Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.7.49 (reverse transcriptase)
 31,746 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a positive-polarity, single-stranded RNA virus, distantly related to the pestivirus and flavivirus genera. These viruses replicate through the formation of a minus-strand RNA intermediate, which encodes the positive-strand genome, which is subsequently encapsidated, enveloped, and released from infected cells. Minus-strand RNA is not found in the mature, circulating virions of flaviviruses. In an attempt to study the relative amounts of viral plus and minus strand in the liver and serum of HCV-infected individuals, we have developed a technique to amplify specifically each of the viral strands using a modified reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction protocol on extracted RNA. Liver tumor and nontumor tissue from a patient with C-100-3 antibody was analyzed using this technique. In both cases, viral plus and minus strands were detected, although the plus-strand signal was several fold stronger than minus-strand signal by Southern hybridization. Sera from 11 C-100-3 antibody-positive patients with abnormal serum AIT levels were similarly analyzed. In all cases viral plus strand was detected, and in 10 of 11 cases viral minus strand was detected. The minus-strand signal was always much weaker than the plus-strand signal and the ratio of plus strand to minus strand varied among patients. No correlation was found between the level of minus strand detected or its ratio to plus strand with the level of serum transaminases or any other clinical parameter.
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PMID:Presence of viral replicative intermediates in the liver and serum of patients infected with hepatitis C virus. 838 74

Ginkgo biloba extract has been shown to be hepatoprotective. However, its benefits when used in alcoholic liver injury have not been demonstrated. This study investigated the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on alcohol-induced liver injury in a chronic alcohol plus fish oil gavage model in rats. Liver injury was evaluated histologically and by serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Liver tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) protein levels, malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) contents were determined. TNF-alpha mRNA expression in the liver was analysed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Rats given fish oil plus alcohol developed macrovesicular and microvesicular steatosis, spotty necrosis and mild inflammation in the liver and elevated serum ALT levels, which were accompanied by increased MDA contents, reduced GSH contents and elevated TNF-alpha protein and mRNA expressions in the liver. Supplementation with Ginkgo biloba extract (200 mg/kg, orally) improved the liver injury, blunted the rises of MDA contents and TNF-alpha expression, and restored the GSH content in the liver. Ginkgo biloba extract protects against alcohol-induced liver injury, and the mechanism may involve a reduction of lipid peroxidation, prevention of GSH depletion and inhibition of TNF-alpha expression in the liver.
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PMID:Ginkgo biloba extract protects against alcohol-induced liver injury in rats. 1715 34