Joanna B. Ready, Kenneth F. Hossack, William G. Rector – 1 April 1990 – The pathogenesis of variceal hemorrhage is not well understood. Portal pressure and gastroesophageal collateral (azygous) blood flow are similar in patients with cirrhosis with or without a history of variceal bleeding. However, acute increases in these parameters in individual patients might predispose them to variceal rupture.

Guillermo Silva, Miquel Navasa, Jaime Bosch, Jaime Chesta, M. Pilar Pizcueta, Rosa Casamitjana, Francisca Rivera, Joan Rodes – 1 April 1990 – It has been suggested that glucagon contributes to the pathogenesis of portal hypertension by increasing portal blood flow. This study examined this issue by assessing the hemodynamic effects of a pharmacological dose of glucagon (1 mg, intravenously) in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension (n = 10) and in subjects without significant liver disease (controls = n = 5).

Hie‐Won L. Hann, Mark W. Stahlhut, Christine L. Hann – 1 April 1990 – To investigate the effects of iron supplementation on hepatoma cell growth, cells from a human hepatoma cell line, PLC/PRF/5, were grown in RPMI 1640 supplemented with 0, 10 and 20 μg/ml of FeSO4 and harvested weekly. At the end of 6 wk culture, cell mass measured 9.6, 14.7 and 13.2 gm, respectively. Amounts of ferritin from these cell masses were 0 (undetectable), 0.89 and 2.27 μg/gm of cells.

Lawrie W. Powell, June W. Halliday – 1 April 1990 – Previous studies from this laboratory support the view that increased serum ferritin levels are associated with an increased risk of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC). We have tested this hypothesis in a population of Korean patients with chronic liver disease followed for development of PHC. Serum ferritin levels were measured over time in 249 patients with liver diseases (mostly chronic) followed for 2 to 17 years in Seoul, Korea. Most of the patients were chronically infected with hepatitis B virus.

Gregory J. Gores, Brian Herman, John J. Lemasters – 1 April 1990

Henk J. Blom, Robert A. F. M. Chamuleau, Jan Rothuizen, Nicolaas E. P. Deutz, Albert Tangerman – 1 April 1990 – The metabolism of methanethiol was studied in rats. Administration of a noncomatogenic dose of methanethiol through inspired air or injection into the upper colon resulted in an elevation of the concentrations of methanethiol mixed disulfides in serum (protein–S–S–CH3 and X–S–S–CH3, × yet unknown) and in urine (X–S–S–CH3. The concentrations of methanethiol mixed disulfides proved to be a relative measure of exposure to methanethiol.

Leon L.

A‐Hon Kwon, Yoshiaki Inada, Shoji Uetsuji, Manabu Yamamura, Koshiro Hioki, Masakatsu Yamamoto – 1 April 1990 – The relationship between plasma fibronectin concentration and the regenerative process in liver remnants after hepatectomy was studied in 12 patients and in male Sprague‐Dawley rats with and without cirrhosis. Plasma fibronectin levels were reduced immediately after hepatectomy in humans and rats. Patients and rats without cirrhosis displayed preoperative fibronectin levels within 1 mo and 1 wk, respectively, but low fibronectin levels persisted longer in those with cirrhosis.

Nezam H. Afdhal, Bernard F. Smith – 1 April 1990

Frederique Bulle, Philippe Mavier, Elie Serge Zafrani, Anne‐Marie Preaux, Marie‐Claude Lescs, Sylvie Siegrist, Daniel Dhumeaux, Georges Guellaën – 1 April 1990 – The mechanism of the elevation of serum γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase activity in cholestasis is not clear. We therefore analyzed rat γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase activities in liver, bile and serum during intrahepatic cholestasis induced by a single dose of α‐naphthyl isothiocyanate (20 mg/100 gm body weight) and during extrahepatic cholestasis after bile duct ligation.