Serum bile acids in primary biliary cirrhosis: Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid therapy

Renée E. Poupon, Yves Chrétien, Raoul Poupon, Gustav Paumgartner – 1 April 1993 – Serum bile acid levels and distributions were studied every 6 mo in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis who were randomly assigned to receive ursodeoxycholic acid (13 to 15 mg/kg/day) (n = 73) or a placebo (n = 73) over a 2‐yr period. In the ursodeoxycholic acid group, ursodeoxycholic acid was the predominant serum bile acid at 6 mo and throughout the 2‐yr treatment period.

Augmented glucose use and pentose cycle activity in hepatic endothelial cells after in vivo endotoxemia

Zoltán Spolarics, John J. Spitzer – 1 April 1993 – Glucose use and pentose cycle activity were determined in freshly isolated rat hepatic endothelial cells 3 hr after an intravenous injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (0.1 mg/kg body weight), by use of (1‐14C)glucose, [6‐14C]glucose and [2‐H]glucose. Lipopolysaccharide treatment in vivo increased glucose use fivefold, whereas glucose oxidation in the pentose cycle was elevated from 0.2 to 1.5 nmol/hr/107 cells.

Decrease in the hepatic clearance of hepatocyte growth factor in carbon tetrachloride–intoxicated rats

Ke‐Xin Liu, Yukio Kato, Masayo Yamazaki, Osamu Higuchi, Toshikazu Nakamura, Yuichi Sugiyama – 1 April 1993 – To examine whether a decrease in hepatic uptake, clearance or both of hepatocyte growth factor contributes to increased plasma hepatocyte growth factor levels, we kinetically analyzed hepatic hepatocyte growth factor handling using rats with carbon tetrachloride–induced liver injury in both in vivo and perfused liver systems.

Time course of ethanol‐induced impairment in fluid‐phase endocytosis in isolated rat hepatocytes

Kenneth B. Camacho, Carol A. Casey, Robert L. Wiegert, Michael F. Sorrell, Dean J. Tuma – 1 April 1993 – The time‐course effects of long‐term ethanol administration on fluid‐phase endocytosis were studied in isolated rat hepatocytes. Rats were pair‐fed an ethanol‐supplemented liquid diet or an isocaloric control diet for 3 days, 1 wk, 2 wk or 5 wk. Hepatocytes were isolated and incubated at 37° C with various concentrations of the fluid‐phase marker Lucifer yellow.‐Net internalization of the marker dye was determined.

Cholesterol cholelithiasis in the prairie dog: Role of mucin and nonmucin glycoproteins

Nezam H. Afdhal, Dahai Gong, Niu Niu, Bradley Turner, J. Thomas Lamont, Gwynneth D. Offner – 1 April 1993 – The aims of this study were to examine the effect of exogenous prostaglandin on mucin secretion and to determine the role of nonmucin glycoproteins on gallstone formation in the prairie dog model of cholesterol cholelithiasis.

Effects of thyroxine on the expression of alcohol dehydrogenase in rat liver and kidney

Katrina M. Dipple, Mona Qulali, Ruth Ann Ross, David W. Crabb – 1 April 1993 – We studied the effect of thyroxine on alcohol dehydrogenase activity, immunoreactive protein levels and messenger RNA levels in the livers of thyroidectomized and sham‐operated male rats. Effects on kidney alcohol dehydrogenase activity were also examined. Shamoperated rats injected with 100 μg thyroxine/kg/day, which induced hyperthyroidism, showed a 30% decrease in liver and a 40% decrease in kidney alcohol dehydrogenase activity compared with sham‐operated rats injected with vehicle.

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