John S. Radomski, Michael J. Moritz, Santiago J. Muñoz, Jacqueline R. Cater, Bruce E. Jarrell, Vincent T. Armenti – 1 September 1995 – Outcomes from 48 pregnancies in 34 female liver transplant recipients were analyzed. Data were collected via interviews, questionnaires, and hospital records. All recipients were treated with cyclosporine‐based immunosuppression except 2 patients treated with FK506 and 2 treated with no immunosuppression. The age at conception was 26.1 ± 5.9 years (mean ± SD) with a transplant interval (time from transplantation to conception) of 2.9 ± 2.5 years.

Robert H. Collins, Goran B. Klintmalm, Mark S. Cattral, Alan N. Langnas – 1 September 1995

Peter P. Michielsen, Guy E. Boeckxstaens, Stanislas U. Sys, Arnold G. Herman, Paul A. Pelckmans, Wladimiro Jiménez – 1 September 1995

William C. Meyers – 1 September 1995

Massimo Pinzani – 1 September 1995 – A consistent response to liver injury is the activation of resident mesenchymal cells known as lipocytes (Ito, fat‐storing cells) into a proliferating cell type. In cultured lipocytes, platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) is the most potent proliferative cytokine, but requires the activation‐dependent expression of its receptor protein (Friedman, S. L., and M. J. P. Arthur. 1989. J. Clin. Invest. 84:1780–1785); the role of PDGF receptor (PDGFR) in liver injury is unknown.

Paul B. Watkins – 1 September 1995 – Immunosuppression therapy with cyclosporine is often hampered by significant interindividual variability in the metabolic clearance of the drug. It has been suggested that much of the variability in cyclosporine clearance is due to differences in the cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) content in the liver and intestinal mucosa. A study was conducted in liver transplant recipients to characterize hepatic CYP3A4 variability during the first 10 days after surgery. The formation of 1′‐hydroxymidazolam (1′‐OH MDZ) was followed in the plasma after i.v.

Takahiro Sanzen, Kazuharu Yoshida, Motoko Sasaki, Tadashi Terada, Yasuni Nakanuma – 1 September 1995 – We investigated the expression of carbohydrate residues on the developing intrahepatic bile ducts of rats. At 17 days of gestation, immature biliary cells around the portal vein close to the hepatic hilum assumed one of the following forms: slitlike lumen, incomplete, or complete bile ductule–like structures. These immature biliary elements then rapidly spread throughout the liver along with development. At birth, a few mature interlobular bile ducts became visible in the portal tracts.

Josefa Ros, Joan Clària, Wladimiro Jiménez, Marta Bosch‐Marcé, Paolo Angeli, Vicente Arroyo, Francisca Rivera, Joan Rodés – 1 September 1995 – Nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin (PGI2) are two important modulators of renal function under normal conditions; however, little is known on their contributory role in cirrhosis with ascites. In this study, mean arterial pressure, renal hemodynamics, and sodium excretion were measured in 15 rats with cirrhosis and ascites and 16 control rats.

Pierre Blanc, Jacques Liautard, Jölle Greuet, Jean Pierre Daures, Jean‐Michel Fabre, Dominique Larrey, Henri Michel, Patrick Maurel – 1 September 1995 – The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of four H2 receptor antagonists, cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine, nizatidine, and of two proton pump inhibitors, omeprazole and lansoprazole, on the mitotic response of human hepatocytes in primary culture. After plating at subconfluent density, cells were exposed to 0.2 to 20 μmol/L of these drugs for 48 hours, either in the absence or in the presence of epidermal growth factor (EGF).

Ian R. Wanless, International Working Party – 1 September 1995