Chien‐Jen Chen, Ding‐Shinn Chen – 30 December 2003

Raza Malik, Neil Mellor, Clare Selden, Humphrey Hodgson – 30 December 2003 – This study investigates the effects of administering a primary mitogen, triiodothyronine (T3), at the time of 70% partial hepatectomy (PH) in the rat, thus combining the 2 distinct pathways of liver growth: direct hyperplasia and compensatory regeneration. T3 enhances the proliferative response of hepatocytes within the liver following PH.

Narci Teoh, Isabelle Leclercq, Aileen Dela Pena, Geoffrey Farrell – 30 December 2003 – Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) is implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury but can also prime hepatocytes to enter the cell cycle. Ischemic preconditioning protects against ischemia‐reperfusion (IR) liver injury and is associated with activation of nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) and cell cycle entry.

Tuvia Gilat, Alicia Leikin‐Frenkel, Ilana Goldiner, Christine Juhel, Huguette Lafont, Diana Gobbi, Fred M. Konikoff – 30 December 2003 – Fatty acid bile acid conjugates (FABACs) are a new family of synthetic molecules designed to solubilize biliary cholesterol. They were shown to prevent and dissolve cholesterol gallstones in inbred C57L/J mice fed a lithogenic, high‐fat diet (HFD). In these mice, fatty liver was observed in the controls but not in the FABAC‐treated ones.

Gary L. Davis, John B. Wong, John G. McHutchison, Michael P. Manns, Joann Harvey, Janice Albrecht – 30 December 2003 – Interferon‐based regimens for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C have become increasingly effective and are able to eradicate virus in more than one half of cases. Early identification of patients who will not respond is desirable because treatment might be stopped, thereby avoiding the expense and inconvenience of unnecessary therapy.

Javier Inserte, Antonia Perelló, Luis Agulló, Marisol Ruiz‐Meana, Klaus‐Dieter Schlüter, Noelia Escalona, Mariona Graupera, Jaume Bosch, David Garcia‐Dorado – 30 December 2003 – Portal hypertension induces neuroendocrine activation and a hyperkinetic circulation state. This study investigated the consequences of portal hypertension on heart structure and function. Intrahepatic portal hypertension was induced in male Sprague‐Dawley rats by chronic bile duct ligation (CBDL).

Alex Blindenbacher, Xueya Wang, Igor Langer, Rocco Savino, Luigi Terracciano, Markus H. Heim – 30 December 2003 – The response to partial hepatectomy (PH) is impaired in interleukin 6 (IL‐6)‐deficient mice. IL‐6 is well known for its role in the induction of the acute phase (AP) response, and the impairment of this response after surgery and hepatectomy could explain the defective hepatocyte regeneration. In addition, it was proposed that IL‐6 has an important role in stimulating the reentry of quiescent cells into the cell cycle within the first 2 to 4 hours after PH.

Pietro Lampertico, Massimo Colombo – 30 December 2003

Jordan Feld, Jia‐yee Lee, Stephen Locarnini – 30 December 2003

Luis Ruiz‐del‐Arbol, Jesús Urman, Javier Fernández, Mónica González, Miguel Navasa, Alberto Monescillo, Agustín Albillos, Wladimiro Jiménez, Vicente Arroyo – 30 December 2003 – Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is frequently associated with renal failure. This study assessed if systemic and hepatic hemodynamics are also affected by this condition.