Rearing mice at 22°C programs increased capacity to respond to chronic exposure to cold but not high fat diet.

Objective: Rodent models raised at environmental temperatures of 21-22 °C are increasingly switched to thermoneutral housing conditions in adulthood to better capture human physiology. We quantified the developmental effects of rearing mice at an ambient temperature of 22 °C vs. 30 °C on metabolic responses to cold and high fat diet (HFD) in adulthood.

Videolaparoscopic microwave ablation in patients with HCC at a European high-volume center: Results of 815 procedures.

Background: Videolaparoscopic (VL) microwave ablation (MWA) is not included in most of the international guidelines as a therapeutic option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Aim of this study was to assess the safety of VL MWA in patients with HCC for whom resection or percutaneous ablation is unsuitable.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on a prospective database of patients with HCC treated with VL MWA at our institution from 2009 to 2016.

The Tagging Procedure of Visible Implant Elastomers Influences Zebrafish Individual and Social Behavior.

One commonly used method to preserve individual identity in the study of social behavior of zebrafish is through silicone-based visible implant elastomers (VIEs), which represent a safe and durable tagging procedure. While the effects of VIE tagging on welfare and general health have been addressed in detail, whether this procedure influences social behavior remains unclear. In this study, we compared individual and group behaviors exhibited by shoals composed of three individuals: two nontagged and one (focal subject) that was either nontagged (control condition) or sham-, purple-, blue-, or yellow tagged.

Social environment modulates anxiogenic effects of caffeine in zebrafish.

Zebrafish has recently become a species of choice in a number of preclinical studies to examine whether and how psychoactive compounds modulate individual and social behaviors. Here, we sought to contribute an improved understanding of the effects of caffeine, a well-known anxiogenic compound, on the swimming activity and the collective response of zebrafish. To investigate how the social environment influences individual response to acute caffeine treatment, we measured the behavior of a caffeine-treated subject swimming in isolation or in the presence of a group of untreated conspecifics.

Information theory and robotics meet to study predator-prey interactions.

Transfer entropy holds promise to advance our understanding of animal behavior, by affording the identification of causal relationships that underlie animal interactions. A critical step toward the reliable implementation of this powerful information-theoretic concept entails the design of experiments in which causal relationships could be systematically controlled. Here, we put forward a robotics-based experimental approach to test the validity of transfer entropy in the study of predator-prey interactions.

Three-dimensional scoring of zebrafish behavior unveils biological phenomena hidden by two-dimensional analyses.

The study of zebrafish behavior represents a cornerstone upon which basic researchers promise to advance knowledge in life sciences. Although zebrafish swim in a three-dimensional (3D) space, their behavior in the lab is almost exclusively scored in two dimensions, whereby zebrafish are recorded using a single camera providing 2D videos. Whether this dimensional reduction preserves the reliability of data has not been addressed.

Zebrafish response to a robotic replica in three dimensions.

As zebrafish emerge as a species of choice for the investigation of biological processes, a number of experimental protocols are being developed to study their social behaviour. While live stimuli may elicit varying response in focal subjects owing to idiosyncrasies, tiredness and circadian rhythms, video stimuli suffer from the absence of physical input and rely only on two-dimensional projections. Robotics has been recently proposed as an alternative approach to generate physical, customizable, effective and consistent stimuli for behavioural phenotyping.

The role of adipose stem cells in inflammatory bowel disease: From biology to novel therapeutic strategies.

Inflammatory bowel diseases are an increasing phenomenon in western countries and in growing populations. The physiopathology of these conditions is linked to intestinal stem cells homeostasis and regenerative potential in a chronic inflammatory microenvironment. Patients with IBD present an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC), or colitis associated cancer (CAC).

Laparoscopic microwave thermal ablation for late recurrence of local hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplant: case report.

Liver transplant is the preferred treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis, as both neoplastic and cirrhotic liver tissue can be removed. Treatment of recurring neoplasms is a difficult issue, especially in long-term survivors of liver transplant. No consensus has been reached on the treatment of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.

Laparoscopic microwave ablation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: There are no prospective studies of laparoscopic microwave (MW) ablation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic MW ablation.

Methods: A prospective study group of consecutive HCC patients considered ineligible for liver resection and/or percutaneous ablation was conducted from December 2009 to December 2010.

Gender differences in the quality of life of patients with liver cirrhosis related to hepatitis C after liver transplantation.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection frequently leads to chronic liver disease, which adversely affects the quality of life (QoL) of the patient. The gender of the patient may be an important variable in the way severity of the disease is perceived. The aim of our study is to evaluate the effect of the gender variable on QoL in HCV-positive patients.

Laparoscopic ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients unsuitable for liver resection or percutaneous treatment: a cohort study.

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic ablation for cirrhotic HCC patients. Between January 2004 and December 2009, laparoscopic ablation was applied prospectively in 169 consecutive HCC patients (median age 62 years, 43% hepatitis C positive) considered ineligible for liver resection and/or percutaneous ablation. There was clinically relevant portal hypertension in 72% of cases.

Use of N-acetylcysteine during liver procurement: a prospective randomized controlled study.

