Our demonstration of anti-HCV actions of silymarin6 was initially at odds with clinical

selleck products studies that found no effect of silymarin on HCV replication in vivo.43 However, daily intravenous administration of a soluble form of silibinin inhibits HCV viral loads by three to four logs in 1 to 2 weeks in previous IFN nonresponder patients.7 This important study illustrates the clear differences in outcome based on route of administration and the type of silymarin-derived preparation being tested. Further clinical and in vitro studies are required to evaluate silymarin’s hepatoprotective effects, metabolism, and bioavailability. Moreover, because it is now clear that patients with chronic hepatitis C self-prescribe botanicals, especially silymarin,3 regardless of whether they receive standard of care therapy with pegylated IFN plus ribavirin, it will be important to design clinical trials that evaluate the effects and interactions of silymarin, given orally and intravenously, either by itself or with antivirals for HCV, including new specifically targeted antiviral therapy for HCV therapies, on reduction of viral load and improvement in liver function or prevention of liver disease. Because of its multiple actions on cells and hypothesized modulation of cellular targets, silymarin and silymarin-derived ATM/ATR inhibitor compounds also may prove relevant for liver diseases of nonviral origin. The authors thank Xiaohong

Cheng for technical assistance, and Pablo Gastaminza and Frank Chisari for BMS-200150. Additional supporting information may be found in the online version of this article. “
“A

Niclosamide 50-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital for persistent high fever and back pain. He was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), bone marrow metastasis and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Despite the diagnosis and treatment, the general condition deteriorated rapidly and he died of cerebral hemorrhage associated with generalized bleeding tendency. Autopsy showed multiple HCC in the liver and systemic metastasis including bone marrow. The case describes a rare complication of HCC with disseminated carcinomatosis of the bone marrow (DCBM) complicated with DIC, with rapid deterioration and death. This is the first case of DCBM from HCC. Physicians need to be aware of DCBM in patients with HCC. “
“Aim:  This study investigated whether splenectomy is of significance in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Methods:  Five-week-old Wistar rats were fed a choline-deficient diet for 8 weeks to create a NASH model. A sham-operation or splenectomy was then performed, and rats were killed 4 weeks later. Results:  Liver fibrosis and liver preneoplastic lesions were significantly reduced in the splenectomy group compared to the sham-operation group, and α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) expression was significantly inhibited (liver fibrosis area: sham 8.