M Yamashiki, A Nishimura, H Suzuki, S Sakaguchi, Y Kosaka – 30 December 2003 – “Sho‐saiko‐to” (TJ‐9) consists of 7 herbal components. In Japan, it is widely prescribed to patients with chronic viral liver disease. TJ‐9 is known to suppress liver cancer development and possess macrobiotic effects, but its mode of action is not fully understood.

C C Paulusma, M Kool, P J Bosma, G L Scheffer, F ter Borg, R J Scheper, G N Tytgat, P Borst, F Baas, R O Elferink – 30 December 2003 – The human Dubin‐Johnson syndrome (DJS) is a rare autosomal recessive liver disorder characterized by chronic conjugated hyperbilirubinemia. Patients have impaired hepatobiliary transport of non‐bile salt organic anions. A highly similar phenotype has been described for a mutant Wistar rat strain, the transport‐deficient (TR‐) rat, which is defective in the canalicular multispecific organic anion transporter (cmoat).

J Grove, A K Daly, M F Bassendine, C P Day – 30 December 2003 – Twin concordance studies suggest that genetic factors play a role in determining why only a minority of heavy drinkers develop hepatitis and cirrhosis. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) has emerged as the “final common pathway” in the pathogenesis of alcohol‐related hepatic necro‐inflammation. We have examined the frequency of the two recently described polymorphisms of the TNF‐α promoter in 150 patients with biopsy‐proven alcoholic liver disease and 145 healthy volunteers.

P Honkoop, R A De Man, H R Scholte, P E Zondervan, J W Van Den Berg, L H Rademakers, S W Schalm – 30 December 2003 – Nucleoside analogues can induce mitochondrial dysfunction leading to severe clinical syndromes. Lamivudine, a new nucleoside analogue, is an active inhibitor of hepatitis B viral replication without apparent clinical toxicity. To assess subclinical mitochondrial toxicity, we studied the morphology and function of the mitochondrial system in 15 patients treated with lamivudine.

J Pawlotsky – 30 December 2003

F Piscaglia, L Gramantieri, S Gaiani, G Cavalli, L Bolondi – 30 December 2003

A E Sirica, T W Gainey – 30 December 2003 – The rat treated with bile duct ligation (BDL) and furan is a unique animal model of massive bile ductular hyperplasia in which normal liver parenchyma is largely replaced with well‐differentiated proliferated bile ductules. We have now developed a simple cell isolation procedure to obtain and culture viable bile ductular epithelial cells in high numbers and with a high degree of purity from the livers of BDL/furan‐treated rats.

F Moreno‐Merlo, I R Wanless, K Shimamatsu, M Sherman, P Greig, D Chiasson – 30 December 2003 – Sarcoidosis often involves the liver with mild elevation of serum enzymes and granulomas histologically. Rarely, chronic cholestasis, portal hypertension, cirrhosis, or nodular hyperplasia may be found. The pathogenesis of the portal hypertension and of the cirrhosis are not understood, in part because large samples of tissue have seldom been described.

K Houglum, G A Ramm, D H Crawford, J L Witztum, L W Powell, M Chojkier – 30 December 2003 – Genetic hemochromatosis (GH) is associated with excess iron deposition in hepatocytes, which results in progressive hepatic injury. The pathogenesis of hepatic injury in GH is poorly understood. In this study, we found enhanced oxidative stress in patients with GH, as evidenced by hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA)‐protein adducts and by increased oxidatively modified serum proteins.

J J Maher, B A Neuschwander‐Tetri – 30 December 2003 – Hepatic stellate cells are resistant to the fibrogenic effects of lipid hydroperoxides in primary culture. Recent studies from our laboratory suggest that antioxidants, particularly glutathione, play a role in this resistance. We have observed that glutathione accumulates rapidly in stellate cells during primary culture; in the current study, we investigated whether glutathione modulates stellate cell collagen synthesis. Stellate cells from normal rat liver were plated in primary culture and maintained for 7 days.