Chise Tateno, Kaori Takai‐Kajihara, Chihiro Yamasaki, Hajime Sato, Katsutoshi Yoshizato – 30 December 2003 – Nearly pure populations of small hepatocytes (SHs), parenchymal hepatocytes (PHs), and nonparenchymal cells (NPCs) were prepared from the adult rat, and cocultures of hepatocytes and NPCs were reconstituted from them first to obtain the direct evidence that NPCs promote the growth of hepatocytes and second to compare the growth potential between SHs and PHs.

Andrea Galli, David Crabb, Donna Price, Elisabetta Ceni, Renata Salzano, Calogero Surrenti, Alessandro Casini – 30 December 2003 – During liver injury, hepatic stellate cells (HSC) acquire a myofibroblast‐like phenotype associated with reduction of lipid droplets, increased collagen synthesis, and proliferation. Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) regulates adipocyte differentiation and controls gene transcription in response to various activators including prostanoids and antidiabetic thiazolidinediones.

Patricia Greenwel, José‐Alfredo Domínguez‐Rosales, Gurjeet Mavi, A. M. Rivas‐Estilla, Marcos Rojkind – 30 December 2003 – Ethanol induces liver fibrosis by several means that include, among others, the direct fibrogenic actions of acetaldehyde and the induction of an oxidative stress response. However, the mechanisms responsible for these activities, and the possible connections between oxidative stress and acetaldehyde‐induced fibrosis are not well understood.

Paolo Angeli, Wladimiro Jiménez, Rosalia Veggian, Silvano Fasolato, Roberta Volpin, Harald S. MacHenzie, Raffaella Craighero, Virna Dalla Libera, Antonietta Sticca, Vicente Arroyo, Angelo Gatta – 30 December 2003 – A possible defect of guanosine 3′‐5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) content in the renal tissue caused by an increased activity of cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) has, so far, not been evaluated in the pathogenesis of renal resistance to endogenous natriuretic peptides (ENP) in cirrhosis with ascites.

Carlo Merkel, Renato Marin, David Sacerdoti, Carlo Donada, Giorgio Cavallarin, Pierluigi Torboli, Piero Amodio, Giuliana Sebastianelli, Massimo Bolognesi, Martina Felder, Cesare Mazzaro, Angelo Gatta – 30 December 2003 – It is clearly established that β‐blockers decrease the risk of a first variceal bleeding in cirrhosis. We have recently shown that the addition of isosorbide mononitrate to nadolol decreases the rate of variceal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis and varices, compared with nadolol alone, after a median follow‐up of 30 months.

Luca Santucci, Stefano Fiorucci, Francesco Cammilleri, Giuseppe Servillo, Barbara Federici, Antonio Morelli – 30 December 2003 – Galectin‐1, an endogenous lectin with immunomodulatory activities, induces selective, Fas‐independent apoptosis of activated T cells. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect galectin‐1 exerts on concanavalin A (Con A)–induced hepatitis, a T‐cell–dependent model of liver injury.

David J. Brandhagen, William Alvarez, Terry M. Therneau, Kent E. Kruckeberg, Stephen N. Thibodeau, Jurgen Ludwig, Michael K. Porayko – 30 December 2003 – Previously, we found appreciable hepatic iron deposition in one third of our patients undergoing liver transplantation (LTx) with approximately 10% of cases having quantifiable iron in the range of that seen in hereditary hemochromatosis (HHC). The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcome in liver transplant patients with and without iron overload.

Alberto Sánchez‐Fueyo, Antoni Rimola, Luis Grande, Josep Costa, Antoni Mas, Miguel Navasa, Isabel Cirera, Jose Maria Sánchez‐Tapias, Juan Rodés – 30 December 2003 – It is widely agreed that hepatitis B virus immunoglobulin (HBIG) should be administered for at least 12 months to patients transplanted for hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐related diseases to prevent HBV recurrence. No data are available, however, on how long this treatment should be used, and most centers currently administer HBIG on a life‐long basis.

Irmin Sternlieb – 30 December 2003

Inma Castilla‐Cortazar, Maria Garcia, Jorge Quiroga, Nieves Diez, Fernando Diez‐Caballero, Alfonso Calvo, Matias Diaz, Jesus Prieto – 30 December 2003 – The pathogenesis of hypogonadism in cirrhosis is not completely understood. The levels of insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I), an anabolic factor with trophic actions on testes, are reduced in cirrhosis. This study was undertaken to evaluate whether rats with advanced cirrhosis develop hypogonadism and whether the administration of IGF‐I exerts beneficial effects on testicular structure and function.