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)

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) added to isolated rat hepatocytes produces toxic effects which were assessed by monitoring the release of aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT). CBrCl3 was equitoxic with CCl4, while CHCl3 was inactive, suggesting solvent properties not to be involved. The CCl4-mediated toxicity was markedly decreased by carbon monoxide, indicating possible activation by cytochrome P 450. 55 flavonoid compounds were tested for their ability to interfere with CCl4-induced release of ASAT. The compounds are cianidanol, 3-ethers and 3-esters thereof, flavanones, flavanolols, flavones and flavanols. The more hydrophilic compounds inhibit the CCl4-induced toxicity, while the lipophilic derivatives are potentiators. No other structure-activity relationships are apparent. The results are discussed in terms of the mechanisms of action of the compounds and of the validity of the technique as a screening test for hepatotropic agents.
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PMID:Inhibiting or potentiating effects of flavonoids on carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity in isolated rat hepatocytes. 377 62

The hepatotoxic effect of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), reflected by augmented blood aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities and the extent of histological liver damage, was observed following oral administration of CCl4 to rats. A marked increase of blood transaminase activities and severe degeneration of hepatocytes in the centrilobular region were detected 1-2 days after the administration, while the cytochrome P-450 content and the drug metabolizing activity in livers were depressed immediately after the administration. Based on these results, the effect of CCl4 on hepatic cytochrome P-450 and the histological pattern of liver cells was observed using tissue samples obtained from various liver lobes of rats given CCl4 24 hr previously. Dose-dependent inactivation of cytochrome P-450 by the administration of CCl4 was observed throughout the liver, with the most extensive decrease in the cytochrome content in the median lobe. The extent of liver damage (hydropic swelling degeneration and central necrosis in lobule) was also greater in the median and right liver lobes than in the left lobe. When a small amount of CCl4 was administered, degeneration of liver cells was detected only in the median and right lobes with only slight degeneration in the left lobe. These results indicate different susceptibilities of rat liver lobes to CCl4.
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PMID:Carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats: evidence for different susceptibilities of rat liver lobes. 688 48

Hepatic injury in alcoholics due to intake of acetaminophen (APAP or acetylparaaminophenol) with therapeutic intent has been reported, but the extent of the phenomenon is not clear, pertinent details of the association remain insufficiently clarified, and the importance of the phenomenon is not widely appreciated. The present report describes 67 patients who developed hepatic injury after ingestion of APAP with therapeutic intent. All were regular users of alcohol. Sixty-four percent of the patients were considered to be "alcoholic" or reported intakes greater than 80 g/d, 35% took 60 g/d or less, and the remainder were vague in their reporting. Doses of APAP were in the "nontoxic" range ( < 6 g/d) in 60% of the group, within the recommended range ( < 4 g/d) in 40%, and at 4.1 to 6 g/d in 20%. Characteristic feature was the towering level reached by aspartate transaminase (AST) with figures ranging from 3,000 to 48,000 IU in more than 90% of cases. Almost 20% of the patients died. The data on these patients were similar to 94 cases of injury from APAP taken with therapeutic intent reported in the literature. This study provides further evidence of hepatic injury in regular uses of alcohol, especially chronic alcoholics, who take APAP with therapeutic intent. Susceptibility is presumably caused by induction of cytochrome P-4502EI by ethanol and by depletion of glutathione (GSH) because of the effects of alcohol, the malnutrition often associated with alcoholism, and the depletion associated with chronic use of APAP and impaired glucuronidation caused by fasting perhaps as well. The syndrome of liver injury is distinctive, marked by uniquely elevated levels of AST, and poses a significant threat.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Acetaminophen (paracetamol) hepatotoxicity with regular intake of alcohol: analysis of instances of therapeutic misadventure. 765 81

