Publications by authors named "Hongkun Lu"

Background: Ethanol metabolism is intimately linked with the physiological and behavioral aspects of ethanol consumption. Ethanol is mainly oxidized by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) to acetaldehyde and further to acetate via aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs). Understanding how ethanol and its metabolites work together to initiate and drive continued ethanol consumption is crucial for identifying interventions for alcohol use disorder (AUD).

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Background: Ethanol metabolism is intimately linked with the physiological and behavioral aspects of ethanol consumption. Ethanol is mainly oxidized by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) to acetaldehyde and further to acetate via aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs). Understanding how ethanol and its metabolites work together to initiate and drive continued ethanol consumption is crucial for identifying interventions for alcohol use disorder (AUD).

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Alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects millions of people worldwide, causing extensive morbidity and mortality with limited pharmacological treatments. The liver is considered as the principal site for the detoxification of ethanol metabolite, acetaldehyde (AcH), by aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) and as a target for AUD treatment, however, our recent data indicate that the liver only plays a partial role in clearing systemic AcH. Here we show that a liver-gut axis, rather than liver alone, synergistically drives systemic AcH clearance and voluntary alcohol drinking.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined livers from 45 patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis (SAH) and found high levels of IgG and IgA antibodies linked to liver cell damage.
  • Antibodies extracted from SAH livers showed the ability to kill liver cells and recognized specific human proteins not found in healthy livers or livers affected by other diseases.
  • The research identified cross-reacting autoantibodies in SAH that target common cellular components, which is unique compared to antibodies from livers with other conditions.
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The liver plays an important role in both metabolism and immunity. Disruption of the hepatic immune microenvironment is closely associated with various liver diseases. To gain a better understanding of how different types of immune cells contribute to the progression of liver diseases, it is crucial to thoroughly characterize hepatic immune cells.

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The liver can fully regenerate after partial resection, and its underlying mechanisms have been extensively studied. The liver can also rapidly regenerate after injury, with most studies focusing on hepatocyte proliferation; however, how hepatic necrotic lesions during acute or chronic liver diseases are eliminated and repaired remains obscure. Here, we demonstrate that monocyte-derived macrophages (MoMFs) were rapidly recruited to and encapsulated necrotic areas during immune-mediated liver injury and that this feature was essential in repairing necrotic lesions.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the presence and role of antibodies in the livers of patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis (SAH), finding substantial deposition of IgG and IgA antibodies in affected liver tissues.
  • Antibodies extracted from SAH livers demonstrated the ability to kill liver cells in specific tests, indicating their pathogenic potential, unlike antibodies found in the patients' serum.
  • Unique autoantigens were identified in SAH livers, suggesting that cross-reactive anti-bacterial antibodies may play a part in the progression of severe alcoholic hepatitis, distinct from other liver diseases.
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Objective: The current treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to block angiogenesis and immunosuppression provides some benefits only for a subset of patients with HCC, thus optimised therapeutic regimens are unmet needs, which require a thorough understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which tumour cells orchestrate an inflamed tumour microenvironment with significant myeloid cell infiltration. MicroRNA-223 (miR-223) is highly expressed in myeloid cells but its role in regulating tumour microenvironment remains unknown.

Design: Wild-type and miR-223 knockout mice were subjected to two mouse models of inflammation-associated HCC induced by injection of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) or orthotopic HCC cell implantation in chronic carbon tetrachloride (CCl)-treated mice.

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In this research, hemicellulose contents of 78 wood meal samples of Acacia spp trees grown in Guangxi and another 33 wood meal samples of Acacia spp trees grown in Fujian were measured by wet chemistry. NIR spectra were also collected by a Bruker MPA spectrometer within 4 000-12 500 cm(-1) of wavenumbers using a standard sample cup. Equations were developed using partial least squares (PLS) regression and cross validation for multivariate calibration in this study.

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