Guy Renaud, Robert L. Hamilton, Richard J. Havel – 1 March 1989 – Rats were treated with 17α‐ethinyl estradiol to induce high levels of low‐density lipoprotein receptors in hepatocytes. When these rats were given intravenous injections of low‐density lipoprotein‐colloidal gold complexes, most of the gold (labeled with 195Au) appeared to be taken up by Kupffer cells, as were complexes of colloidal gold with albumin or polyvinylpyrrolidone.

Sien‐Sing Yang, Jacob Korula, James E. Sundheimer, Anthony J. Keyser – 1 March 1989 – Digoxin‐like immunoreactive substances, which cross‐react with digoxin antibody, have been found to have natriuretic effect and Na+,K+‐ATPase inhibitory effect. The role of digoxin‐like immunoreactive substances in chronic liver disease was studied by radioimmunoassay in 63 serum and 60 urine samples from 58 patients with chronic liver disease and compared with 16 controls.

1 March 1989

Norman A. Mazer – 1 March 1989 – We have developed a simple method to quantitate cholesterol nucleation promoting activity in bile. The method makes use of the fact that gallbladder bile of cholesterol gallstone patients contains potent nucleation promoting activity. Gallbladder bile samples were serially diluted, routinely from 1/25 to 1/6,400. The diluted samples were mixed with a supersaturated model bile and the nucleation time (NT) of the mixtures was determined.

Kevin D. Mullen, Arthur J. McCullough – 1 March 1989

Brent E. Korba, Frances V. Wells, Betty Baldwin, Paul J. Cote, Bud C. Tennant, Hans Popper, John L. Gerin – 1 March 1989 – During long‐term studies of the natural history of woodchuck hepatitis virus infection, five cases of histologically confirmed, primary hepatocellular carcinoma were observed in a total of 92 woodchucks which had recovered, by analysis of viral serologic markers (WHsAG−, anti‐WHc+, anti‐WHs+), from experimental acute woodchuck hepatitis virus infections 20 to 30 months prior to the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Massimo Colombo, Roberto de Franchis, Maurizio Tommasini, Angelo Sangiovanni, Nicola Dioguardi – 1 March 1989 – To assess the efficacy of β‐blockers in preventing rebleeding in selected cirrhotic patients and to compare the tolerance, safety and patient compliance of a selective and a nonselective β‐blocker, 94 patients were randomly assigned to propranolol (32 patients), atenolol (32 patients) or placebo (30 patients). Randomization was made at least 15 days after the bleeding episode.

Antoon F. M. Moorman, Jacqueline L. M. Vermeulen, Robert Charles, Wouter H. Lamers – 1 March 1989 – Immunohistochemical analysis of human liver (8 to 94 years) shows a compartmentation of ammonia‐metabolizing enzymes across the acinus. The highest concentration of carbamoylphosphate synthetase (ammonia) is found in the parenchymal cells around the terminal portal venules. Glutamine synthetase is found in a small pericentral compartment two to three cells thick.

Morris Sherman, Tim J. Harrison – 1 March 1989

Ryan J. Huxtable – 1 March 1989 – Hepatic veno‐occlusive disease is the most frequent cause of hepatic vein obstruction in children. Only the small and medium veins are involved. The initial vascular lesion is endothelial edema, followed by phlebosclerosis and occlusion of the small vessels, leading to secondary necrosis of liver cells, progressive fibrosis, and ultimately cirrhosis. The disease was first recognized in Jamaica in 1954, and subsequently reported from other parts of the world.