It is an easier procedure compared to portosystemic shunting surg

It is an easier procedure compared to portosystemic shunting surgery, which requires the specific surgical expertise of vascular anastomosis.40 Therefore, it is generally accepted that every surgeon who is an expert in the field of abdominal surgery can perform Hassab’s operation, without a need for specific surgical skills in vascular surgery. An additional advantage splenectomy

is recovery to the normal range of thrombocyte count from thrombocytopenia, which is caused by hypersplenism following portal hypertension.40,41 However, surgery is limited to patients who can tolerate general anesthesia. A major complication is portal vein thrombosis, but this is easily controlled by postoperative MAPK inhibitor anticoagulation therapy in association with regular ultrasonography to detect the portal thrombosis. find more As a minimally invasive surgery, a laparoscopic devascularizaion of the upper stomach with splenectomy has been successfully performed.42,43 Splenectomy was not previously recommended in younger patients because of overwhelming postsplenectomy infection (OPSI), a potentially rapidly fatal septicemia. However, surgical technology and vaccination, for example (against pneumococcus), has recently developed to the extent that these problems44 are now largely resolved. The non-re-bleeding rate of 100% over 5-year follow up shows this operation could be

the best reliable and promising procedure of a salvage therapy for uncontrolled gastric variceal bleeding. Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous

obliteration (B-RTO) have been developed and been established as a superior effective treatment for fundic gastric varices and hepatic encephalopathy18 in Japan. A catheter for B-RTO (6.5 French, Create Medic, Tokyo, Japan) is introduced into the gastro-renal shunt via the right femoral vein. While the gastro-renal shunt 上海皓元 of the outflow vessel of the gastric varices is occluded with a balloon, 10 to 20 mL of a 5% solution of ethanolamine olate with iopamidol (EOI) is injected into the gastric varices until their whole length had been visualized (Fig. 4a,b). Gastric varices usually disappear after 2 or 3 months (Fig. 4c). The long-term effectiveness of B-RTO for the treatment of risky gastric varices has been reported.13–15 In most reports, however, the indication for the B-RTO was prophylactic or elective cases, not acute bleeding. There are few reports about the efficacy of B-RTO for the treatment of patients with gastric variceal bleeding. So far as the authors are aware, there are four reports indicating the effectiveness of B-RTO as a secondary prophylaxis for gastric variceal bleeding (Table 2).15,45,46 According to these reports, the rate of re-bleeding from isolated fundic gastric varices is extremely low by B-RTO compared with that by a previous endoscopic treatment with cyanoacryl, over the longer term.

Patients referred in one pediatric and one adult facility for upp

Patients referred in one pediatric and one adult facility for upper GI endoscopy were included. Gastric biopsies were obtained in consecutive Helicobacter pylori-infected patients and age-matched negative controls for immunohistochemistry and electrophoresis mobility shift assay. Three age groups were defined: younger than 8 years, 8–17 years, and adults. Peptic ulcer disease was less frequent in children and less frequently associated with Helicobacter pylori infection. When comparing infected subjects to controls, densities of neutrophils and CD20 cells in the lamina propria increased in all

age groups, CD3 cells increasing only in patients older than 8 years and CD8 cells www.selleckchem.com/products/VX-809.html only in adults. NF-κB-p65-positive cells were also increased only in infected adults as well as NF-κB-binding activity. A positive correlation was found between age and densities of neutrophils and CD3, but not of Nutlin-3 research buy CD8 or CD20 cells. Peptic ulcer disease was less frequent in children and less frequently caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. The different clinical outcome of the infection in children can be the consequence of the lower mucosal immune

response. “
“Helicobacter pylori infection is a major risk factor for chronic gastritis, digestive ulcers, and gastric cancer. Previous studies have shown associations between H. pylori infection and decreased iron storage. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the associations between H. pylori

