Zhi Ming, Donald D. Smyth, W. Wayne Lautt – 30 December 2003 – The regulation of renal sodium and water excretion through a hepatorenal reflex activated by the changes in hemodynamics of the portal circulation has been suggested. We hypothesize that the changes in intrahepatic blood flow and flow‐related intrahepatic adenosine are involved in the control of renal water and sodium excretion by triggering a hepatorenal reflex. Anesthetized rats were instrumented to monitor the systemic, hepatic, and renal circulation.

Adrian M. Di Bisceglie, John McHutchison, Charles M. Rice – 30 December 2003

Seiji Adachi, Masataka Okuno, Rie Matsushima‐Nishiwaki, Yukihiko Takano, Soichi Kojima, Scott L. Friedman, Hisataka Moriwaki, Yukio Okano – 30 December 2003 – Retinoid X receptor α (RXRα) has emerged as an important nuclear receptor involved in hepatocarcinogenesis, because its ligand suppresses the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in both experimental and clinical studies. We have demonstrated that phosphorylation of RXRα at serine 260 interferes with its function and delays its degradation in cultured human HCC, leading to enhanced cellular proliferation.

Jenny Griffiths, Barry Nix – 30 December 2003 – Deuffic et al. developed a compartmentalized model that characterized the evolution and spread of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) within France. There were various parameters defining the age‐ and sex‐dependent transition probabilities between chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis in need of determination to completely specify their model. These were estimated by means of a weighted least‐squares procedure that was executed numerically.

Yasuhiro Masubuchi, Shintaro Nakayama, Toshiharu Horie – 30 December 2003 – Hepatotoxicity of diclofenac has been known in experimental animals and humans but its mechanism has not been fully understood. The present study examined the role of mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) in the pathogenesis of diclofenac‐induced hepatocyte injury by using isolated mitochondria and primary culture hepatocytes from rats.

Laurent Castéra, Franck Zigante, Anne Bastie, Catherine Buffet, Daniel Dhumeaux, Patrick Hardy – 30 December 2003

Janus Ong, Zobair M. Younossi, Vishnu Reddy, Lori Lyn Price, Terry Gramlich, James Mayes, Navdeep Boparai – 30 December 2003 – Some patients diagnosed with cryptogenic cirrhosis may have “burned‐out” nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFL). To test this hypothesis, we used our liver transplant database (November 1984 to November 1998) to assess the incidence of NAFL in patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). We also examined the clinicodemographic features associated with post‐OLT NAFL, obtained by chart review and telephone interviews.

Osamu Takeyama, Iwao Ikai, Toshikazu Yagi, Seiji Satoh, Akiyoshi Kanazawa, Takehiko Uesugi, Ryuta Nishitai, Hiroshi Okabe, Nagato Katsura, Hiroaki Terajima, Yoshio Yamaoka – 30 December 2003 – Xenogeneic extracorporeal liver perfusion (ECLP) has the potential to become an important tool in the management of patients with severe liver failure. We previously showed that xenogeneic pig liver perfusion may be prolonged for up to 9 hours by the administration of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1).

Ashok Jain, Anthony Jake Demetris, Randeep Kashyap, Karen Blakomer, Kris Ruppert, Akhtar Khan, Susan Rohal, Thomas E. Starzl, John J. Fung – 30 December 2003 – Tacrolimus has proven to be a potent immunosuppressive agent in liver transplantation (LT). Its introduction has led to significantly less frequent and severe acute rejection. Little is known about the rate of chronic rejection (CR) in primary LT using tacrolimus therapy. The aim of the present study is to examine the long‐term incidence of CR, risk factors, prognostic factors, and outcome after CR.

J. Diego Bogetti, Brian R. Herts, Mark J. Sands, John F. Carroll, David P. Vogt, J. Michael Henderson – 30 December 2003 – Three‐dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) is an imaging technique that renders anatomic detail in 3D images from helical computed tomographic scans. The purpose of this study is to assess 3D CT in the preoperative evaluation of adult living related liver transplant donors. Nine patients underwent right‐lobe liver resection for adult living related liver transplants between October 1999 and September 2000.