Publications by authors named "Ken-Ichiro Mikami"
Article Synopsis
- Epimorphin, produced by hepatic stellate cells, plays a crucial role in normal organ development, and this study aimed to understand its mechanisms in liver tissue.
- Researchers observed that epimorphin expression increased in liver areas recovering from injury and found that it induced certain proteases, which were necessary for spheroid formation in liver cells.
- The study concluded that epimorphin triggers spheroid formation in hepatocytes by promoting protease production through the NF-kappaB signaling pathway.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the protective effects of zinc L-carnosine on gastric mucosa in rats with portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG), which is linked to increased gastric injuries.
- Researchers induced PHG in rats and evaluated the expression of heat shock protein (hsp) 72 after administering different forms of zinc and L-carnosine.
- Results showed that zinc L-carnosine not only increased hsp72 levels but also significantly prevented acid-induced damage to the gastric mucosa, suggesting its potential benefits for mucosal protection in PHG.
Article Synopsis
- Liver cirrhosis often leads to serious kidney problems, but the exact causes of these issues are not fully understood.
- A study on biliary cirrhotic rats revealed that kidney function worsened after bile duct ligation (BDL), as shown by higher levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine.
- The research found that levels of specific heat shock proteins (HSP72 and HSP25) in the kidneys were lower in cirrhotic rats, suggesting these proteins might play a role in kidney dysfunction linked to liver cirrhosis.
Article Synopsis
- - Epimorphin is a protein produced by hepatic stellate cells that plays a crucial role in liver development and response to liver damage.
- - The study examined how epimorphin expression varies between quiescent and activated stellate cells during liver injury and regeneration using mouse models.
- - It was found that epimorphin is predominantly expressed in quiescent stellate cells and increases during the recovery phases after liver injury, indicating its role in maintaining and repairing liver structure.
Article Synopsis
- Suramin, a compound derived from urea, was studied for its potential effects on inflammatory cytokines in an acute liver injury model induced by d-galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide.
- The study found that mice treated with suramin had significantly lower levels of inflammatory markers (TNF-alpha and IL-6) and improved survival rates, indicating a protective effect against liver damage.
- In laboratory tests, suramin was shown to inhibit the production of TNF-alpha and IL-6 by macrophages, suggesting its mechanism of action involves suppressing NF-kappaB activity, thereby presenting a potential therapeutic avenue for acute liver injury.
Article Synopsis
- - Genipin, a metabolite from the herbal medicine Inchinko-to, shows potential in reducing acute liver injury by affecting inflammatory cytokines.
- - In experiments with mice, those treated with genipin had a significantly higher survival rate and lower liver damage compared to those that did not receive treatment after exposure to GalN/LPS.
- - The study concluded that genipin improves acute liver dysfunction primarily by suppressing TNF-alpha production, while it does not significantly impact other cytokines like IL-6 and IL-1beta.
Article Synopsis
- Epimorphin, a key factor for organ development, plays a crucial role in the repair of liver tissue after injury, as shown in a study involving mice with liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride.
- The research found that epimorphin expression varied significantly over time, with a decrease after 24 hours followed by an increase on day 7, while its presence correlated negatively with the proliferation of hepatocytes.
- In laboratory tests, epimorphin promoted the formation of spherical aggregates in liver cells and helped sustain their functionality, indicating its importance in hepatic tissue repair processes.
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.
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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: 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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground 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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpimorphin is involved in differentiation of rat hepatic stem-like cells through cell-cell contact.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun
November 2003
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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClinical significance of SEN-virus on interferon response in chronic hepatitis C patients.
J Gastroenterol Hepatol
October 2003
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.
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