infection and serum iron and ferritin levels in Japan. Overall, 268 Japanese individuals who visited a clinic located in an urban area for H. pylori infection tests and subsequent MCE公司 eradication were enrolled. H. pylori infection was diagnosed by a 13C-urea breath test, with positive results defined as values ≥2.5‰. The overall infection rate was 65.3% (175/268). The geometric mean serum iron levels in uninfected and infected subjects were 115.7 μg/dL and 108.9 μg/dL, respectively, in men, and 83.9 and 91.8 μg/dL, respectively, in women. The geometric mean serum ferritin levels were 128.9 and 81.0 ng/mL, respectively, in men, and 25.5 and 27.0 ng/mL, respectively, in women. Regression analysis adjusted for age showed that lower geometric mean serum ferritin levels were significantly associated with H. pylori infection in men (131.8 vs 79.4 ng/mL p = .009) and in women (33.9 vs 23.4 ng/mL p = .041). The difference was greater in subjects ≥50 years old, although the interaction was not statistically significant. Helicobacter pylori infection was not significantly associated with serum iron levels. This study showed that H. pylori infection was significantly associated with altered serum ferritin levels in Japanese individuals, particularly in those aged ≥50 years.

PANDOLFINO Corresponding Author: YINGLIAN XIAO Affiliations: Firs

PANDOLFINO Corresponding Author: YINGLIAN XIAO Affiliations: First affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Northwestern University; Lyon l University Objective: Although

selleck esophageal motor disorders are associated with chest pain and dysphagia, there is little to no data to support a direct relationship between abnormal motor function and the generation of symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate whether new metrics derived for high resolution manometry are associated with symptom correlation. Methods: Consecutive patients without previous surgery referred for high resolution manometry (HRM) were enrolled. HRM was performed with 10 supine liquid swallows, 5 upright liquid swallows, 2 upright viscous and 2 upright solid swallows in every patient. All the patients were asked to evaluate their esophageal symptom for each upright swallows. Symptoms were graded on a 4 point likert score (0-none, 1-mild, 2-moderate, 3-severe). The individual liquid, viscous and solid swallow in the upright position with the maximal symptom score in each patient was selected for analysis. HRM metrics were compared

between groups with and without symptoms during the upright liquid protocol and the provocative protocols separately. Results: There were 269 patients with symptom scores recorded during the upright liquid swallows and 72 patients had a swallow symptom score of 1 or more. Among the 269 patients, there were Stem Cell Compound Library 116 patients who had symptom score recorded during 2 viscous swallows and 2 solid swallows. The HRM metrics were similar between swallows with and without associated symptoms in the upright swallows, viscous or solid MCE swallows. No correlation was noted between HRM metrics and symptom scores in

all different swallows types. Conclusion: Esophageal symptoms are not related to abnormal motor function defined by high-resolution manometry during liquid, viscous or solid bolus in the upright position. The role of visceral hypersensitivity, hypervigilance and psychosocial factors should be explored as potential primary generators and modifiers of symptoms. Key Word(s): 1. HRM; 2. esophagus; 3. motility disorder; Presenting Author: JAVAD MIKAELI Additional Authors: ARASH KAZEMI VEISARI, NARGES FAZLOLLAHI, NARGES MEHRABI, NARGES MEHRABI, HOSEIN ASL SOLEIMANI, RASOUL SOTOUDEHMANESH, MORTEZA KHATIBIAN, REZA MALEKZADEH Corresponding Author: JAVAD MIKAELI Affiliations: Digestive DiseaseResearchCenter; digestive DiseaseResearchCenter Objective: Idiopathic achalasia (IA) is a chronic motor disorder of esophagus. Botulinum toxin (BT) injection reduces lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure and alleviates symptoms in IA. Recently, Ethanolamine oleate (EO) has been introduced for treatment of achalasia. Aim: To compare the long-term efficacy of intrasphincteric BT and EO injections in treatment of IA patients. Methods: 220 IA patients were evaluated prospectively.

PANDOLFINO Corresponding Author: YINGLIAN XIAO Affiliations: Firs

PANDOLFINO Corresponding Author: YINGLIAN XIAO Affiliations: First affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Northwestern University; Lyon l University Objective: Although

