Thirty-five morbidly obese patients underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB). In addition to weight loss, these patients showed significant improvement of insulin resistance and a reduction of hepatic fat content. Three months after surgery, the serum bile salts were slightly but significantly elevated, and the levels of the endocrine-acting fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) and FGF21 were increased. FGF19 and FGF21 play a role as regulators of hepatic lipid and glucose metabolism. These results show that RYGB surgery improves metabolism and that this improvement is still apparent 3 months after surgery. Bile salts may play a key role in the improvement of metabolism after RYGB. Why serum bile salt concentrations are elevated after RYGB needs to be investigated.

this dietary mouse model displays the different stages and the metabolic settings often found in human NAFLD. Lipotoxicity due to compromised adipose tissue function is likely associated with the progression to NASH, but whether this is cause or consequence remains to be established.

The early detection and therapy of liver metastases is of utmost importance in patients with cancer. Colorectal cancer is a frequent malignancy and is one of a few malignant tumors in which the presence of limited synchronous liver metastases (i.e. occurring at the time of diagnosis of the primary tumor) or metachronous metastases (occurring after diagnosis of the primary tumor) warrants surgical resection (1). Exact knowledge of the number, size, and regional distribution of liver metastases is essential to determine their resectability. To provide this information, radiologists have used computed tomography (CT) -with best results during arterioportography (2, 3) -and super para magnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-enhanced magnetic resly improved for ultrasmall SPIO (USPIO) particles (8-11). For the characterization of malignant focal liver lesions ring-enhancement has already been described as a potential useful sign and optimized demonstration of this enhancement is therefore advantageous (12). In this regards also the blood-pool effect of (U)SPIO particles can be useful. Extruded magnetoliposomes can be fine-tuned so that a higher ratio of T1 shortening to T2 shortening is achieved. Thus, on the basis of these observations, we hypothesized that extruded magnetoliposomes with only a few USPIO grains in their aqueous cavity may generate a pronounced signal-enhancing effect on T1-weighted (T1w) images of the liver.In this pilot study, MRI experiments were performed using a rat model with CC531 colorectal liver metastases. The effect of magnetoliposomes injection for the evaluation of peri-tumoral vessels was qualitatively examined using T1w GE sequences and histopathology. This study was performed to provide a proof-of-principle for using magnetoliposomes as a useful blood-pool agent for the qualitative characterization of liver metastases using magnetoliposomes-enhanced T1w imaging.onance imaging (MRI) (4-6). SPIOenhanced MRI has high sensitivity that matches that of CT during arterioportography and higher specificity than that of CT during arterioportography (5, 6). The primary advantage of SPIO-enhanced MRI is that, unlike CT during arterioportography, it is noninvasive. SPIO-enhanced MRI is now regarded by many physicians as the best available examination technique in the evaluation of liver metastases (7).SPIO-particles were originally developed as contrast medium for MRI of the liver, where they are administered to improve tumor detection at T2-weighted imaging. Intravenously injected SPIO particles also shorten the T1 relaxation time. The T1-shortening effect is particular-JBR-BTR, 2010, 93: 87-91. Background: Magnetoliposomes have pronounced signal-enhancing effect on T1-weighted (T1w) images of the liver using qualitative analysis which may be benefical for demonstrating peritumoral vasculature. Purpose: To correlate peri-tumoral vasculature (ring-enhancement) surrounding colorectal liver metastases after injection of magnetoliposomes using T1-weighted (T1w) imaging with histopathology in a rat model. Material...

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