Masaki Matsuoka, Hidekazu Tsukamoto – 1 April 1990 – Transforming growth factor β has a specific stimulatory effect on collagen formation by hepatic lipocytes, a cell type believed to be a major source of extracellular matrices in the liver. Because monocytes and macrophages are the known sources of transforming growth factor β, Kupffer cells‐resident macrophages in the liver‐may also play an important role in liver fibrogenesis by releasing this cytokine and stimulating lipocyte collagen production.

Sugantha Govindarajan – 1 April 1990 – The clinical course, changes in liver function tests and the behaviour of viral markers over the course of time have been examined in 45 patients with acute hepatitis B and 14 patients with acute hepatitis caused by B and D viruses coinfection. There were no significant differences, either in the clinical course or in the liver function tests, in the two groups.

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.

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

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.

Leon L.

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.

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

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.

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.