Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Rebekka Fendt, Ahmed Ghallab, Maiju Myllys, Ute Hofmann, Reham Hassan, Zaynab Hobloss, Daniela Gonzalez, Lisa Brackhagen, Rosemarie Marchan, Karolina Edlund, Abdel-Latif Seddek, Noha Abdelmageed, Lars M. Blank, Jan-Frederik Schlender, Christian H. Holland, Jan G. Hengstler, Lars Kuepfer
Summary: Liver cirrhosis leads to increased blood concentrations of glucuronides due to increased export from hepatocytes into the sinusoidal blood. Although individual metabolic pathways are massively altered in cirrhosis, the overall clearance of the parent compounds is relatively robust due to compensatory mechanisms.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mohammad Sadegh Amiri, Vahideh Mohammadzadeh, Mohammad Ehsan Taghavizadeh Yazdi, Mahmood Barani, Abbas Rahdar, George Z. Kyzas
Summary: Plant gums, with various forms and wide applications, possess high stabilization and adhesive properties. As key ingredients in pharmaceutical formulations, plant-based gums are favored for their bioavailability, reasonable prices, and other characteristics.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Won-Yung Lee, Choong-Yeol Lee, Jin-Seok Lee, Chang-Eop Kim
Summary: In this study, a network-based framework was applied to comprehensively identify candidate flavonoids for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD. The effectiveness of the discovered candidates, particularly glycitin, was validated through experiments. The reconstructed flavonoid-target network successfully rediscovered compounds and their potential mechanisms for treating NAFLD. Additionally, glycitin was found to significantly reduce lipid accumulation and inhibit oxidative stress.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Peng Li, Haoran Zhang, Wuxia Zhang, Yuanyuan Zhang, Lingmin Zhan, Ning Wang, Caiping Chen, Bangze Fu, Jinzhong Zhao, Xuezhong Zhou, Shuzhen Guo, Jianxin Chen
Summary: This study developed an online transcriptome-based multi-scale network pharmacology platform to explore the global effects of herbal medicine. By constructing specific functional gene signatures for different biological scales and measuring the correlations with transcriptional profiles, this platform can reveal the multi-scale effects of herbal medicine.
BRIEFINGS IN BIOINFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Tao Yang, Yu-Lin Wang, Ya-Lei Zhang, Yu-Ting Liu, Yan-Yan Tao, Hua Zhou, Cheng-Hai Liu
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of Capparis spinosa fruit extract (CSE) on triptolide-induced liver toxicity. The results showed that CSE can reduce liver cell apoptosis, ameliorate triptolide-induced liver injury, and regulate the levels of metabolites.
JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Fei-Fei Mao, Shan-Shan Gao, Yan-Jie Huang, Nian Zhou, Jin-Kai Feng, Zong-Han Liu, Yu-Qing Zhang, Lu-Yun Yuan, Gang Wei, Shu-Qun Cheng
Summary: Ganoderma triterpenoids (GTs), especially Resinacein S, have been found to regulate lipid metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis, which may have potential protective effects against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ryan M. Esquejo, Bina Albuquerque, Anna Sher, Matthew Blatnik, Kyle Wald, Matthew Peloquin, Jake Delmore, Erick Kindt, Wenlin Li, Jamey D. Young, Kim Cameron, Russell A. Miller
Summary: AMPK activation can affect skeletal muscle metabolism, with divergent metabolic effects observed following pharmacological activation and contraction-induced activation.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Andy K. H. Lim, Ljiljana Crnobrnja, Manogna Metlapalli, Cathy Jiang, Rene S. H. Wang, Jeanette H. Pham, Joshua H. Abasszade
Summary: This retrospective cohort study from Australia investigated the efficacy of insulin-glucose treatment in hyperkalaemia patients with and without liver cirrhosis. The results showed that patients with cirrhosis had a lower potassium lowering effect and a lower proportion achieving normokalaemia compared to controls. Liver cirrhosis was independently associated with reduced efficacy of insulin-glucose treatment for hyperkalaemia.
