Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023890 (cirrhosis)
 42,195 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The fasting concentration of free fatty acids (FFA) in the ascitic fluid was determined in 14 patients with malignant ascites and in 19 patients with liver cirrhosis. In malignant ascites FFA levels were increased more than three times when compared with the levels in cirrhotic ascites (5.241 +/- 0.493 vs. 1.558 +/- 0.170 mumol/ml; P < 0.0001). Palmitic acid was the most representative saturated FFA (which together accounted for 2.499 +/- 0.323 vs. 0.833 +/- 0.064 mumol/ml; P < 0.0001), while unsaturated FFA (2.741 +/- 0.298 vs. 0.725 +/- 0.111 mumol/ml; P < 0.001) were represented, in decreasing order, by oleic, linoleic and arachidonic acids. The ratio of unsaturated to saturated FFA was higher in neoplastic patients (1.35 +/- 0.29 vs. 0.826 +/- 0.065 P < 0.05). Albumin concentration in ascitic fluid of neoplastic patients was 22.44 +/- 1.35 g/l, while that of cirrhotic patients was 8.19 +/- 0.32 g/l, P < 0.0001. A close relationship (R2 = 95.14%) between albumin concentration in ascitic fluid and levels of total FFA was found. These data support the hypothesis that the elevation of FFA in ascitic fluid allows discrimination between malignant and non-malignant ascites.
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PMID:Free fatty acid analysis in ascitic fluid improves diagnosis in malignant abdominal tumors. 758 83

It has been proven that the fatty acids of esterified phospholipids in the cell membrane play an important role in membrane fluidity. Our previous in vitro experiment indicated that the impairment of erythrocyte membrane fluidity might be largely because of the change in fatty acids. The aim of this study is to clarify changes of cell membrane fatty acids in more detail in relation to various stages and pathology of alcoholic liver disease. For the analysis, erythrocyte membranes were exploited on the assumption that their fatty acid compositions may be similar to those of other organs. In alcoholic liver disease, unsaturated fatty acids in the erythrocyte membrane decreased and saturated fatty acids increased. Consequently, the unsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid ratio decreased significantly. When fractions of saturated fatty acids were studied, myristic acid (C14:0) increased markedly in the alcoholic group, and the increase was striking particularly in the cases of alcoholic hepatitis concurrently with hemolysis. Palmitic acid (C16:0) also tended to increase in the alcoholic liver disease group. A longer chain saturated fatty acid, stearic acid (C18:0), showed a moderate but significant increase in the alcoholic fatty liver and hepatic fibrosis group, but it decreased significantly in the alcoholic liver cirrhosis, as with the finding in viral liver cirrhosis. As with unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid (C18:2), arachidonic acid (C20:4), and eicosapentanoic acid (C20:5) decreased significantly. The arachidonic acid/linoleic acid ratio, which indicates microsomal elongation activity of liver cells, was found to be broadly distributed. No significant change was found in each group of alcoholic liver disease. However, the cases showing a decrease in this ratio had severe hepatic dysfunction concurrently. Thrombogenic Index, serving as an indicator for fatty acids in food, and that is concerned with formation of thrombus, was studied, using fatty acid fractions of the erythrocyte membrane. The index was significantly increased in alcoholic liver disease. It was suggested that the chronic alcohol intake and the resultant liver diseases might enhance the abnormality of the membrane fatty acid composition. These changes may affect cell membrane fluidity and eventually metabolic functions of the cell.
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PMID:Abnormality in membrane fatty acid compositions of cells measured on erythrocyte in alcoholic liver disease. 865 91

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) ranges in severity from hepatic steatosis to cirrhosis. Lemon balm and its major constituent, rosmarinic acid (RA), effectively improve the liver injury and obesity; however, their therapeutic effects on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of RA and a lemon balm extract (LBE) on NAFLD and liver fibrosis and elucidated their mechanisms. Palmitic acid (PA)-exposed HepG2 cells and db/db mice fed a methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) diet were utilized to exhibit symptoms of human NASH. LBE and RA treatments alleviated the oxidative stress by increasing antioxidant enzymes and modulated lipid metabolism-related gene expression by the activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in vitro and in vivo. LBE and RA treatments inhibited the expression of genes involved in hepatic fibrosis and inflammation in vitro and in vivo. Together, LBE and RA could improve liver damage by non-alcoholic lipid accumulation and may be promising medications to treat NASH.
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PMID:Lemon Balm and Its Constituent, Rosmarinic Acid, Alleviate Liver Damage in an Animal Model of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis. 3233 Dec 58