Belnacasan price esophageal motor disorders are associated with chest pain and dysphagia, there is little to no data to support a direct relationship between abnormal motor function and the generation of symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate whether new metrics derived for high resolution manometry are associated with symptom correlation. Methods: Consecutive patients without previous surgery referred for high resolution manometry (HRM) were enrolled. HRM was performed with 10 supine liquid swallows, 5 upright liquid swallows, 2 upright viscous and 2 upright solid swallows in every patient. All the patients were asked to evaluate their esophageal symptom for each upright swallows. Symptoms were graded on a 4 point likert score (0-none, 1-mild, 2-moderate, 3-severe). The individual liquid, viscous and solid swallow in the upright position with the maximal symptom score in each patient was selected for analysis. HRM metrics were compared

between groups with and without symptoms during the upright liquid protocol and the provocative protocols separately. Results: There were 269 patients with symptom scores recorded during the upright liquid swallows and 72 patients had a swallow symptom score of 1 or more. Among the 269 patients, there were Gefitinib clinical trial 116 patients who had symptom score recorded during 2 viscous swallows and 2 solid swallows. The HRM metrics were similar between swallows with and without associated symptoms in the upright swallows, viscous or solid medchemexpress swallows. No correlation was noted between HRM metrics and symptom scores in

all different swallows types. Conclusion: Esophageal symptoms are not related to abnormal motor function defined by high-resolution manometry during liquid, viscous or solid bolus in the upright position. The role of visceral hypersensitivity, hypervigilance and psychosocial factors should be explored as potential primary generators and modifiers of symptoms. Key Word(s): 1. HRM; 2. esophagus; 3. motility disorder; Presenting Author: JAVAD MIKAELI Additional Authors: ARASH KAZEMI VEISARI, NARGES FAZLOLLAHI, NARGES MEHRABI, NARGES MEHRABI, HOSEIN ASL SOLEIMANI, RASOUL SOTOUDEHMANESH, MORTEZA KHATIBIAN, REZA MALEKZADEH Corresponding Author: JAVAD MIKAELI Affiliations: Digestive DiseaseResearchCenter; digestive DiseaseResearchCenter Objective: Idiopathic achalasia (IA) is a chronic motor disorder of esophagus. Botulinum toxin (BT) injection reduces lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure and alleviates symptoms in IA. Recently, Ethanolamine oleate (EO) has been introduced for treatment of achalasia. Aim: To compare the long-term efficacy of intrasphincteric BT and EO injections in treatment of IA patients. Methods: 220 IA patients were evaluated prospectively.

Randomized, controlled trials have thus far been negative New th

Randomized, controlled trials have thus far been negative. New therapeutic directions may be proposed selleck kinase inhibitor by investigating yet unexplored pathophysiologic processes. Tabibian et al. turned their attention to cellular senescence. Their results reveal that cholangiocytes of PSC patients express proteins and proinflammatory markers of senescence, in contrast to cholangiocytes of healthy controls. The researchers established an in vitro model of lipopolysaccharide-induced senescence of normal human cholangiocytes.

With this model, they could demonstrate induction of senescence in bystander cholangiocytes by senescent cholangiocytes. The researchers found that this senescence depends on N-ras and can be prevented by an N-ras inhibitor. These are provocative results. We are eager to know whether they can be translated into a benefit for patients with

PSC. (HEPATOLOGY; 2014;59:2263–2275.) The patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing JQ1 ic50 3 (PNPLA3) gene is a hot topic in hepatology. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) located in this gene has been consistently associated with progression of liver diseases, such as NASH, alcoholic liver disease (ALD), and CHC. This SNP has been associated with inflammation and fibrosis, two important features predisposing to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In order to investigate whether this PNPLA3 SNP is also associated with HCC, Trépo et al. performed a meta-analysis based on 2,503 European patients with cirrhosis. Methodologically, 上海皓元医药股份有限公司 they were able to access the individual participant data. Their results indicated an association between the PNPLA3 SNP and HCC. The association was stronger in patients with ALD, but also significant in patients with CHC after adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index. However, the magnitude of the association is not sufficient to provide a biomarker for HCC surveillance based on this SNP. That said, the mechanism should be further investigated, especially for a gene whose function is still controversial. (HEPATOLOGY; 2014;59:2170–2177.) Transplantation is an excellent option for eligible patients with

HCC. These recipients are cured from the tumor and from cirrhosis. With the implementation of surveillance programs, more and more patients with HCC are listed. Wong et al. used the United Network for Organ Sharing registry to provide accurate numbers and proportions over a decade. From 2002 to 2012, the number of patients transplanted for HCC increased 10-fold, which represents a percentage increase from 3% to 23%. Not surprisingly, HCV was the leading etiology. NASH was the second etiology, but it was the most rapidly growing indication. It is only a matter of time for NASH to become the leading cause of HCC in transplanted patients, which is likely to come sooner with the development of new treatments against HCV. (HEPATOLOGY; 2014;59:2188–2195.

