[STOP-BANG, a useful and easy tool for the screening of obstructive sleep apnea].

The STO-BANG questionnaire, S standing for snore, T tired, O observed apneas, P pressure (arterial hypertension), B BMI (body mass index > 35 kg/ m2), A age (> 50 years old), N neck circumference (> 40 cm), G gender (male); is a simple tool that enables the detection of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA). If the patient adds 3 or more points, it is considered to have a high probability of having this disease. Our goal was to evaluate the capacity of the STOP-BANG questionnaire and to compare it with the ability of a sleep trained pulmonologist in determining the probability of OSA.

Bile acids content in brain of common duct ligated rats.

Introduction: Cholestasis leads to liver cell death, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and eventually liver failure. Bile duct ligated rats constitute an interesting model to study the mechanism of cholestasis, and its action on several organs and tissues, including the brain.

Aim: To analyze brain bile acids individually in ligated rats to evaluate if its profile is altered towards a more toxic condition in cholestasis.

Glutamine synthetase activity and glutamate uptake in hippocampus and frontal cortex in portal hypertensive rats.

Aim: To study glutamine synthetase (GS) activity and glutamate uptake in the hippocampus and frontal cortex (FC) from rats with prehepatic portal vein hypertension.

Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into sham-operated group and a portal hypertension (PH) group with a regulated stricture of the portal vein. Animals were sacrificed by decapitation 14 d after portal vein stricture.

Hepatic encephalopathy, ammonia, glutamate, glutamine and oxidative stress.

This review addresses recent and not so recent works that emphasize on the mechanisms by which liver damage can induce encephalopathy. Hepatic encephalopathy constitutes an intriguing complication in severe liver acute and chronic disease, whose pathophysiology is still not completely understood. In this pathology, alterations in normal brain function are associated with morphological and functional impairments of astrocytes and neurons.

Involvement of serum apolipoprotein AI and B100 and lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase in alcoholic cirrhotics.

Lipoproteins are synthesized by the liver and secreted to plasma. Chronic alcoholic intoxication produces frequently cirrhosis and concomitantly alterations in liver metabolism. Thirty patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and 83 healthy controls were selected for this study.

Effects of six months losartan administration on liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C patients: a pilot study.

Aim: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of chronic administration of losartan on hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Methods: Fourteen patients with chronic hepatitis C non-responders (n = 10), with contraindications (n = 2) or lack of compliance (n = 2) to interferon plus ribavirin therapy and liver fibrosis were enrolled. Liver and renal function test, clinical evaluation, and liver biopsies were performed at baseline and after losartan administration at a dose of 50 mg/d during the 6 mo.