Timo M. Buetler – 30 December 2003 – Because acute infection and inflammation affect drug metabolism and drug‐metabolizing enzymes, the effect of the acute‐phase response on the expression of glutathione S‐transferase (GST) isoenzymes, glutathione synthesis, and several antioxidant enzymes was investigated. Hepatic expression of GST isozymes, positive and negative acute‐phase reactants, and antioxidant enzymes were determined by Northern blotting and hybridization with gene‐specific oligonucleotide probes after lipopolysaccharide treatment of rats.

Fujio Matsumura, Yasuo Yamaguchi, Mataro Goto, Osamu Ichiguchi, Eiji Akizuki, Teishi Matsuda, Kazutoshi Okabe, Jian Liang, Hajime Ohshiro, Takeshi Iwamoto, Shinwa Yamada, Katsutaka Mori, Michio Ogawa – 30 December 2003 – We investigated the effects of the xanthine oxidase inhibitor, BOF‐4272, on the production of cytokine‐induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC) following reperfusion injury in rat liver. Ischemia was induced for 30 minutes by portal vein occlusion.

Tomonobu Gion, Akinobu Taketomi, Mitsuo Shimada, Ken Shirabe, Hirofumi Hasegawa, Kenji Takenaka, Keizo Sugimachi – 30 December 2003 – A quantitative assay of albumin messenger RNA (mRNA) in blood samples was designed using the competitive reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction, and the significance of measuring albumin mRNA levels in the blood of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in hepatic resection was evaluated.

Ichiro Shimizu, Yue‐Rong Ma, Yoko Mizobuchi, Fei Liu, Tetsuo Miura, Yoichiro Nakai, Mitugi Yasuda, Masako Shiba, Takahiro Horie, Sakae Amagaya, Norifumi Kawada, Hitoshi Hori, Susumu Ito – 30 December 2003 – It has been shown that lipid peroxidation is associated with hepatic fibrosis and stellate cell activation. Sho‐saiko‐to (TJ‐9) is an herbal medicine, which is commonly used to treat chronic hepatitis in Japan, although the mechanism by which TJ‐9 protects against hepatic fibrosis is not known.

Ian M. Gralnek, Dennis M. Jensen, Thomas O. Kovacs, Rome Jutabha, Gustavo A. Machicado, Jeffrey Gornbein, Joy King, Susie Cheng, Mary Ellen Jensen – 30 December 2003 – Esophageal variceal hemorrhage (EVH) is a serious and expensive sequela of chronic liver disease, leading to increased utilization of resources. Today, endoscopic sclerotherapy (ES) and endoscopic ligation (EL) are the accepted, community standards of endoscopic treatment of patients with EVH. However, there are no published studies comparing the economic costs of treating EVH using these interventions.

Gene D. LeSage, Antonio Benedetti, Shannon Glaser, Luca Marucci, Ziga Tretjak, Alessandra Caligiuri, Rebecca Rodgers, Jo Lynne Phinizy, Leonardo Baiocchi, Heather Francis, John Lasater, Laura Ugili, Gianfranco Alpini – 30 December 2003 – The aim of this study was to develop a model of selective duct damage restricted to hormone‐responsive segments corresponding to the ducts damaged in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) was fed by gavage to rats, and 2, 7, 14, and 28 days later, small and large cholangiocytes were isolated.

30 December 2003

Nosheen Ahmad, Carol R. Gardner, Edward J. Yurkow, Debra L. Laskin – 30 December 2003 – Cell adhesion molecules are important for localized accumulation of phagocytes at sites of tissue damage. In the present studies, we analyzed the effects of blocking hepatic macrophages on expression of β2 integrins and intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) adhesion molecules on liver cells during acute endotoxemia. Flow cytometric analysis revealed distinct subpopulations of macrophages from control animals that varied on the basis of their size and density.

Bruno Clément, Orlando Musso, Jocelyne Liétard, Nathalie Théret – 30 December 2003

Henry L. Y. Chan, Munira Hussain, Anna S. F. Lok – 30 December 2003 – Mutations in the core promoter and precore regions are frequently found in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐negative patients, but precore stop codon mutation is restricted to hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes that have T at nucleotide 1858.