Margaret Chen, Matti Sällberg, Anders Sönnerborg, Ling Jin, Ashley Birkett, Darrell Peterson, Ola Weiland, David R. Milich – 30 December 2003 – The hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural (NS) 3 protein has been shown to possess at least two enzymatic domains. The amino terminal third contains a serine‐protease domain, whereas the carboxy terminal two thirds is comprised of an adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase)/helicase domain. These domains are essential for the maturation of the carboxy‐terminal portion of the HCV polyprotein and catalyze the cap synthesis of the RNA genome.

Pierre‐Alain Clavien – 30 December 2003

Yuichi Shinoda, Makoto Suematsu, Yoshiyuki Wakabayashi, Tsuneharu Suzuki, Nobuhito Goda, Shuji Saito, Tokio Yamaguchi, Yuzuru Ishimura – 30 December 2003 – This study aimed to examine the mechanism(s) by which carbon monoxide (CO), a product of heme oxygenase reaction, controls the contractility of bile canaliculus (BC) in hepatocytes. When BCs associated with the couplet cells in cultured rat hepatocyte suspension were observed using time‐lapse video microscopy, they exhibited periodical contractions with a most‐probable interval of 6 minutes under our experimental conditions.

Ginny L. Bumgardner, Jiashun Li, SACH APTE, MARIE HEININGER, WENDY L. FRANKEL 3 – 30 December 2003 – Adhesion molecules such as intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (VCAM‐1) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory liver disease states, including viral and autoimmune hepatitis as well as liver allograft rejection.

Jay S. Markowitz, Paul Martin, Andrew J. Conrad, James F. Markmann, Philip Seu, Hasan Yersiz, John A. Goss, Peter Schmidt, Anita Pakrasi, Lucy Artinian, Natalie G. Murray, David K. Imagawa, Curtis Holt, Leonard I. Goldstein, Risë Stribling, Ronald W. Busuttil – 30 December 2003 – Patients undergoing liver transplantation for hepatitis B–related liver disease are prone to recurrence. The mainstay of prophylaxis has been passive immunotherapy with hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG).

Akos Heinemann, Christof H. Wachter, Peter Fickert, Michael Trauner, Rudolf E. Stauber – 30 December 2003 – We recently reported that vasopressin analogues correct the in vitro vascular hyporeactivity to adrenergic vasoconstrictors in portal hypertensive rats. The aim of the present study was to determine whether vasopressin reduces splanchnic blood flow in portal vein‐ligated (PVL) rats by restoring vasoconstrictor responsiveness in vivo. The ultrasonic transit time‐shift technique was used for blood flow measurements.

Philippe Lahaye, Khalid A. Tazi, Jean‐Pierre Rona, Olivier Dellis, Didier Lebrec, Richard Moreau – 30 December 2003 – Protein kinase C (PKC) modulates the activity and phosphorylation of the catalytic α‐subunit of sodium‐potassium‐adenosine triphosphatase (Na+/K+ ATPase) in normal arteries. Because PKC is altered in cirrhotic aortae, Na+/K+ ATPase may also be altered in these arteries. The aim of the present study was to investigate α‐subunit activity and phosphorylation in aortae from normal and cirrhotic rats, under baseline conditions and during exposure to PKC modulators.

Anna Kordelia Kurz, Freimut Schliess, Dieter Häussinger – 30 December 2003 – The influence of cell hydration and taurine on the heat shock response was studied in primary rat hepatocytes. Heat‐induced accumulation of inducible heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) mRNA and protein was increased under hypo‐osmotic conditions. In contrast, hyper‐osmotic exposure blocked the HSP70 response during an 8‐hour recovery, and this was paralleled by a reduction of overall protein synthesis and an impairment of thermotolerance.

Michael Charlton, Philip Adjei, John Poterucha, Nizar Zein, Breanndan Moore, Terry Therneau, Ruud Krom, Russell Wiesner – 30 December 2003 – A novel DNA virus, TT‐virus (TTV), has been reported in patients with non–A‐G posttransfusion hepatitis in Japan. We sought to determine whether TTV infection occurs in North American blood donors and to further determine the prevalence of TTV infection in several groups of patients with liver disease, including patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis and idiopathic fulminant hepatic failure.

Shinji Tomida, Masato Abei, Takashi Yamaguchi, Yasushi Matsuzaki, Junichi Shoda, Naomi Tanaka, Toshiaki Osuga – 30 December 2003 – Whether ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) therapy alters the long‐term clinical course of gallstones (GS) without stone dissolution remains unknown. We aimed to clarify the relationship between long‐term UDCA therapy and risks of biliary pain or acute cholecystitis in GS patients. We also aimed to identify factors affecting the natural course, and to explore a simple patient selection criteria for UDCA therapy.