1 November 1991

Antonio Martinez‐Hernandez, Jose Martinez – 1 November 1991 – During the cirrhotic process, the hepatic microvascular phenotype is transformed from sinusoids (discontinuous capillaries) into continuous capillaries. This transformation has been termed capillarization. Many hepatic functions depend on the rapid, bidirectional exchange of macromolecules between plasma and hepatocytes.

Shie‐Pon Tzung, Katherine C. Gaines, Mark Henderson, Terry J. Smith, Stefan A. Cohen – 1 November 1991 – Cytosolic extracts prepared from perfused whole liver or purified hepatocytes of C57BL/6 mice inhibited interleukin‐2– and concanavalin A–induced spleen cell proliferation in vitro. In contrast, cytosolic extracts from purified nonparenchymal liver cells had no effect. Arginase and very‐low‐density lipoprotein were previously identified as two immunoinhibitory substances present in liver cytosolic extracts.

Pauline de la M. Hall, Mark A. Jenner, Michael J. Ahern – 1 November 1991 – We undertook a dose‐response study in Wistar rats to develop an animal model for methotrexate hepatotoxicity. Rats were given oral methotrexate in 300, 200, 150 and 100 m̈g/kg/day doses for variable lengths of time. The 300 m̈g/kg/day dose produced systemic toxicity; the animals needed to be killed early, and hepatotoxicity was not observed.

Sadashi Adachi, Hisataka Moriwaki, Yasutoshi Muto, Yasuhiro Yamada, Yasushi Fukutomi, Makoto Shimazaki, Masataka Okuno, Mitsuo Ninomiya – 1 November 1991 – Although alcohol is known to enhance hepatocarcinogenesis, the mechanism of this action remains to be explained. To test the hypothesis that ethanol depletes the liver of antitumor promoters such as retinoid, we measured the retinoid concentration in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and noncancerous surrounding liver tissues in humans known to have a history of alcohol consumption.

Ken Shirabe, Takashi Kanematsu, Takashi Matsumata, Eisuke Adachi, Kohhei Akazawa, Keizo Sugimachi – 1 November 1991 – The purpose of this study was to clarify the factors linked to recurrence of small hepatocellular carcinomas, up to 3cm in diameter, after hepatectomy. Fifty patients with small hepatocellular carcinomas who underwent hepatectomy between 1976 and 1988 were observed for possible recurrence for at least 2 yr. These patients were divided into two groups: 20 patients who had recurrence within 2 yr and 30 patients who had no recurrence within 2 yr.

Michael H. Basista, Anne Stieffenhofer, Dong‐Goo Kim, Noriko Murase, Saturo Todo, Vincents J. Dindzans – 1 November 1991 – We used a model of rat hepatic allograft rejection to evaluate levels of procoagulant activity and tumor necrosis factor during acute cellular rejection. ACI livers were transplanted into Lewis rats, and Lewis‐to‐Lewis isografts and unoperated animals served as controls. Animals were killed on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9. Splenic mononuclear cells were obtained by Ficoll‐Hypaque gradients.

Walter Ward, Arlan Richardson – 1 November 1991

A. Jake Demetris, Steven H. Belle, John Hart, Klaus Lewin, Jurgen Ludwig, Dale C. Snover, G. Weldon Tillery, Katherine Detre, The Liver Transplantation Database (Ltd) Investigators – 1 November 1991 – A study to determine the reproducibility of histopathological findings and diagnoses of rejection was carried out on a series of 42 liver allograft needle biopsy specimens by five pathologists practicing at four liver transplant centers.

Anna S. F. Lok, Oliver C. K. Ma, Tak‐Mao Chan, Ching‐Lung Lai, Hau‐Tim Chung, Clara P. L. Ng, Jenny S. C. Lam – 1 November 1991 – Serum samples (1,428) from 1,149 patients with chronic liver diseases and polytransfused subjects were tested for antibody to hepatitis C virus by first‐generation enzyme immunoassays.