Giorgio La Villa, Donato Riccardi, Chiara Lazzeri, Vincenzo Casini Raggi, Antonio Dello Sbarba, Cristina Tosti Guerra, Caterina Fronzaroli, Marco Foschi, Giacomo Laffi, Paolo Gentilini – 1 December 1995 – Patients with cirrhosis and ascites have high plasma levels of atrial (ANP) and brain (BNP) natriuretic peptides, two cardiac hormones released by the atria and ventricles, respectively.

Elji Miyoshi, Yoshito Ihara, Atsushi Nishikawa, Hiroyuki Saito, Naofumi Uozumi, Norio Hayashi, Hideyuki Fusamoto, Takenobu Kamada, Naoyuki Taniguchi – 1 December 1995 – N‐acetylglucosaminyltransferases III and V (GnT‐III and ‐V) are key enzymes in the synthesis of the branches of asparagine‐linked oligosaccharides. Although their messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are expressed in various rat tissues, they are not detected in normal rat liver. Expression of the GnT‐III and ‐V mRNAs, however, increased in regenerating liver after two‐thirds partial hepatectomy compared with sham‐operated rats.

Kunio Okuda – 1 December 1995

1 December 1995

S. Hyder Hussaini, Stephen P. Pereira, Gerard M. Murphy, R. Hermon Dowling – 1 December 1995 – Little is known about the effects of biliary deoxycholic acid on the partitioning of biliary cholesterol between vesicles and micelles and on the rate of nucleation of cholesterol microcrystals, key steps in gallstone formation. Therefore, 43 samples of fresh gallbladder bile were obtained from a heterogeneous group of patients with and without stones.

Gerardo Nardone, Irene A. Ferber, Laurence J. Miller – 1 December 1995 – Cholesterol gallstone disease and obesity are common and often associated disorders that could be affected by dysfunction of the receptor for cholecystokinin (CCK). Extending earlier studies that identified a defect at the level of receptor‐G protein coupling in cholesterol gallstone disease, we characterized the primary structure of the gallbladder CCK receptor in patients undergoing a cholecystectomy.

Irmin Sternlieb, Nelson Quintana, Irene Volenberg, Michael L. Schilsky – 1 December 1995 – In an attempt to identify the cellular targets of copper toxicity, we studied the ultrastructure of hepatocytes in the livers of 23 Long‐Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rats ranging in age from 10 to 89 weeks. The hepatic copper concentration ranged from 325 to 2,126 (mean, 930) μg/g dry weight. Thirteen rats displayed varying degrees of jaundice at the time of killing. Numerous nuclei were indented by cytoplasmic invaginations. Conspicuous abnormalities were displayed by mitochondria.

Geoffrey M. Dusheiko, Jennifer A. Roberts – 1 December 1995 – The aim of this study is to assess the long‐term economic impact of treatment of chronic hepatitis B and C with interferon alfa. Estimates were made of the progression of the disease over a 30‐year period using a transitional probability model. Cohorts of 1,000 hypothetical patients with either chronic hepatitis B or C treated with interferon alfa were compared with an untreated cohort. The costs were estimated for therapy, monitoring, and treatment of the disease, including transplantation.

Sook Ping Lim, Fiona Jane Andrews, Paul Edmond O'Brien – 1 December 1995 – Studies into the mechanism of acetaminophen (APAP)‐induced hepatotoxicity have focused mainly at the hepatocellular level. This study aimed to investigate the effect of acetaminophen on the hepatic microvasculature using a vascular casting technique. Acetaminophen was administered at a dose of 650 mg/kg body weight (intraperitoneally) to fasted male Long Evans rats. Microvascular casting was performed at various points after drug administration.

1 December 1995