This decrease in FXR expression was in contrast to the increase in FXR expression noted in the BDL animals treated with vehicle or the sham-operated animals treated with pravastatin. Thus, statin therapy appears to have a depressive effect on FXR expression in

the setting of BDL but not in the sham operated setting. This finding raises several questions: If FXR upregulation is an adaptive response to cholestasis induced by BDL, then might not downregulation of FXR by statin therapy in this setting be construed as counteracting this beneficial homeostatic response? What then does one make of the decrease in serum bile acid levels in the low this website dose pravastatin-treated BDL animals but not the high dose pravastatin-treated BDL animals? Our current state of knowledge regarding the effects of statin therapy on nuclear receptor regulatory networks in cholestasis has not developed to the point where definitive

answers can be given to these and other questions raised by the data presented in the paper by Kolouchova MK-2206 mw et al. Caveats to keep in mind in interpreting the data include the fact that these are gene expression data that may not correspond to protein expression levels or activity of nuclear receptors and transporters; the use of particular doses and type of statin; and the duration of treatment. Nevertheless, one can appreciate the bigger picture that statin therapy appears to have wide-ranging effects on bile acid and cholesterol transport and

nuclear receptor regulatory networks in the rat BDL model. Whether these changes are relevant to patients with PBC or to patients given statins who develop cholestatic liver disease remains to be seen. “
“Peliosis is a rare disorder characterized by the presence of multiple cystic spaces filled with blood. The liver is the most common site but lesions have also been described in the spleen, bone marrow and abdominal lymph nodes. The size of the cavities is highly variable but may reach up to 3–4 cm. The etiology remains unclear but one possibility is that peliosis is one manifestation of heterogeneous perfusion of the liver. Other IKBKE manifestations may include nodular regenerative hyperplasia and idiopathic, non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections, peliosis appears to result from an infection in sinusoidal endothelial cells. Peliosis has also been described in patients with hematologic malignancies and, in the non-malignant setting, with use of anabolic steroids, immunosuppressive drugs and oral contraceptives. With computed tomography (CT) scanning, the differential diagnosis can include liver cysts and multiple liver metastases. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be helpful in showing a high signal on T2-weighted images and a low signal on T1-weighted images.