A single metered

A single metered Enzalutamide intranasal spray of 1.5 mg mL−1 in each nostril is appropriate for an

adult. For an individual with a body weight of less than 40 kg, a single dose in one nostril is sufficient. (Level 4) [[35, 36]] Although the intranasal preparation is available, some patients find it difficult to use and it may be less efficacious than when given subcutaneously. As a result of its antidiuretic activity, water retention and hyponatremia can be a problem. When repeated doses are given, the plasma osmolality or sodium concentration should be measured. (Level 4) [ [28, 37] ] In most adults, hyponatremia is uncommon. Due to water retention, DDVAP should be used with caution in young children and is contraindicated in children under 2 years of age who are at particular BMN 673 cost risk of seizures secondary to

cerebral edema due to water retention. (Level 4) [ [38, 39] ] There are case reports of thrombosis (including myocardial infarction) after infusion of DDAVP. It should be used with caution in patients with a history, or who are at risk, of cardiovascular disease. (Level 4) [[33]] Tranexamic acid is an antifibrinolytic agent that competitively inhibits the activation of plasminogen to plasmin. It promotes clot stability and is useful as adjunctive therapy in hemophilia and some other bleeding disorders [40]. Regular treatment with tranexamic acid alone is of no value in the prevention of hemarthroses in hemophilia. (Level 4) [ [40] ] It is valuable, however, in controlling bleeding from skin and mucosal surfaces (e.g., oral bleeding, epistaxis, menorrhagia). (Level 2) [ [41-43] ] Tranexamic acid is particularly valuable

in the setting of dental surgery and may be used to control oral bleeding associated with eruption or shedding of teeth. (Level 4) [ [42, 44] ] Tranexamic acid is usually given as an oral tablet three to four times daily. It can also be given by intravenous MCE公司 infusion two to three times daily, and is also available as a mouthwash. Gastrointestinal upset (nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea) may rarely occur as a side effect, but these symptoms usually resolve if the dosage is reduced. When administered intravenously, it must be infused slowly as rapid injection may result in dizziness and hypotension. A syrup formulation is also available for pediatric use. If this is not available, a tablet can be crushed and dissolved in clean water for topical use on bleeding mucosal lesions. Tranexamic acid is commonly prescribed for 7 days following dental extractions to prevent postoperative bleeding. Tranexamic acid is excreted by the kidneys and the dose must be reduced if there is renal impairment to avoid toxic accumulation. The use of tranexamic acid is contraindicated for the treatment of hematuria as its use may prevent dissolution of clots in the ureters, leading to serious obstructive uropathy and potential permanent loss of renal function.

If switching between abstract rules, and the reconfiguration it e

If switching between abstract rules, and the reconfiguration it engenders in both

stimulus and response sets, is cortically mediated, PD should only be associated with switching deficits in the presence of cortical dysfunction (HY stage II), but not when it might be assumed to be generally limited to the striatum (HY stage I). Second, we aimed to validate our hypothesis concerning the sensitivity of the rule reconfiguration manipulation to cortical involvement in task switching by including a group of patients A-769662 cost with frontal lesions which spare the basal ganglia. Although neuropsychological and imaging studies have dissociated to some extent frontal contributions to components of cognitive control (e.g., Brass et al., 2005; Braver et al., 2003; Wylie, Javitt, & Foxe, 2004; Yeung et al., 2006), the current neuropsychological investigation is the first,

to our knowledge, to address this issue as a function of whether reconfiguration in the rule that maps stimuli to responses determines cortical involvement. AP24534 Based on previous findings of impaired abstract rule switching in cortically compromised stage II but not hypothetically cortically intact stage I PD patients (Kehagia et al., 2009), frontal patients were predicted to show SC deficits only when response rule reconfiguration is required on a switch of task, that is, only with abstract rules, but not when switching between concrete rules governing attentional selection where MCE公司 the superordinate rule that maps a task-relevant stimulus to a response remains unchanged. Such a finding in

