R Malik, S Lee, C E Savard, D Oda, W S Wong, B Y Chan, S P Lee – 30 December 2003 – Normal dog gallbladder epithelial cells in long‐term culture were used as a model to study the morphologic, genetic, and secretory processes associated with the progression to cancer formation. Dog gallbladder epithelial cells cultured on collagen‐coated plates grew into polarized monolayers, could be passaged repeatedly, and showed the typical morphological profile of well‐differentiated columnar epithelial cells.

S Iacovacci, A Manzin, S Barca, M Sargiacomo, A Serafino, M B Valli, G Macioce, H J Hassan, A Ponzetto, M Clementi, C Peschle, G Carloni – 30 December 2003 – The molecular features of hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication in human fetal hepatocytes (HFHs) were addressed in this study. Using a competitive reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) assay for the quantitation of HCV‐RNA molecules, the highest level of viral replication was detected 30 days' postinfection. At this time point, viral particles of 41 to 45 nm in diameter accumulated in the cell cytoplasm.

D R Breitman, S. S. Lee – 30 December 2003 – Cardiovascular function in cirrhosis is deranged, with indirect evidence of abnormal central cardiovascular regulation. We aimed to elucidate the role of brainstem cardiovascular nuclei in hemodynamic regulation by examining the protein product, Fos, of the immediate‐early gene c‐fos, in cirrhotic rats. Cirrhosis was induced by chronic bile duct ligation (BDL) of 25‐days duration, while controls underwent a sham operation. To examine the effects of jaundice per se in the absence of cirrhosis, a third group of 5‐day BDL rats was also studied.

R J Pawlosky, B M Flynn, N Salem – 30 December 2003 – Rhesus monkeys that were maintained on a diet containing low, yet adequate, amounts of vitamins C and E and in which linoleate and linolenate represented 1.4% and 0.08% of the total caloric intake, respectively, developed liver fibrosis after consuming alcohol (mean, 2.6 g kg‐1 d‐1) over a period of 3 years. In the liver, several polyunsaturated fatty acids including 18:2n6, 20:4n6, and 22:6n3 decreased compared with dietary controls, and similar findings were also observed in plasma lipoproteins and erythrocytes.

C Puoti, A Magrini, T Stati, P Rigato, F Montagnese, P Rossi, L Aldegheri, S Resta – 30 December 2003 – This study was aimed to evaluate demographic, clinical, histological, and virological characteristics of 46 hepatitis C virus (HCV) carriers with persistently normal alanine transaminase (ALT) levels and to compare the results with those obtained in a group of 52 HCV‐RNA‐positive patients with elevated ALT levels.

U Zimmermann, D Feneux, G Mathey, F Gayral, D Franco, P Bedossa – 30 December 2003 – Fluorescence in situ hybridization performed on tissue sections can reveal chromosomal abnormalities related to histopathological features. This technique was performed on serial frozen sections from seven normal livers and 29 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) using pericentromeric repeat‐specific probes for chromosomes 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 16, and 17. For each HCC and each probe, the percentage of cells showing one, two, or more than two signals was counted and compared with the distribution in the normal liver.

T Takahara, K Furui, Y Yata, B Jin, L P Zhang, S Nambu, H Sato, M Seiki, A Watanabe – 30 December 2003 – We have previously reported increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase‐2 (MMP‐2) using a rat model of liver fibrosis. However we did not clarify how the precursor of MMP‐2 (proMMP‐2) was activated. Therefore, we used human liver specimens with chronic hepatitis (CH) and liver cirrhosis (LC) to examine expression of membrane‐type‐1‐MMP (MT1‐MMP), which has recently been determined to activate proMMP‐2.

Y Yamaguchi, O Ichiguchi, F Matsumura, E Akizuki, T Matsuda, K Okabe, S Yamada, J Liang, K Mori, M Ogawa – 30 December 2003 – The kinetics of messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels of cytokine‐induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC) in rat hepatic allografts during acute rejection were investigated. Infiltrating cells were identified by double immunostaining with anti‐CINC and anti‐macrophage monoclonal antibodies, ED1 and ED2. The serum CINC concentration in untreated hepatic allograft recipients increased significantly at a constant rate over time after transplantation.

A Ogawa, M Yano, T Tsujinaka, T Morimoto, S Morita, M Taniguchi, H Shiozaki, K Okamoto, S Sato, M Monden – 30 December 2003 – The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the circadian rhythm of the expression of liver‐specific genes caused by different schedules of parenteral nutrition (PN). Rats received PN continuously throughout the day or intermittently during the night or day for 7 days. They were examined for gene expression of D‐site binding protein (DBP), albumin, and cytochrome P450 cholesterol 7α‐hydroxylase (CYP7) in the liver.

R I Holt, P A Crossey, J S Jones, A J Baker, B Portmann, J P Miell – 30 December 2003 – Major changes in serum levels of insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I) and IGF‐binding proteins (IGFBPs) occur in children with end‐stage liver disease in association with changes in body composition. We hypothesized that these changes would be associated with changes in hepatic messenger RNA (mRNA) expression. Eleven children with end‐stage extrahepatic biliary atresia and 11 controls (liver donors) were studied.