ROS-detoxifying enzymes such as glutathione

peroxidase (G

ROS-detoxifying enzymes such as glutathione

peroxidase (GPx) 1 and superoxide dismutase (SOD) 2 significantly increased following ovariectomy in nontransgenic liver but did not in transgenic liver. The expression of mitochondrial deacetylase SIRT3 that regulates GPx1 and SOD2 expression increased following ovariectomy in nontransgenic liver but not transgenic liver. Furthermore, the nuclear expression of peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor γ coactivator-1 α (PGC1α), upstream regulator of SIRT3, following ovariectomy was significantly greater in nontransgenic Cyclopamine liver than in transgenic liver, even though ovariectomy increased its nuclear expression in both livers. Finally, the expression of phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-acti-vated protein kinase (pAMPK), activator of PGC1α, significantly increased following ovariectomy in nontransgenic liver but not transgenic liver, and was significantly greater in nontransgenic liver than in transgenic liver regardless of ovariectomy. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that ovariectomy induces hepatic steatosis through inactivation of AMPK/PGC1α signaling

LY2157299 pathway in transgenic mice expressing HCV polypro-tein. Disclosures: The following people have nothing to disclose: Yasuyuki Tomiyama, Sohji Nishina, Yuichi Hara, Keisuke Hino Background and aims: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is a progressive fibrotic disease and not an inflammatory hepatitis. IL-22 is found to play a role in fibrogenesis in mice via hepatic stellete cells. However, its role in CHC patients has not been elucidated. Our study aims to reveal the association between IL-22 expression and CHC fibrosis progression. Methods: Liver samples from 56 treatment-naïve CHC patients

and 1 0 healthy controls were included for immunohistochemical analysis. MCE The degree of hepatic fibrosis was scored by the Metavir system ranged from 0 to 4. Anti-IL-22 antibody was detected on liver tissues by immunostaining. Results: No obvious IL-22 positive staining was observed in the livers from healthy controls. In contrast, the majority of inflammatory cells in CHC patients stained positively for IL-22, and the number of IL-22+ lymphocytes in patients with significant fibrosis (Fibrosis score: S3-S4) was higher than those in patients with lower fibrosis scores (S0-S2) (Figs. 1A-B). Most of the IL-22+ lymphocytes were located in the portal areas, but also observed in liver sinusoids in some patients. Conclusions: These preliminary data show that hepatic IL-22 expression is upregulated in patients with CHC, which is positively correlated with fibrosis scores. It is suggested that IL-22 may play a role in CHC fibrogenesis. Figure 1 In situ liver infiltration of IL-22-producing cells is correlated with liver fibrosis in CHC patients. (A) Immunohistochemical staining for IL-22 in tonsil (positive controls;400x) and in situ liver of healthy controls (400x).

The effect of individual variables and their contribution

The effect of individual variables and their contribution

to variability in activity levels changed during the year. (1) Flight activity during late hibernation (5 March–14 April) Small molecule library screening was positively affected by the mean ambient temperature (Tavg) and negatively affected by previous day minimal temperature. (2) During the departure period (15 April–4 June), nightly activity correlated with Tavg and Pavg (mean barometric pressure). Previous day rainfall caused a decline in the activity levels. (3) Summer activity (5 June–26 July) increased as the range of daily temperature (Tdif max−min) increased and was suppressed by previous day rainfall. In contrast, a higher amount of rainfall (>10 mm) in the study day caused an increase in activity, likely due to bats sheltering. (4) During swarming (5 September–14 November), activity was positively related to Tavg, Pavg and the amount

of rainfall. (5) During hibernation (15 November–4 March), temperature (Tavg and Tdif max−min) was the best predictor of the activity level. The percentage of nights on which activity occurred increased with increasing temperature during hibernation and late hibernation. Activity occurred even at temperatures<0 °C (Tmin=−13.2 °C). The recordings were all positive at Tmax≥6.2 °C. The activity within corresponding temperature groups was significantly lower during hibernation than during late hibernation. We review possible explanations for the patterns observed. "
“The reproductive female, or queen, in a eusocial colony must allocate sufficient nutrients to reproduction to maintain a high rate of reproductive output. In mammals, Acalabrutinib cost the energetic costs of lactation greatly exceed those of pregnancy, and thus, lactation should be exceptionally costly for a eusocial queen, such as the naked mole-rat Heterocephalus

