Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound   Target Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound

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Query: EC:2.3.1.109 (AST)
6,066 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Neurologic and myopathic complications of alcoholism are multiple and diverse, affecting both the central and peripheral nervous systems. In the ED, initial concern is for diagnosing readily reversible causes and ruling out possible life- or limb-threatening etiologies. A rapid assessment of the ABCs, a fingerstick blood glucose determination, and, in cases of AMS, the administration of intravenous naloxone is indicated. In almost every instance of a potential neurologic complication, intravenous thiamine replacement is indicated initially, along with the parenteral administration of folic acid and the other B vitamins, including nicotinic acid and pyridoxine. Metabolic screening with electrolytes, glucose, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, calcium, magnesium, liver enzymes (AST, alkaline phosphatase), bilirubin, arterial blood gases with carboxyhemoglobin determination, and a complete blood count are often warranted. Special tests such as CT scan, CK, ammonia, or toxicologic screens are indicated in specific instances. In terms of physical examination, attention to the presence of focal neurologic findings is paramount because of the possibility of a subdural or epidural hematoma. It is important not to miss meningitis and a low threshold for treatment or lumbar puncture should be maintained. Specialized consultation and referral are needed only after stabilization and appropriate tests are performed. If an organized approach to the evaluation of an alcoholic with neurologic symptoms is undertaken, occult disease will not be missed and outcomes will be improved.
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PMID:Neurologic complications of alcoholism. 222 90

The systemic administration of interleukin-2 (IL-2) can lead to significant antitumor responses in some patients with metastatic cancer in whom standard therapy has failed. A limitation of this immunotherapy is the toxicity associated with IL-2 infusion. To assess toxicity, we determined aspartate aminotransferase (AST; EC 2.6.1.1), alanine aminotransferase (ALT; EC 2.6.1.2), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT; EC 2.3.2.2), lactate dehydrogenase (LD; EC 1.1.1.27), alkaline phosphatase (ALP; EC 3.1.3.1), creatine kinase (CK; EC 2.7.3.2), total bilirubin (TBI), direct bilirubin (DBI), creatinine, urea nitrogen, and C-reactive protein in serum from 21 patients before and during five consecutive days of IL-2 treatment. Ten patients were followed for an additional five days after the end of IL-2 therapy. The IL-2 infusion caused liver toxicity and prerenal azotemia, as evidenced by significant increases (P less than 0.05) of all analytes except CK by day 1. There was a progressive increase in the results (except CK) for these tests until IL-2 treatment was stopped. Seven tests related to liver function (AST, ALT, GGT, LD, ALP, DBI, and TBI) showed increases, but the test results indicated significant improvement and moved toward the baseline value five days after the end of IL-2 therapy. Concentrations of creatinine and urea nitrogen in serum were normal three days after the cessation of IL-2 therapy.
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PMID:Changes in laboratory results for cancer patients treated with interleukin-2. 231 Dec 9

Six patients were studied to evaluate the efficacy and safety of plasma exchange (PE) in the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). All patients were affected by PBC at stage III-IV and presented symptoms refractory to pharmacologic therapy. Patients underwent PE for a mean period of 40 weeks (range 10-88). A mean of 33 liters (range 17-64) of plasma per patients was removed. Patients reported less fatigue (4/6), pruritus (5/5), nausea (3/3), Sjogren's syndrome (2/6), and painful neuropathy (2/3). A reduction of xanthomata was noted in one of the three affected patients. Definitive improvement was seen in the patient with Raynaud's phenomenon. A significant reduction was noted for serum cholesterol and gammaglobulins. ALT, AST, gamma-GT, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, prothrombin activity, AMA titers were not affected by PE. All patients suffered some mild adverse effects during PE. Two patients (IV stage) developed late edema and ascites after 34 and 44 weeks of treatment. We conclude that PE can be considered effective chronic treatment for advanced symptomatic PBC refractory to pharmacological therapy.
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PMID:Effects of plasma exchange (PE) in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). A pilot study. 231 37

