Nancy L. Ascher – 1 November 1996 – To determine the role of the terminal α‐galactosyl residue in the endothelial damage mediated by human xenoreactive natural antibodies (IgM and IgG), we treated porcine endothelial cells in culture with green coffee bean α‐galactosidase. A practically complete removal of terminal α‐Gal residues (as evaluated by flow cytometry with Bandeiraea simplicifolia isolectin B4) and concomitant exposure of N‐acetyllactosamine were obtained without altering cell viability.

D Oguey, L L Dumenco, R H Pierce, N Fausto – 1 November 1996 – Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is associated with the development of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). One of the HBV genes, HBx, may have transforming potential, but this issue is still the subject of controversy. One of the major difficulties in addressing this question is the lack of a suitable in vitro model. We used a nontransformed, differentiated murine hepatocyte cell line (AML12) to transfect the HBx gene and examine its transforming capabilities.

M Dumont, C D'Hont, A Moreau, H Mbape, G Feldmann, S Erlinger – 1 November 1996 – Formaldehyde may induce severe lesions of intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. The purpose of this study was to examine in vivo the functional consequences of an alteration of the biliary epithelium induced by a retrograde intrabiliary injection of formaldehyde in rats. After basal bile collection, a 10% formaldehyde solution was injected into the biliary tree of anesthetized rats, and the cannula was occluded for 30 minutes.

W F Zakko, R M Green, J L Gollan, C L Berg – 1 November 1996 – Significant controversy exists regarding the regulation of glucuronidation during the process of hepatic regeneration. We used a partial hepatectomy rat model to elucidate the effects of hepatic regeneration on the various components of the microsomal glucuronidation system. Hepatic microsomes were prepared by standard sucrose density centrifugation, coupled with a modified technique involving Percoll centrifugation.

R A Weisiger – 1 November 1996 – After entering the cell, small molecules must penetrate the cytoplasm before they are metabolized, excreted, or can convey information to the cell nucleus. Without efficient cytoplasmic transport, most such molecules would efflux back out of the cell before they could reach their targets. Cytoplasmic movement of amphipathic molecules (e.g., long‐chain fatty acids, bilirubin, bile acids) is greatly slowed by their tendency to bind intracellular structures.

Jeffrey S. Plotkin, Victor L. Scott, Anthony Pinna, Brent P. Dobsch, Andre M. De Wolf, Yoogoo Kang – 1 November 1996 – Thirty‐two patients with coronary artery disease who underwent liver transplantation between 1990 and 1994 were identified. Coronary artery disease was managed medically (n = 9), by angioplasty (n = 1), or surgically (n = 22) prior to liver transplantation. Two patients underwent simultaneous coronary artery bypass grafting and liver transplantation. Complete preoperative cardiac evalution was performed in all patients.

M. E. Moussa, C. E. Sarraf, S. Uemoto, H. Sawada, N. A. Habib – 1 November 1996 – The aim of this investigation was to observe ultrastructural changes in the liver in response to warm ischemia during liver surgery. In 11 noncirrhotic patients, hepatic resection was performed under total vascular exclusion (TVE). The mean duration of warm ischemia was 28 minutes (range 16–48 minutes). Three specimens were taken from each patient: before clamping, at the end of TVE, and after reperfusion. Biopsy specimens were studied by light microscopy and by transmission electron microscopy (EM).

David R. Mack, Stephen A. Chartrand, Elizabeth I. Ruby, Dean L. Antonson, Byers W. Shaw, Thomas G. Heffron – 1 November 1996 – Our objective was to determine the immunologic response to two influenza vaccine doses in 39 children who had undergone liver transplantation. Patients received two doses of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine 4 weeks apart. Sera were collected 4 weeks after each dose and analyzed by a hemagglutination inhibition assay (HAI) for evidence of antibody response to the antigens A/Taiwan/1/86 (H1N1), A/Beijing/32/92 (H3N2), and B/Panama/45/95.

J Cai, W Sun, J Hwang, S C Stain, S C Lu – 1 November 1996 – S‐adenosylmethionine synthetase (SAMS) catalyzes the formation of S‐adenosylmethionine (SAM) and is essential to normal cell function. There are two forms of SAMS, liver‐specific and nonliver‐specific (often referred to as “kidney”), which are products of two different genes. SAMS isoenzymes differ greatly in kinetic parameters and sensitivity to inhibition by methionine analogs. The current work studied changes in SAMS and their significance in liver cancer.

G W Xu, Z T Sun, K Forrester, X W Wang, J Coursen, C C Harris – 1 November 1996 – Selective expression of cytotoxic gene products in tumor cells is one of the goals of gene therapy for treating cancer. We are developing such a strategy for the treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by linking the wild‐type p53 (WT‐p53) gene with HCC‐associated transcriptional control elements (TCE) to achieve selective growth inhibition of retrovirally transduced HCC cells.