Earlier studies showed that hepatotoxicant-treated experimental animals were more susceptible than controls to the lethal effects of bacterial endotoxin. The exact mechanisms of this effect were not understood. In this paper we showed that nitric oxide (.NO) was produced in whole blood and in liver tissues of rats that had been treated with a nonlethal dose of CCl4 (1.3 g/kg) followed by a low dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (100 micrograms/kg). EPR spectroscopy was used in this study to detect nitrosyl-protein complexes. Hemoglobin-nitrosyl complexes were detected in both whole blood and liver. By performing analyses of EPR spectra obtained from hepatocytes exposed to .NO, we were able to identify EPR signals attributable to nitrosyl-cytochrome P420 in rat liver. We found that nitrosyl complex formation in red blood cells and liver was inhibited by treatment with NG-mono-methyl-L-arginine, suggesting enzymatic biosynthesis of .NO. A small but significant inhibition of nitrosyl complex formation by gadolinium trichloride pretreatment was found in the liver, suggesting that Kupffer cells were also involved in .NO biosynthesis, because this treatment decreased Kupffer cells. There was a synergistic effect of CCl4 and LPS on the serum levels of the hepatic enzymes aspartate aminotransferase, alanine amino-transferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and sorbitol dehydrogenase, which are indices of parenchymal cell damage. NG-Mono-methyl-L-arginine treatment increased these hepatic enzyme activities, suggesting a protective role for .NO. EPR resonances at g approximately 2.48, 2.29, and 1.91, due to low-spin cytochromes P450/P420 (FE3+), were decreased in the livers of LPS-induced rats that had been previously treated with CCl4, indicating cytochrome P450/P420 destruction or at least a change in the valence state of the cytochrome P450/P420 heme groups to Fe2+ in the presence of .NO. Because nitrosyl-cytochrome P450 is not stable, the concomitant detection of nitrosyl-cytochrome P420 (Fe2+) could account, at least in part, for the decrease of the ferric low-spin heme groups. Our novel observations of hepatic nitrosyl species suggest that .NO plays an important role during hepatic injury caused by CCl4 in hosts exposed to endotoxin.
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PMID:Nitric oxide production during endotoxic shock in carbon tetrachloride-treated rats. 807 2

The effects of anabolic-androgenic steroid administration and exercise training on various aspects of hepatic function were investigated in sedentary and trained (treadmill for 12 wk) male and female rats treated orally with fluoxymesterone or methylandrostanolone (2 mg.kg-1 body weight, 5 d.wk-1 for 8 wk). The mean values of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total and direct bilirubin, and total- and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol remained within normal range in all groups of male animals. The same is true for female rats, except for an increase in alkaline phosphatase activity in the steroid-treated groups. Hepatic microsomal aniline p-hydroxylase activity was reduced in male and increased in female rats by either steroid, whereas no significant effect was detected on 7-ethoxycoumarin deethylase activity. The levels of cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b5 were markedly decreased by the anabolic-androgenic steroid treatment in male rat microsomes, but neither the steroid administration nor exercise training induced significant changes in the cytochrome levels of female rat livers. Taking into account the significant increase in microsomal protein yield elicited by fluoxymesterone or methylandrostanolone treatment both in males and females, it is noteworthy that the total monooxygenase activities and cytochrome P-450 content, expressed on a per gram liver basis, were significantly increased in female whereas they were apparently unchanged in male rats. In conclusion, the present data show that the prolonged ingestion of high doses of anabolic-androgenic steroids, either with or without concurrent exercise training, can modify in a sex-dependent manner the capacity of rat liver to metabolize drugs without affecting classical serum indicators of hepatic function.
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PMID:Effect of training and anabolic-androgenic steroids on drug metabolism in rat liver. 835 Jul 4

The aim of this study was an experimental assessment of the influence of caffeine on the symptoms of the toxic action of paracentamol in mice as well as a detailed analysis if paracetamol pharmacokinetics in men receiving caffeine at the same time. The toxicologic investigations were performed in 620 Swiss mice. The LD50 and LD100 were determined after an administration of paracetamol intraperitoneally. The effects of two doses of caffeine on the survival time and number of animal deaths were investigated. The degree of hepatic damage was assessed on the basis of biochemical serum criteria, i.e. alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and concentration of bilirubin in serum, as well as on the basis of biochemical investigations of liver homogenates, estimating the concentration of reduced glutathione and P-450 cytochrome in the liver. The anatomicopathologic liver evaluation was also performed, including histological and histopathological examinations (glycogen, lipids). The pharmacological investigations were performed in 9 healthy volunteers in two randomized subgroups with the use of a cross-over method twice at one week intervals. The blood paracetamol level was determined according to the method of Thoma et al. The course of changes of paracetamol plasma levels was described with a one-compartment model for extravascular administration of the drug. The biexponential equation, describing the assumed model, was solved with the method of the smaller squares, using non-linear approximation. (Tab 1-6, Fig. 1-3). The experimental studies demonstrated a decrease in both the acute toxicity and hepatotoxic action of paracetamol administered in combination with caffeine, which was indicated by a significant decrease in aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activity and in concentration of bilirubin as well as by an increase in the concentration of P-450 cytochrome and GSH in the liver which decreased after administration of paracetamol alone and also by limitation or lack of hepatic necrosis. The pharmacokinetic calculations in men demonstrated an interaction between paracetamol and caffeine which was indicated by a decrease in plasma paracetamol levels, by a smaller surface under the curve of changes of paracetamol levels indicating faster elimination of the drug after simultaneous administration with caffeine. Therefore, paracetamol preparations with caffeine may be less toxic than paracetamol alone.
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PMID:[Influence of caffeine on toxicity and pharmacokinetics of paracetamol]. 861 54

