X K Zhang, T Gauthier, F J Burczynski, G Q Wang, Y Gong, G Y Minuk – 1 March 1996 – Changes in potential differences (PD) across hepatocyte membranes after partial hepatectomy may play an important role in hepatic homeostatic mechanisms and regenerative activity. To date, few studies have attempted to describe the extent and duration of such changes. In the present study, we documented PD values immediately before and for a 24‐hour period after a partial hepatectomy (PHx) of 70% in healthy adult rats.

L M Colletti, S L Kunkel, A Walz, M D Burdick, R G Kunkel, C A Wilke, R M Strieter – 1 March 1996 – The liver is highly susceptible to a number of pathological insults, including ischemia/reperfusion injury. We have previously employed an animal model of hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury, and have shown that this injury induces the production and release of hepatic‐derived tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α), which mediates, in part, local liver injury following hepatic reperfusion.

J F Fleckenstein, S M Frank, P J Thuluvath – 1 March 1996 – Autonomic neuropathy (AN) is seen in both alcohol‐induced and non‐alcohol‐induced liver disease, and when present is an independent predictor of mortality. We postulated that patients who were awaiting liver transplantation are likely to have a high prevalence of autonomic neuropathy with an associated increase in mortality. To test our hypothesis, we evaluated the presence of autonomic neuropathy using a battery of tests in 33 patients awaiting liver transplantation and prospectively followed them to determine their prognosis.

J Kato, K Hasegawa, N Torii, K Yamauchi, N Hayashi – 1 March 1996 – To identify the mechanisms of viral persistence in patients with chronic hepatitis B after the acquisition of anti‐hepatitis B surface antigen antibodies (antiHBs), we serially analyzed the nucleotide sequence of the envelope region in a cohort of infected patients. Four patients with histological diagnoses of chronic hepatitis B who had at least 5 years of observance by our hospital staff were studied.

Nancy L. Ascher – 1 March 1996

John P. McVicar, Kris V. Kowdley, Carlos E. Bacchi, Darlene Barr, Christopher L. Marsh, James D. Perkins, Robert L. Carithers – 1 March 1996 – Focal rejection involves less than 20% of portal tracts in liver allograft biopsy results. The clinical significance of “focal” rejection on protocol liver biopsy results is unknown. The purpose of this study was to prospectively determine the incidence of clinically significant rejection in patients with focal rejection after orthotopic liver transplantation. Biopsy specimens from 165 consecutive transplantations in 149 patients were analyzed.

M Iwai, T Shimazu – 1 March 1996 – Effects of electrical stimulation of the hepatic nerves on acute liver damage were examined using isolated rat liver perfused in situ, 24 hours after intraperitoneal injection with D‐galactosamine (800 mg/kg). The leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) from the liver was used as markers of acute liver damage.

M Ott, S G Gupta – 1 March 1996

Y Haruna, K Saito, S Spaulding, M A Nalesnik, M A Gerber – 1 March 1996 – Intermediate filament proteins have been reported to be expressed in a cell lineage‐specific manner during morphogenesis. We studied the expression of cytokeratin (CK)14, CK19, and vimentin and of the hepatocyte‐specific HepPar1 antigen during the development of human liver.

Jean Vix, Philippe Compagnon, Jean‐Paul Beller, Daniel Jaeck, Philippe Wolf, Karim Boudjema – 1 March 1996 – The introduction of University of Wisconsin solution has made liver transplantation a semi‐elective procedure. However, many studies have suggested that cold storage must not exceed 12 hours to avoid ischemic‐type biliary complications, to reduce the incidence of primary nonfunction and to improve graft and patient survival. The aim of this study was to compare the function of livers transplanted as soon as possible after the liver was harvested and those preserved overnight.