Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P17174 (aspartate aminotransferase)
 14,872 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Liver and biliary ultrasonographic findings were studied in 217 asymptomatic obese women [mean age 35.0 +/- 8.3 years, range 15 to 57; mean body mass index (BMI, weight/height2) 40.7 +/- 6.9 kg/m2, range 30.3-71.9] from the Obesity Outpatient Clinic of the Professor Edgard Santos University Hospital. The women underwent an oral glucose tolerance test and were divided into two groups: 21 diabetic obese women plus 25 glucose intolerant (group I); and 171 non-diabetic obese women (group II). Ultrasonography (US) was performed on a Siemens Sonoline SL2 apparatus with a 3.5 MHz transducer. Plasma glucose levels and biochemical tests were determined by the enzymatic method. The frequency of liver US abnormalities was similar in both groups (52.2% of group I and 47.8% of group II). Steatosis was found in 34.8% of group I and 32.2% of group II; steatosis associated with hepatomegaly in 17.4% of group I and 10.5% of group II; and hepatomegaly in 4.1% of group I and absent in group II. Serum cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and liver function tests, including aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and gama-glutamiltranspeptidase levels, were similar in both groups. However, triglycerides, uric acid and gamaglutamyl transpeptidase levels were higher in the diabetic and glucose-intolerant group. The frequency of asymptomatic gallstones was higher in group II than group I (24.4% vs 11.7%, p < 0.04). It is suggested that liver and biliary US should be included in the evaluation of all obese women, even when asymptomatic.
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PMID:Liver and biliary ultrasonography in diabetic and non-diabetic obese women. 988 Dec 46

Deaths from the effects of alcohol intoxication are encountered routinely in forensic practice. In an important number of cases difficulty may arise in interpreting the significance of results obtained in the autopsy. In clinical practice biochemical markers, particularly serum gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase (GGT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT), and erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume are used to diagnose heavy alcohol consumption. CDT is used as a reliable and specific marker. In postmortem diagnosis, because of the difficulty in interpreting blood alcohol levels and relatively non-specific pathological features, biochemical compounds have been studied for use as possible markers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the postmortem determination of CDT in vitreous humor as a confirmation of antemortem alcoholism. CDT levels were studied in 66 male cadavers with a mean age of 55.9 years (S.D. 17.0, range 22-87 years) with a mean postmortem interval of 17.9 h (S.D. 11.4, range 4-72 h). Cases were assigned to two diagnostic groups according to the antemortem diagnosis of alcoholism. Statistically significant differences were found for CDT and ALT concentrations between the two diagnostic groups. The highest vitreous humor levels of CDT and ALT were obtained in the group of cases with a previous diagnosis of alcoholism. Our results suggest that vitreous humor CDT levels are useful in cases where the postmortem diagnosis of alcoholism is hindered by the non-specificity of data.
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PMID:Vitreous humor carbohydrate-deficient transferrin concentrations in the postmortem diagnosis of alcoholism. 1073 67

In the present research, we studied the effect of the administration of melatonin or S-adenosyl-L-methionine (S-AMe) on oxidative stress and hepatic cholestasis produced by double ligature of the extra-hepatic biliary duct (LBD) in adult male Wistar rats. Hepatic oxidative stress was evaluated by the changes in the amount of lipid peroxides and by the reduced glutathione content (GSH) in lysates of erythrocytes and homogenates of hepatic tissue. The severity of the cholestasis and hepatic injury were determined by the changes in the plasma enzyme activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (AP), g-glutamyl-transpeptidase (GGT), and levels of albumin, total bilirubin (TB) and direct bilirubin (DB). Either melatonin or S-AMe were administered daily 3 days before LBD, and for 10 days after biliary obstruction. LDB caused highly significant increases in plasma enzyme activities and in bilirubin and lipid peroxides levels in erythrocytes and hepatic tissue. At the same time, this procedure produced a notable decrease in the GSH pools in these biological media. Both melatonin and S-AMe administration were effective as antioxidants and hepatoprotective substances, although the protective effects of melatonin were superior; it prevented the GSH decrease and reduced significantly the increases in enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation products produced by biliary ligature. S-AMe did not modify the increased GGT activity nor did it decrease greatly the TB levels (43% melatonin vs. 14% S-AMe). However, S-AMe was effective in preventing the loss of GSH in erythrocytes and hepatic tissue, as was melatonin. The obtained data permit the following conclusions. First, the LDB models cause marked hepatic oxidative stress. Second, the participation of free radicals of oxygen in the pathogenecity and severity of cholestasis produced by the acute obstruction of the extra-hepatic biliary duct is likely. Third, the results confirm the function of S-AMe as an antioxidant and hepatoprotector. Finally, melatonin is far more potent and provides superior protection as compared to S-AMe. Considering the decrease in oxidative stress and the intensity of cholestasis, these findings have interesting clinical implications for melatonin as a possible therapeutic agent in biliary cholestasis and parenchymatous liver injury.
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PMID:Protective effect of melatonin against oxidative stress induced by ligature of extra-hepatic biliary duct in rats: comparison with the effect of S-adenosyl-L-methionine. 1073

