Laudatio

Der vorliegende Band dokumentiert Reden, die anlässlich der Verleihung der Ehrendoktorwürde der Universität Hamburg an Prof. Dr. h. c. Dr. h. c. Manfred Lahnstein gehalten wurden.This volume documents speeches given on the occasion of the award of an honorary doctorate by the University of Hamburg to Prof. Dr. h. c. Dr. h. c. Manfred Lahnstein

Neue Governance der Wissenschaft

Das Ende der Gründungsphase der Fakultät Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften mit der Integration der bis dahin selbstständigen Hamburger Universität für Wirtschaft und Politik (HWP) sowie der bisherigen Fachbereiche Wirtschaftswissenschaften und Sozialwissenschaften der Universität Hamburg war Anlass zu einem wissenschaftlichen Symposium zur Hochschulgovernance mit hochkarätiger Besetzung. Ziel war es, unterschiedliche Management-Modelle, vor allem aus dem europäischen Ausland, einander gegenüberzustellen und diese sowohl aus einer erfahrungsbasierten Leitungsperspektive als auch unter wissenschaftlich-analytischen Sichtweisen zu analysieren und zu bewerten. Ein besonderer Aspekt lag auf dem für alle Universitäten relevanten Spannungsverhältnis von Zentralität und Dezentralität. Die gehaltenen Vorträge werden in diesem Band dokumentiert.On occation of the end of the founding phase of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences with the integration of the formerly independent Hamburg University of Economics and Politics (HWP) as well as the former Faculties of Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Hamburg, a scientific symposium on university governance with a top-class cast was held. The aim was to compare different management models, especially from other European countries, and to analyse and evaluate them from an experience-based management perspective as well as from a scientific-analytical point of view. A special aspect was the tension between centrality and decentralisation, which is relevant for all universities. The lectures are documented in this volume

Neue Wege der Hochschulgovernance

The end of the foundation phase of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences with the integration of the previously independent Hamburg University for Economics and Politics (Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Politik, HWP) and the former faculties for social science and economics of the University of Hamburg gave rise to a scientific symposium on higher education governance, with top-class performers. The symposium was aiming at a comparision of different management models, especially from other European countries, confront them and analyze them both from a management perspective and experience based on scientific and analytical points of view and to evaluate them. Particular attention was to the tension between centralization and decentralization relevant for all universities. The presentations are documented in this volume

Finanzmarktinstitutionen und Vertrauensordnungen im Zeichen der Krise – Zur Notwendigkeit einer Kontrolle zweiter Ordnung

Sechs Jahre nach dem Kulminationspunkt der Finanzkrise im Herbst 2008 und aufwendigen Rettungsmaßnahmen der Nationalstaaten fokussiert sich die einst akute Bedrohung des globalen Finanzsystems mittlerweile auf das in Medien wie Wissenschaft gleichermaßen präsente Gespenst einer anhaltenden Erosion des Vertrauens in die institutionellen Grundlagen des Finanzsektors. Nicht nur ist in der öffentlichen Diskussion beständig von einer „crisis of confidence“ die Rede, auch die wissenschaftliche Perspektive konzediert, dass es sich bei der Finanzkrise um eine Vertrauenskrise handelt. Dabei wird zugleich auf die außerordentliche Relevanz verwiesen, die dem Vertrauen als Bindemittel der Finanzmärkte beigemessen wird. Waren die Rufe nach radikalen Einschnitten im unmittelbaren Eindruck der Krise noch ebenso laut wie die Verwerfungen im Finanzsektor tief, so erfolgte – auch wenn der Dodd-Frank-Act im Jahre 2010 sowie kürzlich auch die Europäische Bankenunion formal verabschiedet wurden – die Umsetzung institutioneller Gegenmaßnahmen über lange Zeit eher auf „inkrementelle“ denn auf „radikale“ Art und Weise. Zwar ist es zu früh, um Effekte bzw. mögliche Erfolge der eingeleiteten regulativen Restaurationsarbeiten einer abschließenden Bewertung zu unterziehen. Dennoch kann jetzt bereits eine wichtige theoretische Fragestellung eröffnet werden. Der Konferenzbeitrag erarbeitet zunächst eine Bestandsaufnahe der verfügbaren Konzepte für eine begriffliche Fassung des institutionellen Vertrauens, die auf das Finanzsystem bezogen werden. Anschließend werden wesentliche Merkmale der neuen makroprudentiellen Regulationsansätze vorgestellt. Es wird vorgeschlagen, das gerade neu geschaffene supranationale Supervisonsmandat mitsamt seinen „guardians of impersonal trust“ als Ausdruck einer Kontrolle zweiter Ordnung anzusehen, die im Sinne einer ‚vorausschauenden’ und reflexiven Kontrolle die begrenzten Kontrollansprüche ‚erster Ordnung‘ überwindet. Somit wird das komplexe Wechselspiel aus institutionellen Vertrauensverhältnissen und reflexiven Kontrollansätzen auf einer grundlegenden theoretischen Ebene eingeführt und diskutiert und damit an aktuelle finanzsoziologische Diskussionen der „Social Studies of Finance“ bzw. der „Soziologie der Finanzmärkte“ angeschlossen

