Natalia Ulloa, Jorge Garrido, Flavio Nervi – 1 March 1987 – We have utilized ultracentrifugation of native bile‐Metrizamide density gradients to isolate a vesicular transport system or biliary lipids in both man and rat. We identified vesicular structures by electron microscopy. Fresh bile specimens were obtained from bile fistula rats (unsaturated bile) and from patients 1 week after bile duct surgery (supersaturated bile). Metrizamide was dissolved in bile (33% w/v), and continuous density gradients were performed with undiluted bile (density limits = 1.020 to 1.300 gm per ml).

Theresa C. Peterson, C. Noel Williams – 1 March 1987 – Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity was detectable in cultured macrophage monolayers of peripheral blood monocyte origin. Peripheral blood monocytes were isolated from patients with biopsy‐confirmed liver disease and healthy volunteers. Macrophage monolayers were prepared and incubated at 37°C. After 24 hr, the aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity and cellular protein concentration were assayed on cell homogenates.

S. Boccia, N. Stabellini, F. Macario, F. Ghinelli – 1 March 1987

Anil Gautam, Oi‐Cheng Ng, James L. Boyer – 1 March 1987 – Studies of canalicular bile secretion have been limited due to lack of direct access to the canalicular lumen. Isolated rat hepatocyte couplets, consisting of two hepatocytes enclosing a canalicular space, have been proposed as a primary secretory unit that may be useful for direct studies of unmodified canalicular bile secretion. The present study examines their structural characteristics and plasma membrane reorganization.

Wolfgang E. Fleig, Eduard F. Stange, Roland Hunecke, Wolfgang Schönborn, Ulrike Hurler, Kordula Rainer, Wilhelm Gaus, Hans Ditschuneit – 1 March 1987 – To compare the efficacy of endoscopic paravariceal sclerotherapy and oral propranolol in the prevention of recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding, 78 cirrhotic patients were randomly assigned to either treatment after an endoscopically proven bleed from esophageal varices.

Albert L. Jones, Susan J. Burwen – 1 March 1987

1 March 1987

Brigitte Dragosics, Peter Ferenci, Eva Hitchman, Helmut Denk – 1 March 1987 – Two hundred forty‐two voluntary blood donors, referred after detection of HBsAg positivity, underwent clinical evaluation and liver biopsy and were prospectively followed for an average of 3.5 years. At initial testing, 65% of HBsAg carriers had normal laboratory findings; during follow‐up, 26% of these carriers developed abnormal test results, at least transiently. Liver histology was normal in 31.4%, revealed nonaggressive liver disease in 63.6% and chronic active hepatitis or cirrhosis in 5%, only.

Diane L. Tribble, Tak Yee Aw, Dean P. Jones – 1 March 1987

Andrew K. Burroughs – 1 March 1987 – The density and affinity of beta‐2‐adrenoceptors on mononuclear cells from peripheral blood were studied in fifteen patients with cirrhosis of different severity and in thirteen controls. There was no significant difference between cirrhotic patients and controls in density or affinity of beta‐2 binding sites. Within the cirrhotic group, however, the number of binding sites per cell was significantly lower in patients with severe ascites than in patients with mild to moderate or no ascites.