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Hepatic fibrosis (HF) occurs in most types of chronic liver diseases and approximately 25%-40% of HF cases may ultimately progress to hepatic cirrhosis. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) contribute significantly to the occurrence of HF and the activation of HSC is the key issue in the pathogenesis of HF. Taurine is a kind of important anti-injury substance in the body. Taurine has a protective effect on various types of liver injury. It has been clear that the antifibrotic mechanism of taurine may involve its inhibition of the activation and proliferation of HSCs.

Gastric adenomyoma (AM) is a rare, benign tumor, characteristically composed of glands and cysts, lined by columnar, flattened epithelia and a prominent smooth muscle stroma. Patients with gastric AM may be asymptomatic, or present as nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms.

A research article to be published on April 21, 2010 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The research team led by Dr. Wen-Yong Sun from Zhejiang Cancer Hospital reported a case of gastric AM seen in a 68-year-old man with a 1-week history of melena.

BOZEMAN, Mont. – For people who would like to be better skiers and enjoy the sport more, Montana State University professor John Seifert has some tips.

Neural vasoregulation represents a rapid and potent mode of altering vascular tone but has not been investigated thoroughly during portal hypertension. Heat shock protein-90 (HSP-90) is well-known to act as a molecular chaperone optimizing endothelial and neural NO-synthase (eNOS, nNOS) enzyme activity and thus, NO production. Although HSP-90 has been shown to mediate in large parts the enhanced eNOS-dependent NO overproduction in the splanchnic circulation during portal hypertension, it is not clear what role HSP-90 plays in nNOS-mediated vasorelaxation in this scenario.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) represents a key modulatory molecule in inflammation and carcinogenesis. COX-2 is known to have multiple tumorigenic effects. Increased expression of COX-2 has been observed in a variety of tumors including pancreatic cancer. In the literature, the prognostic significance of COX-2 expression including the role of antibody used for an evaluation of COX-2 expression profile have been discussed. A significant inverse relationship between COX-2 overexpression and survival rates has previously been reported in retrospective studies of different types of malignancies.

A substance found in breast milk can kill cancer cells, reveal studies carried out by researchers at Lund University and the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

It's not enough that you have to feel guilty for having children, since is is possible they could have been a victim of third-hand smoke or Crème brûlée during your pregnancy, now a study claims eating too much fat may impact your grandchildren as well.

Modern-day Chinese pigs are directly descended from ancient pigs which were the first to be domesticated in the region 10,000 years ago, a new archaeological and genetic study has revealed.

An international team of researchers, led by Durham University (UK) and the China Agricultural University, in Beijing, say their findings suggest a difference between patterns of early domestication and movement of pigs in Europe and parts of East Asia.

Researchers have discovered a new disorder linked to heart problems that stems from a genetic defect in the protein glycogenin. In a worst case scenario, disruption of this protein's function can lead to cardiac arrest, which is exactly what happened to the young man whose case triggered the investigation at Sahlgrenska University Hospital at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, that led to a brand new diagnosis.

LA JOLLA, CA – April 19, 2010 – Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have provided an answer to the 40-year-old mystery of how certain genetic mutations lead to Type 1 diabetes. This new molecular understanding could lead to novel therapies for Type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases.

The study was published in an advanced, online issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation on April 19, 2010, and will appear in the May print edition of the journal.

A Henry Ford Health System study has linked nearly 40 percent of chronic rhinosinusitis diagnoses to secondhand smoke. Chronic rhinosinusitis, or CRS, is a form of sinusitis in which the moist tissues of the nose and paranasal sinuses are inflamed for at least 12 weeks.

Researchers found that people are at increased risk for developing rhinosinusitis from exposure to secondhand smoke at home and public places like bars and restaurants, but that the risk is even higher at work and at private social settings.

Scientists investigating ovale malaria, a form of the disease thought to be caused by a single species of parasite, have confirmed that the parasite is actually two similar but distinct species which do not reproduce with each other, according to research published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

PORTLAND, Ore. – A simple blood test can identify people who are at risk for a heart attack, including thousands who don't have high cholesterol, according to researchers at Oregon Health & Science University.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Statins did not protect patients against colorectal adenomas, which are benign precursors of colorectal cancer, according to results of a secondary analysis of the Adenoma Prevention with Celecoxib (APC) trial. In a population at high-risk for developing these lesions, results of this analysis suggested statin use may increase the risk of developing benign colorectal tumors.

When both cancer and benign diagnoses are taken into consideration, patients undergoing colon surgery appear to have increased odds of death if their procedure is performed at a teaching hospital, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.