Y Niwa, M Matsumura, Y Shiratori, M Imamura, N Kato, S Shiina, T Okudaira, Y Ikeda, T Inoue, M Omata – 1 June 1996 – To analyze gene expression of α‐fetoprotein (AFP) and albumin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), messenger RNAs (mRNAs) of these proteins in six human hepatoma cell lines and in 30 cases of HCC were quantitatively analyzed by competitive reverse transcription (RT) followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

F Farinati, R Cardin, A D'Errico, N De Maria, R Naccarato, A Cecchetto, W Grigioni – 1 June 1996 – Hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐ and hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐related liver damage is linked to an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, but the mechanisms underlying hepatitis C viral activity are not known. We therefore compared hepatocellular proliferative activity in chronic C virus‐related hepatitis and in liver damage of other etiology. Hepatocyte proliferation rate was investigated in 56 patients with chronic hepatitis using the Ki67 MIB1 monoclonal antibody in archival material.

H Schlossberg, Y Zhang, L Dudus, J F Engelhardt – 1 June 1996 – The expression of the immediate early genes (IEGs) c‐fos and e‐jun have been hypothesized to potentially play key roles in mediating cellular responses following injury to the liver. In this study, we sought to evaluate the potential involvement of c‐jun and c‐fos as determinants either of cellular regeneration or programmed cell death following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in mouse liver. To this end, we have analyzed the in situ messenger RNA (mRNA) expression patterns of c‐jun and c‐fos following lobar I/R in mouse liver.

H Shinozuka, T Ohmura, S L Katyal, A I Zedda, G M Ledda‐Columbano, A Columbano – 1 June 1996 – A single intravenous injection of lead nitrate (LN) to rats induces liver cell proliferation without causing cell necrosis (direct hyperplasia). We suggested that liver cell proliferation in this model may be triggered by the induction of liver tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α).

A Serizawa, S Nakamura, S Suzuki, S Baba, M Nakano – 1 June 1996 – Although platelet‐activating factor (PAF) is implicated as an important mediator in the pathogenesis of hepatic ischemia‐reperfusion (IR) injury, the precise mechanism of its action has not been studied.

K Nakazono, Y Ito, C H Wu, G Y Wu – 1 June 1996 – We have shown that antisense oligonucleotides can be targeted to hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐infected cells, resulting in specific inhibition of viral protein synthesis and replication in vitro. The targeting system was based on the internalization of DNA complexes by highly selective receptors for galactose‐terminal glycoproteins, asialoglycoproteins, on the surface of hepatocytes. Our objective in this study was to determine whether antisense DNA could be targeted to hepatocytes to prevent subsequent infection by HBV.

M I Guillen, M J Gomez‐Lechon, T Nakamura, J V Castell – 1 June 1996 – Our study addressed the role of the human hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a potent mitogen for mature rat and human hepatocytes, in the regulation of specific hepatic genes. The experimental evidence obtained in primary cultured human hepatocytes indicates that HGF regulates the synthesis of plasma proteins in a dose‐response fashion.

K Houglum – 1 June 1996

B H Davis, A Chen – 1 June 1996

1 June 1996