Two-stage vs. single-stage management of patients with choledocholithiasis : meta analysis of randomized controlled trials [abstract]

Current management of choledocholithiasis involves two stage process involving ERCP and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). An alternative single-stage laparoscopic treatment was introduced for these patients. Various randomized controlled trials (RCT's) done to compare these 2 modalities but with controversial results

Outcome of medical versus surgical therapies for gastroesophageal reflux disease : meta analysis of randomized controlled trials [abstract]

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is one of the most common chronic gastrointestinal tracts. Medical management includes use of antisecretory medications or surgical management. Randomized controlled trials have compared both forms of treatment with controversial results. Therefore, we conducted meta-analysis to compare medical versus surgical therapy of GERD

The effect of aldosterone on fatty acid oxidation in HepG2 cells [abstract]

Abstract only availableThe HepG2 cell line is an immorilized cell line harvested from a human hepatocellular carcinoma. This study is designed to investigate the affect of aldosterone on the mitochondrial function, specifically fatty acid oxidation, of the HepG2 cells. Specifically these cells were treated with 10 M Aldosterone overnight. Mitochondrial fractions were isolated after exposure to 10 M Insulin or no treatment. Aldosterone has been found to be linked with glucose intolerance and diabetes. This poster will demonstrate if there is and affect on the mitochondria and how aldosterone may be involved in disrupting the normal oxidative pathway. Citrate Synthase and Beta-Hydroxy Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Activity (Beta-Had) will be used to analyze the affect of aldosterone on fatty acid oxidation in the mitochondria of the HepG2 cells.NIH grant to J. Ibda

High Intrinsic Aerobic Capacity Protects against Ethanol-Induced Hepatic Injury and Metabolic Dysfunction: Study Using High Capacity Runner Rat Model

Rats artificially selected over several generations for high intrinsic endurance/aerobic capacity resulting in high capacity runners (HCR) has been developed to study the links between high aerobic fitness and protection from metabolic diseases (Wisloff et al., Science, 2005). We have previously shown that the HCR strain have elevated hepatic mitochondrial content and oxidative capacity. In this study, we tested if the elevated hepatic mitochondrial content in the HCR rat would provide “metabolic protection” from chronic ethanol-induced hepatic steatosis and injury. The Leiber-Decarli liquid diet with ethanol (7% v/v; HCR-E) and without (HCR-C) was given to HCR rats (n = 8 per group) from 14 to 20 weeks of age that were weight matched and pair-fed to assure isocaloric intake. Hepatic triglyceride (TG) content and macro- and microvesicular steatosis were significantly greater in HCR-E compared with HCR-C (p < 0.05). In addition, hepatic superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione levels were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in the HCR-E rats. This hepatic phenotype also was associated with reduced total hepatic fatty acid oxidation (p = 0.03) and ß-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase activity (p = 0.01), and reductions in microsomal triglyceride transfer protein and apoB-100 protein content (p = 0.01) in HCR-E animals. However, despite these documented hepatic alterations, ethanol ingestion failed to induce significant hepatic liver injury, including no changes in hepatic inflammation, or serum alanine amino transferase (ALTs), free fatty acids (FFAs), triglycerides (TGs), insulin, or glucose. High intrinsic aerobic fitness did not reduce ethanol-induced hepatic steatosis, but protected against ethanol-induced hepatic injury and systemic metabolic dysfunction in a high aerobic capacity rat model