Hani M. Rashed, Hui Sun, Tarun B. Patel – 1 April 1993 – To investigate whether atrial natriuretic factor regulates the growth of hepatocytes and to determine the receptor subtype involved in such modulation, we studied the effect of atrial natriuretic factor 103–126 and clearance receptor binding analogs of atrial natriuretic factor, (des‐(Q116, S117, G118, L119, G120) atrial natriuretic factor 102–121 and des‐(C105,121) atrial natriuretic factor 104–126) on growth of human hepatoblastoma cells.

Mei Mao‐Hua, An Wei, Zhang Bao‐Hong, Shao Qing, Gong De‐Zheng – 1 April 1993 – Hepatic stimulator substance was extracted from the liver of weanling Sprague‐Dawley rats according to the method of LaBrecque. Quang‐Ming mice were injected with carbon tetrachloride to induce acute liver failure. Hepatic stimulator substance suppressed the elevation of ALT and AST induced by carbon tetrachloride in a dose‐dependent manner.

Koshilya Rijhsinghani, Ho‐Soon H. Choi, Leroy A. Burton, Fiorenzo Paronetto, Nicola Tavoloni – 1 April 1993 – Recent studies have suggested that hepatic stem cells may be involved in at least some forms of liver epithelial growth. To obtain further information on this controversial hypothesis, we treated rats with lead nitrate to induce liver growth and identified the cells undergoing early DNA synthesis by bromodeoxyuridine immunohistochemistry, using both light and electron microscopic detection methods.

1 April 1993

Renée E. Poupon, Yves Chrétien, Raoul Poupon, Gustav Paumgartner – 1 April 1993 – Serum bile acid levels and distributions were studied every 6 mo in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis who were randomly assigned to receive ursodeoxycholic acid (13 to 15 mg/kg/day) (n = 73) or a placebo (n = 73) over a 2‐yr period. In the ursodeoxycholic acid group, ursodeoxycholic acid was the predominant serum bile acid at 6 mo and throughout the 2‐yr treatment period.

Zoltán Spolarics, John J. Spitzer – 1 April 1993 – Glucose use and pentose cycle activity were determined in freshly isolated rat hepatic endothelial cells 3 hr after an intravenous injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (0.1 mg/kg body weight), by use of (1‐14C)glucose, [6‐14C]glucose and [2‐H]glucose. Lipopolysaccharide treatment in vivo increased glucose use fivefold, whereas glucose oxidation in the pentose cycle was elevated from 0.2 to 1.5 nmol/hr/107 cells.

Ke‐Xin Liu, Yukio Kato, Masayo Yamazaki, Osamu Higuchi, Toshikazu Nakamura, Yuichi Sugiyama – 1 April 1993 – To examine whether a decrease in hepatic uptake, clearance or both of hepatocyte growth factor contributes to increased plasma hepatocyte growth factor levels, we kinetically analyzed hepatic hepatocyte growth factor handling using rats with carbon tetrachloride–induced liver injury in both in vivo and perfused liver systems.

Kenneth B. Camacho, Carol A. Casey, Robert L. Wiegert, Michael F. Sorrell, Dean J. Tuma – 1 April 1993 – The time‐course effects of long‐term ethanol administration on fluid‐phase endocytosis were studied in isolated rat hepatocytes. Rats were pair‐fed an ethanol‐supplemented liquid diet or an isocaloric control diet for 3 days, 1 wk, 2 wk or 5 wk. Hepatocytes were isolated and incubated at 37° C with various concentrations of the fluid‐phase marker Lucifer yellow.‐Net internalization of the marker dye was determined.

Nezam H. Afdhal, Dahai Gong, Niu Niu, Bradley Turner, J. Thomas Lamont, Gwynneth D. Offner – 1 April 1993 – The aims of this study were to examine the effect of exogenous prostaglandin on mucin secretion and to determine the role of nonmucin glycoproteins on gallstone formation in the prairie dog model of cholesterol cholelithiasis.

Katrina M. Dipple, Mona Qulali, Ruth Ann Ross, David W. Crabb – 1 April 1993 – We studied the effect of thyroxine on alcohol dehydrogenase activity, immunoreactive protein levels and messenger RNA levels in the livers of thyroidectomized and sham‐operated male rats. Effects on kidney alcohol dehydrogenase activity were also examined. Shamoperated rats injected with 100 μg thyroxine/kg/day, which induced hyperthyroidism, showed a 30% decrease in liver and a 40% decrease in kidney alcohol dehydrogenase activity compared with sham‐operated rats injected with vehicle.