They simulated the human digestive process by subjecting the tissue to treatment with the same digestive fluids they would encounter inthe intestinal tract.
The functioning liver breaks down sugar for energy and produces bile, a fluid released into thedigestivetract that aids in digestion, as a normal liver does.
While it might be tempting to try to reduce your own risk by popping these over-the-counter pain relievers, known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the researchers sound a note of caution: The pills can cause bleeding in your digestivetract.
The gold-standard bariatric surgery is called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, in which surgeons both shrink the stomach and reroute thedigestivetract to bypass a portion of the intestines.
One in eight admissions to general hospitals inthe UK are for gut conditions and diseases, and almost one in four main operations within general hospitals are performed on thedigestivetract.
Mr Clifford said he last spoke to Socrates at the end of the summer when the former Brazil captain was released from hospital after suffering from bleeding in his digestivetract.