Review
Plant Sciences
C. Jansen, J. D. Baker, E. Kodaira, L. Ang, A. J. Bacani, J. T. Aldan, L. M. N. Shimoda, M. Salameh, A. L. Small-Howard, A. J. Stokes, H. Turner, C. N. Adra
Summary: Traditional pharmacopeias, developed by multiple cultures, require hard evidence for efficacy to separate science from pseudoscience; factors like abstraction, simplification, and altered dose influence the actual and perceived efficacy of medicines; integrating traditional therapies into healthcare systems with regulation and evidence-based practice, along with new data analytics approaches, are key areas of emphasis for future research.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Gulsim Kulsharova, Akbota Kurmangaliyeva
Summary: Drug development is expensive and time-consuming, with drug metabolism playing a crucial role in drug efficacy. Liver-on-a-chip platforms have the potential to reduce animal model usage and costs in drug development by better mimicking the liver cell environment. These platforms offer a promising solution to enhance efficiency and reduce resources in drug development processes.
CELL PROLIFERATION
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Xinhua Guo, Bowen Zheng, Jiahui Wang, Tiejian Zhao, Yang Zheng
Summary: Metabolic reprogramming in liver fibrosis has become a research hotspot in recent years. Liver fibrosis is a common pathological feature of many chronic liver diseases, and the activation and transdifferentiation of hepatic stellate cells play an important role in the development of this condition. Glucose metabolic reprogramming plays a vital role in liver fibrosis, and studying the effects of traditional Chinese medicine on this process can provide new insights for its modernization research.
PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Dominik Buschmann, Veronika Mussack, James Brian Byrd
Summary: EVs are membrane nanovesicles secreted from living cells which have potential therapeutic activity and are being explored as drug delivery vehicles in preclinical investigations and early clinical trials. However, progress in EV-based drug delivery is hindered by heterogeneity of sample types and methods, as well as a persistent lack of standardization, validation, and comprehensive reporting.
ADVANCED DRUG DELIVERY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yong Li, Xu-Lin He, Li-Ping Zhou, Xiao-Zhong Huang, Shan Li, Su Guan, Jing Li, Lei Zhang
Summary: This study confirmed the anti-fibrosis effects of asiatic acid (AA) in liver fibrosis and identified its mechanism of action involving arachidonic acid metabolism. AA was found to target multiple genes and ameliorate liver fibrosis by improving arachidonic acid metabolism.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jinli Luo, Chunli Piao, De Jin, Li Wang, Xiaohua Zhao, Fengmei Lian, Xiaolin Tong
Summary: This study decrypted the underlying mechanisms of Rhubarb treatment on diabetic kidney disease using a systems pharmacology approach. The study identified several active ingredients and targets of Rhubarb, and explored the potential targeting pathways. Experimental validation indicated that Rhubarb increased cell viability, suppressed inflammation, reduced apoptosis, and decreased cytokine release.
Article
Plant Sciences
Alan Talevi
Summary: The application of stevia glycosides in the food industry has been steadily increasing in the past twenty years, with growing attention to their potential health benefits and therapeutic applications. While some clinical studies have been conducted, many have not met expectations from preclinical investigations. Current knowledge on stevia constituents' pharmacokinetics and their potential health applications, such as diabetes, hypertension, antimicrobial and anticancer activity, are reviewed here. The outcomes of clinical studies and the future prospects of therapeutic uses of stevia are discussed in connection with pharmacokinetics knowledge.
