E C Torchia, R J Shapiro, L B Agellon – 1 July 1996 – The liver recovers bile acids from the portal circulation primarily via an active process that is dependent on sodium ions. Hepatocytes lose the ability to transport bile acids in culture, and, in liver‐derived permanent cell lines, this ability is severely reduced or absent. To study the importance of bile acids in regulating liver‐specific functions (e.g., cellular bile acid and cholesterol metabolism), we have re‐established active bile acid transport in cultured cells.

S M Jones, R G Thurman – 1 July 1996 – A low‐flow, reflow model of liver perfusion was used in the rat to investigate the effects of L‐arginine on reperfusion injury in the absence of blood elements. In contrast to in vivo studies, L‐arginine cannot minimize hypoxia by improving the microcirculation under these special conditions, but rather can only increase oxygen delivery upon reflow. During reflow, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release reached a new steady‐state value of 35 ± 3 U/g/h in livers perfused in the absence of L‐arginine.

P E Ballmer, J Reichen, M A McNurlan, A B Sterchi, S E Anderson, P J Garlick – 1 July 1996 – Albumin and fibrinogen synthesis rates were measured in 15 subjects with different clinical stages of postviral cirrhosis and compared with galactose elimination capacity and aminopyrin breath test. Forty‐three mg per kg body weight [2H5ring]phenylalanine with an isotopic enrichment of 10 atom% were intravenously injected. [2H5ring]phenylalanine enrichments in the plasma‐free phenylalanine and the albumin and fibrinogen isolates were measured by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry.

1 June 1996

B H Davis, A Chen – 1 June 1996

K Houglum – 1 June 1996

M I Guillen, M J Gomez‐Lechon, T Nakamura, J V Castell – 1 June 1996 – Our study addressed the role of the human hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a potent mitogen for mature rat and human hepatocytes, in the regulation of specific hepatic genes. The experimental evidence obtained in primary cultured human hepatocytes indicates that HGF regulates the synthesis of plasma proteins in a dose‐response fashion.

K Nakazono, Y Ito, C H Wu, G Y Wu – 1 June 1996 – We have shown that antisense oligonucleotides can be targeted to hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐infected cells, resulting in specific inhibition of viral protein synthesis and replication in vitro. The targeting system was based on the internalization of DNA complexes by highly selective receptors for galactose‐terminal glycoproteins, asialoglycoproteins, on the surface of hepatocytes. Our objective in this study was to determine whether antisense DNA could be targeted to hepatocytes to prevent subsequent infection by HBV.

A Serizawa, S Nakamura, S Suzuki, S Baba, M Nakano – 1 June 1996 – Although platelet‐activating factor (PAF) is implicated as an important mediator in the pathogenesis of hepatic ischemia‐reperfusion (IR) injury, the precise mechanism of its action has not been studied.

H Shinozuka, T Ohmura, S L Katyal, A I Zedda, G M Ledda‐Columbano, A Columbano – 1 June 1996 – A single intravenous injection of lead nitrate (LN) to rats induces liver cell proliferation without causing cell necrosis (direct hyperplasia). We suggested that liver cell proliferation in this model may be triggered by the induction of liver tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α).