Tissue cholestasis is a histologic feature in some patients with alcoholic liver disease, but its significance is unknown. We studied prospectively the clinical, laboratory, and histologic findings of 306 chronic male alcoholics in whom liver tissue was available. Tissue cholestasis permitted identification of two groups: group I, absent or mild cholestasis (239 patients), and group II, moderate to severe cholestasis (67 patients). Statistical evaluation was performed by Student's t test and regression analyses. In patients with tissue cholestasis, 97% had elevated serum cholylglycine levels, while only 61% had significant jaundice (serum bilirubin greater than 5 mg/dl). In patients without tissue cholestasis, 66% had elevated serum cholylglycine and 13.5% jaundice. Highly significant statistical correlations (P less than 0.0001) were found between cholestasis and malnutrition, prothrombin time, AST, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, Maddrey's discriminant function, serum cholylglycine level, albumin, and histologic severity score. In group I, 54% survived 60 months versus 22% in group II (P less than 0.0001). Highly significant statistical correlations (P less than 0.0001) were noted between serum cholylglycine levels and the parameters enumerated earlier, but not with survival. We conclude that tissue cholestasis is a highly significant prognostic indicator of outcome in alcoholic hepatitis and is more consistently associated with bile salt retention than jaundice.
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PMID:Prognostic significance of cholestatic alcoholic hepatitis. VA Cooperative Study Group #119. 236 44

Primary human hepatocytes were used to study bile salt hepatotoxicity and the hepatoprotective potential of ursodeoxycholate in vitro. Hepatocytes were obtained by collagenase perfusion of healthy human liver tissue and were treated with glycochenodeoxycholate for 24 hr 1 day after plating. Clear signs of cytotoxicity were observed at concentrations of about 100 mumol/L glycochenodeoxycholate. Toxicity was determined by release of alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, AST, ALT or lactate dehydrogenase into the culture medium, by measuring DNA synthesis of the cultured liver cells and by testing the viability of the hepatocytes using trypan-blue dye exclusion. Addition of ursodeoxycholate, which by itself proved to be of little toxicity, significantly reduced the hepatotoxic effects of glycochenodeoxycholate: 72% +/- 6% of the cells survived treatment with 500 mumol/L glycochenodeoxycholate alone, but addition of 100 mumol/L ursodeoxycholate increased the survival rate to 87% +/- 4% (p less than 0.05). Moreover, all enzymes tested were secreted at a significantly lower level when ursodeoxycholate was present. Similarly, the cellular DNA synthesis was maintained at significantly higher levels as a result of ursodeoxycholate treatment. We conclude that (a) primary human hepatocytes are a suitable model for studying hepatotoxicity of bile salts in vitro, (b) ursodeoxycholate reduces hepatotoxicity of other bile salts and (c) ursodeoxycholate can act hepatoprotectively by itself (i.e., alteration of the metabolism of other bile salts is not necessarily required).
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PMID:Ursodeoxycholate reduces hepatotoxicity of bile salts in primary human hepatocytes. 240 54

In the present study, it was investigated whether the prostacyclin derivative Iloprost would protect hepatocytes against CCl4-induced liver injury and which mechanism(s) of hepatocellular pathogenesis might be affected by it. Rats were treated with a single oral dose of CCl4 (2 ml per kg); Iloprost was infused continuously from 2 to 4 hr before intoxication until killing. The following results were obtained. The CCl4-induced release of AST, lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase into the serum was reduced by 50 to 70% in rats treated with doses of 0.1 and 0.5 micrograms Iloprost per kg per min. Infusion of 0.02 and 0.004 micrograms Iloprost per kg per min did not affect the CCl4-induced enzyme release into the blood. CCl4 induced the occurrence of aldehydes (products of lipid peroxidation), which were detected by histochemical and biochemical means. At 12, 48 and 72 hr after CCl4, the aldehyde-positive liver section area was about 58, 69 and 16% in rats treated with CCl4 alone, but only about 18, 13 and less than 1% in rats treated additionally with Iloprost. The aldehyde-positive hepatocytes were located predominantly in the centrilobular zone of the liver. At 24 hr the extent of the aldehyde-positive section area was the same in rats with or without Iloprost treatment (about 90%). Biochemical determination, however, revealed that at this time point the malondialdehyde content after Iloprost in rats was about 70% lower than without Iloprost treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Histochemical and biochemical studies on the effect of the prostacyclin derivative iloprost on CCl4-induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver and its significance for hepatoprotection. 246 34

