Michael F. Kestell, John Sekijima, Sum P. Lee, Han Z. Park, Michelle Long, Eric W. Kaler – 1 December 1992 – Calcium salts are often present in the center of all types of gallstones. Matrix proteins are known to be essential for biomineralization and may therefore also be important in the formation and growth of gallstones. Other researchers have described an anionic peptide fraction of a biliary lipoprotein complex in bile and a low—molecular weight acidic glycoprotein present in gallstones.

Chu Chieh Hsia, Ritva P. Evarts, Harushige Nakatsukasa, Elizabeth R. Marsden, Snorri S. Thorgeirsson – 1 December 1992 – Proliferation of a new population of epithelial cells with distinct structure, as well as cytokeratin and α‐fetoprotein expression, was observed in nonneoplastic liver tissues from 14 cases (13 hepatitis B virus—positive) of human hepatocellular carcinoma. These cells were characterized by oval nuclei; scant, pale cytoplasm; small cell size; and cross‐reaction with a monoclonal antibody against rat oval cells.

Ethel Macintosh, Tony Gauthier, Norman Pettigrew, Gerald Minuk – 1 December 1992 – There are conflicting data regarding the ability of the liver to regenerate after partial hepatectomy in animals and humans with cirrhosis. The purpose of this study was to document liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in a carbon tetrachloride rat model of cirrhosis and to determine whether exogenous putrescine, a polyamine that has been reported to stimulate liver regeneration in animal models of acute liver failure, enhances regenerative activity in cirrhosis.

J. Donald Ostrow – 1 December 1992

Wilhelm G. Doos – 1 December 1992

Ignacio Landa, Javier Arias, Manuel Gómez, Manuel Quadros, Ana Moreno, José Luis Balibrea – 1 December 1992 – To evaluate the possible cytoprotective effect of somatostatin in hepatic ischemic reperfusion injury we used 75 adult male Wistar rats randomly separated into four groups. The rats in group 1 underwent sham operations, and those in group 2 underwent resection of the median and left lateral lobes. The rats in group 3 underwent a 90‐min period of ischemia of the right lateral lobe, which we induced by temporarily occluding the right portal vein and the hepatic artery.

Jean‐Paul Briand, Chantal Andre, Nadine Tuaillon, Laurence Herve, Jean Neimark, Sylviane Muller – 1 December 1992 – Antimitochondrial autoantibodies are present in sera from close to 95% of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. The so‐called primary biliary cirrhosis‐specific antigen, named M2, was found to be associated with an enzyme complex of the inner mitochondrial membrane and, more precisely, with the E2 component, dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase, of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.

Olivier Soubrane, Alain Braillon, Han‐Chieh Lin, Gerhardt Kleber, Didier Lebrec – 1 December 1992 – Because superior mesenteric arterial blood flow is increased in portal hypertension and plays a role in elevated portal pressure, mechanical reduction of artery diameter should induce decreases in portal pressure and superior mesenteric arterial blood flow. In this study, calibrated superior mesenteric artery stenosis (induced with a 22‐gauge needle) was performed in rats simultaneously with portal vein stenosis or 2 wk after creation of portal vein stenosis.

Caryn M. Berkowitz – 1 December 1992 – A novel feedback regulatory mechanism operating on transcription of the albumin gene is described in the rat. In 1946, it was proposed that circulating colloids, including serum albumin, may affect the synthesis and/or secretion of albumin in the liver. The molecular basis for this proposed regulation has now been inves tigated by adding oncotically active macromolecules to the circulation of normal or genetically albumin‐deficient Nagase analbuminemic rats (NAR) and analyzing the hepatic expression of genes, including albumin after 24 h.

William G. Rector – 1 December 1992