Antioxidant agents have the potential to reduce ischemia/reperfusion damage to organs for liver transplantation (LT). In this prospective, randomized study, we tested the impact of an infusion of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) during liver procurement on post-LT outcomes. Between December 2006 and July 2009, 140 grafts were transplanted into adult candidates with chronic liver disease who were listed for first LT, and according to a sequential, closed-envelope, single-blinded procedure, these patients were randomly assigned in a 1/1 ratio to an NAC protocol (69 patients) or to the standard protocol without NAC [71 patients (the control group)].

Hepatitis C virus infection and health-related quality of life.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) hepatitis and other diseases related to HCV, such as cryoglobulinemia, lymphoma and renal failure, impair health-related quality of life (HRQoL). In addition, HCV per se might directly influence HRQoL via colonization of microglia in the brain or, indirectly, via the effect of systemic inflammatory cytokines which, in turn, can trigger brain interleukin production. The treatment of HCV-related disorders with interferon (IFN) has an effect on HRQoL.

Hepatitis C virus adversely affects quality of life.

Background: Chronic liver disease secondary to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a common clinical problem. HCV is likely to adversely affect the quality of life (QoL) of the patient. This effect is said to be disproportionate to the severity of the disease.

Machine perfusion at 20°C reduces preservation damage to livers from non-heart beating donors.

We previously reported that machine perfusion (MP) performed at 20°C enhanced the preservation of steatotic rat livers. Here, we tested whether rat livers retrieved 30 min after cardiac arrest (NHBDs) were better protected by MP at 20°C than with cold storage. We compared the recovery of livers from NHBDs with organs obtained from heart beating donors (HBDs) preserved by cold storage.

Human liver autofluorescence: an intrinsic tissue parameter discriminating normal and diseased conditions.

Background And Objective: Autofluorescence (AF) emission is an intrinsic parameter that can provide real-time information on morpho-functional properties of biological tissue, being strictly related with their biochemical composition and structural organization. The diagnostic potentials of AF-based techniques have been investigated on normal, fibrotic, and steatotic liver tissues, in reference to histological features as evidenced by specific histochemical stainings.

Materials And Methods: AF emission under excitation at 366 nm has been examined on cryostatic tissue sections obtained from biopsies collected during surgical operation, by means of fluorescence imaging and microspectrofluorometric techniques.

Response to therapy as a criterion for awarding priority to patients with hepatocellular carcinoma awaiting liver transplantation.

Background: How to prioritize patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for liver transplantation (LT) remains controversial. This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of a policy for prioritizing HCC patients according to their response to pre-LT therapy.

Methods: The study period was from 2000 to 2008.

Different susceptibility of liver grafts from lean and obese Zucker rats to preservation injury.

We compared the susceptibility of liver grafts from lean and obese Zucker rats to preservation injury, using two organ-preservation techniques: conventional static preservation (SP) and machine perfusion (MP) preservation. SP: livers preserved by UW solution at 4, 8 or 20 degrees C for 6-h. MP: livers perfused for 6-h with an improved oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit solution (KH) at 4, 8 or 20 degrees C.

Further studies on long-term preservation of rat liver: Celsior versus UW solution.

The effects of Celsior solution were compared with those of the University of Wisconsin solution (UW) after 18 or 48 hours of cold storage in a perfused rat liver model. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), hyaluronic acid (HA) uptake, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), tissue reduced (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and ATP were evaluated. Histochemical in situ evaluation ofLDH and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were also performed.

Subnormothermic machine perfusion protects steatotic livers against preservation injury: a potential for donor pool increase?

We tested whether rat liver preservation performed by machine perfusion (MP) at 20 degrees C can enhance the functional integrity of steatotic livers versus simple cold storage. We also compared MP at 20 degrees C with hypothermic MP at 8 degrees C, and 4 degrees C. Obese and lean male Zucker rats were used as liver donors.

Influence of steroids on HCV recurrence after liver transplantation: A prospective study.

Background/aims: To assess the effect of long-term maintenance of steroids on HCV recurrence after liver transplantation (LT), that is still controversial, a prospective multicentre trial was conducted at the centres of Bologna and Padua, Italy.

Methods: From September 2002, 47 eligible HCV positive LT recipients were randomized to receive 2 different steroid schedules in association with tacrolimus: group A: rapid tapering and withdrawal 91 days after LT group B: slow tapering and withdrawal 25 months after LT. Thirty-nine patients were assessable: 23 in group A and 16 in group B.

A randomized study comparing ligation with propranolol for primary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding in candidates for liver transplantation.

Whether beta-blockers (BB) or banding is the best therapy for primary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding is subject to debate. A randomized comparison between the 2 treatments was performed in candidates for liver transplantation (LT). A total of 62 patients with Child-Turcotte-Pugh B-C cirrhosis and high risk varices received propranolol (31) or variceal banding (31).

Partial hepatectomy as first-line treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Partial hepatectomy (PH) and liver transplantation (LT) compete as first-line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A prospectively collected database was retrospectively reviewed to establish when PH can compete with LT.

Methods: Between 1991 and 2002, PH was performed in 131 cases of HCC (Child-Pugh A-B, technically resectable tumor without metastases).

Prospective validation of the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system.

Background/aims: The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification offers a prognostic stratification of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We recently demonstrated the BCLC's peculiar prognostic ability in a retrospective cohort of HCC patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the BCLC system prospectively in a subsequent separate group of HCC patients enrolled at the same surgically oriented liver unit.