Lyman E. Bilhartz – 1 February 1991 – The rate‐limiting step in bile acid biosynthesis is catalyzed by the microsomal cytochrome P‐450 cholesterol 7 α‐hydroxylase. The expression of this enzyme is subject to feedback regulation by sterols and is thought to be coordinately regulated with enzymes in the cholesterol supply pathways, including the low‐density lipoprotein receptor and 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutarylcoenzyme A reductase and synthase. Here we report the purification of rat microsomal P‐450 cholesterol 7 α‐hydroxylase and the determination of a partial amino acid sequence.

Carol A. Casey, Sandra L. Kragskow, Michael F. Sorrell, Dean J. Tuma – 1 February 1991 – We have shown previously that ethanol‐induced defects in receptor‐mediated endocytosis of asialoorosomucoid occurred as early as 1 wk after ethanol feeding. This study was undertaken as an initial attempt to establish a possible role of defective receptormediated endocytosis in liver injury by investigating whether differences exist in the effects of ethanol on receptor‐mediated endocytosis in hepatocytes isolated from different regions of the liver.

Federico Sáez‐royuela, Juan Carlos Porres, Alberto Moreno, Inmaculada Castillo, Gracia Martinez, Fernando Galiana, Vicente Carreño – 1 February 1991 – Chronic hepatitis C is often a progressive liver disease for which there is no satisfactory treatment. We studied the efficacy of recombinant α‐interferon or γ‐interferon in the treatment of this disease in comparison with a control group. Thirty patients were randomly assigned to three groups. Ten patients received 7.5 MU α‐interferon/m2 body surface three times weekly for 3 mo, then 5 MU/m2 for 3 mo and 2.5 MU/m2 for 6 mo.

Joseph R. Bove – 1 February 1991 – In a survey carried out from 1985 through 1986, volunteer blood donors to The Greater New York Blood Program were tested for two surrogate markers for non‐A, non‐B hepatitis–elevation of alanine aminotransferase level and presence of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen. Stored serum samples from selected donors were also recently tested for antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti‐HCV). Anti‐HCV was detected in 0.9% to 1.4% of donors and was higher in black and Hispanic donors than in white donors.

Barbara Stoll, Sabine McNelly, Hans‐Peter Buscher, Dieter Häussinger – 1 February 1991 – [3H]glutamate, [3H]α‐ketoglutarate or [3H]aspartate was injected in physiological concentrations into antegrade (from portal to hepatic vein) or retrograde (from hepatic to portal vein) perfused rat liver, and the tissue distribution of radioactivity was studied by histoautoradiography.

Alexander Khoruts, Laura Stahnke, Craig J. McClain, George Logan, John I. Allen – 1 February 1991 – Although altered cytokine homeostasis has been implicated in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease, the relationship between cytokines and metabolic consequences of alcoholic liver disease is unknown. We, therefore, sought to correlate circulating concentrations of tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐1 and interleukin‐6 to clinical and biochemical parameters of liver disease in chronic alcoholic patients.

Koji Yabu, Vijay S. Warty, Hisashi Shinozuka – 1 February 1991 – Cyclosporine, a powerful immunosuppressant, has been used successfully for organ transplantation. Its efficacy on liver transplants of patients with primary hepatic tumors remains controversial because of a high rate of recurrence of the original tumors in the transplanted livers. In this study, we experimentally tested whether cyclosporine exerts any effects on the growth of carcinogen‐initiated liver cells using the short‐term assays of rat liver carcinogenesis.

Andrea Crosignani, Pier Maria Battezzati, Kenneth D. R. Setchell, Maurizia Camisasca, Emanuela Bertolini, Aldo Roda, Massimo Zuin, Mauro Podda – 1 February 1991 – The effect of ursodeoxycholic acid administration on liver function tests and on bile acid metabolism was investigated in 18 patients with chronic active hepatitis. Three different doses of ursodeoxycholic acid—250 mg, 500 mg and 750 mg—were administered daily to each patient for consecutive 2‐mo periods. The order of doses was randomly assigned according to a replicated Latin‐square design.

Susan L. Saidman, Rene J. Duquesnoy, Adriana Zeevi, John J. Fung, Thomas E. Starzl, A. Jake Demetris – 1 February 1991 – We have developed an in vitro system to study the interactions between biliary epithelium and lymphocytes using cultured human biliary epithelial cells. No class II antigens were detected by immunoperoxidase staining of the normal biliary epithelial cells, but alloactivated lymphocyte culture supernatants were able to induce class II expression. The activity of the supernatants was blocked with an anti‐γ‐interferon monoclonal antibody.

Zoltan Spolarics, Abraham P. Bautista, John J. Spitzer – 1 February 1991 – This study elucidates the in vivo metabolic response of different liver cells after a single phagocytic challenge. In vivo glucose uptake of different tissues and isolated liver cells was determined by a sequential double labeling version of the 2‐deoxyglucose technique. After latex administration, glucose uptake more than doubled in the liver, increased by about 50% in the spleen and lung and was not changed in muscle and testis.