M. H. A. Bemelmans, D. J. Gouma, J. W. Greve, W. A. Buurman – 1 June 1992 – The putative role of the cytokines interleukin‐6 and tumor necrosis factor in the pathophysiology of the complications and mortality after surgery in jaundiced patients was studied in a murine model. Cytokine serum levels were determined in mice with experimental biliary obstruction. As an indicator of the activation status of macrophages, cytokine release by mononuclear phagocytes obtained from such mice was assessed.

Akira Kaneko, Norio Hayashi, Hirohito Tsubouchi, Yuji Tanaka, Toshifumi Ito, Yutaka Sasaki, Hideyuki Fusamoto, Yasushi Daikuhara, Takenobu Kamada – 1 June 1992 – Human hepatocyte growth factor is a newly discovered substance that stimulates DNA synthesis in vitro. In this study, we examined intracellular Ca2+ movement as one of the second messengers for human hepatocyte growth factor in primary‐cultured hepatocytes. The addition of hHGF induced Ca2+ oscillation, but the frequency of oscillations varied from cell to cell.

Harold O. Conn – 1 June 1992

1 June 1992

Samuel S. Lee, E. Lisa Chilton, Jung‐Min Pak – 1 June 1992 – To explore a possible role for adenosine in the pathogenesis of the splanchnic hyperemia of cirrhosis, we administered 8‐phenyltheophylline, a specific adenosine receptor antagonist, to rats with biliary cirrhosis caused by bile duct ligation and to control shamoperated rats. Micro‐Doppler flow studies showed that a 10‐μmol/kg dose of 8‐phenyltheophylline completely abolished the superior mesenteric hyperemic response to infusions of exogenous adenosine in both cirrhotic and control rats.

Annick Bingen, Jean‐Pierre Martin, François Klein, Marcia Pessah – 1 June 1992 – A mouse hepatitis virus‐3 strain subcultured in our laboratory is a unique experimental model in which to study virus‐induced liver steatosis. This strain produces massive lipid deposition not only in sensitive adult BALB/c mice but also (though less extensive) in virus‐resistant adult A/J mice.

Graham L. Kaye, P. Aiden McCormick, Sebastiano Siringo, Kenneth E. F. Hobbs, Neil McIntyre, Andrew K. Burroughs – 1 June 1992 – Esophageal staple transection effectively controls acute variceal bleeding, but up to 50% of these patients will have recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding. In our experience, most of these bleeding episodes are caused by total or partial circumferential ulceration at the level of the staple transection: staple line erosion. It caused rebleeding in 29 (40%) of our patients.

William J. Sandborn, George M. Lawson, Ruud A. F. Krom, Russell H. Wiesner – 1 June 1992 – This study compares the hepatic‐tissue cyclosporine concentrations in liver biopsy specimens from patients with and without cellular rejection after orthotopic liver transplantation. Nine patients without cellular rejection were studied, including five patients receiving intravenous cyclosporine who had biopsies on posttransplant day 7 and four patients receiving oral cyclosporine who had biopsies on day 21.

Stefan Krähenbühl, Sonja Krähenbühl‐Glauser, Jörg Stucki, Peter Gehr, Jürg Reichen – 1 June 1992 – Mitochondrial and cytosolic functions were studied in vivo and in perfused livers from rats with secondary biliary cirrhosis induced by bile duct ligation for 5 wk and in sham‐operated controls. The livers were stereo‐logically analyzed, and mitochondrial and cytosolic functions were related to liver structure. Oxygen consumption by perfused livers expressed per stereo‐logically determined mitochondrial volume was decreased by 49% in bile duct—ligated rats compared with control rats.

Kenneth S. Zaret – 1 June 1992 – We have identified the liver‐regulating protein (LRP), a cell surface protein involved in the maintenance of hepatocyte differentiation when cocultured with rat liver epithelial cells (RLEC). LRP was defined by immunoreactivity to a monoclonal antibody (mAb L8) prepared from RLEC. mAb L8 specifically detected two polypeptides of 85 and 73 kD in immunoprecipitation of both hepatocyte‐ and RLEC‐iodinated plasma membranes.