Neven Ljubičic̀, Ante Bilic̀, Branko Kopjar – 1 February 1994 – Ascitic fluid opsonic activity and ascitic fluid C3 concentrations are important protective factors against spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. This randomized controlled study was performed to compare the effect of diuretic administration alone vs. single large‐volume therapeutic paracentesis followed by administration of diuretics on ascitic fluid opsonic activity and on ascites and serum immunoglobulin and complement concentrations in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and tense ascites.

Lawrence A. Saperstein, Randy L. Jirtle, Marwan Farouk, Hugh J. Thompson, Kyung S. Chung, William C. Meyers – 1 February 1994 – These studies investigate the role of transforming growth factor‐β1, a potent inhibitor of epithelial cell proliferation and stimulator of extracellular matrix biosynthesis, during intrahepatic bile duct hyperplasia and biliary fibrosis. These pathogenic responses were induced in rats by common bile duct ligation. Bile duct cell replication, measured by the bromodeoxyuridine labeling index, was significantly increased 24 hr after common bile duct ligation.

Masahiko Morita, Yoshifumi Watanabe, Toshihiro Akaike – 1 February 1994 – We investigated the effect of inflammatory cytokines on the intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 expression on primary cultured murine hepatocytes. Tumor necrosis factor‐α, interferon‐γ and interleukin‐1α up‐regulated the intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 expression on hepatocytes in a dose‐dependent fashion; however, interleukin‐6 did not. On the basis of kinetic analysis, the expression level reached a peak 24 hr after stimulation, and both cycloheximide and actinomycin D inhibited the expression.

1 January 1994

Ulrich Lauer, Ludwig Weiß, Martin Lipp, Peter Hans Hofschneider, Alexander S. Kekulé – 1 January 1994 – Integrated hepatitis B virus DNA cloned from hepatitis B virus‐associated hepatocellular carcinoma frequently contains 3′‐truncated middle surface genes (preS2/St), which were recently found to have a transcriptional transactivator function. Because preS2/St, among others, is able to transactivate the promoters of the cellular oncogenes c‐myc and c‐fos, it has been speculated that integrated preS2/St genes might contribute to hepatitis B virus‐associated liver carcinogenesis.

Shushma Aggarwal, David Kramer, Howard Yonas, Walter Obrist, Yoogoo Kang, Maureen Martin, Raymond Policare – 1 January 1994 – The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine cerebral hemodynamic and metabolic changes in comatose patients with fulminant hepatic failure. Computerized tomography of the brain and cerebral blood flow measurements by the xenoncomputerized tomography scan or intravenous xenon‐133 methods were obtained in 33 patients with fulminant hepatic failure.

Nan Ni, James D. Yager – 1 January 1994 – Ethinyl estradiol is a weak complete carcinogen and potent tumor promoter. In vivo, ethinyl estradiol causes a rapid but transient increase in liver growth, whereas in cultured female hepatocytes it enhances DNA synthesis induced by epidermal growth factor and is thus classified as a comitogen.

Antonio Francavilla, Qihua Zeng, Lorenzo Polimeno, Brian I. Carr, Dantong Sun, Kendrick A. Porter, David H. van Thiel, Thomas E. Starzl – 1 January 1994 – Orthotopic liver transplantation was performed in 60 recipient rats weighing 200 to 250 gm. Sixty rats of the same strain were used as liver donors, 30 weighing 100 to 140 gm (small for size) and the other 30 weighing 200 to 250 gm (same size).

Raymond S. Koff – 1 January 1994

Paolo Angeli, Manuela Dalla Pria, Erica de Bei, Grazia Albino, Lorenza Caregaro, Carlo Merkel, Giulio Ceolotto, Angelo Gatta – 1 January 1994 – Although some clinical studies seem to prove the efficacy of nonantialdosteronic potassium‐sparing diuretics in the treatment of ascites, no controlled study has compared the efficacy of these drugs with that of antialdosteronic diuretics. Forty nonazotemic cirrhotic patients were randomized to receive amiloride (group A, n = 20) or potassium canrenoate (group B, n = 20).