1 May 1991

Mahmoud F. Sakr, Giorgio M. Zetti, Tarek I. Hassanein, Hassan Farghali, Michael A. Nalesnik, Judith S. Gavaler, Thomas E. Starzl, David H. Van Thiel – 1 May 1991 – The effect of FK 506 on regeneration of the liver was studied in rats after a two‐thirds partial hepatectomy after 60 min of ischemia of the unresected liver. The animals were divided into three distinct groups of 10 rats each. Group 1 (controls) received 0.5 ml saline solution intravenously 30 min after the induction of ischemia.

Hai‐Jiang Cai, Chong‐Lun Xie, Qi Chen, Xiu‐Ying Chen, Yue‐Hua Chen – 1 May 1991 – We found that the binding of 125I‐low‐density lipoprotein to fetal liver low‐density lipoprotein receptor rose progressively with the increase in fetal age. During this period, total cholesterol and low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol levels in fetal serum declined significantly. The correlation coefficients between fetal age and concentration of serum total cholesterol and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol were −0.80 (p < 0.001) and −0.77 (p < 0.001), respectively.

Walid E. Khalbuss, Robert Wondergem – 1 May 1991 – This study examined the role of hepatocyte calcium and cytoskeleton in activation of hyposmotic stress‐induced increases in hepatocyte transmembrane potential and control of cell volume. Hepatocyte transmembrane potential was measured by glass microelectrodes in mouse liver slices before and after exposure to hyposmotic medium. Hepatocytes were loaded with tetramethylammonium by briefly exposing liver slices to nystatin, a cation poreforming antibiotic.

Sadhana Prakash, Arnold E. Postlethwaite, David J. Wyler – 1 May 1991 – Schistosomiasis is the main cause of hepatic fibrosis worldwide, yet its pathogenesis remains unknown. We previously reported that conditioned medium from cultures of hepatic egg granulomas (isolated from mice acutely infected with Schistosoma mansoni) can stimulate fibroblast proliferation and matrix production in vitro. We have proposed that initiation of hepatic fibrosis in this infection might be under the control of granuloma‐derived cytokines.

Bruce A. Runyon, Mainor R. Antillon – 1 May 1991 – Ascitic fluid pH and lactate concentration have been proposed as useful tests for the detection of ascitic fluid infection. However, past studies involved small numbers of infected patients, and all did not use optimal culture techniques.

Hey‐Chi Hsu, Tzyy‐Jen Chiou, Jen‐Yang Chen, Chu‐Shue Lee, Po‐Huang Lee, Shian‐Yang Peng – 1 May 1991 – To determine the clonal evolution of hepatocellular carcinoma, the integrated hepatitis B virus DNA patterns of the main tumor, satellites and/or metastatic lesions were analyzed by Southern‐blot hybridization in 28 hepatocellular carcinomas, including three HBsAg‐seronegative cases. Unicentric or multicentric hepatocellular carcinoma was confirmed by histopathological criteria in 89% of the cases.

Marion Peters, John Vierling, M. Eric Gershwin, David Milich, Francis V. Chisari, Jay H. Hoofnagle – 1 May 1991

Christophe Gaudin, Alain Braillon, Jorge Luis Poo, Gerhard Kleber, Richard Moreau, Didier Lebrec – 1 May 1991 – During a hemodynamic study, plasma catecholamine concentrations were measured in the pulmonary artery and in the hepatic vein in 18 presinusoidal portal hypertensive patients. Results were compared with those in 15 nonportal hypertensive subjects and in 24 cirrhotic patients in good condition (grade A, according to Pugh's classification).

Tohru Kimura, Fuminori Moriyasu, Toshihiko Kawasaki, Hitoshi Someda, Takashi Tamada, Yukitaka Yamashita, Shigeki Ono, Kouzou Kajimura, Osamu Nishida, Minoru Okuma – 1 May 1991 – The relationship between esophageal varices and the azygos vein, which is generally considered to drain the major part of the variceal blood flow, was evaluated by percutaneous transhepatic cineportography in 35 patients with portal hypertension. We classified the patients into three groups.