Question 1
What is the role of the normal intestinal bacterial flora?
◦ Metabolizing bile salts, estrogens, and lipids
◦ Breaking down proteins into amino acids
◦ Facilitating the motility of the colon
◦ Metabolizing aldosterone and insulin
Question 2
How are Kupffer cells best described?
◦ Natural killer cells that produce interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)
◦ Contractile and therefore capable of regulating the sinusoid blood flow
◦ Bactericidal and therefore central to innate immunity
◦ Able to metabolize estrogen, progesterone, and androgens