1 March 1990

Flemming Bendtsen, Lene Theil Skovgaard, Thorkild I. A. Sørensen, Peter Matzen – 1 March 1990 – The interobserver variation in diagnosis and grading of esophageal varices may be ascribed by characteristics of the observers as well as to the patients. Assessment of this variation therefore requires the contributions of multiple observers and patients. Twenty‐eight patients with cirrhosis without previous bleeding or known presence of varices were subjected to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Each endoscopy was videotaped and shown to 22 endoscopists.

David Westaby, Rex J. Polson, Alexander E. S. Gimson, Peter C. Hayes, Karen Hayllar, Roger Williams – 1 March 1990 – This trial was carried out to assess the value of propranolo for the prevtion of recurrent variceal bleeding in patinets with well‐compensated cirrhosis. We also compared porpranolol therapy to long‐term injection sclerotherapy. One hundred and eight patients, in whom the orginal variceal hemorrhage stopped spontaneousley (before diagnostic endocopy) and without sclerotherpay or surgical intervention were included. All were pugh grade A or B; 55% had alcoholic cirrohosis.

Renee C. Lin, Michael J. Fillenwarth, Ronald Minter, Lawrence Lumeng – 1 March 1990 – We have previously reported that a 37‐kD liver protein formed an adduct with acetaldehyde in vivo when rats were fed alcohol chronically. To understand the mechanism of the formation of this proteinacta ldehyde adduct, rat hepatocytes in primary culture were treated with ethanol in vitro for several days. When cultured in hormone‐enriched and trac metalenriched Waymouth's medium, alcohol dehydrogenase activities in hepatocytes decreased only about 30% during 6 days of culture.

Raf Sciot, Guido Verhoeven, Peter van Eyken, Jean Cailleau, Valeer J. Desmet – 1 March 1990 – Hepatic transferrin receptors were studied in normal male rats at 1 to 59 wk after weaning, using immunohistochemical and biochemical techniques. The number of transferrin receptors measured and the intensity of the staining in situ decreased rapidly during the first 10 wk of life and more slowly thereafter. Immunohisto‐chemistry further demonstrated changes in the topographical and (sub)cellular localization of the transferrin receptor.

Hiromu Kawahara, Monique Cadrin, George Perry, Lucila Autilio‐Gambetti, Sabine H. H. Swierenga, Janis Metuzals, Normand Marceau, Samuel W. French – 1 March 1990 – The role of cytokeratin filaments in the function of hepatocytes was investigated using a nickel‐treated hepatocyte in vitro model. Cytokeratin intermediate filaments were selectively dissociated from the cell cortex by nickel treatment. Cytokeratins and ubiquitin were observed using immunofluorescence and immunoelectrom microscopy.

J. Julian Lopez – 1 March 1990

Fabio Tinè, Luigi Pagliaro, Albert J. Czaja, J. Eileen Hay, Jorge Rakela – 1 March 1990

Rosemary Hickman, Cath Rose Innes – 1 March 1990 – A study was conducted comparing the effects of initial arterialization vs. initial portal revascularization in unstored warm ischemic (for 30 min) livers, livers stored for 4 hr at 0° C in Collins solution and livers rendered warm ischemic for 1 hr before removal and replacement as autografts. All livers that received initial arterialization showed uniform diffuse perfusion, whereas those with initial portal perfusion were patchy and well perfused only in the right lobe.

Jay N. Cohn – 1 March 1990 – In nine patients with decompensated alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver and impaired renal function the effect of 8‐ornithin vasopressin (ornipressin) on renal function and haemodynamic parameters was studied. Ornipressin was infused at a dose of 6 IU/h over a period of four hours. During ornipressin infusion an improvement of renal function was achieved as indicated by an increase of creatinine clearance (76 (15)%; p < 0.01), urine volume (108 (29)%; p < 0.05) and sodium excretion (168 (30)% p < 0.05).