Multiple etiologies of liver injury can lead to fibrosis, which results from an imbalance between production and resorption of extracellular matrix. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), resident vitamin A storing cells, play a vital role in the response to injury. Upon activation, HSCs orchestrate the responsiveness of the liver to different types of injury, leading to deposition of excessive scar matrix into the interstitium as a wound-healing response. Quantitatively and qualitatively, the altered extracellular matrix (ECM) provides a permissive milieu for the development of cellular dysplasia and ultimately hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). There is a range of underlying mechanisms that contribute to progression of fibrosis to HCC. As the functional complexity of HSC activation and its roles in inflammation, immune responses, angiogenesis, and proliferation are being clarified, new advances in therapeutic options for patients with chronic liver disease are emerging.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.2741/s368 | DOI Listing |
J Am Soc Nephrol
January 2025
Selzman Institute for Kidney Health, Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030.
Background: Arteriovenous (AV) fistulas are the preferred access for dialysis but have a high incidence of failure. This study aims to understand the crosstalk between skeletal muscle catabolism and AV fistula maturation failure.
Methods: Skeletal muscle metabolism and AV fistula maturation were evaluated in mice with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Pulmonology
December 2025
Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Minerva Obstet Gynecol
January 2025
Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Mothers, Children and Adults, Policlinic University Hospital, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Introduction: Relaxin is a hormone primarily produced by the corpus luteum during pregnancy, and it plays a critical role in various physiological processes related to pregnancy and childbirth.
Evidence Acquisition: Studies have suggested a possible link between relaxin levels and preterm birth. Relaxin's effects on the cervix and pelvic ligaments suggest it could influence the mode of delivery.
Glycoconj J
January 2025
Department of Molecular Nutrition, CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru, 570020, India.
Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are essential bone extracellular matrix molecules that regulate osteoblast differentiation. Numerous studies have explored endogenous and exogenous GAG osteoanabolic activities using appropriate in vitro and in vivo models. However, GAGs' underlying the mechanism of action and structure-function relationships need to be elucidated in detail.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol
January 2025
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Japan. (H. Yagi, H.A., Q.L., A.S.-K., M.U., H.K., R.M., A.S., S.O., H.T., Norifumi Takeda, I.K.).
Background: Marfan syndrome (MFS) is an inherited disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding fibrillin-1, a matrix component of extracellular microfibrils. The main cause of morbidity and mortality in MFS is thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection, but the underlying mechanisms remain undetermined.
Methods: To elucidate the role of endothelial XOR (xanthine oxidoreductase)-derived reactive oxygen species in aortic aneurysm progression, we inhibited in vivo function of XOR either by endothelial cell (EC)-specific disruption of the gene or by systemic administration of an XOR inhibitor febuxostat in MFS mice harboring the missense mutation p.
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