalenone (ZEA) is a mycotoxin of worldwide occurrence, and it has been shown to produce numerous adverse effects in both laboratory and domestic animals. However, regardless of recent achievements, the molecular mechanisms underlying ZEA toxicity remain elusive, and little is known about transcriptome changes of fish cells in response to ...

The molecular mechanisms regulating the physiological adaptation of tissues important for nutrient partitioning and metabolism in lactating cows are still not completely understood. The aim of our study was to identify tissue-specific regulatory mechanisms necessary to accommodate metabolic changes associated with different genetic potential for milk performance. For this purpose, ...

Considerable effort has been made in elucidating the mechanism and functional significance of high levels of aerobic glycolysis in cancer cells, commonly referred to as the Warburg effect. Here we investigated whether the gluconeogenic pathway is significantly modulated in hepatocarcinogenesis, resulting in altered levels of glucose homeostasis. To test this ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Liver fibrosis is characterized by accumulation of extracellular matrix. Our previous study found that osteopontin (OPN) increased in plasma of cirrhotic patients and indicative of cirrhosis staging. The present study was designed to investigate the expression of OPN in liver tissues and plasma of cirrhotic patients and ...

Loss-of function mutations in the transmembrane inner ear expressed (Tmie/TMIE) gene have been shown to cause deafness in mice and humans (DFNB6). Previous studies report that the circling mouse can be an animal model for DFNB6. However, the expression pattern of Tmie protein in postnatal developmental stages has not been ...

Hepatic gluconeogenesis is required for maintaining blood glucose homeostasis; yet, in diabetes mellitus, this process is unrestrained and is a major contributor to fasting hyperglycemia. To date, the impacts of chromatin modifying enzymes and chromatin landscape on gluconeogenesis are poorly understood. Through catalyzing the removal of methyl groups from specific ...

  To determine the function of Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 2 (Smurf2) on the development of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.   In vivo Smurf2 expression in fibrotic and cirrhotic rat and human liver tissues were measured using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot (WB) and immunohistochemistry. In vitro Smurf2 levels ...

The UDP glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A gene cluster encodes nine UGT1A family members via splicing of individual first exons to common exons 2 through 5. Each of these nine UGT1As can also undergo alternative splicing at their 3' ends by using an alternate exon 5, resulting in 27 different UGT1A mRNA ...

Resveratrol (RSV) is a natural polyphenol that has beneficial effects across species and various disease models. Here, we investigate whether RSV is effective against hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using HBV X protein (HBx) transgenic mice. We found that RSV (30 mg/kg/day) has a therapeutic effect on HBx-induced ...

To assess whether glucosensing capacity in peripheral (liver and Brockmann bodies) and central (hypothalamus and hindbrain) locations of rainbow trout displays day-night variations in its response to changes in circulating glucose levels, we evaluated the response of parameters related to glucosensing (glucose, glycogen and glucose 6-phosphate levels, activities of GK, ...

The parr-smolt transformation in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is a complex developmental process that culminates in the ability to migrate to and live in seawater. Exposure to environmental contaminants like nonylphenol can disrupt smolt development and may be a contributing factor in salmon population declines. We used GRASP 16K cDNA ...

In humans and rodents, paraoxonase (PON/Pon) 1 expression and activity in livers and serum are higher in females than in males, and some drugs increase paraoxonase's expression. However, the underlining mechanisms of gender-divergent expression and chemical regulation of Pon1 remain largely unknown. The present study determined the regulatory mechanisms contributing ...

Dicer and Drosha are two key enzymes that are involved in the processing of miRNA production. Their expressions in gallbladder cancer have not been investigated. In this study, we studied Dicer and Drosha expression in 21 non-dysplastic gallbladder epithelia and 108 gallbladder adenocarcinomas by immunohistochemical staining. The clinicopathological significance of ...

Kupffer cells (KCs) have been demonstrated to play a role in the regulation of intra-hepatic lipid metabolism through the synthesis and secretion of biologically active products. The involvement of KCs in the disturbance of lipid metabolism that induced by perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), a known agonist of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ...

Background/Aims: Somatostatin analog improves survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma by interacting with its specific receptor 2 and 5. However, expression of somatostatin receptor (SSTR) in operable HCC is still unclear. In this study, we analyzed the expression of SSTR-2 and -5 in HBV-related HCC and compared its clinicopathological ...

To study the expression of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), which is closely correlated with malignant tumors, and its relationship to prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Western blotting was performed to quantify the elF4E protein expression in the normal human liver cell line L02 and the hepatoma cell lines Hep3B, ...

AimsTo assess the expression of Twisted gastrulation (TWSG1) protein, which regulates the activity of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) in the extracellular space in malignant epithelial tumours of the liver.MethodsThirteen hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) samples and 12 intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCA) samples were compiled into diagnosis-specific tissue microarrays. Sections were immunostained with ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS:: Histone deacetylation regulates chromatin remodeling and transcriptional downregulation of specific genomic regions; it is altered in many types of cancer cells. We searched for microRNAs (miRs) that are affected by histone deacetylation and investigated the effects in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. METHODS:: HCC cell lines (HepG2, HLE, ...

Nesfatin-1, an anorexigenic protein, is ubiquitously expressed in the body. However, the exact mechanism underlying the in vivo regulation of production of nesfatin/nucleobindin-2 (NUCB2), a precursor protein of nesfatin-1, is unknown. We investigated the influence of modulation of autonomic nerve activity by a ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) lesion and the subsequent ...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The tumor suppressor p53 is a primary sensor of stressful stimuli, controlling a number of biologic processes. The aim of our study was to examine the roles of p53 in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). METHODS: Male wild-type and p53-deficient mice were fed a methionine- and choline-deficient diet for eight weeks ...

Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 1 (GPAT1) acts as a rate limiting enzyme in triacylglycerol and phospholipid synthesis in mammals. GPAT1 regulates hepatic lipid accumulation associated with metabolic disorders. Here we have identified two transcriptional initiation sites and two promoters (promoter I and II) required for expression of the human GPAT1 (hGPAT1) gene. ...

It has been demonstrated that taurine has various physiological functions in the body. We demonstrated that taurine is abundant in the serum, liver, muscle and testis of the Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica). In the eel testis, taurine is found mainly in spermatogonia and is weakly expressed also in the Sertoli ...

Human fetal liver (HFL) cells express major drug metabolic enzymes CYP3A4, CYP3A5 and CYP3A7. In the fetal hepatocytes, betamethasone and dexamethasone (DEX) markedly enhanced the expression levels of CYP3A4 and CYP3A7 mRNAs and slightly increased expression level of CYP3A5 mRNA. Interestingly, a high correlation between the CYP3A induction ability and ...

Glucuronidation is a major detoxification pathway of drugs and xenobiotics that is catalyzed by the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) superfamily. Determination of the protein levels of the individual UGT isoforms in human tissues is required for the successful extrapolation of in vitro metabolic data to in vivo clearance. Most previous studies evaluating ...

To investigate the diagnostic value of glypican-3 (GPC3) and its relationship with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after liver transplantation. HCC tissue samples (n = 31) obtained from patients who had undergone liver transplantation were analyzed. GPC3 mRNA and protein expression were analyzed by TaqMan real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and ...

Hepatic competence, specification, and liver bud expansion during development depend on precise temporal modulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Also, loss- and gain-of-function studies have revealed pleiotropic roles of β-catenin in proliferation and hepatocyte and biliary epithelial cell differentiation, but precise mechanisms remain unknown. Here we utilize livers from different stages ...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) often exhibits a poor prognosis due to metastatic spread caused by portal vein invasion (PVI). In the present study, we attempted to identify a novel therapeutic target related to PVI of HCC. Based on pooled genomic data, we identified RD RNA binding protein (RDBP), a member of ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) is a master regulator of tumor metastasis that plays an important role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, whether or not FoxM1 contributes to the progression of HBV-associated HCC (HBV-HCC) remains unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the clinicopathologic significance of ...

Acetaminophen (APAP), a major cause of acute liver injury in the western world, is mediated by metabolism and oxidative stress. Recent studies have suggested a role for iron in potentiating APAP-induced liver injury, although its regulatory mechanism is not completely understood. The current study was designed to unravel the iron-regulating ...

Sphingosine kinase (SphK) is involved in numerous biological processes, including cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. However, whether SphK participates in the differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to myofibroblasts has been unknown. In a carbon tetrachloride-treated mouse model, SphK1 was expressed in BMSCs in damaged liver. Furthermore, mRNA ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs expression has been extensively studied in hepatocellular carcinoma but little is known regarding the relationship, if any, with inflammation, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), host's repair mechanisms and cell immortalization. This study aimed at assessing the extent of oxidative DNA damage (8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine - 8-OHdG) in different ...

Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) homeostasis is maintained through highly regulated catabolic activities where the rate-limiting step is catalyzed by branched-chain α-keto dehydrogenase (BCKD). Our previous study has identified a mitochondria-targeted protein phosphatase, PP2Cm, as the BCKD phosphatase and thus serves as a key regulator for BCAA catabolism. In this report, ...

Special AT-rich binding protein-1 (SATB1) reprograms chromatin organization and transcription profiles to promote tumour growth and metastasis. This study aimed to confirm the effects of SATB1 on the growth and metastasis of liver cancer and its specific regulation mechanism. SATB1 expression was evaluated in human hepatoma tissue, adjacent noncancerous tissue ...

In recent years accumulating evidence supports the importance of microRNAs in liver physiology and disease; however few studies have examined the involvement of these non-coding genes in chemical hepatocarcinogenesis. Here we examined the liver microRNA profile of male Fischer rats exposed through their diet to genotoxic (2-acetylaminofluorene) and epigenetic (phenobarbital, ...

Abnormal sugar metabolism is closely related to chronic liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We previously reported that fasting hyperinsulinemia is a poor prognostic factor for HCC patients. A recent large-scale study has shown that long-term administration of branched chain amino acids (BCAA) reduces the risk of HCC development in ...

KIAA0101 overexpression was detected in numerous malignant solid tumors and involved in tumor progression, however, the correlation between KIAA0101 expression level and human hepatocelluler carcinoma (HCC) was controversial. Our data revealed abnormal expression of the KIAA0101 transcript variant 1 (tv1) at both mRNA and protein levels in HCC tissues and ...

Bile salts increase intestinal mucosal proliferation through an increase in c-Myc, a transcription factor that controls the expression of numerous translation regulatory proteins. HuR is an RNA-binding protein that regulates translation of target mRNAs. RNA-binding proteins can control mRNA stability by binding to AU- and U-rich elements located in the ...

BACKGROUND: The mechanism involved in neovascularization in splanchnic circulation and the main trigger that induces angiogenesis in patients with cirrhosis are not fully recognized. AIMS: To explore the involvement of flow sensitive lung Kruppel-like factor (KLF2), microRNA-126 (miR-126), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in modulation of vascular endothelial growth ...