Professor Giulio Marchesini, Elisabetta Bugianesi, Giampaolo Bianchi, Andrea Fabbri, Elisabetta Marchi, Marco Zoli, Emilio Pisi – 1 July 1992 – A block in the transsulfuration pathway has previously been suggested in cirrhosis on the basis of increased fasting methionine concentrations, decreased methionine elimination and low levels of methionine end products. To date, methionine elimination has never been studied under controlled steady‐state conditions, and the relation of the severity of liver disease to impaired methionine metabolism has not been clarified.

Elliott Larson – 1 July 1992

Maria Cascales, Paloma Martin‐Sanz, Alberto Alvarez, Miguel Sanchez‐Pérez, Carmen Diez Fernández, Lisardo Boscá – 1 July 1992 – Hepatocytes isolated from the liver of rats after a necrotizing dose of thioacetamide (6.6 mmol/kg) were used to study the postnecrotic process of liver regeneration. Flow cytometry analysis revealed populations of dedifferentiated hepatocytes exhibiting physical properties (size and fluorescence emission at 530 nm) similar to those found in fetal (22 days old) liver cells.

Greg Fitz – 1 July 1992 – In rat hepatocytes, basolateral Na+‐H+ exchange and Na+‐HCO3− cotransport function as acid extruders. To assess mechanisms of acid loading, intracellular pH (pHi) recovery from an alkaline load was analyzed in short‐term cultured rat hepatocyte monolayers using the pH‐sensitive dye BCECF. Electrophysiological techniques were also used to assess the role of the membrane potential (Vm). Cells were alkaline loaded by suddenly reducing external CO2 and HCO3− (from 10% and 50 mM, respectively, to 5% and 25 mM) at constant pH.

1 July 1992

Steven D. Lidofsky, Nathan M. Bass, Marie C. Prager, Denna E. Washington, Alexandra E. Read, Teresa L. Wright, Nancy L. Ascher, John P. Roberts, Bruce F. Scharschmidt, John R. Lake – 1 July 1992 – Cerebral edema and intracranial hypertension, commonly present in fulminant hepatic failure, may lead to brainstem herniation and limit the survival of comatose patients awaiting liver transplantation before a donor organ becomes available. Also, they are likely responsible for postoperative neurological morbidity and mortality.

Peter M. Price, Ranjit Banerjee, Alan M. Jeffrey, George Acs – 1 July 1992 – The carbocyclic analog of deoxyguanosine inhibits hepatitis B virus replication by greater than 95% in the hepatitis B virus‐producing cell line (2.2.15) as monitored by decreases of secreted hepatitis B virus DNA, hepatitis B virus polymerase activity and intracellular episomal hepatitis B virus DNA. Transcription of hepatitis B virus RNA from chromosomally integrated hepatitis B virus DNA was unaffected.

Marlies Otter, PETRA Žočková, Johan Kuiper, Theo J. C. Van Berkel, Marrie M. Barrett‐Bergshoeff, Dingeman C. Rijken – 1 July 1992 – Various studies have shown that mannose receptors rapidly eliminate glycoproteins and microorganisms bearing high mannose–type carbohydrate chains from the blood circulation. The purpose of this study was to characterize the mannose receptor in the liver, which in vivo is involved in the rapid clearance of tissue‐type plasminogen activator from the circulation.

Marios Z. Panos, John V. Anderson, Nadia Payne, Peter Langley, Jeremy D. H. Slater, Lesley Rees, Roger Williams – 1 July 1992 – Measurements of plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations at 8 AM showed raised levels in 21 patients with cirrhosis and ascites (10.5 ± 0.8 pmol/L) compared with levels in 10 age‐matched controls (4.1 ± 0.64 pmol/L; p < 0.0001). In eight patients and 10 controls, atrial natriuretic peptide, plasma renin activity, plasma aldosterone and urinary sodium excretion were measured every 4 hr for 24 hr.

Luigi Barbara, Giovanna Benzi, Stefano Gaiani, Fabio Fusconi, Gianni Zironi, Sebastiano Siringo, Alessandra Rigamonti, Carlotta Barbara, Walter Grigioni, Alighieri Mazziotti, Luigi Bolondi – 1 July 1992 – We analyzed the growth pattern of tumor masses and the survival of 39 asymptomatic Italian patients with a total of 59 small (⩽ 5 cm in diameter) hepatocellular carcinomas arising from cirrhosis. The total length of the observation period ranged from 90 to 962 days, with an average of 364 ± 229 (mean ± S.D.).