glaber. We predicted that naked mole-rat milk would be energy- and nutrient-dense. Naked mole-rat milk averaged 17.2% dry matter, 4.5% fat, 4.8% protein, 5.7% sugar and 1.1% ash; and per gram contained 3.0 mg calcium, 1.1 mg phosphorus, 0.44 mg magnesium and 0.54 mg potassium. Other than elevated protein and low sugar in colostrum, the composition of milk did not change over the course of lactation. Naked mole-rats not only had the lowest energy content of milk (3.9 kJ g−1) 上海皓元 reported for any rodent but also appeared to be an outlier from a trend for milk dry matter, fat and energy concentrations to be inversely related to body mass in rodents. The dilute nature of naked mole-rat milk indicates that an unusually large amount of milk (equivalent to about half of body mass) must be produced daily to sustain the energy needs of an average litter (12 young). Sustaining high water throughput during lactation may be necessary to meet expected water needs of the offspring but may limit the queen to foods that are high in moisture.

The effect of individual variables and their contribution

The effect of individual variables and their contribution

to variability in activity levels changed during the year. (1) Flight activity during late hibernation (5 March–14 April) DAPT mw was positively affected by the mean ambient temperature (Tavg) and negatively affected by previous day minimal temperature. (2) During the departure period (15 April–4 June), nightly activity correlated with Tavg and Pavg (mean barometric pressure). Previous day rainfall caused a decline in the activity levels. (3) Summer activity (5 June–26 July) increased as the range of daily temperature (Tdif max−min) increased and was suppressed by previous day rainfall. In contrast, a higher amount of rainfall (>10 mm) in the study day caused an increase in activity, likely due to bats sheltering. (4) During swarming (5 September–14 November), activity was positively related to Tavg, Pavg and the amount

of rainfall. (5) During hibernation (15 November–4 March), temperature (Tavg and Tdif max−min) was the best predictor of the activity level. The percentage of nights on which activity occurred increased with increasing temperature during hibernation and late hibernation. Activity occurred even at temperatures<0 °C (Tmin=−13.2 °C). The recordings were all positive at Tmax≥6.2 °C. The activity within corresponding temperature groups was significantly lower during hibernation than during late hibernation. We review possible explanations for the patterns observed. "
“The reproductive female, or queen, in a eusocial colony must allocate sufficient nutrients to reproduction to maintain a high rate of reproductive output. In mammals, Lumacaftor supplier the energetic costs of lactation greatly exceed those of pregnancy, and thus, lactation should be exceptionally costly for a eusocial queen, such as the naked mole-rat Heterocephalus

glaber. We predicted that naked mole-rat milk would be energy- and nutrient-dense. Naked mole-rat milk averaged 17.2% dry matter, 4.5% fat, 4.8% protein, 5.7% sugar and 1.1% ash; and per gram contained 3.0 mg calcium, 1.1 mg phosphorus, 0.44 mg magnesium and 0.54 mg potassium. Other than elevated protein and low sugar in colostrum, the composition of milk did not change over the course of lactation. Naked mole-rats not only had the lowest energy content of milk (3.9 kJ g−1) 上海皓元医药股份有限公司 reported for any rodent but also appeared to be an outlier from a trend for milk dry matter, fat and energy concentrations to be inversely related to body mass in rodents. The dilute nature of naked mole-rat milk indicates that an unusually large amount of milk (equivalent to about half of body mass) must be produced daily to sustain the energy needs of an average litter (12 young). Sustaining high water throughput during lactation may be necessary to meet expected water needs of the offspring but may limit the queen to foods that are high in moisture.

Desmarestia herbacea subsp firma (C Agardh) AF Peters, EC Y

Desmarestia herbacea subsp. firma (C. Agardh) A.F. Peters, E.C. Yang, F.C. Küpper, & Prud’Homme van Reine comb. nov. Basionym and early description: Sporochnus herbacea var. firma C. Agardh (1824) in Systema Algarum, p. 261. Desmarestia herbacea subsp. peruviana (Montagne) A.F. Peters, E.C. Yang, find more F.C. Küpper, & Prud’Homme van Reine

comb. nov. Basionym and early description: Desmarestia peruviana Montagne (1839) in Plantes Cellulares, Algae, Florula Boliviensis stirpes novae et minus cognitae in: d’Orbigny, A. (ed.): Voyage dans l’Amérique Méruidionale Vol. 7, Botanique (2): p. 35, pl. 5, fig. 3. In this study, cox1 pairwise distance values for Desmarestiales within species and between species, ranged from 0% to 1.2% and >2.4% respectively. These values were comparable to 29 species from 20 genera of phaeophycean taxa reported by McDevit and Saunders (2009) at 0%–0.46% and >3% respectively. Desmarestiales sequence diversity was similar to those of Laminaria (0%–0.5%, >2.9%) and Saccharina (0%–1.2% and >2.1%). The only anomalous patterns in genetic diversity

