S Sakamoto, T Okanoue, Y Itoh, K Sakamoto, K Nishioji, Y Nakagawa, N Yoshida, T Yoshikawa, K Kashima – 30 December 2003 – The expression of several adhesion molecules is increased on the hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs) in various liver diseases. The objective of this study is to assess the roles of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM‐1) and of CD18 in the interaction between the neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes [PMNs]) and SECs and in the injury to SECs mediated by PMNs.

J Muller‐Hocker, D Aust, H Rohrbach, J Napiwotzky, A Reith, T A Link, P Seibel, D Holzel, B Kadenbach – 30 December 2003 – Defects of the respiratory chain are a typical feature of mitochondrial diseases and occur also during normal aging where they have been described in postmitotic tissues. The present study addresses the question of defect expression in the normal and cirrhotic liver.

G Rolla, L Brussino, P Colagrande, L Dutto, S Polizzi, E Scappaticci, S Bergerone, M Morello, A Marzano, G Martinasso, M Salizzoni, C Bucca – 30 December 2003 – Impaired arterial oxygenation, ranging from increased alveolar‐arterial oxygen gradient (AaDo2) to hypoxemia, is commonly present in patients with cirrhosis. Nitric oxide (NO), through pulmonary vasodilatation, may play a major role in the oxygen abnormalities of cirrhosis.

A Sanchez, A M Alvarez, M Benito, I Fabregat – 30 December 2003 – We have previously reported that transforming growth factor‐beta (TGF‐β) induces apoptosis in fetal hepatocytes in primary culture. This effect was found to be associated with an increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a lowering of total cellular reduced glutathione (GSH). In this study, we investigated whether protein synthesis plays a role in these TGF‐β‐induced effects.

A S Petrides, D E Matthews, U Eßer – 30 December 2003 – We examined whether a single bout of moderate exercise has a beneficial effect on insulin sensitivity and fuel homeostasis in cirrhosis. Clinically stable cirrhotic patients and age‐, sex‐, and weight‐matched controls participated in insulin clamp studies (either euglycemic hyperinsulinemic or hyperglycemic hyperinsulinemic) in combination with indirect calorimetry and [6,6‐2H2]glucose.

R Jalan, E H Forrest, A J Stanley, D N Redhead, J Forbes, J F Dillon, A J MacGilchrist, N D Finlayson, P C Hayes – 30 December 2003 – The aim of this study was to compare transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent‐shunt (TIPSS) with variceal band ligation (VBL) in the secondary prophylaxis of esophageal variceal hemorrhage in patients with cirrhosis. Fifty‐eight patients with cirrhosis who presented with the first episode of esophageal variceal hemorrhage were randomized to TIPSS (31) or VBL (27), 24 hours after control of bleeding.

G Wensing, E Lotterer, I Link, E G Hahn, W E Fleig – 30 December 2003 – The relationship between the impairment in hepatic and renal function in cirrhosis has not been well established. This study investigated urinary sodium excretion in comparison with quantitative parameters of liver function in 75 patients with various degrees of cirrhosis kept on a constant salt diet of 120 mmol/d for 5 days before the start of the study.

I Leclercq, A Saliez, P E Wallemacq, Y Horsmans, L Lambotte – 30 December 2003 – Although the monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) test defined as a single determination of MEGX plasma concentration after lidocaine injection has been proposed as a liver function test, some discrepancies appeared in assessing the quality of liver donor for transplantation as well as the severity of liver disease. The present study used a severe ischemia‐ reperfusion liver injury (IRI) in rat to evaluate the various factors able to influence the level of MEGX.

T Kitada, S Seki, K Nakatani, N Kawada, T Kuroki, T Monna – 30 December 2003 – C‐Myb is a sequence‐specific DNA binding protein that regulates the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation and differentiation. The present study was designed to elucidate the role of c‐Myb in the pathogenesis of chronic liver disease by an immunohistochemical approach. In normal (control) livers, few or no hepatic cells were positive for c‐Myb.

M Wettstein, D Haussinger – 30 December 2003 – Medium osmolarity sensitively regulates Kupffer cell functions like phagocytosis and prostaglandin (PG) and cytokine production. Betaine and taurine, recently identified as osmolytes in liver cells, interfere with these effects. Because Kupffer cell activation is an important pathogenic mechanism in ischemia‐reoxygenation injury, the influence of osmolarity and osmolytes was investigated in a rat liver perfusion model of warm ischemia.