Liver injury or damage
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Recent papers in Liver injury or damage
Background: Curcumin (Cur) is a natural yellow polyphenol extracted from the turmeric rhizome (Curcuma longa). Cur is known for its potential therapeutic properties as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial,... more
Background: Curcumin (Cur) is a natural yellow polyphenol extracted from the turmeric rhizome (Curcuma longa). Cur is known for its potential therapeutic properties as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, and anti-mutagenic, although some of these biological activities remain unproven. Epidemiological studies have shown a positive relationship between high-fat diets and diet-related chronic diseases. We hypothesized that some adverse effects of consuming atherogenic or high-fat diets (AD) can be ameliorated by Cur supplementation. Using an experimental model of rats, this study investigated the significance of Cur when it is given as a supplement in an AD.
Methods: Healthy adult Wistar rats were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Controls (C) received a standard diet and experimental rats were fed with AD or AD+Cur for 5 weeks. Cur (100 mg/kg body weight) was given orally daily, plus piperine (5 mg/kg body weight). The effect of Cur supplementation was studied on zoometrics, visceral fat content, serum lipids profile, hepatosteatosis, liver function and oxidative status.
Results: Diets did not alter energy consumption. As compared to the other groups, AD+Cur group showed a lower total visceral fat content, percentage of perirenal, mesenteric, and pelvic fat, and body weight gain (P< 0.05). Serum total cholesterol (P<0.0001), non-HDL-C (P<0.0001) levels were significantly higher in AD groups as compared with C. Serum triglycerides and HDL-C levels remained similar among groups (P>0.05). AD induced a liver injury with macrovesicular steatosis and portal inflammation. AD+Cur rats presented microvesicular steatosis with no inflammation, achieving the lowest level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT; P<0.0001) and reductions of aspartate aminotransferase (AST; P<0.0001). Liver homogenates from AD+Cur showed that Cur supplementation reduced the dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) oxidation rate induced by AD by 25 % and deferoxamine and superoxide dismutase inhibited DCFH-DA.
Conclusion: Cur as a dietary supplement showed a protective effect against obesity and inflammation, but its cardioprotective ability remained unproved. Cur may develop as a promising therapeutic agent for liver diseases induced by oxidative stress. This study provides supporting evidence to confirm the beneficial effects of curcumin from the point of view of functional food science.
Keywords: curcumin, liver injury, ROS, atherogenic diet, visceral fat, obesity
Methods: Healthy adult Wistar rats were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Controls (C) received a standard diet and experimental rats were fed with AD or AD+Cur for 5 weeks. Cur (100 mg/kg body weight) was given orally daily, plus piperine (5 mg/kg body weight). The effect of Cur supplementation was studied on zoometrics, visceral fat content, serum lipids profile, hepatosteatosis, liver function and oxidative status.
Results: Diets did not alter energy consumption. As compared to the other groups, AD+Cur group showed a lower total visceral fat content, percentage of perirenal, mesenteric, and pelvic fat, and body weight gain (P< 0.05). Serum total cholesterol (P<0.0001), non-HDL-C (P<0.0001) levels were significantly higher in AD groups as compared with C. Serum triglycerides and HDL-C levels remained similar among groups (P>0.05). AD induced a liver injury with macrovesicular steatosis and portal inflammation. AD+Cur rats presented microvesicular steatosis with no inflammation, achieving the lowest level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT; P<0.0001) and reductions of aspartate aminotransferase (AST; P<0.0001). Liver homogenates from AD+Cur showed that Cur supplementation reduced the dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) oxidation rate induced by AD by 25 % and deferoxamine and superoxide dismutase inhibited DCFH-DA.
Conclusion: Cur as a dietary supplement showed a protective effect against obesity and inflammation, but its cardioprotective ability remained unproved. Cur may develop as a promising therapeutic agent for liver diseases induced by oxidative stress. This study provides supporting evidence to confirm the beneficial effects of curcumin from the point of view of functional food science.
