A Honda, S Shefer, G Salen, G Xu, A K Batta, G S Tint, M Honda, T C Chen, M F Holick – 1 August 1996 – The Smith‐Lemli‐Opitz syndrome is a common inherited birth disorder caused by markedly reduced 7‐dehydrocholesterol δ7‐reductase activity, the final enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway. BM 15.766 (4‐[2‐[1‐(4‐chlorocinnamyl)piperazin‐4‐yl]ethyl]‐benzoic acid) inhibits 7‐dehydrocholesterol delta 7‐reductase activity, reduces plasma cholesterol levels, and increases 7‐dehydrocholesterol levels to reproduce the biochemical abnormalities of the syndrome in rats.

S Sakisaka, K Gondo, M Yoshitake, M Harada, M Sata, K Kobayashi, K Tanikawa – 1 August 1996 – Immunoglobulin A (IgA) in bile plays an important role in preventing the biliary tract from infection. In the present study, to clarify the functional differences between hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells (BEC) in handling polymeric IgA2 (pIgA2), the major and important IgA in bile, we have determined in different species the binding characteristics of 125I‐labeled pIgA2 to tissue sections of human, rat, and guinea pig livers.

G Xu, G Salen, M Lea, G S Tint, L B Nguyen, A K Batta, T S Chen, S Shefer – 1 August 1996 – The conversion of 7‐dehydrocholesterol to cholesterol is the last reaction in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway catalyzed by the microsomal enzyme, 7‐dehydrocholesterol‐delta 7‐reductase. We studied whether malignant tumor growth that depends on cholesterol could be slowed by inhibiting late cholesterol biosynthesis.

1 August 1996

F von Weizsäcker, S Wieland, H E Blum – 1 August 1996 – The hepatitis B virus (HBV) nucleocapsid consists of 240 viral core proteins that are arranged in a highly symmetrical structure, HBV replication can only take place inside intact nucleocapsids. In the present study, we investigated whether genetically engineered core mutants can inhibit viral replication by interfering with the formation of intact nucleocapsids. Using the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) model, a series of core protein mutants was generated.

C N van der Veere, M Sinaasappel, A F McDonagh, P Rosenthal, P Labrune, M Odiévre, J Fevery, J Otte, P McClean, G Bürk, V Masakowski, W Sperl, A P Mowat, G M Vergani, K Heller, J P Wilson, R Shepherd, P L Jansen – 1 August 1996 – This study represents a multicenter survey on the management of patients with Crigler‐Najjar syndrome (CNS) type 1. The aim of the survey was to find guiding principles for physicians in the care of these patients. Fifty‐seven patients were included. At the time of inclusion, 21 patients had received a liver transplant (37%).

M Masuhara, M Yasunaga, K Tanigawa, F Tamura, S Yamashita, I Sakaida, K Okita – 1 August 1996 – Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and transforming growth factor α (TGF‐α) stimulate liver regeneration, whereas transforming growth factor β 1 (TGF‐β 1) inhibits it in rats. However their significance in human liver diseases, especially in severe acute liver injury, remains unclear. We studied HGF, TGF‐α, and TGF‐β 1 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in the livers of patients with live diseases using a competitive reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.

K Kogure, Y Zhang, M Kanzaki, W Omata, T Mine, I Kojima – 1 August 1996 – When 1 μg 125I‐follistatin was administered into a rat intravenously, radioactivity levels in serum decreased rapidly. Analysis with a biexponential equation showed that the initial half‐ life and the terminal half‐life were 4.0 and 130.8 minutes, respectively. After 2 hours of infusion, approximately 9% of the follistatin infused remained in the liver, which was much more than that in kidney, spleen, pancreas, intestine, or lung.

U Eckhardt, J A Horz, E Petzinger, W Stüber, M Reers, G Dickneite, H Daniel, M Wagener, B Hagenbuch, B Stieger, P J Meier – 1 August 1996 – The peptidomimetic thrombin inhibitor CRC 220, 4‐methoxy‐2,3,6‐trimethylphenylsulfonyl‐L‐aspartyl‐D‐4‐amidinop henylalanyl‐ piperidide, is taken up into isolated rat hepatocytes through active, carrier‐mediated transport. This uptake is inhibited by bile acids. Functional expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes was performed to identify the transport system responsible for the hepatocellular CRC 220 uptake. Injection of poly(A)+RNA in X.

D T Wong – 1 August 1996