Brian R. D. Macdougall, Roger Williams – 1 January 1983 – In a prospective randomized double‐blind controlled trial, 51 patients, 16 with cirrhosis and 35 with extrahepatic portal hypertension all of whom presented with variceal bleeding, were given either long‐term cimetidine in a dosage of 1.6 gm daily (24 patients) or placebo tablets (27 patients). Thirty‐eight patients completed 2 years of treatment. For 16 patients with cirrhosis, there was no significant difference in the frequency of rebleeding between the cimetidine (62.5%) and placebo (75.0%) groups.

Esteban Mezey, James J. Potter, Samuel W. French, Tsunenobu Tamura, Charles H. Halsted – 1 January 1983 – The effect of chronic ethanol feeding was determined on parameters of hepatic collagen metabolism in the monkey. Four monkeys of the species Macaca radiata received a nutritionally adequate diet containing 50% of the calories as ethanol, while four others were pair‐fed a diet in which ethanol was isocalorically substituted by carbohydrate. Liver biopsies were obtained at 3, 12, and 24 months, and the animals were killed between 40 and 48 months after initiation of the diets.

James L. Boyer, Rose M. Allen, Oi Cheng Ng – 1 January 1983 – Cytochemical studies suggest that Na+, K+‐ATPase is localized to sinusoidal and lateral portions of the hepatocyte plasma membrane whereas Mg++‐ATPase and alkaline phosphatase are luminal or canalicular membrane markers. To validate further these cytochemical findings, we have isolated from the nuclear pellet of rat liver homogenates a liver plasma membrane (LPM) fraction enriched in all three enzyme markers, as previously described (Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1975; 401:59–52).

Urs A. Boelsterli, Gopa Rakhit, Tibor Balazs – 1 January 1983 – Structural and functional changes in the surface membranes of hepatocytes play a pivotal role in the induction and reversion of some forms of drug‐induced cholestasis. To elucidate the mechanism by which S‐adenosyl‐L‐methionine (SAMe) leads to a partial reversion of bile flow impairment caused by ethinyl estradiol (EE), female Sprague‐Dawley rats were given oral doses of EE (5 mg per kg per day, for 3 days) with and without simultaneous administration of SAMe (25 mg per kg, 3 times per day, for 3 days).

Fernando Alvarez, Pierre Landrieu, Paul Laget, Frédérique Lemonnier, Michel Odièvre, Daniel Alagille – 1 January 1983 – Thirteen children, aged 10 months to 20 years, presenting with chronic cholestasis from the first month of life and with low serum levels of vitamins A and/or E, have been investigated for neurological and ophthalmological symptoms. Clinical findings consisted of 4 types: peripheral neuropathy; cerebellar dysfunction; abnormalities of eye movement, and retinal degenerative changes.

Robert Barouki, Marie‐Noële Chobert, Joëlle Finidori, Martine Aggerbeck, Bertrand Nalpas, Jacques Hanoune – 1 January 1983 – The clone C2 derived from a rat hepatoma cell line was used to investigate the mechanism of the induction of γ‐glutamyltransferase by ethanol. γ‐glutamyltransferase activity was detected in the C2 cell (1.4 mU per mg protein), and its kinetic properties were similar to normal rat liver γ‐glutamyltransferase.

Shaindel Y. Mishkin, Emmanuel Farber, Ru Kun Ho, Shree Mulay, Seymour Mishkin – 1 January 1983 – Hepatic hyperplastic nodules (HHNs) in rats were studied as an experimental prototype of oral contraceptive‐related hepatic tumors. We have found cytoplasmic estrogen receptors in HHNs produced by acetylaminofluorene (AAF) (four cycles of 0.02% in diet). Rats with AAF‐induced HHNs were randomized into four groups: (i) AAF‐treated control; (ii) estrogen alone (estradiol‐17β); (iii) tamoxifen alone, and (iv) estrogen + tamoxifen.

Harvey M. Lieberman, Douglas R. Labrecque, Michael C. Kew, Stefanos J. Hadziyannis, David A. Shafritz – 1 January 1983 – A simple, direct molecular hybridization test was employed to detect hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA sequences in human serum. In 61 HBsAg carriers, many with HBV‐related diseases (chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis, or posthepatitic cirrhosis), 28/28 (100%) who were HBeAg* and 16/32 (50%) who were anti‐HBe+ had HBV DNA sequences in their serum.

Jacques Scotto, Michelle Hadchouel, Christiane Hery, Jeannine Yvart, Pierre Tiollais, Christian Brechot – 1 January 1983 – A simplified spot method for determination in serum of hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA) by molecular hybridization is proposed. For simultaneous testing of 30 serum samples, it reduced to about 1 hr the duration of the steps preceding hybridization proper. The method also greatly reduced the loss of DNA during these steps and allowed more sensitive detection in samples of only 25 or 50 m̈1.

Janet D. Elashoff – 1 January 1983