Protective effect of Rhus chinensis Mill. extract against liver cirrhosis in rats

Purpose: To study the effect of Rhus chinensis Mill. extract (RCME) on diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced liver cirrhosis in rats. Methods: RCME was obtained by extracting the dried Rhus chinensis Mill. in water. Liver cirrhosis rat model was prepared by injecting with DEN once a week for 8 weeks. After 8th-week of RCME treatment, biochemical index and oxidative stress were determined in DEN-induced liver cirrhosis in rats. Results: Compared with model group, plasma concentrations of alanine transaminase (ALT, 125.3 ± 4.1 U/L) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST, 152.4 ± 3.5 U/L) decreased significantly (p < 0.01) in the 8th week. Rhus chinensis Mill. extract (RCME) significantly decreased malondialdehyde (MDA, 0.18 ± 0.02 umol/L) and superoxide dismutase (SOD, 0.76 ± 0.05 U/mg protein) in DEN-induced liver cirrhosis in rats (p < 0.01) when compared with model group. Conclusion: RCME protects against diethylnitrosamine-induced liver cirrhosis in rats. However, further investigations are required to ascertain the plant extract’s suitability for the clinical management of liver cirrhosis.

HCV Genotype Has No Influence on the Incidence of Diabetes—EpiTer Multicentre Study

HCV infection is one of the main reasons for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In recent years, one finds more and more extrahepatic manifestations of HCV infection, including its possible influence on the development of diabetes. In the presented work, one finds the frequency analysis of the incidence of diabetes among 2898 HCV infected patients treated in Poland, and the assessment of their relevance to the HCV genotype and the progression of fibrosis. The results indicate that the hepatitis C infection seems to be a risk factor for diabetes in persons with more advanced liver fibrosis, for older people, and for the male gender. Thus, one found no differences regarding the frequency of its incidence depending on HCV genotype, including genotype 3.

Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery for Liver Fibrosis

Liver fibrosis is a reversible disease course caused by various liver injury etiologies, and it can lead to severe complications, such as liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and even liver cancer. Traditional pharmacotherapy has several limitations, such as inadequate therapeutic effect and side effects. Nanotechnology in drug delivery for liver fibrosis has exhibited great potential. Nanomedicine improves the internalization and penetration, which facilitates targeted drug delivery, combination therapy, and theranostics. Here, we focus on new targets and new mechanisms in liver fibrosis, as well as recent designs and development work of nanotechnology in delivery systems for liver fibrosis treatment.

Socioeconomic Factors Associated with Poor Prognosis in Patients with Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis

Background: Alcohol liver cirrhosis is a life-threatening condition, especially if alcohol cessation is not accomplished. Past studies have shown that alcohol abuse is closely linked to low socioeconomic status and social marginalization. Public assistance (PA), or Seikatsu-hogo, a Japanese public assistance ensuring medical care to low-income population, was employed as a proxy for social marginalization. This study aims to investigate the prognostic effect of being a PA recipient on overall mortality in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis.Methods: Patients diagnosed as alcoholic liver cirrhosis in a community hospital between 2006 to 2017 were included in this retrospective cohort study. Baseline demographics and mortality data were extracted from electronic health records. Cirrhosis severity at baseline was measured by mean model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and Albumin-Bilirubin (ALBI) score. Primary outcome was survival probability obtained by the Kapan Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: 244 participants were included, among which 62 were PA recipients. Baseline cirrhosis severity score was not different between the two groups. Incidence proportion for overall mortality was 48.4% and 31.9% for PA recipients and non-PA recipients, respectively (p=0.002). In cox regression model, adjusted for age, ALBI score and HCV infection, hazard ratio for PA reception was1.57 (95% CI: 0.97-2.5, p=0.06). Conclusions: Being a PA recipient may be a poor prognostic factor of mortality in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis.