Carole Oddoux, Gerd Grieninger – 1 March 1994 – In all vertebrate species studied, the complex, disulfide‐linked structure of fibrinogen is essentially the same: a hexamer assembled from three different subunits (Aα, Bß,γ)2. This study utilized species differences in fibrinogen subunit monomer pools to address the question of how these surplus subunit pools may affect the assembly process. We used a chicken model system in which Bß and γ‐subunits are present in excess, in contrast to the Aα and γ‐subunit surplus found in human model systems.

Masahiko Morita, Yoshifumi Watanabe, Toshihiro Akaike – 1 February 1994 – We investigated the effect of inflammatory cytokines on the intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 expression on primary cultured murine hepatocytes. Tumor necrosis factor‐α, interferon‐γ and interleukin‐1α up‐regulated the intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 expression on hepatocytes in a dose‐dependent fashion; however, interleukin‐6 did not. On the basis of kinetic analysis, the expression level reached a peak 24 hr after stimulation, and both cycloheximide and actinomycin D inhibited the expression.

Lawrence A. Saperstein, Randy L. Jirtle, Marwan Farouk, Hugh J. Thompson, Kyung S. Chung, William C. Meyers – 1 February 1994 – These studies investigate the role of transforming growth factor‐β1, a potent inhibitor of epithelial cell proliferation and stimulator of extracellular matrix biosynthesis, during intrahepatic bile duct hyperplasia and biliary fibrosis. These pathogenic responses were induced in rats by common bile duct ligation. Bile duct cell replication, measured by the bromodeoxyuridine labeling index, was significantly increased 24 hr after common bile duct ligation.

Neven Ljubičic̀, Ante Bilic̀, Branko Kopjar – 1 February 1994 – Ascitic fluid opsonic activity and ascitic fluid C3 concentrations are important protective factors against spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. This randomized controlled study was performed to compare the effect of diuretic administration alone vs. single large‐volume therapeutic paracentesis followed by administration of diuretics on ascitic fluid opsonic activity and on ascites and serum immunoglobulin and complement concentrations in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and tense ascites.

Ehoud Shmueli, Murray Stewart, K. George, M. M. Alberti, Christopher O. Record – 1 February 1994 – Cirrhosis is characterized by paradoxical growth hormone secretion in response to glucose and insulin infusion. To ascertain whether this abnormality contributes to insulin resistance, euglycemic hyperinsulinemic glucose clamps were performed on six patients with cirrhosis and six normal control subjects.

Florence Wong, Peter Liu, Sheldon Tobe, Gilles Morali, Laurence Blendis – 1 February 1994 – In patients with cirrhosis a diminished effective central arterial blood volume associated with systemic arterial vasodilatation has been proposed as the mechanism that initiates renal sodium retention. Furthermore, total central blood volume has recently been reported as reduced in cirrhosis, and the controversy over the stimulus for sodium retention in cirrhosis remains.

Mikihiro Tsutsumi, Sachio Urashima, Akira Takada, Takayasu Date, Yujiro Tanaka – 1 February 1994 – Hepatitis C virus is a positive single‐strand RNA virus distantly related to flaviviruses. Therefore RNA replicase, an RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase, may be essential for the replication of hepatitis C virus, as well as other RNA viruses. In this study we synthesized the recombinant polypeptide (HCV‐NS5 antigen) with a 576 bp cDNA encoding a part of the NS5 region of the HCV genome that has the Gly‐Asp‐Asp motif. The antibody against this polypeptide was obtained from rabbit serum.

1 February 1994

Giorgio Ballardini, Paolo Groff, Lucilla Badiali de Giorgi, Detlef Schuppan, Francesco B. Bianchi – 1 February 1994 – The presence of desmin is used to identify Ito cells in rat liver and to evaluate the purity of separated and cultured Ito cells. Heterogeneity of the normal Ito cell population has been suggested; this could include variations in the content of cytoskeletal components. For these reasons we decided to reevaluate the use of desmin staining as a phenotypical marker of Ito cells in normal rat liver.

Hari S. Conjeevaram, Kevin D. Mullen, Elizabeth J. May, Arthur J. McCullough – 1 February 1994 – Alterations in behavior are frequently described in rats subjected to portacaval shunt. Previous work has reported reduced spontaneous motor activity in various settings (nighttime, red light, decreased illumination) in this animal model.