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CU team finds likely culprit behind liver problems linked to intravenous feeding
Researchers know that feeding some patients intravenously can save their lives – but also can cause liver damage. Now scientists at the University of Colorado and Children's Hospital Colorado have figured out the likely culprit, one of the ingredients in intravenous food, behind the liver problems. The discovery, published Oct. 9 in Science Translational Medicine, could point the way to better treatments for patients who are medically vulnerable and, often, very young.

They found that one derivative of soy – called stigmasterol – appeared to prevent the flow of bile from the liver in experimental mice. They also figured out the chemical mechanism behind that problem, and found that microbes in the gut appeared to contribute to PNALD as well. Eurekalert!