Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0019158 (hepatitis)
 30,205 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Recent advances in molecular biology have made possible the identification of genetic defects responsible for Wilson's disease, Indian childhood cirrhosis and copper toxicosis in Long Evans Cinnamon rats, toxic milk mice, and Bedlington terriers. The Wilson's disease gene is localized on human chromosome 13 and codes for ATP7B, a copper transporting P-type ATPase. A genetic defect similar to that of Wilson's disease occurs in Long Evans Cinnamon rats and toxic milk mice. Familial copper storage disorders in Bedlington and West Highland white terriers are associated with early subclinical disease, and copper accumulation with subsequent liver injury culminating in cirrhosis. The canine copper toxicosis locus in Bedlington terriers has been mapped to canine chromosome region CFA 10q26. Recently, a mutated MURR1 gene was discovered in Bedlington terriers affected with the disease. Idiopathic childhood cirrhosis is biochemically similar to copper toxicosis in Bedlington terriers, but clinically much more severe. Both conditions are characterized by the absence of neurologic damage and Kayser-Fleisher rings, and normal ceruloplasmin levels. A recent study added North Ronaldsay sheep to the list of promising animal models to study Indian childhood cirrhosis. Morphologic similarities between the two conditions include periportal to panlobular copper retention and liver changes varying from active hepatitis to panlobular pericellular fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Certain copper-associated disorders, such as chronic active hepatitis in Doberman pinschers and Skye terrier hepatitis are characterized by copper retention secondary to the underlying disease, thus resembling primary biliary cirrhosis in humans. Copper-associated liver disease has increasingly being recognized in Dalmatians. Copper-associated liver diseases in Dalmatians and Long Evans Cinnamom rats share many morphologic features. Fulminant hepatic failure in Dalmatians is characterized by high serum activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and severe necrosis of centrilobular areas (periacinar, zone 3) hepatocytes. Macrophages and surviving hepatocytes contain copper-positive material. Liver disease associated with periacinar copper accumulation has also been described in Siamese cats. Many questions regarding copper metabolism in mammals, genetic background, pathogenesis and treatment of copper-associated liver diseases remain to be answered. This review describes the similarities between the clinico-pathological features of spontaneous copper-associated diseases in humans and domestic animals.
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PMID:Animal models of copper-associated liver disease. 1276 23

Inherited defects of copper metabolism resulting in hepatic copper accumulation and oxidative-stress might cause breed-associated forms of hepatitis. Biliary excretion is the major elimination route of copper, therefore increased hepatic copper concentrations could also be caused by cholestasis. The aim of this study was to find criteria to determine whether copper-accumulation is primary or occurs secondary to hepatitis. Liver samples of Bedlington Terriers with copper toxicosis (CT), breeds with non-copper-associated chronic extrahepatic cholestasis (EC) or chronic hepatitis (CH), and healthy dogs were used. Copper metabolism was analyzed by means of histochemical staining (copper concentration) and quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) on copper excretion/storage (ATOX1, COX17, ATP7A, ATP7B, CP, MT1A, MURR1, XIAP). Oxidative stress was measured by determining GSH/GSSG ratios and gene-expression (SOD1, CAT, GSHS, GPX1, CCS, p27KIP, Bcl-2). Results revealed 5+ copper in CT, but no or 1-2+ copper in EC and CH. Most gene products for copper metabolism remained at concentrations similar to healthy dogs. Three clear exceptions were observed in CT: 3-fold mRNA increase of ATP7A and XIAP and complete absence of MURRI. The only quantitative differences between the diseased and the control groups were in oxidative stress, evidenced by reductions in all GSH/GSSG ratios. We conclude that 3+ or higher histochemical detection of copper indicates a primary copper storage disease. The expression profile of copper-associated genes can be used as a reference for future studies on copper-associated diseases. All 3 diseases have reduced protection against oxidative stress, opening a rationale to use antioxidants as possible therapy.
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PMID:Copper metabolism and oxidative stress in chronic inflammatory and cholestatic liver diseases in dogs. 1706