Purpose: Chronic inflammation in the liver is a key trigger for liver injury and fibrosis in various liver diseases. Given the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Saffron, this study aimed to investigate the pharmacological effects of Saffron on hepatic inflammation and fibrosis.
Methods: The mice model of hepatic fibrosis was constructed using CCl4, and Saffron was administered at low (10 mg/kg) and high (20 mg/kg) doses by gavage. Then, the changes in liver function, liver inflammation and fibrosis markers were evaluated. The effects and mechanisms of Saffron on hepatic stellate cells were further investigated in in-vitro experiments.
Results: Saffron improved liver function, reduced liver inflammation and attenuated liver fibrosis in a dose-dependent manner in hepatic fibrosis mice. Furthermore, Western blotting showed that Saffron significantly inhibited JAK/STAT3 phosphorylation in fibrotic livers.
Conclusions: Saffron can attenuate liver fibrosis by inhibiting the JAK/STAT3 pathway and the activation of hepatic stellate cell, providing a theoretical basis for the development of new anti-fibrotic drugs.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/acb385823 | DOI Listing |
Background And Aim: There is paucity of data about the prevalence of cirrhosis and portal hypertension in the US general population.
Methods: We used National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES 2017-2020) to estimate the prevalence of cirrhosis and clinically significant (CS)-portal hypertension in alcoholic liver disease (ALD), MetALD, viral hepatitis (VH) to include chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and chronic hepatitis C (CHC), and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Cirrhosis was evaluated using liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by transient elastography or FIB-4 score; CS-portal hypertension was defined via LSM and platelet count or the use of non-selective beta-blockers in the presence of cirrhosis.
Hepatology
January 2025
Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Background Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) affects about a third of adults worldwide and is projected soon to be the leading cause of cirrhosis. It occurs when fat accumulates in hepatocytes and can progress to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. MASLD pathogenesis is believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHepatology
January 2025
AP-HP, Sorbonne Université, Liver Intensive Care Unit, Hepatogastroenterology Department, La Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 47-83 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, Paris 75013, France.
Background And Aims: In cirrhosis, some patients display acute encephalopathy without hyperammonemia (NonHep E) which is not considered as overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE). We aimed to assess the prevalence and characteristics of NonHep E and OHE in cirrhotic patients displaying acute encephalopathy, assess their respective prognosis and compare it to other causes of acute decompensation (AD) with/without hyperammonemia.
Approach And Results: We conducted a retrolective analysis from a prospective cohort of patients hospitalized for AD.
Hepatol Commun
February 2025
Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Background: Cell therapy demonstrates promising potential as a substitute therapeutic approach for liver cirrhosis. We have developed a strategy to effectively expand murine and human hepatocyte-derived liver progenitor-like cells (HepLPCs) in vitro. The primary objective of the present study was to apply HepLPCs to the treatment of liver cirrhosis and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms responsible for their therapeutic efficacy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHepatol Commun
February 2025
Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Background: Rho-associated kinases 1 and 2 (ROCK1 and ROCK2) regulate critical cell functions, including actomyosin contractility, apoptosis, and proliferation. Some studies suggest that ROCK inhibition may serve as a treatment for liver fibrosis. More investigation is needed to understand the role of hepatocyte ROCK signaling in vivo, especially in the context of profibrotic liver injury.
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