Li‐Jun Mi, Jaygonda Patil, William E. Hornbuckle, Paul J. Cote, John L. Gerin, Bud C. Tennant, Fiorenzo Paronetto – 1 July 1994 – We analyzed the DNA ploidy and the nuclear size of hepatocytes within hepatocellular carcinoma, putative preneoplastic (clear cell and basophilic foci) and adjacent non‐neoplastic liver in 30 woodchucks neonatally infected with the woodchuck hepatitis virus. In livers from control woodchucks, in clear cell foci and in most chronic portal hepatitis, the hepatocytes were diploid, with less than 10% tetraploid cells.

Kenji Ikeda, Satoshi Saitoh, Isao Koida, Akihito Tsubota, Yasuji Arase, Kazuaki Chayama, Hiromitsu Kumada – 1 July 1994 – To elucidate the detectability of small hepatocellular carcinoma by various imaging modalities, we performed digital subtraction angiography, computed tomographic arterioportography and carbon dioxide‐enhanced ultrasonography. Of 76 patients with a small hepatocellular carcinoma of 2 cm or less in maximum diameter, 61 underwent digital subtraction angiography, computed tomographic arterioportography and enhanced ultrasonography at the same time.

Haruhiko Kobashi, Kazuhide Yamamoto, Toshifumi Yoshioka, Minoru Tomita, Takao Tsuji – 1 June 1994 – Neonatally thymectomized mice are unique in that they are prone to organ‐specific autoimmune diseases. We investigated whether autoimmune cholangitis could be induced in these mice when they were immunized with biliary antigens. Neonatally thymectomized A/J mice were immunized with porcine intrahepatic bile duct epithelial cells (group 1), porcine gallbladder epithelial cells (group 2), porcine splenocytes (group 3) or Freund's adjuvant (group 4).

Raymond S. Koff – 1 June 1994

1 June 1994

Gary L. Davis, Johnson Y.‐N. Lau, Mickie S. Urdea, Paul D. Neuwald, Judith C. Wilber, Karen Lindsay, Robert P. Perrillo, Janice Albrecht – 1 June 1994 – To determine the optimal conditions for preparation of serum specimens for quantitative hepatitis C virus RNA determination, patient samples were processed such that differences in time from clot formation to centrifugation, centrifugation to separation of serum and collection of serum until freezing could be independently assessed. The effects of multiple cycles of freezing and thawing were also determined.

1 June 1994

Andres T. Blei, Sigurdur Olafsson, Guy Therrien, Roger F. Butterworth – 1 June 1994 – Brain edema, leading to intracranial hypertension and brain herniation, is a major cause of death in fulminant liver failure. Astrocyte swelling is a prominent neuropathological feature in experimental fulminant liver failure. It has been postulated that the osmotic effects of glutamine, generated in astrocytes from ammonia and glutamate in a reaction catalyzed by glutamine synthetase, could mediate brain swelling.

Erwin Regoeczi, Paul A. Chindemi, Wei‐Li Hu – 1 June 1994 – The bile contains small quantities of lactoferrin, the origin of which is uncertain. For this reason, we studied the liver's capability of transferring lactoferrin from the plasma to the bile by injecting a dose (10 to 20 μg/100 gm) of labeled bovine lactoferrin intravenously and following its appearance in bile over 3 hr. Whether diferric or iron free, lactoferrin peaked in the bile 35 min after administration (i.e., the same time as bovine lactoperoxidase and diferric rat transferrin).

Meng‐Lun Liu, Wendy M. Mars, Reza Zarnegar, George K. Michalopoulos – 1 June 1994 – Hepatocyte growth factor and transforming growth factor‐α are two well‐known hepatomitogens for primary hepatocyte cultures. Here we report that these two growth factors also stimulate in vivo DNA syntheses in normal, unoperated, adult rat liver after 24‐hr continuous intraportal infusion. As determined by an immunohistochemical staining technique, 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine incorporation was increased in a dose‐dependent fashion after infusion of up to 10 μg of growth factor/100 gm body weight in the rat.