The validity (sensitivity and specificity) of annual liver function tests, determined by assaying blood levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and gammaglutamyl transpeptidase, was evaluated using the results of health checkups of male bank workers. The specificity of each liver function test to detect persons with fatty liver, excess alcohol users, and hepatic virus carriers, diagnosed respectively by ultrasound, detailed inquiry, and virus marker tests, was always higher than 80%, except for alanine aminotransferase in excess alcohol users (63.5%). However, the highest sensitivity to detect virus carriers was alanine aminotransferase to detect HCV antibody-positive workers, but it was only 45.5%. The highest sensitivity of the liver function tests to detect excess alcohol users in obese subjects was only 33.3%. The highest sensitivity by liver function tests to detect fatty liver was 35.7% which was inferior to that of the body mass index. These results indicate that the liver function tests mandated in the workplace periodic health checkups in Japan exhibit very low sensitivity for the detection of any of the proposed target clinical conditions.
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PMID:Test validity of periodic liver function tests in a population of Japanese male bank employees. 1152 Jun 55

The aims of the present study were first to compare the effects of melatonin and vitamin E on the cholestasis syndrome and their protective effect on liver injury, and second, to evaluate the activity of antioxidant enzymes after treatment with these antioxidant drugs. Cholestasis was achieved in adult male Wistar rats by double ligature and section of the extra-hepatic biliary duct. Hepatic and plasma oxidative stress markers were evaluated by changes in the amount of lipid peroxides, measured as malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in plasma and homogenates of hepatic tissue. Serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase (AP), and gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase (GGT) were used to evaluate the severity of cholestasis, and serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were used to evaluate the hepatic injury. Both vitamin E and melatonin were administrated 1 day before and 7 days after bile duct ligation. Acute ligation of the bile duct was accompanied by a significant increased in MDA and a decrease in GSH levels in both plasma and liver, as well as a significant reduction in antioxidant enzymes activities. The overall analysis of both treatments showed that melatonin (500 microg/kg daily) offered significantly better protection against cholestasis and a superior protective effect on hepatic injury than did vitamin E (15 mg/kg daily). Although vitamin E treatment resulted in a reduction of parameters of oxidative stress, the results were significantly better after a much lower daily dose of melatonin. Moreover, melatonin treatment was associated with a significant recovery of antioxidative enzymes. In conclusion, the present paper demonstrates a correlation between the intensity of biliary tract obstruction and increased free radical generation, as well as a direct correlation between the level of oxidative stress and the biochemical markers of liver injury. Melatonin (at a much lower dose than vitamin E) was much more efficient than vitamin E in reducing the negative parameters of cholestasis, the degree of oxidative stress and provided a significantly greater hepatoprotective effect against the liver injury secondary to the acute ligation of the biliary duct.
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PMID:Melatonin versus vitamin E as protective treatment against oxidative stress after extra-hepatic bile duct ligation in rats. 1155 69

It is established that galstena possesses hepatoprotector activity and is capable of reducing pathological changes in animals treated with toxic doses of antituberculous drugs. Galstena prevents from the development of cytolysis, as evidence by inhibition of the activity of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase. The anti cholestatic effect of galstena is confirmed by suppression of the growth in the levels of total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutarate transpeptidase. Galstena was also found to possess antiinflammatory properties. Moreover, a growth in the activity of glutathione-dependent reductase (related to inhibited growth of the iron level in the blood serum) is evidence of the antioxidant activity. In addition, galstena prevents from an increase in the content of creatinine and urea, which is evidenced of decreasing endogenous intoxication.
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PMID:[Efficacy of galstena in liver damage induced by antitubercular agents]. 1210 99

