Given an abstract of a paper, generate a title for this paper such that conveys the key focus of the paper.

Abstract: In search of a practical biochemical test that will reflect hepatic steatosis, we assessed the significance of serum cholinesterase activity in 48 patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver, 16 obese subjects without fatty liver, 30 cases of chronic persistent hepatitis, 38 cases of chronic active hepatitis, and 20 cases of liver cirrhosis. Increased cholinesterase activity was observed in nonobese as well as obese patients with fatty liver, whereas obese subjects without fatty liver showed levels in the upper normal range. When we set a cutoff level above the upper normal limit, half of the patients with fatty liver showed values above it, with only a few overlaps with other patients. When obese patients with fatty liver took a low-caloric diet, cholinesterase activity decreased, clearly reflecting improvement of hepatic steatosis. Thus, measurement of cholinesterase activity is of diagnostic value and an alternative to computed tomography in hepatic steatosis, and will provide a practical measure for the assessment of effects during follow-up.
Serum cholinesterase in patients with fatty liver.

Abstract: The in vivo stimulation of vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein (9 K CaBP) synthesis by 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25(OH)2D3] in the rat duodenum has been analyzed using a specific [32P]complementary DNA probe for rat 9 K CaBP and inhibitors of RNA transcription (actinomycin D, alpha-amanitin) or protein synthesis (cycloheximide). The relative amounts of 9 K CaBP messenger RNA (mRNA) were assayed by dot-blot hybridization and the relative amounts of 9 K CaBP by RIA. Both inhibitors were injected at doses which significantly inhibited by 80-95% [35S]methionine or [3H]uridine incorporation into protein and RNA, respectively. In vitamin D-deficient rats, a single 1,25(OH)2D3 injection (650 pmol/100 g BW) resulted in a rapid production of 9 K CaBP mRNA which was significantly detectable as early as 3 h, and was followed by an increase of 9 K CaBP levels. Injection of actinomycin D (25 micrograms/100 g BW) 1 h before 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment and repeated every 4 h did not prevent the hormone-induced elevation of duodenal CaBP mRNA, even when the actinomycin dose was doubled and given 2 h before hormonal treatment. alpha-Amanitin (2 micrograms/100 g BW) also failed to block the hormonal stimulation. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (25 micrograms/100 g BW) did not cause any change in the 1,25(OH)2D3-induced CaBP mRNA but blocked the CaBP increase after hormone injection. Thus, transcription inhibitors did not prevent the in vivo hormone-induced elevation of 9 K CaBP mRNA, which suggests that 1,25(OH)2D3 increases 9 K CaBP synthesis by increasing 9 K CaBP gene expression at one or more posttranscriptional steps. More precise data will be obtained by measuring the rate of 9 K CaBP gene transcription on isolated nuclei from rat duodenum.
In vivo effects of transcriptional and translational inhibitors on duodenal vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein messenger ribonucleic acid stimulation by 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol.

Abstract: Selective removal of stratum corneum lipids following applications of acetone/ether to the human forearm for extremely prolonged periods of 5-20 min induced an enduring (more than 4 days), chapped and scaly appearance of the skin which was accompanied by a significant decrease in the water-holding properties of the stratum corneum. In order to further elucidate the significance of lipids in the water-holding properties, lipids, which were extracted as sebaceous-rich lipids (SL) for the first 10-min acetone/ether treatment and as stratum corneum lipids (SCL) for the additional 30-min treatment, were topically applied daily on lipid-depleted forearm skin which had been pretreated with acetone/ether for 40 min. Two daily applications of the SCL which were solubilized in squalane containing 1% alpha-monomethyl heptadecyl glyceryl ether (GE) caused a significant increase of conductance, accompanied by a marked improvement in the level of scaling as compared with nontreatment or GE/squalane base, whereas the SL in the GE/squalane base did not exhibit any significant recovery in either conductance value or scaling. To clarify which components of the SCL are primarily responsible for the observed recovery of the water-holding properties, chromatographically separated fractions of the SCL were also topically applied in the same manner for 2 successive days. Out of the following separated fractions: cholesterol, cholesterol ester, free fatty acid, glycolipids, and ceramide, 2 daily topical applications of ceramide fraction induced a significant and the highest increase in the conductance value as compared with GE/squalane base. Furthermore, glycolipids and cholesterol fractions also exhibited a significant recovery when compared with no application at all. In contrast, free fatty acid and cholesterol ester fractions did not indicate any significant increase in the conductance value. These findings strengthen the hypothesis that structural lipids present in the intercellular spaces of the stratum corneum, especially ceramide, play a critical role in the water-holding properties of the stratum corneum.
Selective recovery of deranged water-holding properties by stratum corneum lipids.