Predictors of patient and graft survival following liver transplantation for hepatitis C

Michael Charlton, Eric Seaberg, Russell Wiesner, James Everhart, Rowen Zetterman, John Lake, Katherine Detre, Jay Hoofnagle – 30 December 2003 – End‐stage liver disease secondary to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the leading indication for liver transplantation in the United States. Recurrence of HCV infection is nearly universal.

Determinants of the selection of phosphatidylcholine molecular species for secretion into bile in the rat

Wayne W. LaMorte, Michael L. Booker, Susannah Kay – 30 December 2003 – Certain phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecular species appear to be secreted into bile preferentially, but the mechanism for this selection remains obscure. We used multivariate analysis to examine the relationship between PC structure and the odds of secretion for individual PC species secreted into bile. PC was isolated from Folch extracts of bile and liver from rats, and individual molecular species of PC were quantified with reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Incidence and clinical consequences of surface and polymerase gene mutations in liver transplant recipients on hepatitis B immunoglobulin

Norah A. Terrault, Shuan Zhou, Robert W. McCory, Timothy L. Pruett, John R. Lake, John P. Roberts, Nancy L. Ascher, Teresa L. Wright – 30 December 2003 – Mutations in the “a” determinant of the surface gene have been associated with failure of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIg) prophylaxis.

DNA ribonucleases that are active against intracellular hepatitis B viral RNA targets

Yasuhiro Asahina, Yoshinori Ito, Catherine H. Wu, George Y. Wu – 30 December 2003 – DNA ribonucleases directed against direct repeat 1 (DR1) and polyadenylation signal regions of hepatitis B virus (HBV) messages were prepared with phosphorothioate modifications and varying arm lengths. DNA ribonucleases modified throughout the entire molecule and in the target binding arms were completely protected from degradation after incubation with serum. DNA ribonuclease modified only at the 5′ and 3′ termini remained 92.9% intact after incubation.

Characterization of a sodium‐dependent transport system for butyrobetaine into rat liver plasma membrane vesicles

Simona Berardi, Bruno Stieger, Sandra Wächter, Brigitte O'Neill, Stephan Krähenbühl – 30 December 2003 – Butyrobetaine transport into the liver was studied using isolated rat hepatocyte plasma membrane vesicles. In the presence of a sodium chloride gradient, an overshoot could be observed, indicating active sodium‐dependent transport. A similar overshoot was recorded in the presence of lithium, but not of potassium, cesium, or choline chloride.

Peptidase activities of the multicatalytic protease in rat liver after voluntary and intragastric ethanol administration

Terrence M. Donohue, Rowen K. Zetterman, Zhi‐Qi Zhang‐Gouillon, Samuel W. French – 30 December 2003 – Ethanol consumption slows down the rate of hepatic protein catabolism. The present study was conducted to determine whether ethanol consumption, given by voluntary (pair) feeding or by intragastric administration, affected the peptidase activities of the proteasome in rat liver. Rats were pair‐fed liquid diets containing either ethanol or isocaloric maltose‐dextrin.

Selective inhibition of hepatic collagen accumulation in experimental liver fibrosis in rats by a new prolyl 4‐hydroxylase inhibitor

Martin Bickel, Karl‐Heinz Baringhaus, Martin Gerl, Volkmar Günzler, Jiri Kanta, Ludwig Schmidts, Michael Stapf, Georg Tschank, Klaus Weidmann, Ulrich Werner – 30 December 2003 – Fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver are often the result of chronic liver damage by a variety of different agents. Pathological accumulation of collagen, disruption of the lobular structure, and impaired hepatocellular function frequently lead to systemic involvement and fatal complications.

Accurate separation of biliary lipid aggregates requires the correct intermixed micellar/intervesicular bile salt concentration

Joanne M. Donovan, Audrey A. Jackson – 30 December 2003 – The intermixed micellar/intervesicular bile salt (BS) concentration (IMC), composed of BS monomers and simple micelles, is in dynamic equilibrium with mixed micelles and vesicles. Accurate separation of biliary lipid aggregates is believed to depend on accurately measuring the IMC. Using centrifugal ultrafiltration, we measured the IMC of cholesterol‐supersaturated model biles that were physiologically composed.

Subscribe to