PHYTOCHEMISTRY REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Christian A. Hudert, Heiko Tzschaetzsch, Birgit Rudolph, Christoph Loddenkemper, Hermann-Georg Holzhuetter, Laura Kalveram, Susanna Wiegand, Juergen Braun, Ingolf Sack, Jing Guo
Summary: Liver stiffness (LS) quantified by elastography is a promising imaging marker for the noninvasive assessment of Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in pediatric patients. LS was found to be highly correlated with periportal and lobular fibrosis as well as hepatocellular ballooning while no independent association was found for inflammation and steatosis. Based on this analysis, we propose a composite elastography score (CES) which includes the four key histopathologic features identified as mechanically relevant.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Laura Kalveram, Wolf-Hagen Schunck, Michael Rothe, Birgit Rudolph, Christoph Loddenkemper, Hermann-Georg Holzhuetter, Stephan Henning, Philip Bufler, Marten Schulz, David Meierhofer, Ingrid W. Zhang, Karsten H. Weylandt, Susanna Wiegand, Christian A. Hudert
Summary: The study found that hepatic epoxyeicosanoids significantly increased with higher grades of steatosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), while showing a strong decreasing trend with higher stages of fibrosis. Therefore, the CYP epoxygenase/sEH pathway may represent a potential pharmacologic target for the treatment of NAFLD.
PROSTAGLANDINS LEUKOTRIENES AND ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Hermann-Georg Holzhuetter, Nikolaus Berndt
Summary: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is the most common type of chronic liver disease in developed nations, affecting around 25% of the population. Intra-hepatic heterogeneity of rheological, metabolic and tissue-regenerating capacities has been found to play a central role in disease progression. Model simulations indicate that a persistently high plasma level of FFAs can drive the liver through different stages of NAFLD, with the presence of NAFLD amplifying the impact of additional tissue-damaging hits and the coexistence of non-steatotic and highly steatotic regions being indicative for the later occurrence of severe NAFLD stages.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rebecca Panconesi, Mauricio Flores Carvalho, Matteo Mueller, David Meierhofer, Philipp Dutkowski, Paolo Muiesan, Andrea Schlegel
Summary: Assessment and prediction of liver function is crucial due to the increase of donor risk and majority of marginal organs. Traditional tests require prolonged diagnostic time and are difficult to assess, while dynamic organ preservation strategies offer an opportunity to evaluate organs before implantation through analysis of recirculating perfusates, bile, and perfused liver tissue.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Nikolaus Berndt, Richard Kovacs, Karl Schoknecht, Joerg Roesner, Clemens Reiffurth, Mathilde Maechler, Hermann-Georg Holzhuetter, Jens P. Dreier, Claudia Spies, Agustin Liotta
Summary: Deep anaesthesia may affect neuronal, vascular, and mitochondrial function, while it can also be used for neuroprotection in brain diseases. Research showed that the neurometabolic effects of isoflurane are superior to propofol, reducing ATP consumption and maintaining neurovascular coupling and mitochondrial function.
JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Hemil Panchiwala, Shalin Shah, Hannes Planatscher, Mykola Zakharchuk, Matthias Konig, Andreas Draeger
Summary: Studying biological systems relies on computational modeling and simulation, which requires the use of standardized file formats like SBML and SED-ML for model exchange and reuse. Efficient and reusable simulation implementations are needed for reproducibility, which is provided by the versatile open-source API SBSCL.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mathilde Maechler, Joerg Roesner, Iwona Wallach, Joerg R. P. Geiger, Claudia Spies, Agustin Liotta, Nikolaus Berndt
Summary: During general anesthesia, sevoflurane at clinically relevant concentrations affects neuronal activity and decreases energy metabolism while maintaining mitochondrial function.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jan Grzegorzewski, Florian Bartsch, Adrian Koeller, Matthias Koenig