Intrahepatic cholestasis associated with severe extrahepatic bacterial infection is well recognized in humans. A similar syndrome is not well characterized in veterinary medicine. Five dogs with severe extrahepatic bacterial infection that developed histologically confirmed intrahepatic cholestasis were selected from the authors' case files. The types of infections included pneumonia, peritonitis secondary to a rectal tear, urinary tract infection, bite wounds, and vegetative endocarditis. Escherichia coli was involved in two of the dogs, mixed infection in one dog, and a gram-positive cocci in the other two dogs. Total bilirubin concentrations ranged from 3.5 to 33.5 mg/dl. Serum liver enzyme activities showed only mild to moderate increases: alkaline phosphatase (ALP, 41-750 IU/l), alanine aminotransferase (ALT, 25-235 IU/l), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST, 99-255 IU/l). Fasting serum bile acids concentration was markedly elevated in the one dog in which it was measured (259 mumol/l). Histologically, the cholestasis was characterized by bile pigment accumulation in hepatocytes, canaliculi, and/or Kupffer's cells. Inflammatory parenchymal changes, when present, were minimal. The findings of hyperbilirubinemia, only a slight increase in the liver enzyme activities, and minimal inflammatory changes in liver tissue specimens in the five dogs with extrahepatic bacterial infections are similar to the findings in intrahepatic cholestasis associated with extrahepatic bacterial infection in humans.
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PMID:Cholestasis associated with extrahepatic bacterial infection in five dogs. 258 68

We have compared the effect of ursodeoxycholic acid with placebo on the clinical state, blood liver chemistries and serum and urinary bile acids in four patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. All parameters were evaluated monthly, and bile acid composition was measured by capillary gas-liquid chromatography. At the time of admission, all patients showed intense pruritus, and their serum alkaline phosphatase, AST and ALT levels were elevated 4.3, 2.7 and 2.3 times over control values. Serum bile acids were elevated almost 38-fold with 2.5 times more cholic acid than chenodeoxycholic acid. Urinary bile acid output was elevated 28 times the control values, and 36% were 1 beta-hydroxycholic acid, 1 beta-hydroxydeoxycholic acid and hyocholic acid (3 alpha,6 alpha, 7 alpha-trihydroxy-5 beta-cholanoic acid). Three months of placebo administration did not significantly affect the clinical or biochemical presentations, and the serum and urinary bile acid composition did not change. In contrast, ursodeoxycholic acid feeding (12 to 15 mg per kg per day) for 6 months abolished pruritus in two and lessened itching in two subjects and reduced serum alkaline phosphatase, AST and ALT levels by 21, 35 and 47%, respectively. The mean values for the total serum bile acid concentrations in these patients declined 26% from the pretreatment value, but the proportion of ursodeoxycholic acid increased from 3 to 40% of the total bile acids; thus, total fasting serum endogenous bile acid levels decreased almost 50%. Similar changes were noted in the urinary bile acids, in which ursodeoxycholic acid became the major bile acid, and approximately 18% were hydroxylated at C-1, C-6 and C-21.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on bile acid metabolism in primary biliary cirrhosis. 277 2

