Search results for "liver"

Designing Medical Devices Based on Silicon Polymeric Material with Controlled Release of Local Anesthetics

2012

The drug delivery systems that are the object of this article take the form of a polymer matrix made of silicone containing a drug. These devices can be used as patches for local dermal applications releasing the drug in a controlled manner. The model active agent, lidocaine hydrochloride was chosen from the range of local anesthetics. When the drug is restricted to the surface, it is released more rapidly than when it is allowed to spread evenly throughout the silicon structure. When hydrophilic polymers such as PVA and HEC are mixed in with the lidocaine hydrochloride and deposited on the surface of the polymer matrix, we observed that the burst effect was eliminated without modifying the…

MBOAT7 locus rs641738 variant predisposes to hepatocellular carcinoma in nonalcoholic fatty liver

2016

New copolymers graft of α,β-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)-d,l-aspartamide obtained from atom transfer radical polymerization as vector for gene delivery

2012

Abstract New cationic α,β-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)- d , l -aspartamide (PHEA) graft copolymers were synthesized by ATRP, using diethylamino ethyl methacrylate (DEAEMA) as monomer for polymerization, yielding polycations (PHEA-pDEAEMA) able to condense DNA. Then, consecutive ATRP conditions were set up on PHEA-pDEAEMA to obtain copolymers containing also hydrophilic chains (PHEA-IB-pDMAEMA-pPEGMA) able to improve biocompatibility of polyplexes and to provide them stealth properties. Agarose gel studies showed that the copolymers effectively condensed plasmid DNA to form polyplexes. Light scattering studies were used to analyze the size and the ζ -potential of these polyplexes, showing that cop…

HEPATITIS C AND DIABETES: THE INEVITABLE COINCIDENCE?

2009

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and HCV infection are common conditions involving, respectively, at least 170 and 130 million people worldwide. However, the distribution of such cases does not overlap in the same age groups in different geographic areas. Following pioneering reports of increased prevalence of T2D in HCV-positive cirrhosis, interest concerning the relationship between HCV and T2D has escalated. HCV is able to induce insulin resistance (IR) directly and the role of specific viral genotypes responsible for such effect is disputed. IR has consistently been found to be closely linked to fibrosis in HCV infection, although also typically associated with T2D in prefibrotic stages. HCV infec…

Treatment options in HBV.

2005

The available evidence on interferon-alpha (IFN) treatment for chronic hepatitis B is sufficient to conclude that in patients with HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis, standard IFN therapy significantly improves clearance of HBeAg (number needed to treat [NNT] = 4), loss of HBV-DNA (NNT = 4) and clearance of HBsAg (NNT = 18). HBeAg positive patients with normal or slightly raised ALT should be treated only if there is histological evidence of progressive disease. In patients with HBeAg negative chronic hepatitis, less than 20% of subjects who have achieved an end-of-treatment virological response after a course of standard IFN maintain a sustained virological response in the long-term. IFN tre…

Hemodynamic Parameters Change Earlier Than Tissue Oxygen Tension in Hemorrhage

2010

BACKGROUND: Untreated hypovolemia results in impaired outcome. This study tests our hypothesis whether general hemodynamic parameters detect acute blood loss earlier than monitoring parameters of regional tissue beds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight pigs (23-25 kg) were anesthetized and mechanically ventilated. A pulmonary artery catheter and an arterial catheter were inserted. Tissue oxygen tension was measured with Clark-type electrodes in the jejunal and colonic wall, in the liver, and subcutaneously. Jejunal microcirculation was assessed by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). Intravascular volume was optimized using difference in pulse pressure (dPP) to keep dPP below 13%. Sixty minutes after p…

Hepatocellular expression of a dominant-negative mutant TGF-β type II receptor accelerates chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis

2001

The potent growth-inhibitory activity of cytokines of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily and their widespread expression in epithelia suggest that they may play an important role in the maintenance of epithelial homeostasis. To analyse TGF-beta mediated tumor suppressor activity in the liver, we generated transgenic mice overexpressing a dominant negative type II TGF-beta receptor in hepatocytes under control of the regulatory elements of the human C-reactive protein gene promoter. Transgenic animals exhibited constitutive and liver-specific transgene expression. The functional inactivation of the TGF-beta signaling pathway in transgenic hepatocytes was shown by redu…

Guillain-Barré syndrome after orthotopic liver transplantation: A clinical manifestation of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome?

2018

Guillain-Barrè Syndrome, as part of the spectrum of dysimmune neuropathies, is unexpected to occur in immunocompromised hosts. We describe a clinical case of Guillain-Barrè syndrome, occurred a few weeks after a liver transplant, and we postulate that our case would satisfy all requirements to explain this peripheral nervous system complication as a clinical manifestation of an Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. In this setting of liver transplantation, complicated by potentially multiple infective triggers, reduction of immunosuppression and reversal of pathogen-induced immunosuppression, through antimicrobial therapy, may have led to pro-inflammatory response. The pro-inflammato…

Effects of lindane on fish carbohydrate metabolism.

1991

Exposure of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) to a high sublethal concentration of 0.335 ppm (0.50 of the 96-hr LC50) of lindane for 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr affected carbohydrate metabolism. Muscle glycogen levels decreased significantly (P less than 0.05) at 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr; liver glycogen content did not decline at any time. Muscle glucose levels in fish were elevated at 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr but in liver, the levels increased only at 96 hr. Mean values of muscle and liver pyruvate were elevated significantly (P less than 0.05) at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hr. Muscle lactate levels increased at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hr in pesticide-treated fish. Liver lactate levels we…

Effect of sodium loading (3% NaCl) on arachidonic acid biosynthesis in rat liver microsomes

1992

Sodium loading increases arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism by way of the prostaglandins(PGs) from series 2. Its effect on AA biosynthesis remains unknown. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of sodium loading on the fatty acid composition of liver and liver microsomes, and the liver microsomal delta-6 and delta-5 desaturations of linoleic acid (LA) into AA. We found a decrease of LA and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) levels in liver total lipids of Wistar rats receiving hypernatriuretic drinking water (NaCl 3%) for 60 days. At the same time AA increased. DGLA decreased and AA increased in liver microsomal total lipids. 1(14) C-LA delta-6 desaturase and 2(14)…