J de Waele, R M Audet, D K Leong, R F Butterworth – 1 October 1996 – Portacaval anastomosis (PCA) in the rat results in a broad spectrum of neurological and neurobehavioral changes, including alterations of circadian rhythms, impaired locomotor activity, and reflexes, as well as decreased threshold to noxious stimuli. In addition, following portacaval shunting, rats drink significantly more ethanol in a free‐ choice drinking paradigm. Available evidence suggests that many of these behavioral changes may be modulated by the endogenous opioid system of the brain.

I R Wanless, J Belgiorno, P Huet – 1 October 1996 – This study documents the hepatic morphology and the ultrastructure of a model of hepatic fibrosis in rabbits. Rabbits were given a cholesterol‐ supplemented diet (1%), a stilbestrol diet (10 mg subcutaneously twice a week), or both treatments simultaneously for 7 weeks. Rabbits given the combined treatment developed sinusoidal and portal fibrosis with only a mild disturbance of acinar vascular relationships.

N Terayama, T Terada, Y Nakanuma – 1 October 1996 – Background/Aims: To clarify the angiogenetic process and the origin of tumor vessels in human metastatic liver carcinomas. Methods: One hundred autopsy livers with metastatic carcinomas were studied by immunohistochemistry for von Willebrand factor, by lectin histochemistry for Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEA‐I), and by morphometry of the density of tumor vessels in the liver metastases. In addition, tumor vessels were observed three‐dimensionally in silicone rubber‐injected livers with metastases.

1 October 1996

M Battegay – 1 October 1996

N Bach – 1 October 1996

M Niederberger, P Gines, P Martin, P Tsai, K Morris, I McMurtry, R W Schrier – 1 October 1996 – Nitric oxide (NO) is postulated to play a role in the pathogenesis of arterial vasodilation in chronic portal hypertension. This present study investigates the relationship between systemic hemodynamics and the vascular production of NO, as estimated by measuring cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in aortic tissue in two models of chronic portal hypertension in the rat: the partial portal vein ligation (PVL) model and CCl4‐induced cirrhosis.

N Buyssens, M M Kockx, A G Herman, J Lazou, K Van den Berg, E Wisse, A Geerts – 1 October 1996 – During a study on the development of atheromatous lesions in rabbits fed a diet with a low or high cholesterol supplement, we found a moderate to pronounced centrolobular liver fibrosis. This fibrosis developed in three stages. Early after supplementation of cholesterol, we observed increased immunoreactivity of collagen types I, III, and IV, and fibronectin, around central veins and in adjacent sinusoids.

D Barisani, M Wessling‐Resnick – 1 October 1996 – The uptake of nontransferrin‐bound iron by hepatocytes is known to occur and may contribute to the deposition of iron and resulting injury during hemochromatosis. To examine the proteins that may function in the transport of nontransferrin‐bound iron, the properties of FeNTA‐ binding to rat liver basolateral plasma membranes were characterized. The binding of 55FeNTA to purified liver basolateral plasma membranes was measured using a simple centrifugation assay.

K Roelsgaard, H E Bøtker, H Stødkilde‐Jørgensen, F Andreasen, S L Jensen, S Keiding – 1 October 1996 – We wished to study the effects of intravenous glucose/ insulin infusion to brain‐dead pigs on the hepatic glycogen content. Four groups of 40‐ kg pigs were studied: brain‐dead and control pigs given isotonic saline or glucose/insulin (7.5 mg glucose/kg/min, 1.25 mU insulin/kg/ min) (n = 5 to 10 in each group). Brain death was induced by inflating a balloon placed in the epidural space.