Preface -- Contents -- About the Editors -- About the Authors -- Section-I: Liver Diseases: Mediators and Regulation -- 1. Collagen Gene Regulation in the Hepatic Stellate Cell -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Molecular mechanisms controlling collagen synthesis -- 3. Mediators influencing collagen expression in HSCs -- 4.Posttranscriptional regulation of type I collagen expression -- References -- 2. CYP2E1-Biochemical and Toxicological Aspects and Role in Alcohol-induced Liver Injury -- 1. Introduction -- 2. CYP2E1 -- 3. CYP2E1 and alcohol-induced liver injury -- 4. Biochemical and toxicological properties of CYP2E1 in HEPG2 cells -- 5. Future perspectives -- References -- 3. Alcohol and Methyl Transfer: Implications for Alcohol-related Hepatocarcinogenesis -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Alcohol-related hepatocarcinogenesis: A multi-step process -- 3. Mechanisms of alcohol toxicity (see Chapter 3 by Cederbaum) -- 4. Lipotropes as a target of alcohol toxicity -- 5. SAMe for chemoprevention in hepatocarcinogenesis -- 6. Conclusion -- References -- 4. Methionine Adenosyltransferase and S-adenosylmethionine in Liver Health and Disease -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Historical perspective -- 3. Hepatic methionine metabolism -- 4. MAT genes and enzyme isoforms -- 5. Abnormalities of MAT in liver disease -- 6.Mechanisms of altered MAT gene expression in liver cirrhosis and cancer -- 7. SAMe as control switch in maintaining normal liver function -- 8. Importance of MAT and SAMe in liver disease-lessons learned from the MAT1A null mice -- 9. Concluding remarks -- References -- 5. Acetone Metabolism in the Liver: Two Approaches to the Same Phenomenon -- 1. Introduction and history -- 2. Metabolic pathways for acetone and role of liver -- 3. Effects of acetone on biotransformation of xenobiotics -- 4. Summary of clinical implications.

5. Possible pathophysiological role(s) of acetone biodegradation: two approaches to the same phenomenon -- 6. Conclusion, perspectives and unanswered questions -- References -- 6. Oxidative Stress and Liver Fibrosis: From Liver Injury to Modulation of Cell Signalling and Response -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Oxidative stress, liver fibrosis, and chronic liver diseases: major concepts -- 3. Major consequences of oxidative stress generation in relation to liver fibrosis and its progression -- 4. Antioxidants: a possible tool to support conventional therapy for CLDs to reduce fibrosis progression? -- 5. Concluding remarks -- References -- 7. Role of Nitric Oxide in Liver Disorders -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Nitric oxide and hepatic fibrosis -- 3. Nitric oxide and hyperdynamic circulation -- 4. Nitric oxide and paracetamol-induced liver injury -- 5. Nitric oxide, and liver inflammation and septic shock -- 6. Nitric oxide and hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury -- 7. Role of nitric oxide in hepatocellular carcinoma -- 8. Nitric oxide effects on mitochondria and other organelles -- 9. Concluding remarks -- References -- 8. Renin-Angiotensin System and Liver Fibrosis -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Angiotensin II and liver fibrosis -- 3. Angiotensin II and angiogenesis -- 4. Angiotensin II and TIMP-1 -- 5. Conclusions -- References -- Section-II: Immunological Basis of Liver Injury -- 9. Cell and Molecular Mechanisms in the Development of Chronic Liver Inflammation -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Triggering hepatic inflammation -- 3. Trafficking and retention of inflammatory cells in the liver and role of hepatic endothelium -- 4. Role of cholangiocytes and hepatocytes during inflammation -- 5. Regulation of hepatic stellate cell function and survival -- 6. Potential targets for therapeutic intervention -- References -- 10. Role of Activated Macrophages in Liver Disease.

1. Introduction -- 2. Markers of macrophage activation -- 3. Mechanisms of monocyte and Kupffer cell activation -- 4. Liver injury by MC- and KC-secreted mediators -- 5. Conclusions and future directions -- References -- 11. Basis for Immune Recognition of Cellular Targets in Primary Biliary Cirrhosis -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Cellular targets in PBC -- 3. Antigenic targets in PBC -- 4. Models of PBC -- 5. Infectious agent as basis of immune recognition of cellular targets in PBC? -- References -- 12. Cross Talk of Hepatocytes and Nonparenchymal Liver Cells in Physiology and Pathology: Monoxides and Eicosanoids -- 1. Nitric oxide in normal and diseased liver -- 2. Role of heme oxygenase and carbon monoxide in liver function -- 3. Eicosanoids in liver physiology and pathobiology -- References -- 13. Activity of Cytokines in Chronic HCV Infection and Influence of Antiviral Drugs -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Role of IL-1 in HCV infection -- 3. Implication of IL-12 in HCV infection -- 4. Role of IL-18 in HCV infection -- 5. Synergy of cytokines in activation of apoptosis -- 6. Significance of Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes in HCV infection -- 7. Role of IL-2 in HCV infection -- 8. Significance of IL-15 in hepatitis C infection -- 9. IFN-γ activity in HCV infection -- 10. Role of IL-4 in HCV infection -- 11.Influence of HCV infection on IL-6 concentration -- 12. Activity of other cytokines in HCV infected patients -- References -- 14. Role of Chemokines in Liver Pathophysiology -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Alcoholic liver disease -- 3. Ischemia-reperfusion injury -- 4. Transplant rejection -- 5. Viral hepatitis -- 6. Other causes of liver inflammation -- 7. Liver cancer -- 8. Angiogenesis -- 9. Liver regeneration -- 10. Chemokines and the biliary system -- 11. Liver fibrosis -- 12. Conclusions -- References.