Lia Bellis, Annalisa Berzigotti, Juan G. Abraldes, Eduardo Moitinho, Juan C. García‐Pagán, Jaime Bosch, Juan Rodés – 30 December 2003 – Postprandial hyperemia is associated with a significant increase in portal pressure in cirrhosis, which may contribute to progressive dilation and rupture of gastroesophageal varices. In cirrhosis, an insufficient hepatic production of nitric oxide (NO) may impair the expected hepatic vasodilatory response to increased blood flow, further exaggerating the postprandial increase in portal pressure.

Xiu‐Da Shen, Bibo Ke, Yuan Zhai, Feng Gao, Dean Anselmo, Charles R. Lassman, Ronald W. Busuttil, Jerzy W. Kupiec‐Weglinski – 30 December 2003 – Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains an important problem in clinical organ transplantation. There is growing evidence that T lymphocytes, and activated CD4+ T cells in particular, play a key role in hepatic I/R injury. This study analyzes the role of signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (Stat4) and Stat6 signaling in liver I/R injury.

G. Aravinda Upadhya, Stefan A. Topp, Richard S. Hotchkiss, John Anagli, Steven M. Strasberg – 30 December 2003 – This study was performed to determine the role of intracellular calcium concentration and calpain activity on the cellular events that occur in rat sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC) in the cold. Intracellular calcium concentrations were measured in isolated cold preserved rat SEC. Dantrolene or 1,2‐bis(o‐Aminophenoxy)ethane‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetraacetic acid tetra(acetoxymethyl) ester (BAPTA‐AM) was added in some studies.

Min Kyung Cho, Sang Geon Kim – 30 December 2003 – Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a ligand of c‐Met receptor, stimulates activation of cellular kinases via phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3‐kinase). CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) controls cell cycle progression. The present study was designed to determine whether HGF activates C/EBP in association with the S‐phase entrance for cell replication and whether PI3‐kinase contributes to the activation of C/EBP.

Michael D. Norenberg – 30 December 2003

Rosario F. Velázquez, Manuel Rodríguez, Carmen A. Navascués, Antonio Linares, Ramón Pérez, Nieves G. Sotorríos, Isabel Martínez, Luis Rodrigo – 30 December 2003 – Better knowledge of the risk factors associated with the appearance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) could improve the efficacy of surveillance programs. A total of 463 patients aged 40 to 65 years with liver cirrhosis in Child‐Pugh class A or B were included in a program of early diagnosis. The predictive value of different risk factors was evaluated using the Kaplan‐Meier method and Cox regression model.

Pere Ginès, Rolando Ortega, Dara de las Heras, Mónica Guevara, Vicente Arroyo – 30 December 2003

Pierre Pradat, Alfredo Alberti, Christian Tepo – 30 December 2003

Gerald Soff – 30 December 2003

Robert F. Schwabe, Cynthia A. Bradham, Tetsuya Uehara, Etsuro Hatano, Brydon L. Bennett, Robert Schoonhoven, David A. Brenner – 30 December 2003 – The c‐Jun‐N‐terminal kinase (JNK) pathway is strongly activated after partial hepatectomy (PH), but its role in hepatocyte proliferation is not known. In this study, JNK activity was blocked with the small molecule inhibitor JNK SP600125 in vivo and in vitro as shown by a reduction of c‐Jun phosphorylation, AP‐1 DNA binding activity, and c‐jun messenger RNA (mRNA) expression.