Judy A. Spitzer – 1 January 1994 – Some disease processes in which increased endotoxin and cytokine levels exist (e.g., sepsis and infantile diarrhea) are also associated with increased levels of blood nitrates, the stable and products of nitric oxide. Available evidence suggests that the effects of an endotoxic environment, with its attendant complex cytokine networks, on liver function are mediated in part by modulation of hepatic nitric oxide synthesis.

Michael Neubrand, Joseph Holl, Michael Sackmann, Ulrich Klüppelberg, Jürgen Pauletzki, Gustav Paumgartner, Tilman Sauerbruch – 1 January 1994 – We conducted a prospective randomized study in gallstone patients to determine whether a combination of extracorporeal shock‐wave lithotripsy and subsequent dissolution with methyl tert‐butyl ether increases the success rate of methyl tert‐butyl ether dissolution and shortens treatment time compared with monotherapy with methyl tert‐butyl ether. Fifty patients were randomized into two groups.

Patrick Marcellin, Didier Samuel, Jorge Areias, Marie‐Anne Loriot, Jean‐Louis Arulnaden, Michèle Gigou, Marie‐FrançOise David, Alain Bismuth, Michel Reynes, Christian Bréchot, Jean‐Pierre Benhamou, Henri Bismuth – 1 January 1994 – Orthotopic liver transplantation in patients with hepatitis B–related cirrhosis is commonly complicated by reinfection with the hepatitis B virus, with rapidly progressive liver disease and poor survival rate. We assessed the efficacy of prior therapy with recombinant interferon‐α on the prevention of posttransplantation hepatitis B virus reinfection.

D. Azoulay, D. Castaing, A. Dennison, W. Martino, D. Eyraud, H. Bismuth – 1 January 1994 – The aim of this prospective nonrandomized study was to assess the immediate and short‐term sequelae of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting on the circulatory hyperdynamic state of the cirrhotic patient. Twelve transjugular portosystemic shunting procedures were performed in 12 cirrhotic patients for sclerotherapy failure (10 cases) and/or intractable ascites (4 cases). Self‐expandable stents 10 mm in diameter were used in all cases.

Ole Hamberg, Hendrik Vilstrup – 1 January 1994 – Glucose reduces the hepatic conversion of aminonitrogen to urea, quantified by the functional hepatic nitrogen clearance (i.e., the slope of the linear relation between urea synthesis rate and blood α‐aminonitrogen concentration). This is due to a direct effect of glucose and to inhibition of glucagon. In this study, the effect of glucose on functional hepatic nitrogen clearance was examined during spontaneous hormone responses and during hormonal control by somatostatin.

Gilles Pomier‐Layrargues, J. F. Giguère, J. Lavoie, P. Perney, S. Gagnon, M. D'Amour, J. Wells, Roger F. Butterworth – 1 January 1994 – Previous reports have suggested that “endogenous” benzodiazepines could contribute to neural inhibition in hepatic encephalopathy. RO 15‐1788 (flumazenil), a specific antagonist of brain benzodiazepine receptors, could thus reverse the neurological symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy. To test this possibility, we conducted a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled crossover trial of the efficacy of flumazenil in cirrhotic patients in hepatic coma.

Wilfried F. Seifert, Anne Bosma, Adriaan Brouwer, Henk F. J. Hendriks, Paul J. M. Roholl, Rick E. W. van Leeuwen, G. Christa F. van Thiel‐De Ruiter, Ingrid Seifert‐Bock, Dick L. Knook – 1 January 1994 – Earlier studies have shown that retinoid administration suppresses the generation of hepatic fibrosis and stimulates its regression in normal (i.e., vitamin A‐sufficient) carbon tetrachloride‐treated rats. This study focuses on the possible role of a marginal or deficient vitamin A status on carbon tetrachloride‐induced fibrosis.

Hey‐Chi Hsu, A‐Min Huang, Po‐Lin Lai, Wei‐Ming Chien, Shian‐Yang Peng, Shu‐Wha Lin – 1 January 1994 – The tumor‐suppressor gene p53 may transactivate the transcription of genes that down‐regulate cellular growth‐related genes and may become oncogenic as a result of the production of mutant proteins or the loss of its protein expression. This study reports that alterations of the highly conserved consensus intervening sequences at the splice junctions may lead to the inactivation of the p53 gene.

Paul C. Adams, Colin Bradley, Jaroslav V. Frei – 1 January 1994 – Hepatic iron and zinc concentrations were determined in 26 consecutive nonalcoholic cirrhotic patients who had previously undergone portacaval shunting and then liver transplantation and 37 control patients. Stainable iron was graded on a scale of 0 to 4; 11 shunt patients and 3 control patients had grade 2 to 4 iron staining.

Stephen D. H. Malnick, Daniel D. Bass, Alvin M. Kaye, Michel Vaubourdolle, Jacqueline Giboudeau, Olivier Chazouillères, Raoul Poupon – 1 January 1994