were Macrocystis integrifolia and M. pyrifera, which Trichostatin A mw had overlapping intra and interspecies ranges, compared to other Laminariales. Recent results have indicated these species should in fact be reduced to the one M. pyrifera (Demes et al. 2009, Macaya and Zuccarello 2010). Our results indicate that cox1 is an excellent barcode marker for Desmarestiales, predicting almost all of the species groups of the multigene phylogenetic analysis. Desmarestia japonica had over four times larger sequence divergence compared to all other Desmarestia species and therefore warrants placement in a different species group and confirms results of systematic studies. ITS barcoding correctly identified species grouping, although with much less resolution than cox1 as genetic distances were smaller with greater than 1.0% PWD separating

species. However, the ITS marker crucially lacks resolution and there is only 0.2% separating species and genus. The genetic distances for Desmarestia ITS barcodes were similar to those of Saccharina latissima and Laminariales, whose species cut-off was greater than 1% (McDevit and Saunders 2010). The lack of species/genus separation was also observed for S. latissima (Linnaeus) C.E. Lane, C. Mayes, Druehl et G.W. Saunders, where the biogeographical MCE boundaries established using cox1-barcodes had collapsed using ITS-barcodes, with the authors speculating introgression as the cause (McDevit and Saunders 2010). It is possible that a lack of resolution in the ITS barcodes of Desmarestiales have occurred for similar reasons. For example D. japonica, a separate species, showed partial species level affinity with some but not all members of the unbranched to little-branched Desmarestiales, a sister taxon to the monophyletic D. ligulata group. By contrast, the same Japanese specimen showed less similarity to the D. ligulata group.

Desmarestia herbacea subsp firma (C Agardh) AF Peters, EC Y

Desmarestia herbacea subsp. firma (C. Agardh) A.F. Peters, E.C. Yang, F.C. Küpper, & Prud’Homme van Reine comb. nov. Basionym and early description: Sporochnus herbacea var. firma C. Agardh (1824) in Systema Algarum, p. 261. Desmarestia herbacea subsp. peruviana (Montagne) A.F. Peters, E.C. Yang, selleck products F.C. Küpper, & Prud’Homme van Reine

comb. nov. Basionym and early description: Desmarestia peruviana Montagne (1839) in Plantes Cellulares, Algae, Florula Boliviensis stirpes novae et minus cognitae in: d’Orbigny, A. (ed.): Voyage dans l’Amérique Méruidionale Vol. 7, Botanique (2): p. 35, pl. 5, fig. 3. In this study, cox1 pairwise distance values for Desmarestiales within species and between species, ranged from 0% to 1.2% and >2.4% respectively. These values were comparable to 29 species from 20 genera of phaeophycean taxa reported by McDevit and Saunders (2009) at 0%–0.46% and >3% respectively. Desmarestiales sequence diversity was similar to those of Laminaria (0%–0.5%, >2.9%) and Saccharina (0%–1.2% and >2.1%). The only anomalous patterns in genetic diversity

were Macrocystis integrifolia and M. pyrifera, which Daporinad mw had overlapping intra and interspecies ranges, compared to other Laminariales. Recent results have indicated these species should in fact be reduced to the one M. pyrifera (Demes et al. 2009, Macaya and Zuccarello 2010). Our results indicate that cox1 is an excellent barcode marker for Desmarestiales, predicting almost all of the species groups of the multigene phylogenetic analysis. Desmarestia japonica had over four times larger sequence divergence compared to all other Desmarestia species and therefore warrants placement in a different species group and confirms results of systematic studies. ITS barcoding correctly identified species grouping, although with much less resolution than cox1 as genetic distances were smaller with greater than 1.0% PWD separating

species. However, the ITS marker crucially lacks resolution and there is only 0.2% separating species and genus. The genetic distances for Desmarestia ITS barcodes were similar to those of Saccharina latissima and Laminariales, whose species cut-off was greater than 1% (McDevit and Saunders 2010). The lack of species/genus separation was also observed for S. latissima (Linnaeus) C.E. Lane, C. Mayes, Druehl et G.W. Saunders, where the biogeographical MCE boundaries established using cox1-barcodes had collapsed using ITS-barcodes, with the authors speculating introgression as the cause (McDevit and Saunders 2010). It is possible that a lack of resolution in the ITS barcodes of Desmarestiales have occurred for similar reasons. For example D. japonica, a separate species, showed partial species level affinity with some but not all members of the unbranched to little-branched Desmarestiales, a sister taxon to the monophyletic D. ligulata group. By contrast, the same Japanese specimen showed less similarity to the D. ligulata group.

