Nimish Vakil, Anil Sharma, Yoram Yagil – 1 February 1994 – In an earlier study we showed that bile duct–ligated rats were highly susceptible to gentamicin nephrotoxicity and that oral calcium administration had a pronounced protective effect. The mechanism by which this occurs is unclear. Because cations compete with gentamicin for tubule binding sites, it has been suggested that the increased susceptibility of the kidney to gentamicin after bile duct ligation might result from decreased cation excretion.

Anna Mae Diehl, Shi Qi Yang – 1 February 1994 – CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins are a family of basic zipper DNA binding proteins that regulate transcription of several liver‐specific genes and certain growth‐related genes. Growth‐related variations in the nuclear expression of one or more of the CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins may regulate the transition from the nonproliferative, differentiated phenotype of adult liver to the proliferative phenotype of regenerating liver.

Olle Reichard, Ulla Foberg, Aril Frydén, Lars Mattsson, Gunnar Norkrans, Anders Sönnerborg, Rune Wejstål, Zhi‐Bing Yun, Ola Weiland – 1 February 1994 – To evaluate the effect of prolonged interferon‐α treatment on serum aminotransferase levels and hepatitis C virus RNA in serum, 40 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection were treated with 3 MU interferon‐α2b thrice weekly for 60 wk. Before treatment all patients had elevated serum ALT levels for at least 1 yr, antibodies to HCV by second‐generation tests and liver histological findings consistent with chronic hepatitis C.

Albert Parés,*, James J. Potter, Lynda Rennie, Esteban Mezey – 1 February 1994 – The mechanism whereby ethanol ingestion results in hepatic fibrosis remains unknown. Acetaldehyde has been shown to increase α1(I) collagen gene transcription in human fibroblasts and in rat myofibroblastlike cells (Ito cells) in culture. In this study, the effect of acetaldehyde was determined on the activation of the α2(I) collagen promoter.

Ion V. Deaciuc, Gregory J. Bagby, Michael R. Niesman, Nebojsa Skrepnik, John J. Spitzer – 1 February 1994 – We tested the hypothesis that Kupffer cells modulate sinusoidal endothelial cell function in the liver. Rats were treated with Kupffer cell–depleting agents (gadolinium chloride and liposome‐encapsulated dichloromethylene diphosphonate) or with inhibitors of phospholipase A2 or leukotriene A4 synthase (dexamethasone and diethylcarbamazine, respectively).

Stephan Krähenbühl, Christine Talos, Sven Fischer, Jürg Reichen – 1 February 1994 – The toxicity of hydrophilic (cholate) and lipophilic (deoxycholate, chenodeoxycholate, and lithocholate) bile acids on the function of the electron transport chain was investigated in intact and disrupted rat liver mitochondria.

Axel Holstege, Pierre Bedossa, Thierry Poynard, Michael Kollinger, Jean Claude Chaput, Karl Houglum, Mario Chojkier – 1 February 1994 – Acetaldehyde, the first product of ethanol oxidation, has been shown to stimulate collagen gene expression and to form protein‐acetaldehyde adducts. Because little is known about these adducts in human liver tissue, we assessed, with an immunohistochemical procedure, the presence and location of acetaldehyde‐protein adducts in liver biopsy specimens of alcoholic patients.

Dominic J. Nompleggi, Herbert L. Bonkovsky – 1 February 1994

Stephen A. Geller, W. Stephen Nichols, Sungsook Kim, Tanya Tolmachoff, Stephen Lee, Mark J. Dycaico, Katherine Felts, Joseph A. Sorge – 1 February 1994 – Z mutant–associated α1‐antitrypsin deficiency in human beings leads to hepatitis and, in some cases, hepatocellular carcinoma. To begin to delineate the molecular basis for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in α1‐antitrypsin deficiency, we previously developed transgenic mice using human α1‐antitrypsin M and Z genomic clones.

Fenton Schaffner, Swan N. Thung – 1 February 1994