Hepatic effects of Cimicifuga racemosa extract in vivo and in vitro

Abstract.: Extracts of Cimicifuga racemosa are used frequently for menopausal complaints. Cimicifuga is well tolerated but can occasionally cause liver injury. To assess hepatotoxicity of cimicifuga in more detail, ethanolic C. racemosa extract was administered orally to rats, and liver sections were analyzed by electron microscopy. Tests for cytotoxicity, mitochondrial toxicity and apoptosis/necrosis were performed using HepG2 cells. Mitochondrial toxicity was studied using isolated rat liver mitochondria. Microvesicular steatosis was found in rats treated with > 500 μg/kg body weight cimicifuga extract. In vitro, cytotoxicity was apparent at concentrations ≥ 75 μg/mL, and mitochondrial β-oxidation was impaired at concentrations ≥ 10 μg/mL. The mitochondrial membrane potential was decreased at concentrations ≥ 100 μg/mL, and oxidative phosphorylation was impaired at concentrations ≥ 300 μg/mL. The mechanism of cell death was predominantly apoptosis. C. racemosa exerts toxicity in vivo and in vitro, eventually resulting in apoptotic cell death. The results are compatible with idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity as observed in patients treated with cimicifuga extract

Ernennungsurkunde

Der vorliegende Band dokumentiert Reden, die anlässlich der Verleihung der Ehrendoktorwürde der Universität Hamburg an Prof. Dr. h. c. Dr. h. c. Manfred Lahnstein gehalten wurden.This volume documents speeches given on the occasion of the award of an honorary doctorate by the University of Hamburg to Prof. Dr. h. c. Dr. h. c. Manfred Lahnstein

Hepatotoxicity of the phytomedicines Kava Kava and Cimicifuga Racemosa

In this thesis the hepatotoxic properties of the two phytomedicines kava kava and cimicifuga racemosa have been investigated. This topic is a prevailing problem as herbal medicines are quite popular today and not much is known about their toxicological profile. Especially hepatotoxicity is a wide-spread problem of medicines in general as most of them are metabolized in the liver and the liver therefore represents a near target. Ingestion of kava has been associated with liver damage and therefore Kava has been withdrawn from the market in different countries. For cimicifuga so far not much evidence for liver toxicity in humans exists. However, lately it was found that rats fed with high doses of cimicifuga developed microvesicular liver steatosis. In order to examine the in vitro toxicity of the two herbs the hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2, the hepatoblastoma cell line HUH6, and isolated rat liver mitochondria have been used. Three kava extracts (a methanolic and an acetonic root extract; a methanolic leaf extract) and an ethanolic cimicifuga extract have been investigated. In the first project (chapter 6) toxicity of kava kava was investigated. It was found that all three kava extracts showed concentration-dependent toxicity in the general cytotoxicity tests. Experiments in mitochondria revealed that the kava extracts inhibited and uncoupled (root extracts) or only uncoupled (leaf extract) the respiratory chain and decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential; in addition, beta-oxidation was inhibited. Furthermore, oxidized glutathione was slightly increased and ATP content of the cells was maintained. Apoptosis was found in HepG2 cells for all three kava extracts. These findings of mitochondria-related toxicity (affected respiratory chain, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production) might result in the opening of the permeability transition pore and consequently in the rupture of the outer mitochondrial membrane, thus possibly leading to the release of cytochrome c and subsequently to apoptosis. These events might contribute to kava associated hepatotoxicity, especially in predisposed patients having mitochondrial damages. In the second project (chapter 7) two methods for cell death determination were applied and compared in the hepatoma cell lines HepG2 and HUH6 utilizing kava as death-inducing agent: the annexin V / propidium iodide (PI) stain and the green fluorescent protein (GFP)- method. The annexin V / PI stain has already been established as a method to detect apoptosis and necrosis elicited by kava kava in the study mentioned above. The GFP-method had been described in different cell lines by other groups and is based upon the phenomenon that GFP decreases its fluorescence when apoptosis and/or necrosis occur. We found that the annexin V / PI stain and the GFP-method provided similar results. These results on the one hand confirm that kava indeed induces cell death; on the other hand they show that the GFPmethod can also be employed in liver cell lines. Therefore, the GFP-method is suited as an easy, reliable, cost-effective method to screen substances for their hepatotoxic potential. In a further study (chapter 8) the toxicity profile of the phytomedicine cimicifuga was assessed. High doses of cimicifuga extract caused microvesicular liver steatosis in rats. Based on these findings in vitro experiments were performed to further investigate the hepatotoxic potential of this plant. General cytotoxicity tests revealed concentration-dependent toxicity. In mitochondria, cimicifuga extract was able to inhibit b-oxidation, to uncouple the respiratory chain and to reduce the mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, HepG2 cells underwent apoptosis when incubated with cimicifuga. It might therefore be assumed that the impairment of the respiratory chain causes a decrease of the mitochondrial membrane potential, which in turn could lead to the opening of the permeability transition pore and to apoptosis. Whereas the inhibition of the b-oxidation may lead to accumulation of fatty acids and subsequently to liver steatosis. Toxicity was discovered at concentrations higher than the ones expected in humans. It is therefore conjectured, that hepatotoxicity in humans only occurs under certain conditions. Finally, it can be concluded that although kava kava and cimicifuga racemosa displayed clear toxicity in the in vitro situation it has to be further investigated whether these toxicities can be extrapolated to humans. Factors which have to be taken into account when estimating the toxic potential for humans include the concentrations used in the in vitro tests in comparison to portal venous concentrations in humans after intake of the extracts, the metabolism in the body, predisposing factors for liver toxicity like age, gender and pre-existing liver diseases, and polymedication. Nevertheless, these cytotoxicity tests represent a valuable tool for evaluating the toxic potential of herbal products before they reach the market. Of course, other experiments (animal experiments, for example) would have to be added, if an assessment corresponding to the rules of the regulatory offices is sought. These in-depth investigations are needed, if botanicals are to persist on the market in future