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Article: Small intestine controls bile output.(Liver Disease)
- Article from:
- USA TODAY
- Article date:
- October 1, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Society for the Advancement of Education. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The discovery that the small intestine communicates with the liver to control the production of bile acids is a finding that has great medical implications in treating people at risk for certain types of liver disease, declare researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.
"We've discovered a new hormone, and new hormones are always exciting," announces Steven Kliewer. The findings eventually may play a role in understanding and preventing liver damage that can occur in biliary cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and pregnancy.
The central elements in the research are the body's bile acids--powerful and ...