Mercedes Fernández, Maria Casadevall, Rufina Schuligoi, Pilar Pizcueta, Julián Panés, M. Dolores Barrachina, Josef Donnerer, Josep M. Piqué, Juan V. Esplugues, Jaume Bosch M.D., Juan Rodés, Peter Holzer – 1 December 1994 – It has been suggested that the peripheral sensory neurons are involved in the splanchnic hemodynamic changes of portal hypertension. Therefore the influence of permanent ablation of sensory neurons by neonatal capsaicin pretreatment (50 mg/kg, subcutaneously) on the development of the hyperdynamic splanchnic circulation in portal‐hypertensive rats was studied.

Gerry T. M. Wagenaar, Robert A. F. M. Chamuleau, Martinus A. W. Maas, Kora De Bruin, Hans A. M. Korfage, Wouter H. Lamers – 1 December 1994 – The zonal patterns of gene expression in the liver of the rat are not affected by alteration of the afferent hepatic blood source. We investigated whether afferent hepatic blood source or flow rate affects the metabolic capacity of the liver. Using microsurgical techniques, we changed the afferent hepatic blood source to solely arterial blood, solely portal blood or solely caval blood.

Elihu M. Schimmel – 1 December 1994

Miau‐Ju Huang – 1 December 1994

Mohamed G. Saleh, Christopher J. Tibbs, John Koskinas, Leila M. M. B. Pereira, Adrian B. Bomford, Bernard C. Portmann, Ian G. McFarlane, Roger Williams – 1 December 1994 – Response to a 1‐yr course of interferon‐α2b was assessed in 18 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection in relation to clinical, biochemical and histological parameters and to the presence or absence of hepatitis C virus RNA and the presumed replicative form of the virus (negative‐strand hepatitis C virus RNA) in serum, liver and peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Samy A. Azer, Geoffrey W. McCaughan, Neill H. Stacey – 1 December 1994 – Acute graft rejection is still a major cause of morbidity after orthotopic liver transplantation, and its diagnosis necessitates an invasive liver biopsy. Our aim has been to determine whether changes in individual serum bile acid levels after engraftment are sensitive, specific and reliable indicators of graft function and whether these changes can antedate other biochemical indicators of hepatic allograft rejection.

Rosa Maria Morillas, Ramon Planas, Eduard Cabré, Amparo Galán, Juan Carlos Quer, Faust Feu, Joan Carles García Pagán, Jaume Bosch, Miquel Angel Gassull – 1 December 1994 – The effect on kidney function, vasoactive systems and ascites outcome of long‐term treatment with propranolol plus isosorbide‐5‐mononitrate, a combined therapy proven more effective than propranolol alone in decreasing portal pressure in the cirrhotic patient, is unknown. Thirty cirrhotic patients who survived acute variceal bleeding and were treated with propranolol plus isosorbide‐5‐mononitrate were studied.

Brian Burchell B.Sc. Ph.D. MCRPath., Michael W. H. Coughtrie, Peter L. M. Jansen – 1 December 1994

Franklin M. Klion – 1 December 1994

Hanns Löhr, Christopher Nagel, Hans‐Peter Dienes, Barry Simpson, Gerd Michel, Bernd Goergen, Karl‐Hermann Meyer Zum Büschenfelde, Guido Gerken – 1 December 1994 – Hepatitis C virus antibodies are found in the serum of most patients with chronic hepatitis C. However, the significance of the humoral response is still uncertain. In this study, in vitro IgG and IgM anti‐hepatitis C virus secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with chronic hepatitis C was analyzed.