William J. Lindblad, Erin G. Schuetz, Kaye S. Redford, Philip S. Guzelian – 1 February 1991 – Hepatocytes maintained on different substrata in vitro possess strikingly different morphological and biochemical features. Rounded, multicellular aggregates of hepatocytes are seen if the cells are plated onto Matrigel, a reconstituted basement membrane, whereas a flattened, monolayer of hepatocytes is observed with Vitrogen. Hepatocellular protein synthesis is much greater on the Matrigel, although collagen biosynthesis appears selectively enhanced on Vitrogen‐grown hepatocytes.

David H. Perlmutter – 1 January 1991

William G. M. Hardison, Victor L. Heasley, Dale F. Shellhamer – 1 January 1991 – Trihydroxy bile acids with differing nonsterol chain length and charge were synthesized to define the effect of these parameters on the ability to competitively inhibit the Na+‐dependent uptake of 14C taurocholate into isolated rat hepatocytes. Compounds with long side chains (≥ 0.8 nm) beyond carbon‐17 of the sterol nucleus and carrying a negative charge or no charge were potent inhibitors. Introduction of a positive charge into the side chain weakened inhibition.

Hironori Tokumo, Nankei Aoyama, Norbert Busch, Daniel J. Mancuso, R. Holzbach Thomas – 1 January 1991 – Non‐bile‐salt cholephilic organic anions are efficiently taken up by the liver. Recent work from our group has suggested the possible importance of relative hydrophobicity among various organic anions in hepatic uptake. To further validate and clarify this, we studied hepatic extraction of five different cholephilic dyes using the isolated perfused rat liver in single‐pass mode.

Hans‐jürgen Schlicht, Albrecht von Brunn, Lorenz Theilmann – 1 January 1991 – The relevance of the recently described membrane‐bound form of the HBe protein for the antiviral immune response was examined. The data show that antibodies in anti‐HBe, but not in anti‐HBc—positive human sera efficiently bind to the membrane expressed HBe. No evidence was obtained that the HBc can reach the cell surface in a form that can be detected with human antibodies.

Jeanette Mowery, Douglas C. Hixson – 1 January 1991 – Cell‐CAM 105 has been identified as a cell adhesion molecule based on the ability of anti‐cell‐CAM 105 monospecific Fab fragments to inhibit the reaggregation of rat hepatocytes. Because of its adhesive properties, it was expected that cell‐CAM 105 would be present on the lateral cell surface where adhesive interactions predominate.

Norio Ogata, Tomoteru Kamimura, Hitoshi Asakura – 1 January 1991 – Somatic alterations of the c‐Ha‐ras gene were examined in 21 Japanese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Restriction endonuclease analysis by double digestion with MspI and HpaII revealed that DNAs from two of 21 hepatocellular carcinoma tissues were affected by nucleotide substitution at the twelfth amino acid coding sequence of the c‐Ha‐ras gene.

Peter T. Donaldson, J. Mark Farrant, Mark L. Wilkinson, Karen Hayllar, Bernard C. Portmann, Roger Williams – 1 January 1991 – Human leukocyte antigen typing was performed in 81 patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis to investigate reported associations between human leukocyte antigen type and this disease. The results showed a significant increase in the frequency of the antigens B8 and DR3 compared with controls (53% vs. 23%, p < 0.0005, and 56% vs. 21%, p < 0.0005).

David R. Triger, Howard L. Smart, Shorland W. Hosking, Alan G. Johnson – 1 January 1991 – Survival after prophylactic sclerotherapy was assessed in a single‐center study involving 99 cirrhotic (41 alcoholic) patients enrolled over 8‐yr. The wedged hepatic vein pressure gradient was measured; those with pressure ≥ 12 mm Hg were randomized to receive sclerotherapy or no treatment. The rest were not randomized. Patients in all three groups who bled were treated with emergency endoscopy and sclerotherapy. Stratification according to presence of ascites was also undertaken.

Hirohito Tsubouchi, Yoshiyuki Niitani, Shuichi Hirono, Hiroyuki Nakayama, Eiichi Gohda, Naokatu Arakaki, Osami Sakiyama, Kozo Takahashi, Masayoshi Kimoto, Shuichi Kawakami, Minami Setoguchi, Tetsuya Tachikawa, Sadahito Shin, Terukatsu Arima, Yasushi Daikuhara – 1 January 1991 – We have found a hepatotrophic factor in plasma or sera of patients with fulminant hepatic failure and have purified human hepatocyte growth factor from plasma of these patients.