patients with frontal cortical damage and intact basal ganglia would strengthen the claim that switching between abstract rules is a paradigm sensitive to frontal cortical deficits in PD. Third, we addressed whether disease severity also differentiates task switching impairments with concrete naming rules known to be l-dopa responsive. Previous dopaminergic withdrawal studies using naming rules have been inconsistent in that they have shown that dopaminergic medication can either ameliorate PD switching deficits to control levels (Cools et al., 2003) or simply temper them (Cools et al., 2001a), and deficits have also been reported in a large group of medicated patients, that is, despite medication (Cools et al., 2001b). In this case, the efficacy of pharmacotherapy may depend not only on the degree of the neurochemical deficit, but also on the functional integrity of the neural substrate targeted by the pharmacotherapeutic regime, that is, the basal ganglia and their connections to cortex. Thus, we investigated how disease severity at these early HY stages, that represent differential degrees of nigrostriatal and cortical neuronal loss, impacts on the cognitive remediation effects conferred by dopa-therapy.

41 It has been proposed that SIRT1 functions as an enzymatic rheo

41 It has been proposed that SIRT1 functions as an enzymatic rheostat of circadian function, transducing signals originated by cellular metabolites to the circadian clock. Furthermore, a specific genetic disruption of the nuclear receptor corepressor 1 (Ncor1) and HADC3, which is activated by Ncor1, leads to aberrant regulation

of clock genes and abnormal circadian behavior.42 In turn, the oscillatory expression pattern of several metabolic genes is disrupted, leading to alternations in energy metabolism. Similarly, our findings show that as a subunit of the chromatin-remodeling complexes, BAF60a alters the local chromatin environment of Bmal1 and G6Pase promoters from a repressive to an active state. Knockdown of BAF60a in the

liver disrupts the rhythmic expression patterns of both click here clock and metabolic genes. Our findings extend the current recognition of the epigenetic regulation of circadian and metabolic physiology and highlight Adriamycin the importance of BAF60a, perhaps plus other SWI/SNF family members, in this process. Last but not least, RORα and RORγ are expressed differently in central and peripheral tissues. RORα mRNA levels are higher than RORγ and are under circadian regulation in the SCN, whereas RORγ is the predominant ROR class protein and shows circadian oscillation in the liver. The peak of the oscillation in each tissue roughly coincides with the peak in Bmal1 mRNA levels.43 This brings concerns to our findings showing that BAF60a coactivates RORα, but not RORγ, to regulate transcriptional activity of the Bmal1 promoter. One possible explanation for this paradox is that, in contrast to the normal liver tissue, HepG2 cells we used in our experiments have more abundant mRNA expression of RORα than that of RORγ (data not shown)

and thus establish some distinct regulative pathways in which RORα plays a dominant role. Second, even though RORγ oscillates robustly and serves as the major regulator of Bmal1 transcription in the liver, the coactivation of RORα with BAF60a may provide a nonredundant complementary mechanism for the regulation of circadian oscillators by RORγ. A growing body of epidemiological and experimental 上海皓元医药股份有限公司 evidence indicates that circadian clock system disruption is detrimental to metabolic homeostasis, yet the precise underlying mechanisms involved remain unknown. In this context, misregulation of key genes of gluconeogenesis, fatty acid β-oxidation, and mitochondrial respiration, as observed in the mice with liver-specific BAF60a knockdown, may constitute one factor contributing to metabolic imbalance in individuals chronically exposed to abnormal circadian cycle conditions, such as shift workers and cabin crews. In conclusion, we have identified that BAF60a, a novel circadian regulator, links clock signals to liver metabolic physiology (Fig. 7). We thank Drs. J. Goldstein and B.

