F Mion, A Géloén, E Agosto, Y Minaire – 1 March 1996 – In animal models, conflicting results on the effect of cirrhosis on glucose metabolism have been reported. The use of various toxins as well as differences in experimental protocols may be responsible for these controversial data. However, differences may be also be explained by the fact that glucose metabolism has been evaluated following different time intervals after cessation of the toxic injury.

P Pellinen, F Stenback, A Kojo, P Honkakoski, H V Gelboin, M Pasanen – 1 March 1996 – The effects of daily cocaine administration for up to 14 days were studied in terms of hepatic morphology and the expression of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in the mouse liver. Daily intraperitoneal doses of 60 mg/kg of cocaine for 3 days induced severe hepatocellular necrosis in the pericentral zone and decreased activities of CYP1A2, CYP2A4/5, and CYP2Cx.

T Körner, J Kropf, R Hackler, A Brenzel, A M Gressner – 1 March 1996 – In a preliminary study, we demonstrated a strong association between the concentration of the glycoprotein fibronectin (FN) in human bile fluid and the presence of malignant biliary diseases. We now present the results of measurements of total FN (tFN) and cellular FN (cFN) within a larger group of 71 patients. Bile fluid was collected during routine endoscopic retrograde cholangiography or by transhepatic puncture, respectively, from patients admitted for examination/treatment of biliary obstruction.

E Mawet, Y Shiratori, Y Hikiba, H Takada, H Yoshida, K Okano, Y Komatsu, M Matsumura, Y Niwa, M Omata – 1 February 1996 – To clarify the role of intercellular communication in the liver during accumulation of neutrophils, the release of cytokine‐induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC) (interleukin‐8 [IL‐8] related protein in rodents) by hepatocytes was investigated in the presence of Kupffer cell‐conditioned medium in vitro.

M Sasaki, T Morita, M Hoso, Y Nakanuma, H Tanimura – 1 February 1996 – We investigated whether carbohydrate antigens on biliary glycoproteins and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) are related to hepatolithiasis.

D A Brenner – 1 February 1996

M Guido, S N Thung – 1 February 1996

K Ogasawara, J Uchino, Y Une, Y Fujioka – 1 February 1996 – Portal vein embolization has been used recently to decrease the amount of the liver to be resected and to enhance the function of the remaining hypertrophied lobes. We have observed a strong contact destructivity of absolute ethanol and used it for portal vein embolization. The present study was performed to produce hepatic hypertrophy and to show histopathologic changes that follow ethanol embolization of rat liver.

T E Miettinen, Y A Kesaniemi, H Gylling, H Jarvinen, E Silvennoinen, T A Miettinen – 1 February 1996 – Human bile and cholesterol gallstones contain sterols including methylated (lanosterol and other dimethyl and monomethyl sterols), and demethylated cholesterol precursor sterols (Δ 8‐lathosterol, lathosterol, and desmosterol), plant sterols (campesterol and sitosterol), and cholestanol.

P Angeli, G Albino, P Carraro, M D Pria, C Merkel, L Caregaro, E De Bei, A Bortoluzzi, M Plebani, A Gatta – 1 February 1996 – The aim of the study was to define the features, prevalence, and pathophysiology of therapy for muscle cramps in cirrhotic patients. The first protocol study included 294 cirrhotic patients and 194 age‐ and sex‐matched controls. Controls were defined as inpatients or outpatients without any clinical and laboratory evidence of liver disease. Features and prevalence of muscle cramps were defined on the basis of a standard questionnaire.