Summary: This article presents an integrative analysis of caffeine pharmacokinetics based on data from 141 publications. The study provides a comprehensive dataset on the metabolism of caffeine and its metabolites in human adults. The authors demonstrate the potential applications of this dataset in metabolic phenotyping and liver function testing, including the analysis of factors such as smoking and drug interactions that can affect caffeine pharmacokinetics.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nikolaus Berndt, Christian A. Hudert, Johannes Eckstein, Christoph Loddenkemper, Stephan Henning, Philip Bufler, David Meierhofer, Ingolf Sack, Susanna Wiegand, Iwona Wallach, Hermann-Georg Holzhutter
Summary: This study used a mathematical model to analyze liver metabolism in children with NAFLD, showing significant alterations in carbohydrate, lipid, and ammonia metabolism that increase with obesity and NAFLD severity. NASH and IR have opposite associations with carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, while simultaneously decreasing urea synthesis and increasing glutamine release.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mehrgan Shahryari, Sarah Keller, David Meierhofer, Iwona Wallach, Yasmine Safraou, Jing Guo, Stephan Marticorena R. Garcia, Juergen Braun, Marcus R. Makowski, Ingolf Sack, Nikolaus Berndt
Summary: The relationship between liver tissue structure and hepatic function is not fully understood, leading to a lack of diagnostic markers for assessing liver metabolic capacity in medical imaging. In this study, researchers used magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) and proteomics-based kinetic modeling to investigate the potential of MRE in predicting liver metabolic function in vivo.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anesthesiology
Clemens Reiffurth, Nikolaus Berndt, Adrian Gonzalez Lopez, Karl Schoknecht, Richard Kovacs, Mathilde Maechler, Mirja Grote Lambers, Jens P. Dreier, Alon Friedman, Claudia Spies, Agustin Liotta
Summary: Deep isoflurane anesthesia disrupts cortical ion homeostasis and impairs Na+/K+-ATPase function. Isoflurane increases extracellular potassium and decreases extracellular sodium concentrations. It also leads to a decrease in extracellular calcium levels in the absence of synaptic activity and potassium channel antagonists. Isoflurane slows potassium clearance and impairs Na+/K+-ATPase activity, which could contribute to neuronal dysfunction after deep anesthesia.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Anne-Maj Samuelsson, Theda Ulrike Patricia Bartolomaeus, Harithaa Anandakumar, Irene Thowsen, Elham Nikpey, Jianhua Han, Lajos Marko, Kenneth Finne, Olav Tenstad, Johannes Eckstein, Nikolaus Berndt, Titus Kuehne, Sarah Kedziora, Ibrahim Sultan, Trude Skogstrand, Tine Karlsen, Harri Nurmi, Sofia K. Forslund, Entela Bollano, Kari Alitalo, Dominik N. Muller, Helge Wiig
Summary: This study investigates the role of VEGF-B in cardiac proteomic and metabolic adaptation in heart failure, and finds that VEGF-B TG accelerates metabolic maladaptation, leading to structural cardiomyopathy and systolic heart failure.
CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Zoltan Gerevich, Richard Kovacs, Agustin Liotta, Luisa A. Hasam-Henderson, Ludwig Weh, Iwona Wallach, Nikolaus Berndt
Summary: Myelination increases conduction velocity and energy efficiency, while demyelination leads to impaired action potential propagation and altered network synchronization.
JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM
(2023)
Editorial Material
Mathematical & Computational Biology
Matthias Koenig, Padraig Gleeson, Martin Golebiewski, Thomas E. Gorochowski, Michael Hucka, Sarah M. Keating, Chris J. Myers, David P. Nickerson, Bjorn Sommer, Dagmar Waltemath, Falk Schreiber
Summary: This journal issue presents updated specifications of COMBINE standards in systems and synthetic biology, including updates to CellML 2.0.1, SBML Level 3 Package: Spatial Processes, Version 1, Release 1, and Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL) Version 3.1.0. It also serves as a reference for the latest specifications of all COMBINE standards. Additionally, the editorial provides an overview of the COMBINE 2022 meeting in Berlin.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOINFORMATICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ciaran Welsh, Jin Xu, Lucian Smith, Matthias Konig, Kiri Choi, Herbert M. Sauro
Summary: This article introduces libRoadRunner 2.0, an extensible, high-performance, cross-platform, open-source software library for simulating and analyzing models expressed using the systems biology markup language (SBML). It is a self-contained library, with APIs for C++, C, and Python, as well as interfaces for Python and Julia. libRoadRunner compiles SBML-specified models into native machine code, using a custom just-in-time (JIT) compiler built on the widely used LLVM JIT compiler framework, enabling fast simulation of large models or repeated runs.
