Robert Wondergem – 1 December 1990 – In hepatocytes from fasted rats, several amino acids are known to stimulate glycogen synthesis via activation of glycogen synthase. The hypothesis that an increase in cell volume resulting from amino acid uptake may be involved in the stimulation of glycogen synthesis is supported by the following observations.

Shinya Nakajima, Tetsuo Kuroki, Machiko Shintani, Osamu Kurai, Tadashi Takeda, Shuhei Nishiguchi, Susumu Shiomi, Shuichi Seki, Kenzo Kobayashi – 1 December 1990 – We studied the binding of 125I‐labeled human interferon‐α to peripheral blood mononuclear cells and the activity of 2′,5′‐oligoadenylate synthetase in peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from 21 patients with chronic hepatitis B who were treated with human interferon‐α or interferon‐β. Fourteen patients were given interferon daily for 4 wk.

Takeshi Seki, Kendo Kiyosawa, Hidetoshi Inoko, Masao Ota – 1 December 1990 – Human leukocyte antigen‐D region—related alleles (human leukocyte antigen DR and DQ) and human leukocyte antigen class I alleles were typed serologically in 31 Japanese patients with autoimmune hepatitis. These patients had increased serum levels of AST and IgG, high titers of autoantibodies, no history of blood transfusion and were negative for HBsAg and antibodies to HBc. Three hundred eighty‐six healthy subjects and 30 patients with cryptogenic chronic hepatitis served as control groups.

Chia‐Ming Chu, Yun‐Fan Liaw – 1 December 1990 – The precore and core proteins of hepatitis B virus have identical deduced amino acid sequences other than a 29‐residue amino‐terminal extension (precore region) on the precore protein. The first 19 of these residues serve as a signal sequence to direct the precore protein to the endoplasmic reticulum, where they are cleaved off with formation of precore protein derivative P22 for secretion. In this report, we show that P22 can alternatively be transported into the nucleus following signal peptide cleavage.

Anastasios A. Mihas – 1 December 1990

1 December 1990

Aryeh Hurwitz, Greg Looney, Mark Sullins, Zvi Ben‐Zvi – 1 December 1990 – Morphine slows hepatobiliary elimination of sulfobromophthalein in rodents, raising dye levels in plasma and liver. Earlier studies showed these effects to be independent of other opiate effects such as bile duct spasm, hypothermia or blood gas changes resulting from respiratory depression.

Jaime Bosch – 1 December 1990 – Systemic, femoral and renal hemodynamics were evaluated in 7 control subjects and 20 cirrhotic patients with ascites, 14 of them without (group A) and 6 with (group B) functional renal failure. Hyperdynamic systemic circulation, increased plasma volume, and hyperreninism were present in groups A and B. These changes were more severe in group B, which showed, as compared with group A, lower total vascular resistances and mean arterial pressure together with increased cardiac index and plasma renin activity.

P.‐Michel Huet, Ricardo Mastai, Michel Dagenais, Jean Cǒté, Hector Orrego, Laurence M. Blendis, Yedy Israel – 1 December 1990

Anna Suk‐Fong Lok, Ching‐Lung Lai, Elsie Kit‐Yee Leung – 1 December 1990 – In a randomized controlled trial of recombinant α‐2a interferon for chronic hepatitis B, interferon antibodies developed in 21 (39%) of 54 Chinese adults who received IFN. No correlation was observed between sex, age, pretreatment serum ALT level or liver histological findings and the development of interferon antibodies. Antibodies were significantly more likely to develop in patients who received lower doses (2.5 or 5 MU/m2) of α‐2a interferon than in those who received a higher dose (10 MU/m2): 53% vs.