C H Halsted, J Villanueva, C J Chandler, S P Stabler, R H Allen, L Muskhelishvili, S J James, L Poirier – 1 March 1996 – Chronic alcoholism is associated with increased cancer risk that may be related to ethanol‐induced alterations in methionine and deoxynucleotide metabolism. These metabolic relationships were studied in micropigs fed diets for 12 months that contained 40% ethanol or cornstarch control with adequate folate. Ethanol feeding altered methionine metabolism without changing mean terminal liver folate levels.

S M Smorenburg, P Griffini, A Tiggelman, A F Moorman, W Boers, C J Van Noorden – 1 March 1996 – Localization and production of α2‐macroglobulin (α2M), a multifunctional binding protein with protease and cytokine scavenging properties, was studied in situ in rat livers containing experimentally induced colon carcinoma metastases by means of immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization methods. The study was performed to investigate whether α2M production by hepatocytes plays a role in the defense against the growth of metastases on the basis of its protease inhibiting capacity.

E J Huang, T L Wright, J R Lake, C Combs, L D Ferrell – 1 March 1996 – Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are common complications after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), but the liver pathology and clinical outcomes of HBV infection with HCV coinfection have not been thoroughly examined. In this study, we used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect HBV and HCV in pre‐ and post‐OLT sera of 38 patients and correlated the findings with clinical outcome and liver pathology.

J T Deng, M F Hoylaerts, E J Nouwen, M E De Broe, V O Van Hoof – 1 March 1996 – Membrane‐bound liver alkaline phosphatase (Mem‐LiALP, EC 3.1.3.1) is a high‐molecular‐mass liver alkaline phosphatase (ALP) present in metastatic, infiltrative and cholestatic liver disease. Shedding of hepatocyte plasma membrane fragments (LiPMF) is thought to be responsible for the appearance of Mem‐LiALP in the circulation. Several other membrane‐bound enzymes, such as γ‐glutamyltransferase (γ‐GT), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and 5′‐nucleotidase (5′‐Nu) are present in the membrane of the shedded LiPMF.

A M Gressner, B Polzar, B Lahme, H Mannherz – 1 March 1996 – The induction of apoptosis of rat liver parenchymal cells (PC) by transforming growth factor β (TGF‐β)‐expressing transforming fat‐storing cells (FSC), i.e., myofibroblasts (MFB), was studied under culture conditions and compared with the apoptotic effect of human recombinant TGF‐β1. MFB were obtained by subculture of FSC.

F Wong, A Logan, L Blendis – 1 March 1996 – Insulin has been shown to be vasodilatory and antinatriuretic and to stimulate sympathetic nervous activity independent of hypoglycemia in healthy normal subjects. It is hypothesized that hyperinsulinemia, which is commonly observed in cirrhosis, may in part be responsible for the systemic vasodilatation, sympathetic activation, and sodium retention in these patients.

K D Lindor, J Hoofnagle, W C Maddrey, I E Mackay, E R Dickson – 1 March 1996

S Moteki, P S Leung, E R Dickson, D H Van Thiel, C Galperin, T Buch, D Alarcon‐Segovia, D Kershenobich, K Kawano, R L Coppel, S Matuda, M E Gershwin – 1 March 1996 – Five different target mitochondrial autoantigens recognized by sera from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) have been identified as subunits of the following 2‐oxo acid dehydrogenase complexes: the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC), the branched chain 2‐oxo acid dehydrogenase complex (BCOADC), and the 2‐oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (OGDC).

Y Tameda, M Hamada, K Takase, T Nakano, Y Kosaka – 1 March 1996 – The cause of fulminant hepatic failure is reported to be unknown in more than half the cases in Japan. We recently reviewed 23 cases of fulminant hepatic failure that had been treated at our hospital. The cause of disease had been regarded as unknown before this study. It was found that seven of these patients had been under ecarazine hydrochloride therapy when they developed fulminant hepatic failure.

H Lin, M C Yang, M Hou, S Li, Y Huang, P Yu, Y Tsai, S Lee – 1 March 1996 – The hemodynamic effects of long‐term administration of octreotide in portal hypertension has not been established. In addition, whether long‐term octreotide treatment prevents the development of portosystemic shunts has not yet been evaluated. Hence, the current study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of long‐term administration of octreotide in rats with portal vein stenosis.