Mesothelial cells (MCs) cover the surface of visceral organs and the parietal walls of cavities, and they synthesize lubricating fluids to create a slippery surface that facilitates movement between organs without friction. Recent studies have indicated that MCs play active roles in liver development, fibrosis, and regeneration. During liver development, the mesoderm produces MCs that form a single epithelial layer of the mesothelium. MCs exhibit an intermediate phenotype between epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells. Lineage tracing studies have indicated that during liver development, MCs act as mesenchymal progenitor cells that produce hepatic stellate cells, fibroblasts around blood vessels, and smooth muscle cells. Upon liver injury, MCs migrate inward from the liver surface and produce hepatic stellate cells or myofibroblast depending on the etiology, suggesting that MCs are the source of myofibroblasts in capsular fibrosis. Similar to the activation of hepatic stellate cells, transforming growth factor β induces the conversion of MCs into myofibroblasts. Further elucidation of the biological and molecular changes involved in MC activation and fibrogenesis will contribute to the development of novel approaches for the prevention and therapy of liver fibrosis.
Epithelial Cells/*physiology ; Epithelium/metabolism ; Hepatic Stellate Cells/*physiology ; Humans ; Liver/*cytology/injuries/*physiology ; Liver Cirrhosis/etiology/prevention & control ; Liver Regeneration/*physiology ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells/physiology ; Myofibroblasts/physiology

Liver is the largest human digestive gland and the most important metabolic organ. When autophagy was proposed during studying liver lysosomes in the 1960s, it was found that nutrient levels and hormones could influence autophagy activity. Recent studies show that autophagy is not only normal physiological processes, but also involved in the regulation of many pathological processes. This article summarizes the role of liver autophagy in the maintenance of homeostasis in the healthy liver, and provides new ideas for liver physiology and treating diseases associated with autophagy disorders.
Animals ; Autophagy ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Liver ; physiology

The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) widely exists in skeletal muscle, liver, pancreas, adipose tissue and central nervous system. As a "cellular energy regulator", activation of AMPK can improve insulin resistance in various mechanisms. To overall understand the importance of AMPK in exercise, the article summarized the research progress on AMPK exercise activation in skeletal muscle, liver and adipose tissue as well as exercise improving cardiovascular insulin resistance by AMPK, and looked forward to the study future of AMPK exercise activation.
AMP-Activated Protein Kinases ; physiology ; Adipose Tissue ; physiology ; Exercise ; physiology ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Liver ; physiology ; Muscle, Skeletal ; physiology

Amnion ; metabolism ; physiology ; Female ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Liver Regeneration ; physiology ; Pregnancy ; Wound Healing ; physiology

Extracellular Matrix ; physiology ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; etiology ; Receptors, Retinoic Acid ; physiology ; Retinoid X Receptors ; Risk Factors ; Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers ; physiology ; Transcription Factors ; physiology

Hepatic perfusion parameters play an important role in detecting and diagnosing diffusion diseases of liver. Based on a hemodynamic model. In this study, we described a fast and accurate method to calculate the perfusion parameters. First, we used a dual-input one-compartment kinetics model to illustrate the distribution of the contrast agent concentration among the body. Then, we used the Gaussian function to fit the scatter concentration data of portal vein and aorta, to obtain a liver agent concentration on function of time. Finally, we solved the model parameters by using Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, and calculated the perfusion parameters. The results showed that the method proposed in this study could calculate the parameters precisely, and had a prosperous future application possibility.
Algorithms ; Contrast Media ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Liver ; physiology ; Models, Biological ; Perfusion

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) belong to TGF-β superfamily and are a group of important cytokines involved in cell differentiation, proliferation and embryonic development. Multiple BMPs play important roles in several functions of vertebrates. Signaling pathway of BMPs is known to be mediated by Smad proteins, which include 8 members while Smad1, Smad5 and Smad8 are involved in BMPs signal transduction while Smad2 and Smad3 are mediated TGF-β signal transduction. Although several BMPs such as BMP4 and BMP9 have been documented in the liver, BMP13 has not been examined in the liver. BMP13 also known as growth differentiation factor (GDF)-6 or cartilage-derived morphogenetic protein (CDMP)-2 is one of the BMPs family members. Function of BMP13 has been investigated in bone and tendon repair. It can stimulate tendon-like cell proliferation. However, our recent findings revealed that there was expression of BMP13 in the liver and its expression was modulated during metabolic disorders. The current article is to understand biological function of BMP13 especially in the liver.
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins ; metabolism ; physiology ; Growth Differentiation Factor 6 ; metabolism ; physiology ; Humans ; Liver ; metabolism ; Liver Diseases ; metabolism ; Smad Proteins ; metabolism

Methods and thoughts of the further research on central neurobiological mechanisms of Gan in taking charge of dispersion and regulating emotion are discussed. By applying the holistic approach and homeostasis theory, combined with modern psychological stress theory, the authors put forward their hypothesis of study. They offered that the TCM theory of "Gan takes charge of dispersion and could regulate emotion" is affirmatively to have certain mechanisms of central neurobiology. So, cut-in from the point of psychological stress reaction, adopting the research thoughts of "prescription-syndrome-therapeutic effectiveness--essence of Zang-Fu function", a model of chronic psychological stress reaction (CPSR) for imitating the process of comprehensive pathologic change due to Gan fails to take charge of dispersion and leads to emotional disorder was established. It is considered based on analysis of materials obtained from previous studies, that the central neurobiologic mechanism of so called dispersion, which Gan in charge of, is related to the regulation of hypothalamus-pitutary-adrenal gland axis. Concretely, the function of Gan in TCM may be, in the gross, related with the changes of multiple neurotransmitters and their synthetase produced in the process of CPSR (emotional disorder) regulation, such as neuropeptides, hormones, cyclic necleotide system and Fos protein expression, showing the characteristics of multiple links, multiple levels and multiple targets, with the effects involve several brain regions including various clusters of nuclei in hypothalamus, hippocampus and amygdala, etc.
Brain ; physiology ; Emotions ; Humans ; Liver ; physiology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Stress, Psychological

BACKGROUNDHepatic artery variations are frequent clinical occurrences. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristic course of variant hepatic arteries originating from the superior mesenteric artery for the purpose of providing instructions for abdominal tumor surgery.

METHODSThe course of variant hepatic arteries originating from the superior mesenteric artery was studied in 400 patients with liver cancer confirmed by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and multi-slice spiral computed tomography angiography (MSCTA), and 86 patients with gastric cancer confirmed by preoperative MSCTA between June 2008 and June 2010 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University.

RESULTSHepatic artery variations originating from the superior mesenteric artery were noticed in 49 liver cancer patients and 14 gastric cancer patients (total 63 cases), with a variation rate of 12.96%, including two cases (3.17%) where the hepatic arteries ran along the anterior pancreas, and 61 cases (96.83%) where the hepatic arteries ran along the posterior pancreas.

CONCLUSIONSHepatic artery variations originating from the superior mesenteric artery present as two types: the pre-pancreas type and the post-pancreas type with the latter predominating. This finding is of clinical significance in abdominal tumor surgeries where clearance of portal lymph nodes is needed.

Hepatic Artery ; physiology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; surgery ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; physiology ; Middle Aged ; Stomach Neoplasms ; surgery

Angiotensin II ; physiology ; Ascites ; etiology ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; etiology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; etiology ; Renin-Angiotensin System ; physiology