Francis R. Weiner, Mark J. Czaja, Marie‐Adele Giambrone, Catherine H. Wu, George Y. Wu, Mark A. Zern – 1 January 1987 – We have developed the methodology for evaluating the effects of pathophysiological conditions on the molecular mechanisms of hepatic protein synthesis and fibrogenesis in baboons and man. Total RNA was extracted from percutaneous liver biopsies of five baboons who were chronically fed an ethanol‐rich liquid diet, their pair‐fed controls and from humans with a variety of liver abnormalities.

Lawrence Chan – 1 January 1987

Marie‐Louise Michel, Pierre Tiollais – 1 January 1987

Charles E. Rogler, Okio Hino, Chun‐Yeh Su – 1 January 1987

Peter R. Mills, Peter J. Meier, Daniel J. Smith, Nazzareno Ballatori, James L. Boyer, Ellen R. Gordon – 1 January 1987 – The fluidity of basolateral and canalicular rat liver plasma membranes was compared with respect to their response to the membrane perturbants ethanol and calcium. The relation between membrane fluidity and taurocholate transport, a liver plasma membrane function mediated by carrier proteins, was also examined. Membrane fluidity was measured by fluorescence polarization using 1,6‐diphenyl‐1,3,5‐hexatriene as a probe.

Jürg Reichen, Catherine Hoilien, Mysan Le, Richard H. Jones – 1 January 1987 – To differentiate between the “intact” and “sick” cell hypothesis explaining decreased clearance of endo‐ and xenobiotics, we measured uptake of taurocholate and ouabain in hepatocytes isolated from cirrhotic rat liver. Cirrhosis was induced by chronic exposure of male Sprague‐Dawley rats to phenobarbital and carbon tetrachloride. Uptake of [14C]taurocholate and [3H]ouabain was measured by a rapid filtration technique.

Peter L. M. Jansen, Geny M. M. Groothuis, Wilbert H. M. Peters, Dirk F. M. Meijer – 1 January 1987 – Mutant rats (TM rats) with abnormal hepatic excretory function were used to study biliary transport of dibromosulfophthalein, ouabain, tributylmethyl ammonium, cholate and taurocholate. In whole animals, dibromosulfophthalein and ouabain clearance is reduced to 7 and 37% of normal, respectively, due to severely impaired excretion from liver to bile. Initial uptake rates of these agents are relatively little affected.

Yun‐Fan Liaw, Chia C. Pao, Chia‐Ming Chu, I‐Shyan Sheen, Miau‐Ju Huang – 1 January 1987 – Two types of clinical events, acute exacerbation and uneventful course, precede spontaneous HBeAg serocon‐version to its antibody (anti‐HBe) in chronic type B hepatitis. To examine the possible mechanism responsible for these two types of clinical events, serial serum specimens from 75 patients who underwent spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion were assayed for hepatitis B virus DNA by slot blot hybridization with 32P‐labeled cloned hepatitis B virus DNA as probe.

Ian H. Frazer, T. William Jordan, Elizabeth C. Collins, Paul Andrews, Ian R. Mackay – 1 January 1987 – The reactivity of sera was examined in patients with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis and other liver diseases by immunoblotting. Polypeptides and glycolipids of liver plasma membrane, liver‐specific lipoprotein and kidney membrane were separated and probed with sera from patients and from a rabbit immunized with mouse liver plasma membrane.

Arthur J. McCullough, William N. Stassen, Russell H. Wiesner, Albert J. Czaja – 1 January 1987 – To analyze the correlations between the presence of cirrhosis and hepatocellular inflammation and the serum concentrations of the amino‐terminal peptide of procollagen type III in chronic liver disease, we measured procollagen type III concentrations in paired serum samples from 46 patients (17 had cirrhosis) with severe chronic active hepatitis during a therapeutic treatment trial.