Rafael Bruck, Haia Prigozin, Zipora Krepel, Paul Rotenberg, Yoram Shechter, Simon Bar‐Meir – 1 September 1991 – Previous studies have demonstrated that vanadate ions mimic many of the actions of insulin in in vitro systems. Also, vanadate administered to diabetic hyperglycemic rats lowers their blood glucose levels to normal values. In this study we demonstrate that vanadate inhibits glucose output in the isolated perfused rat liver. Glucose production was suppressed maximally (about 50% to 60%), on addition of extremely low vanadate ion concentrations (0.5 to 1 μmol/L).

Laurence A. Turka, Craig B. Thompson – 1 September 1991 – The immunosuppressants FK506 and rapamycin bind to the same immunophilin, FK506 binding protein (FKBP), and inhibit distinct signal transduction pathways in T lymphocytes. A nonnatural immunophilin ligand, 506BD, which contains only the common structural elements of FK506 and rapamycin, was synthesized and found to be a high‐affinity ligand of FKBP and a potent inhibitor of FKBP rotamase activity. Whereas 506BD does not interfere with T cell activation, it does block the immunosuppressive effects of both FK506 and rapamycin.

Michael N. Gottlieb – 1 September 1991

Helmut K. Wolf, Reza Zarnegar, George K. Michalopoulos – 1 September 1991 – Hepatocyte growth factor is a protein growth factor with a strong mitogenic effect on hepatocytes. Recently, hepatocyte growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor messenger RNA have been extracted from several organs of humans, rats and rabbits. This study was undertaken to comprehensively define and compare the cellular localization of hepatocyte growth factor in human and rat tissues in detail.

John J. Brems, Jeffery Reese, Robert Kane, Donald L. Kaminski – 1 September 1991 – Cyclosporine and hydrocortisone are the main immunosuppressants used in transplant surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of intravenous administration of cyclosporine and hydrocortisone on bile flow in dogs. Cyclosporine in doses of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg · kg−1 · hr−1 and hydrocortisone in doses of 1.25, 2.5 and 5 mg · kg−1 · hr−1 were administered along with 18 μmol/min intravenous sodium taurocholate to dogs with chronic biliary and gastric fistulas.

1 August 1991

Joseph Y. Sung, Eldon A. Shaffer, Merle E. Olson, Joseph W. C. Leung, Kan Lam, J. William Costerton – 1 August 1991 – It has been suggested that bacteria in the intestine gain access into the biliary tract by entering the portal‐venous blood. We have tested the hypothesis of hematogenous infection of the biliary system in cats. The animals were treated in three different groups: group A (no biliary obstruction), group B (acute biliary obstruction) and group C (chronic biliary obstruction).

Dario Sorrentino, Karen Van Ness, Isabela Ribeiro, Charles M. Miller – 1 August 1991 – Although several studies suggest that hepatic graft failure after cold ischemia results from nonparenchymal cell damage, other data indicate that hepatocellular ATP content is significantly correlated with the transplantation success rate.

Tünde E. Felker, Donald Gantz, Anna M. Tercyak, Cheryl Oliva, Susanne Bennett Clark, Donald M. Small – 1 August 1991 – Isolated rat livers were perfused with an oxygenated perfluorocarbon emulsion, FC‐43 emulsion for 1 to 4 hr. FC‐43 emulsion contained 20% FC‐43 (wt/vol) perfluorotributylamine (the fluorocarbon component for the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide) emulsified with 2.56% Pluronic F‐68 (a nonionic surfactant) in Krebs‐Ringer bicarbonate buffer. FC‐43 emulsion also contained 3% hydroxyethyl starch as an oncotic agent and 1.8 mg/ml glucose.

Craig J. McClain – 1 August 1991 – Study Objective: To determine whether elevated tumor necrosis factor levels contribute to the clinical manifestations and complications of severe acute alcoholic hepatitis and to evaluate the relation between tumor necrosis factor and plasma levels of endotoxin and interleukin‐1β.