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Non-invasive pulse spectrophotometry to measure indocyanine green (ICG) elimination correlates well with the conventional invasive ICG clearance test. Nevertheless, the precision of this method remains unclear for any application, including small-for-size liver remnants. We therefore measured ICG plasma disappearance rate (PDR) during the anhepatic phase of orthotopic liver transplantation using pulse spectrophotometry. Measurements were done in 24 patients. The median PDR after exclusion of two outliers and two patients with inconstant signal was 1.55%/min (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.8-2.2). No correlation with patient age, gender, body mass, blood loss, administration of fresh frozen plasma, norepinephrine dose, postoperative albumin (serum), or difference in pre and post transplant body weight was detected. In conclusion, we found an ICG-PDR different from zero in the anhepatic phase, an overestimation that may arise in particular from a redistribution into the interstitial space. If ICG pulse spectrophotometry is used to measure functional hepatic reserve, the verified average difference from zero (1.55%/min) determined in our study needs to be taken into account

Background & Aims: Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and transdifferentiation to myofibroblasts following liver injury is the main culprit for hepatic fibrosis. Myofibroblasts show increased proliferation, migration, contraction, and production of extracellular matrix (ECM). In vitro, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of myofibroblastic HSC. To investigate the antifibrotic effects of atorvastatin in vivo we used bile duct ligated rats (BDL). Methods: BDL rats were treated with atorvastatin (15 mg/kg/d) immediately after ligation (prophylactically) or in on-going fibrosis (therapeutically). Fibrosis was assessed by hydroxyproline content and Sirius-red staining. The activation of HSC was investigated by analysis of alpha SMA expression. mRNA levels of cytokines and procollagen were analyzed by RT-PCR, and MMP-2 activity by zymography. Proliferation was assessed by expression of cathepsins (B and D), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and Ki67-staining. Apoptosis was characterized by caspase-3 activity, cleavage of PARP-1, and TUNEL assay. Hepatic inflammation was investigated by serum parameters and liver histology. Results: Prophylactic and early therapy with atorvastatin significantly attenuated fibrosis and HSC activation. Later therapy lacked significant effects on fibrosis but reduced profibrotic cytokine expression and led to a more quiescent state of HSC with less proliferation and apoptosis, while hepatic inflammation did not change. Conclusions: This study shows that very early atorvastatin treatment inhibits HSC activation and fibrosis in the BDL model in vivo, while late treatment reduces HSC turnover and activity. Our findings underline that long-term studies in humans are warranted. (C) 2010 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

THE encyclopedic guide to hepatology - for consultation by clinicians and basic scientistsPreviously the Oxford Textbook of Clinical Hepatology, this two-volume textbook is now with Blackwell Publishing. It covers basic, clinical and translational science (converting basic science discoveries into the practical applications to benefit people).Edited by ten leading experts in the liver and biliary tract and their diseases, along with outstanding contributions from over 200 international clinicians, this text has global references, evidence and extensive subject matter - giving you the best science and clinical practice discussed by the best authors.It includes unique sections on: Symptoms and signs in liver diseaseIndustrial diseases affecting the liverThe effects of diseases of other systems on the liverThe effects of liver diseases on other systemsIt 's bigger and more extensive than other books and discusses new areas in more depth such as stem cells, genetics, genomics, proteomics, transplantation, mathematics and much more.Plus, it comes with a fully searchable CD ROM of the entire content., THE encyclopedic guide to hepatology - for consultation by clinicians and basic scientistsPreviously the Oxford Textbook of Clinical Hepatology, this two-volume textbook is now with Blackwell Publishing. It covers basic, clinical and translational science (converting basic science discoveries into the practical applications to benefit people).Edited by ten leading experts in the liver and biliary tract and their diseases, along with outstanding contributions from over 200 international clinicians, this text has global references, evidence and extensive subject matter - giving you the best science and clinical practice discussed by the best authors.It includes unique sections on: Symptoms and signs in liver diseaseIndustrial diseases affecting the liverThe effects of diseases of other systems on the liverThe effects of liver diseases on other systemsIt 's bigger and more extensive than other books and discusses new areas in more depth such as stem cells, genetics, genomics, proteomics, transplantation, mathematics and much more.Plus, it comes with a fully searchable CD ROM of the entire content.