23–25 The researcher who performed the interview was blinded to t

23–25 The researcher who performed the interview was blinded to the presence or not of CD. Interviews were specifically addressed to determine the incidence and characteristics of falls based on a previously described questionnaire.19 Patients’ medical records were revised to check and complete the information given by patients and relatives. To define falls, we used the World Health Organization definition as follows: “A fall is an event which results in a person coming to rest inadvertently Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Library cell line on the ground or floor or other lower level.”26 The incidence of falls and the mean number of falls per patient were determined. Severity of injuries and the healthcare needed for falls

were also recorded. Fall injuries were classified as contusion, wound, or fracture.12, 27 Healthcare needed was classified as primary care, emergency learn more room care, or hospitalization.12, 28 We also recorded the duration of hospitalization resulting from falls and whether or not patients presented with decompensation of cirrhosis

during this admission. Falls were analyzed by comparing patients with cirrhosis and with CD to those without CD, and we evaluated the characteristics of patients according to whether or not they presented with falls during the follow-up. The last 31 patients included in the study completed the Timed Up-and-Go Test (TUG) and were evaluated for the presence of orthostatic hypotension immediately after the PHES and CFF tests were performed. The TUG can be used to assess the risk of falls.29 The test determines the time needed to get up from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn around, and walk back to sit down again without support and in a standardized environment.29 To assess orthostatic hypotension, blood pressure was measured twice before this test: first with the patient seated and then after standing up. Orthostatic hypotension was defined as a decrease in systolic blood pressure of at least 20 mmHg or a decrease in diastolic blood pressure of at

least 10 mmHg within 3 minutes of standing.30 Patients with CD were compared with those without CD and patients with falls were compared with those without falls, using Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables and the medchemexpress Student’s t test and Mann-Whitney’s U test for quantitative variables. Parameters that reached statistical significance in the univariate analysis were included in a multivariate analysis by logistic regression to identify the independent factors associated with falls. We used a forward stepwise selection procedure with Wald’s test to determine the best model. The predictive ability of the resulting model was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC). Probability curves were obtained by the Kaplan-Meier’s method and were compared using the log-rank test. Correlations were assessed by Spearman’s test. Results are presented as mean ± SD or frequencies. Calculations were performed with the SPSS Statistical Package (version 18.

Table 2 summarizes the miRNAs reported in the metastatic potentia

Table 2 summarizes the miRNAs reported in the metastatic potential of HCC. The prognostication of HCC patients remains a major challenge for clinicians, and emerging evidence indicates that the outcome varies with underlying molecular pathology.78 To this end, profiling of miRNA expression have been informative in cancer risk prediction, diagnosis, prognosis, and responses to therapy.79–82

Polymorphisms in miRNAs and their targets have proved useful in predicting cancer risk. For instance, a G>C polymorphism in miR-146a precursor (rs2910164) predicted HCC development.80 This polymorphism located in the stem region opposite the mature miR-146a resulted in a change from G : U pair to C : U mismatch. Male individuals with GG genotype were twofold more susceptible see more to HCC compared with those with CC genotype. In this context, the G-allelic miR-146a precursor displayed an increased production of mature miR-146a than the C-allelic one. Further investigations revealed that miR-146a significantly promoted cell proliferation and colony formation in NIH/3T3 cells.80 Another study also reported that polymorphisms present in the 3′-UTRs of mRNAs could affect miRNA binding. A polymorphism with insertion of ‘TTCA’ in the 3′UTR of interleukin-1 alpha (IL1A) (rs3783553) disrupted miR-122 and miR-378 binding, resulting in an increased expression of IL1A.81

The presence of this polymorphism likely contributed to HCC susceptibility as IL1A affects tumor growth, invasiveness, MG-132 price MCE公司 and also the interactions between malignant cells and the host’s immune system.81 Hepatocellular carcinoma tissues secrete various tumor-related proteins into the blood, and these may serve as circulating biomarkers for early diagnosis of HCC. Although serum

alpha fetoprotein (AFP) is widely used as a biomarker for HCC, recent research proposed new molecular biomarkers that are more specific.78 Serum miR-500 level has been shown to be commonly elevated in HCC patients and values returned to normal after surgical treatment.82 Certain miRNAs are associated with HCC subtypes, implying their potential in patient stratification for prognosis. Apart from the 20-miRNA metastasis signature that was shown to be associated with patient survival,44 another study demonstrated a set of 19-miRNAs correlated with HCC disease outcome.32 Proteins involved in cell cycle progression have been predicted to be targets of this 19-miRNA signature.32 It is also noteworthy that upregulation of the miR-221-222 cluster38,47 and downregulation of miR-26,83 miR-29,57 miR-12284 and miR-125b31 have been validated in independent studies to be associated with poor prognosis and shorter disease-free survival of HCC patients. Aside from their clinical usefulness as diagnostic and prognostic markers, miRNAs have also been shown to influence sensitivity of tumors to chemotherapeutic drugs.

Concomitant boceprevir administration increased the AUCinf and Cm

Concomitant boceprevir administration increased the AUCinf and Cmax of cyclosporine by 2.7- and 2.0-fold, respectively. Boceprevir coadministration had a substantial effect on the PK of tacrolimus, with coadministered geometric mean AUCinf and Cmax parameter values approximately 17-fold and 10-fold higher than when tacrolimus was administered alone. Drug interactions Talazoparib also have been

identified between cyclosporine and tacrolimus and telaprevir, another recently approved HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitor.10 Coadministration of telaprevir led to a 4.6- and 1.3-fold increase in the dose-normalized AUCinf and Cmax of cyclosporine and a 70- and 9.3-fold increase in the dose-normalized AUCinf and Cmax of tacrolimus, respectively. Neither tacrolimus

nor cyclosporine had any notable effect on the PK of boceprevir. Boceprevir is metabolized by two pathways: aldo ketoreductase, which leads to (among others) a reduced, inactive metabolite (SCH 629144), and CYP3A4/5.3 Although the Cmax and AUC of boceprevir were essentially unchanged in the presence of cyclosporine compared with boceprevir administration alone, a two-fold increase in the Cmax and AUC of the metabolite SCH 629144 was observed after coadministration of boceprevir and cyclosporine. Because this metabolite is not active against HCV, this increase has no consequences with respect selleckchem to clinical efficacy; however, it is not known whether the increase in metabolite exposure could potentially increase side effects. Because cyclosporine is an inhibitor of several proteins in both the drug-metabolizing enzyme and the uptake/efflux transporter systems, data in the present study do not provide insight into whether the increase in SCH 629144 levels is due to its effect on the enzyme/transporter interplay, resulting in an increase in the formation of SCH 629144, a decrease in the elimination of the metabolite, or a combination of both. The contribution of cyclosporine-based P-gp inhibition on drug interactions could not be assessed in this study, given that

the low cyclosporine dose used did not produce plasma concentrations at the levels predicted to incur clinically meaningful P-gp inhibition (1,000-5,000 上海皓元 ng/mL).13 Furthermore, the potential for tacrolimus to inhibit the metabolism of boceprevir may not have been fully assessed in this study because of the low tacrolimus dose used to allow for a large enough safety margin to accommodate the increased concentrations that were expected upon boceprevir coadministration. Coadministration of boceprevir with cyclosporine or tacrolimus was safe and well tolerated in this group of healthy volunteers. Overall, tolerability was consistent with the known safety profile of boceprevir in healthy subjects14-16 and patients with chronic hepatitis C.1, 2, 16 All AEs were mild, there were no treatment discontinuations due to AEs, and dygeusia was the most frequently reported drug-related AE.

, 2004) When they are present blue pigments are more likely to b

, 2004). When they are present blue pigments are more likely to be found in the extracellular matrix for example in the copepod Pontella fera, the crayfish Procambarus clarkii and the abalone Haliotis discus hannai (Herring, 1965; Cheesman, Lee

