Manabu Nishikawa, Eisuke F. Sato, Misato Kashiba, Tetsuo Kuroki, Kozo Utsumi, Masayasu Inoue – 30 December 2003 – Previous studies in this laboratory revealed that nitric oxide (NO) reversibly inhibits the respiration of isolated mitochondria and ascites hepatoma (AH‐130) cells by an oxygen concentration–dependent mechanism. The inhibitory effect of NO on the respiration of AH‐130 cells was enhanced by treating with digitonin that selectively permeabilized plasma membranes and released cytosolic low‐molecular‐weight compounds.

G F Barnard, M Mori – 30 December 2003

M Geissler, A Gesien, J R Wands – 30 December 2003 – Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is common in alcoholics and may result in chronic infection. Persistence of HBV infection could be partially caused by the effects of ethanol on the cellular and humoral immune response to viral structural proteins. The DNA‐based immunization approach was used to experimentally assess the effects of chronic ethanol feeding on immune responses directed against the middle envelope protein (MHBs) of HBV.

M J Mphahlele, A G Shattock, W Boner, J Quinn, P A McCormick, W F Carman – 30 December 2003 – The pre‐core variant, A1896, which switches off hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) production, is common in hepatitis B e antigen antibody (anti‐HBe)‐positive chronic hepatitis patients. It has been observed in occasional case reports of acute hepatitis. However, transmission in the absence of HBeAg‐producing strains, leading to acute nonfulminant hepatitis and clearance in adults, has not been reported.

A J Czaja, S A Morshed, S Parveen, M Nishioka – 30 December 2003 – To determine the significance of antibodies to single‐stranded (anti‐ssDNA) and double‐stranded DNA (anti‐dsDNA) in antinuclear antibody (ANA)‐positive type 1 autoimmune hepatitis, sera from 53 patients were tested by enzyme immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence using the Crithidia luciliae substrate. Anti‐dsDNA were detected in 18 patients (34%) by ELISA and 12 patients (23%) by the Crithidia‐based assay.

M Y El‐Mir, M J Monte, A I Morales, M Arevalo, M A Serrano, J J Marin – 30 December 2003 – Partial and reversible impairment of bile formation has been reported to occur in the offspring of rats undergoing common bile duct ligation during the last third of pregnancy. This situation was defined as latent cholestasis of the neonate and was suggested to be related to the multilamellar bodies partially occupying the canalicular lumen. The current study was undertaken to investigate the presence of alterations in the secretion of biliary lipids in these infant rats.

30 December 2003

A E Sirica – 30 December 2003

F von Weizsäcker, S Wieland, J Köck, W Offensperger, S Offensperger, D Moradpour, H E Blum – 30 December 2003

J W Marsh, I Dvorchik, M Subotin, V Balan, J Rakela, E P Popechitelev, V Subbotin, A Casavilla, B I Carr, J J Fung, S Iwatsuki – 30 December 2003 – Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) in the presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been complicated by high recurrence rates. The ability to determine the risk and timing of HCC recurrence on an individual basis would greatly aid in the candidate selection process resulting in a more efficient use of donated organs and allow the individualization and better evaluation of adjuvant chemotherapy.