Efficacy of acotiamide on postprandial distress syndrome and epigastric pain syndrome depending on the estimated gastric acid secretion level.

Background/aims: Gastric acid secretion is suspected to be a pivotal contributor to the pathogenesis of functional dyspepsia. The present study investigates the potential association of the gastric acid secretion estimated by measuring serum pepsinogen with therapeutic responsiveness to the prokinetic drug acotiamide.

Methods: Dyspeptic patients consulting participating clinics from October 2017 to March 2019 were prospectively enrolled in the study.

Wire-guided biliary cannulation technique does not reduce the risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis: multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of wire-guided biliary cannulation (WGC) on the prevention of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis (PEP).

Methods: We investigated the impact of the WGC technique on the incidence of PEP by comparing the conventional cannulation (CC) technique in selective bile duct cannulation during ERCP with a cross-over design in a prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial and the potential risk factors for PEP. This involved six tertiary referral centers and three university hospitals.

A case of hepatocellular carcinoma with bleeding gingival metastasis treated by transcatheter arterial embolization.

The patient was a terminally ill 80-year-old man with multiple lung metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma, that had developed following hepatitis-C virus-associated cirrhosis. He was admitted to our hospital with gingival bleeding, and we diagnosed gingival metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma, based on histological examination. The bleeding could not be controlled, and the patient became dyspneic.

Skull metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma with chronic hepatitis B.

A 56-year-old male visited our hospital for evaluation of an occipital mass. Contrast computed tomography showed hypervascular enhancement with osteolytic change in the skull and a huge enhanced mass in the liver. Magnetic resonance imaging showed bone metastasis in the thoracic vertebrae.

Mao (Ephedra sinica Stapf) protects against D-galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide-induced hepatic failure.

Mao is one component of various traditional herbal medicines. We examined the effects of Mao on an acute liver failure model treated with d-galactosamine (GalN) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The lethality of mice administrated Mao with GalN/LPS was significantly decreased compared with that in mice without Mao.

Osler-Weber-Rendu disease with esophageal varices and hepatic nodular change.

A 72-year-old male visited our hospital for further evaluation of esophageal varices. Telangiectasias were present in the stomach. He had recurrent epistaxis, which was also confirmed in his family's medical history.

Gabexate mesilate, a synthetic protease inhibitor, attenuates carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in rats.

Background: Gabexate mesilate, a synthetic protease inhibitor, is used to treat acute pancreatitis and disseminated intravascular coagulation because it inhibits various serine proteases; however, whether gabexate mesilate prevents acute liver failure has not yet been studied. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of gabexate mesilate in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury in rats.

Methods: Acute hepatic failure was induced by administration of CCl4 intragastrically to male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Mechanical stretch induces matrix metalloproteinase 1 production in human hepatic stellate cells.

In increasing portal blood flow, hepatic stellate cells (HSC) may be lengthened in response to mechanical stretch stimulation and their function may be changed. However, little is known about the influence of mechanical stretch on hepatic stellate cells. We examined production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP), and extracellular matrix by hepatic stellate cells to investigate the relationship between mechanical stretch and hepatic fibrosis.

Expression of a 72-kDa heat shock protein, and its cytoprotective function, in gastric mucosa in cirrhotic rats.

Background: Portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) is a clinical entity that is observed frequently in patients with liver cirrhosis. In PHG, gastric mucosa is highly susceptible to mucosal injury caused by noxious agents. Many studies, including ours, have reported that a 72-kDa heat shock protein (HSP72) has a crucial cytoprotective function in gastric mucosa.

Induction of a 72-kDa heat shock protein and protection against lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury in cirrhotic rats.

Background And Aim: A 70-kDa heat shock protein (stress-inducible HSP70, HSP72) has been reported to be a cytoprotectant in a variety of organs. It has been reported that HSP72 protected non-cirrhotic rats against endotoxemia. However, its cytoprotective effect against endotoxemia in cirrhotic rats has not yet been studied.

Epimorphin is involved in differentiation of rat hepatic stem-like cells through cell-cell contact.

Epimorphin, a mesenchymal cell surface-associated molecule, is detected on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in the liver. Here, we show the involvement of epimorphin in differentiation of rat hepatic stem-like cells (HSLCs) through contact with HSCs. HSLCs, isolated from adult rats, cultured in stellate cell-conditioned medium had no phenotypic and morphological changes, whereas HSLCs co-cultured with HSCs expressed albumin, transferrin, and tyrosine aminotransferase.

Clinical significance of SEN-virus on interferon response in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Background And Aim: A novel virus, SEN-virus (SENV), was recently discovered. It has been reported as a candidate for a non-A-E hepatitis virus. However, much is still unknown about the clinical significance of SENV.

The expression of Fas and Fas ligand, and the effects of interferon in chronic liver diseases with hepatitis C virus.

In viral hepatitis, binding of Fas ligand (FasL) with Fas expressed on the surfaces of infected hepatocytes induces apoptosis, removing hepatitis virus along with infected hepatocytes. We measured serum concentrations of soluble Fas (sFas) and FasL (sFasL), expression of membrane-bound FasL, and expression of FasL-mRNA in patients with chronic hepatitis C without cirrhosis (CH-C) and chronic hepatitis C with liver cirrhosis (LC-C). In CH-C, sFasL concentrations were lower and FasL-mRNA expression was significantly less than in volunteers.

Systemic and local evidence of increased Fas-mediated apoptosis in ulcerative colitis.

Background And Aims: Recent studies suggest that Fas-mediated apoptosis is involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study was conducted to clarify whether soluble forms of Fas (sFas) and Fas ligand (sFasL) are concerned with inflammation in IBD.

Methods And Patients: Concentration of serum sFas and sFasL was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 10 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), 10 with Crohn's disease (CD) in both active and remission stages, and 20 controls.