& Zagalsky, 1967; Milicua et al., 1985). Also, many bird species blue pigments such as biliverdins occur in the extracellular matrix of their eggshells (Kilner, 2006; Stoddard & Prum, 2008). Goda & Fujii (1995) reported the first and only known cyanophores (true blue chromatophores) in the ectoderm of Synchiropus mandarin fishes. Within the cyanophores, the cyanosomes aggregate and disperse in response to various stimuli probably causing the colour change that occurs in these fish (Goda & Fujii, 1998). It seems unlikely that this is the only incidence BMN 673 nmr of a blue cyanophore in nature and research into potential blue pigments will likely turn up more examples. Structural colours are those whose wavelengths are reflected as a result of optical interference by nanoscale structures in or on an animal’s integument. Ultraviolets, violets, and blues are often structural colours (Bagnara et al., 2007). Examples of body parts on which colour-producing nanostructures occur include the scale

on a butterfly’s wing (Ghiradella, 1991), the barbule of a bird’s feather (Prum, 2003; D’Alba et al., 2011), or the arrangement of Doxorubicin in vitro fibres or granules embedded in a dermal layer (Filshie et al., 1975; Prum & Torres, 2003, 2004; Prum et al., 2004). In vertebrates, the iridophore is a chromatophore that contains crystalline structures (rather than pigments as in most chromatophores) that give rise to blue colouration (Rohrlich, 1974; Clothier & Lythgoe, 1987; Bagnara et al., 2007). Iridophores are often found in association with yellow pigments to produce green colours and when the yellow pigment is reduced (axanthism) the organism appears blue (Bagnara, Frost & Matsumoto, 1978). Blue colours medchemexpress are produced by a much greater diversity of structures than those found in iridophores. There

are several categories of structures that preferentially scatter blue light categorized by their degree of order (Fig. 2). Incoherent and quasi-coherent arrangements are subordered and produce low chroma non-iridescent colours. If ordered, however, structures can produce high chroma colours and iridescent effects (wavelength reflected changes based on the reviewer’s angle to the object). The effects mentioned earlier can be caused by a variety of mechanisms and there are number of dimensions at which structures are ordered. Structural colours are often purified by accompanying pigments (notably melanin) that lie underneath surface structures, and absorb non-targeted wavelengths (Shawkey & Hill, 2006). In amelanic phenotypes, therefore, some colours may be muddied, faded or completely lost (Siefferman & Hill, 2005a).

However, compared with control mice, we observed an increased num

However, compared with control mice, we observed an increased number of fenestrae in the endothelial cells of grafts treated with DOI at 3 hours after transplantation (Fig. 2A-C). This suggests that SECs react to serotonin by opening fenestrae that support fluid

exchange. As observed by scanning electron microscopy, DOI appears to affect SECs; therefore, we asked whether this might have functional consequences on microcirculation and perfusion. We tested graft microcirculation by intravital fluorescence microscopy 1 hour after transplantation. The sinusoidal functional density was 480 ± 27.5 (cm/cm2) in DOI-treated mice, which was significantly higher than in controls (346.72 ± 20.9; P = 0.028) (Fig. 3A). Similarly, the sinusoidal red blood cell velocity was higher in DOI-treated animals compared with controls (0.38 ± 0.03 versus 0.25 ± 0.02; P = 0.003) Small molecule library cell assay (Fig. 3B). Although there was no obvious cellular damage, the architecture of the sinusoidal

click here network in controls appeared disturbed (Fig. 3C) in contrast to DOI-treated animals, which retained an intact sinusoidal architecture (Fig. 3D). We investigated whether serotonin improves survival after 30% OLT. Recipient survival was recorded for 7 days, and is presented as a Kaplan-Meier curve. In the saline-treated control group, all recipients died 2-4 days after surgery. In contrast, application of DOI rescued 50% of the transplanted animals (Fig. 3E) (P = 0.01). We have shown that PTX reverses SFS syndrome after OLT.8 In those experiments, we observed increased transcript levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, an improvement of liver regeneration and preservation of microcirculation in the graft. We therefore hypothesized that the combination of DOI with PTX may act synergistically to protect the graft from SFS syndrome. To clarify the impact of serotonin together with PTX on survival after SFS transplantation, we developed a new model of partial OLT. Because PTX and serotonin treatment alone already improved

survival in 30% OLT, we reduced the size of the graft to only 25% of the total liver mass. To achieve this volume, each liver lobe except the right lobe was removed during the donor procedure. We treated the 25% OLT donor and recipients MCE公司 with saline, DOI, and DOI plus PTX and compared 7-day survival among the groups. As expected, no animals in the control group survived, but approximately half of the animals in the DOI group survived. To our surprise, combination therapy with DOI plus PTX did not further improve survival compared with DOI alone (Fig. 3F). The lack of additional benefit suggests that the action of serotonin and PTX may share a common pathway. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that toxicity from massive pharmacological interventions may have impeded an improvement of survival by an otherwise beneficial effect of PTX. Furthermore, these results indicate that DOI plays a decisive role in improving the outcome of SFS OLT.