Keywords: curcumin, liver injury, ROS, atherogenic diet, visceral fat, obesity
Background: Although the new coronavirus (SARS-COV-2) affects predominantly the respiratory system, concomitant liver manifestations are common among COVID-19 patients. Aim: To investigate the prevalence and pattern of liver impairment... more
Background: Although the new coronavirus (SARS-COV-2) affects predominantly the respiratory system, concomitant liver manifestations are common among COVID-19 patients. Aim: To investigate the prevalence and pattern of liver impairment (hepatocellular, cholestatic, mixed) and identify risk factors potentially associated with the liver injury in hospitalized patients with Covid-19. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study enrolled consecutive patients with Covid-19 who had evidence of liver injury on admission and/or during hospitalization in a tertiary hospital. Patient demographic, clinical and laboratory data were captured from the hospital's electronic data monitoring system. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were applied to identify risk factors for liver injury. Results: Overall, of the 113 hospitalized Covid-19 patients, 73 (64.6%) patients had evidence of liver injury. Admission to Intensive Care Unit and length of in-hospital stay were identified as independent risk factors for liver injury by multivariate analysis (p = 0.014 and p = 0.001, respectively). 35 patients (47.9%) had hepatocellular and 18 patients (24.7%) had cholestatic liver injury. Admission to Intensive Care Unit was statistically significantly associated with hepatocellular injury (p = 0.006). Conclusions: Liver injury is common in hospitalized Covid-19 patients. Hepatocellular-type injury is more common and is associated with a more severe course of disease. Summary Box What is already known Liver injury is common among Covid-19 patients The presence of liver injury among Covid-19 patients is associated with severe course of the disease What is not already known The hepatocellular pattern of liver injury is the prevalent one among hospitalized Covid-19 patients in Greece ICU admission and long hospital stay are independent risk factors for the presence of liver injury
In vivo imaging involving the use of genetically engineered animals is an innovative powerful tool for the noninvasive assessment of the molecular and cellular events that are often targets of therapy. On the basis of the knowledge that... more
In vivo imaging involving the use of genetically engineered animals is an innovative powerful tool for the noninvasive assessment of the molecular and cellular events that are often targets of therapy. On the basis of the knowledge that the activity of the nuclear factor-Y (NF-Y) transcription factor is restricted in vitro to proliferating cells, we have generated a transgenic reporter mouse, called MITO-Luc (for mitosis-luciferase), in which an NF-Y-dependent promoter controls luciferase expression. In these mice, bioluminescence imaging of NF-Y activity visualizes areas of physiological cell proliferation and regeneration during response to injury. Using this tool, we highlight for the first time a role of NF-Y activity on hepatocyte proliferation during liver regeneration. MITO-Luc reporter mice should facilitate investigations into the involvement of genes in cell proliferation and provide a useful model for studying aberrant proliferation in disease pathogenesis. They should be also useful in the development of new anti/proproliferative drugs and assessment of their efficacy and side effects on nontarget tissues.
Radiation therapy is considered to be one of the most popular and important therapeutic modalities for the cure of cancer. During radiotherapy, ionizing irradiation interacts with biological systems to produce free radicals, which attacks... more
Radiation therapy is considered to be one of the most popular and important therapeutic modalities for the cure of cancer. During radiotherapy, ionizing irradiation interacts with biological systems to produce free radicals, which attacks various cellular components. The present study clarifies the efficacy of cape gooseberries (Physalis peruviana) in reducing gamma- irradiation- induced oxidative damage to the liver, lipid profile and antioxidant enzymes in adult male rats. Rats were exposed to whole body gamma radiation (2 Gy /week up to total dose of 6 Gy) and fed on basal diet supplemented with 15% of Physalis powder (Ph p.), one week before irradiation and during the period of radiation exposure. Animals were randomly divided into four groups as following: Normal control, Ph p, irradiated and Ph p + irradiated. The results demonstrated that irradiation of rats induced a significant increase in lipid peroxides level measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and...
Radiation therapy is considered to be one of the most popular and important therapeutic modalities for the cure of cancer. During radiotherapy, ionizing irradiation interacts with biological systems to produce free radicals, which attacks... more
Radiation therapy is considered to be one of the most popular and important therapeutic modalities for the cure of cancer. During radiotherapy, ionizing irradiation interacts with biological systems to produce free radicals, which attacks various cellular components. The present study clarifies the efficacy of cape gooseberries (Physalis peruviana) in reducing gamma-irradiation-induced oxidative damage to the liver, lipid profile and antioxidant enzymes in adult male rats. Rats were exposed to whole body gamma radiation (2 Gy /week up to total dose of 6 Gy) and fed on basal diet supplemented with 15% of Physalis powder (Ph p.), one week before irradiation and during the period of radiation exposure. Animals were randomly divided into four groups as following: Normal control, Ph p, irradiated and Ph p + irradiated. The results demonstrated that irradiation of rats induced a significant increase in lipid peroxides level measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and xanthine oxidase (XO) concomitant with a significant decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activity, glutathione (GSH) and xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) content in liver tissues. In parallel, significant increases in serum enzymes aspartate transferase (AST), alanine transferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT) as well as serum bilirubin were recorded. While serum total protein (T.P) and albumin (Alb) were decreased. Furthermore, alteration in lipid profile manifested by a significant increase in triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and a significant decrease in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), were observed. Physalis powder pretreatment has significantly improved the oxidant/antioxidant status, which was associated with reduced the severity of liver damage. It is concluded that Ph p has a protective effect against gamma-irradiation induced hepatotoxicity through antagonizing the free radicals generation beside enhancement of the antioxidant defense mechanisms.