Zong‐Zhi Huang, Hongyan Li, Jiaxin Cai, John Kuhlenkamp, Neil Kaplowitz, Shelly C. Lu – 30 December 2003 – We have shown previously that plating primary cultures of rat hepatocytes under low density, which stimulates hepatocytes to shift from the G0 to the G1phase of the cell cycle, resulted in increased levels of glutathione (GSH) and cysteine, and increased activity of γ‐glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS), the rate‐limiting enzyme in GSH synthesis (Lu et al., Am. J. Physiol. 1992;263:C1181‐C1189).

Noriyoshi Kuzushita, Norio Hayashi, Toyoki Moribe, Kazuhiro Katayama, Tatsuya Kanto, Sayaka Nakatani, Toshihiko Kaneshige, Tomohide Tatsumi, Akihiko Ito, Kiyoshi Mochizuki, Yutaka Sasaki, Akinori Kasahara, Masatsugu Hori – 30 December 2003 – The human leukocyte antigen is a crucial genetic factor that initiates or regulates immune response by presenting foreign or self antigens to T lymphocytes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether HLA polymorphism is associated with the onset or progression of liver injury in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Agustín Albillos, Guillermo Cacho, César Barrios, Melchor Alvarez‐Mon, Irma Rossi, Juán Gómez‐Arnau, María Pérez‐Páramo, Jose Luis Calleja, Javier Muñoz, María‐Teresa Torres, Rosa Daza, Valentín Cuervas‐Mons, Pedro Escartín – 30 December 2003 – Arterial hypertension is commonly observed in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) recipients receiving cyclosporin A (CsA), but the precise pathogenetic mechanisms remain partially unknown.

Don C. Rockey, Laura Fouassier, John J. Chung, Alain Carayon, Patrick Vallée, Colette Rey, Chantal Housset – 30 December 2003 – Endothelin (ET) peptides have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several biological processes within the liver. ET levels are elevated in the circulation of patients with cirrhosis, and recent data suggest that ET may be overproduced in the liver itself in this condition.

Hideki Aizaki, Yoichiro Aoki, Takashi Harada, Koji Ishii, Tetsuro Suzuki, Seishi Nagamori, Gotaro Toda, Yoshiharu Matsuura, Tatsuo Miyamura – 30 December 2003 – We constructed a full‐length complementary DNA (cDNA) clone of hepatitis C virus (HCV) from a blood sample of an HCV carrier. The blood from the carrier was eventually transfused to a patient who later developed typical posttransfusion hepatitis C. It was also shown to be infectious to chimpanzees. We obtained 12 overlapping cDNA fragments altogether, covering the entire HCV genome.

Edward V. Loftus, Humberto I. Aguilar, William J. Sandborn, William J. Tremaine, Ruud A. Krom, Alan R. Zinsmeister, Ivo W. Graziadei, Russell H. Wiesner – 30 December 2003 – Several centers have identified colorectal cancer in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and ulcerative colitis (UC) who have undergone orthotopic liver transplantation. Increased frequency of surveillance colonoscopy and prophylactic colectomy has been recommended.

30 December 2003

Bryon E. Petersen, Valerie F. Zajac, George K. Michalopoulos – 30 December 2003 – Administration of 2‐acetylaminofluorene (2‐AAF) given before partial hepatectomy (PHx) results in suppression of hepatocyte proliferation and stimulation of oval cell proliferation. Our objective in this study was to examine the oval cell response and associated α‐fetoprotein (AFP) gene expression by combining 2‐AAF with selective damage of centrilobular regions (carbon tetrachloride [CCl4 ]) or periportal regions (allyl alcohol [AA]).

Yoshiya Nishimura, Lewis H. Romer, John J. Lemasters – 30 December 2003 – We investigated mechanisms underlying death of cultured rat liver sinusoidal endothelial cells exposed to chemical hypoxia with KCN (2.5 mmol/L) to simulate the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion and reductive stress of anoxia. During chemical hypoxia, acidotic pH prevented cell death. Glucose (0.3‐10 mmol/L) also prevented cell killing. Cytoprotection by glucose but not acidosis was associated with prevention of ATP depletion.

Eric Fortin – 30 December 2003