10% of patients were immediately discharged; however, if predicti

10% of patients were immediately discharged; however, if predictive variables obtained in the multivariate analysis had been used, hospitalization could have been prevented in 34% of patients. A total of 77 patients were included in the prospective analysis. Although only 19.5% of patients were immediately discharged without complications, 29 patients (37.7%) were theoretically suitable for early discharge. Conclusions:  Patients with UGIB who have clean-based ulcers and are stable on admission

can be safely discharged immediately after endoscopy. Implementation of the clinical practice guideline safely reduced hospital admission for those patients. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding Selleckchem MAPK Inhibitor Library (UGIB) is a common indication for hospitalization, with 50 to 150 cases per 100 000 inhabitants each year, and high morbidity and mortality rates.1 Peptic ulcer is the most frequent cause of UGIB, representing at Opaganib in vitro least 50% of cases.2 Mortality from UGIB remains between 5% and 10%, although the outcome is favorable in most patients with only medical treatment and observation.1 As a current standard of care, most physicians still indicate hospital admission of all patients

with UGIB, regardless of etiology and the severity of the hemorrhage. This decision simplifies clinical practice but increases hospitalization rates and increases costs and the length of stay, obviously negatively influencing patient care.3 Stratifying individual cases into a low-risk subset could be invaluable when deciding on an appropriate hospital. Numerous investigators have called for the development of a composite scoring system using clinical and endoscopic features to predict risk of persistent or recurrent bleeding.3 We

have previously developed guidelines that accurately identified patients with low-risk of bleeding in the acute phase of UGIB.4 Variables associated with unfavorable evolution were systolic blood pressure ≤ 100 mmHg, heart rate ≥ 100 bpm and high-risk lesions assessed using the Forrest classification. In the present study, we prospectively measured the risks, benefits and acceptability (compliance) medchemexpress of a clinical practice guideline recommending early discharge (based on previously developed risk assessment strategy) for patients with UGIB who were considered low-risk for subsequent re-bleeding. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to validate prospectively a retrospectively designed clinical practice guideline and to know if the implementation of this guideline could reduce hospital length of stay while maintaining or improving quality of care compared with previous standard practice. The practice guideline was derived from a 3-year retrospective analysis of all UGIB episodes evaluated in our hospital.

Thus the present study was initiated to investigate whether miR-1

Thus the present study was initiated to investigate whether miR-152 are aberrantly regulated by the HCV core protein, and involved in the regulation of the aberrant proliferation of HCV-HCC cells. Methods: MiR-152 levels were examined by stem-loop real-time RT-PCR (SLqRT-PCR).

Cell proliferation was analyzed by MTT and colony formation assay. Cell cycle analysis was performed by propidium iodide staining. A luciferase reporter assay was conducted to confirm miRAN-target association. Wnt1 expression was determined by real-time qPCR and Western blotting. Results: HCV core protein significantly suppressed miR-152 expression, and led to significant Wnt1 up-regulation with a concomitant aberrantly promoted proliferation. Moreover, we validated that

selleckchem miR-152 inhibition promoted, while miR-152 mimics inhibited cell proliferation. Using a luciferase activity assay, FQ-PCR and Silmitasertib concentration western blot, Wnt1 was identified as a target of miR-152 in HepG2 cells. Most notably, salvage expression of miR-152 after AdHCV core infection into the HepG2 cells for 24h almost totally reversed the proliferation-promoting effect of the HCV core protein, and meanwhile, reduced the expression of both Wnt1 mRNA and protein to basal levels. Conclusion: These findings provide important evidence that the reduced miR-152 expression by HCV core protein over-expression can lose an inhibitory effect on Wnt1, which might, at least partially lead to cell proliferation of liver cancer cells. MiR-152 may have a therapeutic potential to suppress liver cancer proliferation. Keywords: miR152; Wnt1; cell proliferation; cell cycle; HCV core Disclosures: The following people have nothing to disclose: Huang S. Feng, Yan Xie, Yang Ping, Chen Pu, Zhang L. Ping MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionary conserved small noncoding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression. Numerous studies have reported the key

role of miRNAs in development, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and tumor biology. However, the implication of miRNAs in liver development is not fully understood. 上海皓元 By using an experimental model developed by our group that allows the induced and controlled differentiation of mouse fetal hepatoblasts (MFHs) into mature hepatocytes, we identified miR-148a as a hepatospecific miRNA highly expressed in adult liver. The main finding of our study revealed that miR-148a was critical for hepatic differentiation via the direct targeting of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 1, a major enzyme responsible for epigenetic silencing, thereby allowing the promotion of the “adult liver” phenotype. It was also confirmed that the reduction of DNMT1 by RNA interference significantly promoted the expression of the major hepatic biomarkers. In addition to the essential role of miR-148a in hepatocyte maturation, we identified its beneficial effect through the repression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell malignancy.