David Oldach – 30 December 2003

Mitchell L. Shiffman – 30 December 2003 – Significant advances have been made in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection during the past 5 years. As a consequence, there is continuing enthusiasm for retreating patients who did not achieve sustained virological response (SVR) with previous therapy. Retreatment of non‐responders to standard interferon monotherapy using interferon and ribavirin has yielded SVR rates of 12% to 15%. Retreatment with peginterferon and ribavirin has been more effective; achieving SVR rates of 34% to 40%.

Pavel Taimr, Hajime Higuchi, Eva Kocova, Richard A. Rippe, Scott Friedman, Gregory J. Gores – 30 December 2003 – Apoptosis has emerged as an important mechanism to reduce numbers of activated stellate cells during the resolution phase of hepatic fibrosis. These observations suggest that activated stellate cells may be more susceptible to apoptotic stimuli than their quiescent counterparts.

Qi Qian, Airong Li, Bernard F. King, Patrick S. Kamath, Donna J. Lager, John Huston, Clarence Shub, Sonia Davila, Stefan Somlo, Vicente E. Torres – 30 December 2003 – Most reports on the natural history, manifestations, and treatment of polycystic liver disease are based on the disease as it manifests in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The purpose of this study was to develop a clinical profile of isolated autosomal dominant polycystic liver disease (ADPLD) using nonaffected family members as controls.

Shoichiro Shishido, Hironori Koga, Masaru Harada, Hiroto Kumemura, Shinichiro Hanada, Eitaro Taniguchi, Ryukichi Kumashiro, Hiromasa Ohira, Yukio Sato, Masayoshi Namba, Takato Ueno, Michio Sata – 30 December 2003 – Troglitazone has been withdrawn from therapeutic options for diabetes mellitus because of its severe hepatocyte toxicity of unknown pathogenesis. The aim of the present study was to assess both morphologic and functional alterations in the mitochondria of troglitazone‐treated hepatocytes. A polarized human hepatocyte cell line, OUMS‐29, was used in this study.

Emilio Iannitto, Vincenzo Barbera, Rocco Gambino, Emanuele Ammatuna, Giuseppe Montalto, Rosa Di Stefano – 30 December 2003

Francisco Rodriguez‐Frias, Rosendo Jardi, Maria Buti, Rafael Esteban – 30 December 2003

Rita Carini, Maria Grazia De Cesaris, Roberta Splendore, Cinzia Domenicotti, Maria Paola Nitti, Maria Adelaide Pronzato, Emanuele Albano – 30 December 2003 – Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) reduces ischemia and/or reperfusion damage in several organs, but the mechanisms involved are largely unknown. We used freshly isolated rat hepatocytes to investigate the mechanisms by which ANP enhances hepatocyte resistance to hypoxia.

Agustín Albillos, Antonio de la Hera, Mónica González, Jose‐Luis Moya, Jose‐Luis Calleja, Jorge Monserrat, Luis Ruiz‐del‐Arbol, Melchor Alvarez‐Mon – 30 December 2003 – Intestinal bacterial overgrowth and translocation, both common in cirrhosis with ascites, may lead to the activation of monocytes and lymphocytes, increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and enhanced synthesis of nitric oxide present in cirrhosis. Bacterial endotoxin promotes the synthesis of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐binding protein (LBP), and forms a LPS‐LBP complex that binds to CD14.

Rolf J. Schauer, Alexander L. Gerbes, Daniel Vonier, Mark op den Winkel, Peter Fraunberger, Manfred Bilzer – 30 December 2003 – Ischemic preconditioning (IP) triggers protection of the liver from prolonged subsequent ischemia. However, the underlying protective mechanisms are largely unknown. We investigated whether and how IP protects the liver against reperfusion injury caused by Kupffer cell (KC)‐derived oxidants.