Belén del Santo, Raquel Valdés, João Mata, Antonio Felipe, F. Javier Casado, Marçal Pastor‐Anglada – 30 December 2003 – Primary cultures of rat‐liver parenchymal cells show carrier‐mediated nucleoside uptake by a mechanism that mainly involves concentrative, Na+‐dependent transport activity. In contrast, the hepatoma cell line FAO shows high nucleoside transport activity, although it is mostly accounted for by Na+‐independent transport processes. This is associated with a low amount of sodium purine nucleoside transporter (SPNT) mRNA.

Arthur J. McCullough, Kevin D. Mullen, Satish C. Kalhan – 30 December 2003 – The metabolic fate of leucine's first and second carbon may be different depending on the tissue in which leucine is metabolized, as well as the prevailing hormonal milieu of that tissue. However, previous studies of leucine kinetics in humans have used only leucine labeled (as tracer) at the first carbon position.

Nobuyuki Morikawa, Makoto Suematsu, Takanori Kyokane, Nobuhito Goda, Yusuke Kumamoto, Taro Okitsu, Yuzuru Ishimura, Masaki Kitajima – 30 December 2003 – Although discontinuous total parenteral nutrition (d‐TPN) has recently been favored for clinical use over continuous total parenteral nutrition (c‐TPN) to ameliorate liver dysfunction, mechanisms for the protection against postoperative liver dysfunction remain unknown. This study aimed to examine differences in mitochondrial function in d‐TPN‐ and c‐TPN–pretreated livers during ischemia‐reperfusion.

Robert L. Owen – 30 December 2003

Valerie Paradis, Ingrid Laurendeau, Michel Vidaud, Pierre Bedossa, The METAVIR Group – 30 December 2003 – Several arguments suggest that most hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) occurring in human cirrhotic livers arise from large hepatocellular nodules or macronodules. Except for nodules with obvious features of HCC, there exist no consistent criteria enabling the differentiation between benign regenerative and neoplastic, potentially malignant macronodules. Surrogate markers able to accurately discriminate those lesions that will evolve toward a HCC are required.

Patrice Taourel, Pierre Blanc, Michel Dauzat, Myriam Chabre, Jean Pradel, Benoit Gallix, Dominique Larrey, Jean‐Michel Bruel – 30 December 2003 – To determine the relationship between quantitative Doppler parameters of portal, hepatic, and splanchnic circulation and hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), variceal size, and Child–Pugh class in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, we studied forty patients with proved alcoholic cirrhosis who underwent Doppler ultrasonography, hepatic vein catheterization, and esophagoscopy.

Ákos Zsembery, Carlo Spirlì, Anna Granato, Nicholas F. LaRusso, Lajos Okolicsanyi, Gaetano Crepaldi, Mario Strazzabosco – 30 December 2003 – Biliary epithelial cells (cholangiocytes) are responsible for rapid regulation of bile volume and alkalinity. Secretin and other hormones raising intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) concentrations promote biliary HCO3 secretion by stimulating apical Cl− channels and Cl−/HCO3− exchange (AE2).

Stanley M. Lemon, Francis V. Chisari, Michael M. C. Lai, Kusuya Nishioka, Shunji Mishiro, Leslye Johnson – 30 December 2003

Michael Charlton, Eric Seaberg, Russell Wiesner, James Everhart, Rowen Zetterman, John Lake, Katherine Detre, Jay Hoofnagle – 30 December 2003 – End‐stage liver disease secondary to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the leading indication for liver transplantation in the United States. Recurrence of HCV infection is nearly universal.

Wayne W. LaMorte, Michael L. Booker, Susannah Kay – 30 December 2003 – Certain phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecular species appear to be secreted into bile preferentially, but the mechanism for this selection remains obscure. We used multivariate analysis to examine the relationship between PC structure and the odds of secretion for individual PC species secreted into bile. PC was isolated from Folch extracts of bile and liver from rats, and individual molecular species of PC were quantified with reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).