Naurang M. Agrawal – 1 October 1989

Dominique Roulot, Alain Braillon, Christophe Gaudin, Yves Ozier, Catherine Girod, Didier Lebrec – 1 October 1989 – The effects of clonidine on portal pressure and splanchnic blood flow were studied in conscious rats with sinusoidal portal hypertension due to cirrhosis induced by bile duct ligation. In cirrhotic and sham‐operated rats, clonidine (20 μg per kg body weight, intravenously) significantly reduced portal, pressure from 19.0 ± 0.6 to 14.5 ± 1.0 mmHg and from 9.8 ± 0.9 to 7.3 ± 0.5 mmHg, respectively. No significant change in systemic hemodynamics was observed.

Mikihiro Tsutsumi, Jerome M. Lasker, Masanori Shimizu, Alan S. Rosman, Charles S. Lieber – 1 October 1989 – Perivenular hepatocytes are the first cells within the liver lobule to display signs of toxicity following long‐term alcohol use. In an attempt to explain this phenomenon, we have examined the hepatic intralobular distribution in rats and man of P450IIE1, a P‐450 isozyme that not only oxidizes ethanol but is also inducible by this agent.

Burton Combes – 1 October 1989

Yutaka Sasaki, Norio Hayashi, Yasuhiro Morita, Toshifumi Ito, Akinori Kasahara, Hideyuki Fusamoto, Nobuhiro Sato, Masaya Tohyama, Takenobu Kamada – 1 October 1989 – Expression of the c‐Ha‐ras proto‐oncogene is specifically enhanced during liver regeneration, in parallel with increased DNA replication, which suggests that c‐Ha‐ras may play a role in the control of regeneration. In this study, an in situ hybridization technique was applied for analysis of expression of the c‐Ha‐ras gene at the cellular level during liver regeneration induced by CCl4 administration.

1 October 1989

Richard E. Sampliner, Albert J. Czaja, J. Eileen Hay, Jorge Rakela – 1 October 1989

Rachel Morecki, Joy Glaser – 1 October 1989 – Infection with reovirus 3 (Reo‐3) has been suggested as the cause of extrahepatic biliary atresia and idiopathic neonatal hepatitis but confirmation has been lacking. Therefore we have searched for a specific anti‐Reo‐3 antibody response in the sera of patients with biliary atresia or neonatal hepatitis and for Reo‐3 antigens in their hepatobiliary tissues.

David J. Mutimer, Shelley P. M. Fussey, Stephen J. Yeaman, Peter J. Kelly, Oliver F. W. James, Margaret F. Bassendine – 1 October 1989 – We have previously identified four of the M2 antigens in primary biliary cirrhosis as the E2 components (dihydrolipoamide acyltransferases) of pyruvate dehy‐drogenase complex, branched‐chain 2‐oxo acid dehy‐drogenase complex and 2‐oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex and the protein X component of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (approximate molecular masses: 74, 50, 50 and 52 kD, respectively).

Charles S. Lieber, Leonore M. Decarli, Michael F. Sorrell – 1 October 1989 – Techniques are reviewed for the experimental feeding of alcohol, including a liquid diet procedure invented 25 years ago. This technique results in much higher ethanol intake than with other approaches. As a consequence, various complications observed in alcoholics can be reproduced in animal models. These include fatty liver, hyperlipemia, various metabolic and endocrine disorders, tolerance to ethanol and other drugs, physical dependence and withdrawal and, in the baboon, liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.