Athletes and bodybuilders often misuse androgenic/anabolic steroids. When used in therapeutic doses, these drugs produce clinical jaundice in just a small number of recipients. We present a 26-year-old male bodybuilder who self-administered high doses of androgenic/anabolic steroids that induced liver damage. One month before admission to the hospital, he used testosterone enanthate (500 mg intramuscularly, twice weekly), stanozolol (40 mg/d), and methylandrostenediol (30 mg/d by mouth, for 5 weeks). On admission, his bilirubin level was 470 micromol/L (direct, 360 micromol/L), his aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level was 5,870 IU/L, his alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level was 10,580 IU/L, his alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level was 152 IU/L, his gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase level was 140 IU/L, his albumin level was 27.6 g/L, and his prothrombin time was 29%. During the patient's prolonged hospitalization, multiple tests and liver biopsy were performed, showing only toxic hepatic lesions. The patient was provided with supportive medical treatment. Clinical signs and laboratory findings improved substantially 12 weeks after the patient discontinued androgenic/anabolic steroids. The reasons for presenting this case were the much higher values of AST and ALT levels than reported in other studies, although the values of bilirubin and ALP were similar to those found in the literature. To our knowledge, it is the first case of toxic hepatitis induced by androgenic/anabolic steroids with predominantly hepatocellular necrosis instead of intrahepatic cholestasis.
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PMID:Androgenic/Anabolic steroid-induced toxic hepatitis. 1235

The degree of metabolic rehabilitation of the bronchopulmonary system was evaluated in non-specific pulmonary diseases, like pneumonia or chronic obstructive bronchitis, by using the data of biochemical testing of the exhaled-air vapor condensate. Nine parameters were investigated, i.e. enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase (AP), gamma-glutamate amino-transpeptidase (GGT) as well as parameters of protein metabolism--common protein, seromucoid (SC), C-reactive protein and urea. AST, ALT, AP, GGT, SC and urea were acknowledged as the most informative parameters. The results are indicative of that the recovery of metabolic processes in the bronchopulmonary system was not completed.
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PMID:[Vapor condensate of exhaled air in evaluating the impaired metabolism of the bronchopulmanory system in nonspecific lung diseases]. 1523 Jan 10

To determine whether the current liver screening program for fatty liver has sufficient scientific evidence to justify its continued implementation. The liver screening program to detect fatty liver was performed on 411 Japanese workers utilizing serum aspartate aminotransferase (ALT), alanine aminotransferase (AST), and gammaglutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP). Based on the preceding studies, subjects with viral and alcohol hepatitis were excluded from the evaluation. The diagnosis of fatty liver was based on ultrasound findings. The program was evaluated by efficacy and effectiveness; efficacy was measured according to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves in comparison with the Body Mass Index (BMI). Effectiveness, based on the efficacy determinations, was assessed by means of the positive predictive value (PPV) test performance, the disease characteristics, and the program price. The diagnostic performances of ALT and BMI were nearly acceptable but far from excellent. The areas under the curves of the two indices were 0.69 and 0.63, respectively and these were statistically equivalent. The PPV ranged from 15 to 28% where the prevalence of fatty liver was 12.3%. The price of the program was estimated at US 4 dollars per person based on the medical reimbursement fee rate. The efficacy of the liver screening program was found to be insufficient and BMI monitoring may provide a more suitable and inexpensive alternative. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the program is open to question, considering the generally benign prognosis of the disease in the absence of any accompanying morbid conditions and the high price of the program.
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PMID:Efficacy and effectiveness of liver screening program to detect fatty liver in the periodic health check-ups. 1561 64

The chemopreventive effect of ethanol extract of Indigofera aspalathoides (EIA) on N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN, 200 mg/kg)-induced experimental liver tumor was investigated in male Wistar rats. Oral administration of ethanol extract of Indigofera aspalathoides (250 mg/kg) effectively suppressed liver tumor induced with DEN as revealed by decrease in the levels of extend of serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin, gamma glutamate transpeptidase (GGTP), lipid peroxidase (LPO), glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) with a concomitant increase in enzymatic antioxidant (superoxide dismutase and catalase) levels when compared to those in liver tumor bearing rats. The histopathological changes of liver sample were compared with respective control. Our results show a significant chemopreventive effect of EIA against DEN induced liver tumor.
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PMID:Chemoprevention of N-nitrosodiethylamine induced phenobarbitol promoted liver tumors in rat by extract of Indigofera aspalathoides. 1568 1


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