Sterol regulatory element-binding protein-2 (SREBP-2) is a key transcription factor for the cholesterol homeostasis. Recent studies have suggested the association of CYP3A enzymes, major drug-metabolizing enzymes, with cholesterol metabolism. In the present study, we have investigated a possible involvement of SREBP-2 in hepatic Cyp3a11 expression. Feeding a low-cholesterol diet (LCD) to mice a...

The present study aimed to explore the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the hepatocyte nuclear factor‑4α (HNF‑4α) gene and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in the Chinese Bai population in Dali city, China. The polymerase chain reaction‑restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used to analyze four SNPs (rs4810424, rs1884613, rs1884614 and rs2144908) in th...

CYP2E1, one of the cytochrome P450 mixed-function oxidases located predominantly in liver, plays a key role in metabolism of xenobiotics including ethanol and procarcinogens. Recently, down-expression of CYP2E1 was found in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with the majority to be chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers. In this study, we tested a hypothesis that HBx may inhibit CYP2E1 gene expre...

Cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A4 is the principal and most abundant human isoform of CYP responsible for the metabolism of more than 50% of all consumed drugs and innumerable endogenous compounds. Expression of CYP3A4 is sexually dimorphic and regulated by the combined actions of GH and glucocorticoids. In the case of the rat, nearly all of the CYPs are "intrinsically" or "inherently" sexually dimorphi...

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) require many medications. CYP2C and CYP3A drug-metabolizing enzymes play a critical role in determining the pharmacokinetics of the majority of prescribed medications. These enzymes are transcriptionally regulated by the nuclear receptors pregnane X receptor (PXR) and hepatic nuclear factor 4α (HNF-4α). Expression of CYP2C and CYP3A is decreased in CKD...

We report the establishment and characterization of immortalized human fetal liver progenitor cells by expression of the Simian virus 40 large T (SV40 LT) antigen. Well-characterized cells at various passages were transplanted into nude mice with acute liver injury and tested for functional capacity. The SV40LT antigen-immortalized fetal liver cells showed a morphology similar to primary cells....

Liver cancer is the second cause of death from cancer worldwide, without effective treatment. Traditional chemotherapy for liver cancer has big side effects for patients, whereas targeted drugs, such as sorafenib, commonly have drug resistance. Oroxylin A (OA) is the main bioactive flavonoids of Scutellariae radix, which has strong anti-hepatoma effect but low toxicity to normal tissue. To date...

Cardiac fibrosis is pathological damage associated with nearly all forms of heart disease. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an evolutionary conserved energy-sensing enzyme. Emerging evidences indicate that AMPK plays an important role in cardiac fibrosis and cell proliferation. However, less is known about the detailed mechanism of AMPK activation on cardiac fibrosis. In this study, we fo...

Intestine contributes to energy homeostasis through the absorption, metabolism, and transfer of nutrients to the organism. We demonstrated previously that hepatocyte nuclear receptor-4α (HNF-4α) controls intestinal epithelium homeostasis and intestinal absorption of dietary lipids. HNF-4γ, the other HNF-4 form highly expressed in intestine, is much less studied. In HNF-4γ knockout mice, we dete...