30 December 2003

Marta Bosch‐Marcé, Manuel Morales‐Ruiz, Wladimiro Jiménez, Nuria Bordas, Manuel Solé, Josefa Ros, Ramón Deulofeu, Vicente Arroyo, Francisca Rivera, Juan Rodés – 30 December 2003 – This article assesses the circulating levels of l‐arginine, the renal response to l‐arginine infusion, and the renal expression of inducible and constitutive nitric oxide synthase (NOS II and NOS III, respectively) in cirrhotic rats with ascites.

Henning Andersen, Mette Borre, Johannes Jakobsen, Per Heden Andersen, Hendrik Vilstrup – 30 December 2003 – To study motor function quantitatively in alcoholic liver cirrhosis muscle strength, liver function, peripheral nerve function, and nutrition were assessed in 24 patients. Isokinetic strength of flexion and extension at elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle and of shoulder abduction and adduction was evaluated and compared with findings in 24 matched healthy subjects. Degree of liver disease was assessed with the Child‐Pugh score and the galactose elimination capacity (GEC).

Miguel Navasa, Antonio Follo, Xavier Filella, Wladimiro Jiménez, Anna Francitorra, Ramón Planas, Antoni Rimola, Vicente Arroyo, Joan Rodés – 30 December 2003 – Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is associated with an important production of inflammatory mediators. However, it is unknown whether there is a relationship between the abdominal production of these mediators and the development of renal impairment, one of the most important prognostic parameters in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Norifumi Kawada, Shuichi Seki, Masayasu Inoue, Tetsuo Kuroki – 30 December 2003 – Effects of antioxidants, resveratrol, quercetin, and N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) on the functions of cultured rat hepatic stellate cells and Kupffer cells were studied. These compounds dose‐dependently suppressed serum‐dependent proliferation of stellate cells as determined by [3H]thymidine and 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine uptake. Expression of smooth muscle α‐actin was suppressed by a high dose of resveratrol and quercetin.

Jens‐Gerd Scharf, Thomas Knittel, Frank Dombrowski, Lars Müller, Bernhard Saile, Thomas Braulke, Heinz Hartmann, Giuliano Ramadori – 30 December 2003 – The insulin‐like growth factors I and II (IGF‐I, ‐II) are circulating peptides known to participate in the regulation of metabolism, growth, and cellular differentiation. In the present study, “early cultured” (days 2‐3 of culture) and “culture‐activated” (days 6‐7 of culture) rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were analyzed for expression of individual components of the IGF axis.

Thierry Poynard, Pierre Opolon – 30 December 2003

Giuliana Montosi, Cinzia Garuti, Sabrina Martinelli, Antonello Pietrangelo – 30 December 2003 – Oxidant stress plays a key role in hepatic fibrogenesis. This study was undertaken to assess whether, during iron overload–associated liver fibrosis ain vivo, oxidant stress occurs in hepatic stellate cells (HSC) during active fibrogenesis. Gerbils were treated with iron‐dextran, and, after hepatic fibrosis developed, livers were subjected to various combination of in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry analyses.

Tetsuo Takehara, Norio Hayashi, Eiji Mita, Tatsuya Kanto, Tomohide Tatsumi, Yutaka Sasaki, Akinori Kasahara, Masatsugu Hori – 30 December 2003 – Fas‐mediated apoptosis is one of the major death processes of hepatocytes in liver diseases. Although compensatory regeneration occurs during liver injury, it has not been determined whether regenerating hepatocytes die by the same apoptotic process as quiescent hepatocytes.

George Ostapowicz, Katrina J. Watson, Stephen A. Locarnini, Paul V. Desmond – 30 December 2003 – In patients with chronic hepatitis C, alcohol consumption has been proposed as a risk factor for the progression of liver disease; however, evidence for this remains conflicting. Two hundred thirty‐four anti–hepatitis C virus (HCV)–positive patients who had a liver biopsy performed within the past 24 months were studied. Demographic data and information on risk factors were recorded. A detailed lifetime alcohol consumption history was obtained.