Alton Meister – 1 July 1984

Maurizio Muraca, Roger Leyten, Johan Fevery – 1 July 1984 – Hepatic bilirubin conjugation and excretion were investigated during pregnancy and lactation in the rat. Bilirubin uridine diphosphate‐glucuronyltransferase activity was decreased by 30% in pregnant rats, both when expressed per milligram of protein or as specific activity and per unit of liver weight. Liver size increased during pregnancy, and, as a consequence, total hepatic glucuronyltransferase activity was unchanged.

Irving S. Benjamin, Calvin J. Ryan, Gert H. C. Engelbrecht, John A. H. Campbell, Rosemaryvan Hoorn‐Hickman, Leslie H. Blumgart – 1 July 1984 – Portacaval transposition (PCT) in rats results in a smaller loss of body mass and liver mass than end‐to‐side portacaval shunt (PCS). Detailed studies of liver function, mass and histology were not previously available and have been undertaken in two different strains of growing rat in order to define the value of this model. PCT rats gained weight normally, while only 50% of PCS rats regained their preoperative weight by the tenth week.

Seymour M. Sabesin, Stuart W. Weidman – 1 July 1984

Joseph T. Ferrucci – 1 July 1984

Jürgen SchÖLmerich, Marlene Deluca, Mario Chojkier – 1 July 1984 – We evaluated the usefulness of recently developed bioluminescence assays for serum bile acids (BA) in the detection and follow‐up of experimental liver injury. Liver damage was induced in rats by either D‐galactosamine or CC14, and BA were compared to SGPT and aminopyrine breath test (ABT). In severe liver injury, following D‐galactosamine administration, all three methods revealed a significant difference from control values. The degree of abnormality was, however, far greater with SGPT and BA than with ABT.

S. L. Grainger, R. P. H. Thompson, Roberto J. Groszmann, Arthur J. Mccullough, Albert J. Czaja, John E. Hegarty, Roger Williams – 1 July 1984

Rudolf A. Heijtink, Pieter De Jong, Solko W. Schalm, Nic Masurel – 1 July 1984 – The immune response after vaccination with H‐B‐VAX (20 μg, Months 0, 1 and 6) was investigated in 23 Down's syndrome patients and compared to that in 30 other mentally retarded patients and 32 staff members. About 90% of Down's syndrome and other mentally retarded patients and 100% of staff members had anti‐HBs at Month 9, but anti‐HBs less than 10IU per liter were found in 6/23 (26.1%) of Down's syndrome, 7/30 (23.3%) of other mentally retarded patients, in contrast to 2/32 (6.2%) of staff members.

Seishiro Watanabe, K. Rajender Reddy, Lennox Jeffers, Gordon M. Dickinson, Mark O'Connell, Eugene R. Schiff – 1 July 1984 – Characteristic pathological alterations of the liver in chimpanzees inoculated with non‐A, non‐B hepatitis sera have been described, but no corresponding findings have been reported in humans.

Giovanni L. Ricci, Roger Michiels, Johan Fevery, Jan De Groote – 1 July 1984 – The effect of secretin (0.4 C.U. per hr per 100 gm body weight) on bile flow and the apparent maximal hepatic transport of bilirubin (Tm) was investigated in the rat. When secretin was administered during an already established bilirubin‐Tm condition, it increased bile flow and bilirubin‐Tm by 15 to 20% over a 30‐ to 50‐min period. Enhancement of bilirubin output correlated with augmented flow and was sustained by an increased rate of excretion of monoglucuronides.