This paper describes in vitro studies on the effects of environmental pollutants (SO2/NOx) in biological systems. Basic physical, chemical and biochemical parameters were analyzed to establish the rate of SO2/NOx absorption by the culture medium. It was shown that the pH remains constant for 24 h of exposure to gas concentrations up to 50 p.p.m. The concentration of ions resulting from absorption of each pollutant in the liquid phase is dependent on their concentration in the gas phase and on exposure time. Short exposure times and high gas dosages resulted in similar doses in the medium as long exposure periods and low gas dosages. The activities of a human serum standard (alkaline phosphatase, ALP; aspartate amino transferase, AST; alanine amino transferase, ALT; gamma-glutamyltransferase, gamma-GT; lactate dehydrogenase, LDH) were determined after gaseous exposure to SO2 and NOx. The results revealed a distinct decrease in the activity of LDH after 1, 3 and 5 h exposure to 200 p.p.m. SO2. The effects of the pollutants were assayed in vitro using fetal hamster lung cells (FHLC), rat hepatocytes and the cell line CO60. For the determination of toxic effects, it was shown that the plating efficiency was a more sensitive parameter than the assay for trypan blue exclusion. Toxicity indicated as an increase of LDH leakage was not observed from FHLC in culture. Instead, a decrease of LDH was found following SO2 exposition. This decrease was similar to that observed for the human serum standard. The induction of DNA single-strand breaks was determined as a measure of genotoxic effects. SO2 application decreased the rate of DNA single-strand breaks induced by N-nitroso-acetoxymethyl-methylamine in both FHLC and in rat hepatocytes. SO2 or NOx treatment of CO60 cells for 1 h did not result in the induction of DNA amplification. HSO3- added directly to the medium as the sodium salt, however, distinctly induced the amplification of SV40 DNA. The amplification rates induced by benzo[a]pyrene or dimethylbenzanthracene were neither influenced by SO2, NOx nor HSO3-. An additive effect of HSO3- with either benzo[a]pyrene or dimethylbenzanthracene for this biological parameter was therefore not observed.
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PMID:Effects of SO2 or NOx on toxic and genotoxic properties of chemical carcinogens. I. In vitro studies. 283 97

Using a monoclonal antibody to bromodeoxyuridine, we studied the cell kinetics of human hepatocellular carcinoma, liver cirrhosis, chronic active hepatitis and alcoholic liver fibrosis. Specimens were taken either by biopsy or surgery and immediately incubated with 0.1% bromodeoxyuridine solution at 37 degrees C for 45 min. After in vitro labeling, the bromodeoxyuridine taken up by the nuclei of S-phase cells was determined by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method, using an anti-bromodeoxyuridine monoclonal antibody as the first antibody. The number of positive nuclei in 1,000 hepatic cells was counted, and the bromodeoxyuridine labeling index was expressed per thousand. The mean bromodeoxyuridine labeling index +/- S.D. of the cancerous portion of hepatocellular carcinoma, the noncancerous portion of hepatocellular carcinoma, liver cirrhosis, chronic active hepatitis and alcoholic liver fibrosis were 64.1 +/- 31.3, 33.6 +/- 14.4, 23.2 +/- 20.8, 9.1 +/- 6.1 and 21.6 +/- 13.0, respectively. The mean bromodeoxyuridine labeling index of the hepatocellular carcinoma cancerous portion was statistically higher than that of any other group. There was no statistical difference by the t test or the Wilcoxon test between the noncancerous portion of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis, and these two groups were proved interdependent by chi 2 test (Fisher's exact test), whether they were subdivided by bromodeoxyuridine labeling index greater than or equal to 10 or not. Bromodeoxyuridine labeling index was not significantly correlated with the usual biochemical parameters such as serum AST, ALT, gamma-GTP, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, cholinesterase, albumin, and alpha-fetoprotein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:S-phase cells in diseased human liver determined by an in vitro BrdU-anti-BrdU method. 284 68


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