Resolution of Liver Function Tests After Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration Versus Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) with laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) is gaining traction for the management of choledocholithiasis. Liver function tests (LFTs) are often used to determine the success of ductal clearance, yet the impact of differing therapeutic interventions, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or LCBDE, have on postprocedure LFT is insufficiently described. We hypothesize that these interventions have different postoperative LFT profiles.

Characterization of human pregnane X receptor activators identified from a screening of the Tox21 compound library.

The pregnane X receptor (PXR; NR1I2) is an important nuclear receptor whose main function is to regulate enzymes within drug metabolism. The main drug metabolizing enzyme regulated by PXR, cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4, accounts for the metabolism of nearly 50% of all marketed drugs. Recently, PXR has also been identified as playing a role in energy homeostasis, immune response, and cancer.

Quantitative Proteomic Profiling of Mitochondrial Toxicants in a Human Cardiomyocyte Cell Line.

Mitochondria are essential cellular organelles that participate in important cellular processes, including bioenergetics, metabolism, and signaling. Recent functional and proteomic studies have revealed the remarkable complexity of mitochondrial protein organization. Mitochondrial protein machineries with diverse functions such as protein translocation, respiration, metabolite transport, protein quality control and the control of membrane architecture interact with each other in dynamic networks.