Masayuki Matsumura, Yasuro Niwa, Naoya Kato, Yutaka Komatsu, Shuichiro Shiina, Takao Kawabe, Takeo Kawase, Hiroshi Toyoshima, Masashi Ihori, Yasushi Shiratori, Masao Omata – 1 December 1994 – We attempted to detect circulating hepatocellular carcinoma by demonstrating hepatocyte‐associated mRNA in the nuclear cell component of peripheral blood using nested reverse transcription—polymerase chain reaction because of the extremely small number of tumor cells in the circulation.

Michael A. Klein – 1 December 1994

Robert Canning – 1 December 1994

Véronique Lefebvre, Isabelle Goffin, Pedro Buc‐Calderon – 1 December 1994 – The protective effect of fructose with regard to hypoxia‐induced cell injury was investigated. The addition of fructose (2 to 20 mmol/L) protected hepatocytes against hypoxia‐mediated cell lysis in a concentration‐dependent way. The intracellular ATP content was initially decreased as a result of fructose‐1‐phosphate formation, but it remained constant during the hypoxic incubation. Conversely, high initial ATP values observed at low fructose concentrations progressively declined.

Silvia Fargion, Anna Ludovica Fracanzani, Alberto Piperno, Mario Braga, Roberta D'Alba, Guido Ronchi, Gemino Fiorelli – 1 December 1994 – To identify factors that might be useful as prognostic indexes for the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in Italian patients with genetic hemochromatosis, 152 homozygotes were studied prospectively for 1 to 229 mo.

Guntram Lock, Axel Holstege, Jörgen Schölmerich, Peter Neuhaus – 1 December 1994

Soumit K. Basu, Jayanta Roy Chowdhury – 1 December 1994 – The potential of reconstituted Sendai viral envelopes containing only the fusion protein (F‐virosomes) was evaluated for a targeted cytosolic delivery of lysozyme to human hepatoblastoma cells (HepG2) in culture. 125I‐Lysozyme loaded into F‐virosomes was used to monitor its fusion‐mediated transfer to the HepG2 cells. Using fusion assay based on the transfer of water soluble probe, we have demonstrated the existence of aqueous connection between F‐virosomes and target cells.

Thierry Fournier, Najet Mejdoubi, Dagui Monnet, Geneviève Durand, Dominique Porquet – 1 December 1994 – The serum level of rat α1‐acid glycoprotein is significantly increased by treatment with phenobarbital, and in vivo studies have shown that phenobarbital seems to act mainly at the transcriptional level. To show the direct mediating effect of phenobarbital on α1‐acid glycoprotein gene expression, we investigated the ability of primary cultured rat hepatocytes to respond to in vitro phenobarbital administration.

Yutaka Komatsu, Yasushi Shiratori, Tateo Kawase, Naoaki Hashimoto, Katsuken Han, Shuichiro Shiina, Masayuki Matsumura, Yasuro Niwa, Naoya Kato, Minoru Tada, Yusei Ikeda, Mitsugu Tanaka, Masao Omata – 1 December 1994 – To investigate the role of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in galactosamine‐induced hepatic injury, we injected rats intraperitoneally with antiserum against rat polymorphonuclear leukocytes to deplete circulating neutrophils, then administered galactosamine plus lipopolysaccharide.

Allen D. Cooper, Wendy Y. Craig, Takahiro Taniguchi, Gregory T. Everson – 1 December 1994 – Bile salt uptake, synthesis and secretion by the human hepatoma—derived cell line HepG2 were studied. The cells transported and secreted bile salts largely by means of passive mechanisms. The cells synthesized and secreted the normal human primary bile salts. The ratio of cholate to chenodeoxycholate was 1.5:1. The degree of conjugation, about 35%, was lower than normal, and the glycine‐to‐taurine ratio was abnormal (4.5:1). This was not due to amino acid deficiency in the medium.