Dose responses of the characteristic short-term effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), 1,2,3,7,8-pentachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (PeCDD), 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (HxCDD), and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-heptachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (HpCDD) were compared in the resistant Han/Wistar (Kuopio) (H/W) rats and the sensitive Long-Evans (Turku/AB) (L-E) rats. The resistance of H/W rats is linked to the altered H/W-type aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Exceptionally, in terms of acute lethality, the most potent congener for H/W rats is HxCDD, followed by HpCDD, PeCDD, and TCDD. The study objectives were to find out if this exceptional sensitivity of H/W rats also holds for nonlethal toxic endpoints and to compare potency and efficacy (magnitude of effect) of PCDDs between L-E and H/W rats. Dose responses for several endpoints were determined, modeled, and used for ED50 and relative potency (REP) calculations. For all endpoints measured, TCDD was the most potent congener, followed by PeCDD, HxCDD, and HpCDD in both strains, and the REP estimates were consistent with the current toxic equivalency factors (TEFs). For most endpoints, H/W rats showed smaller responses to all congeners than L-E rats, and this difference was due to lower efficacy rather than lower potency. H/W rats showed lower efficacy to body weight loss, serum aspartate aminotransferase activity, and serum concentrations of total bilirubin, free fatty acids, and thyroxine. In contrast, effects on cytochrome P4501A1 induction, thymus atrophy, and dental defects were similar in both strains. In conclusion, the results are in agreement with the current WHO-TEFs and imply that relative potency values derived from mortality are not necessarily valid for other endpoints. The results support our previous observations about two different types of AHR-mediated mechanisms. Type I effects are similar in both strains, and type II effects show decreased efficacy of toxic response in relation with the altered H/W-type AHR.
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PMID:Structure-activity relationships and dose responses of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins for short-term effects in 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-resistant and -sensitive rat strains. 1203 Aug 41

In patients with severe alcoholic liver disease (i.e., cirrhosis), a deficiency of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) develops as a result of decreased SAMe synthetase activity. Whether a sizeable SAMe depletion occurs already at earlier stages of alcoholic liver disease has been the subject of debate. To address this issue, rats were fed alcohol (or isocaloric carbohydrate) in Lieber-DeCarli liquid diets containing adequate amounts of protein, vitamins, and lipotropic factors, including methionine. Alcohol feeding resulted in hepatic steatosis (without fibrosis) and unchanged SAMe synthetase activity, yet SAMe concentration was already greatly decreased. This most likely resulted from oxidative stress associated with the metabolism of alcohol and the induction of cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1), which generates free radicals. Indeed, the decrease in hepatic SAMe correlated with parameters of oxidative stress, such as increased 4-hydroxynonenal (measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) and diminished glutathione (GSH). Decreased GSH, occurring as a result of excessive GSH consumption caused by the oxidative stress, probably generated by enhanced utilization of SAMe, a precursor of GSH, thereby explaining the depletion of SAMe. In view of the known differences between rodents and primates in the metabolism of lipotropes, my colleagues and I have also studied the interaction between alcohol and SAMe in baboons and found again that, at early stages preceding the development of cirrhosis, there was already a significant lowering of hepatic SAMe concentration, associated with a striking oxidative stress documented by decreased levels and accelerated turnover of GSH. This was associated with increased lipid peroxidation and damage to cellular membranes, including those of the mitochondria, assessed by electron microscopy. Oral administration of SAMe resulted in its hepatic repletion with a corresponding attenuation of the ethanol-induced oxidative stress and liver injury, with significantly less GSH depletion, less increases in plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, less leakage of mitochondrial glutamic dehydrogenase into the plasma, and fewer megamitochondria. In conclusion, (1) both in rodents and in non-human primates, significant SAMe depletion occurs already at early stages of alcoholic liver disease, despite the consumption of adequate diets; (2) the decreased hepatic SAMe concentration and the associated liver lesions, including mitochondrial injury, can be corrected with SAMe supplementation; and (3) accordingly, therapeutic administration of SAMe should be the subject of a comprehensive clinical trial to assess its capacity to attenuate early stages of alcoholic liver injury in human beings.
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PMID:S-Adenosyl-L-methionine and alcoholic liver disease in animal models: implications for early intervention in human beings. 1216 46

The caffeine test measures the activity of cytochrome p450 (CYP1A2) which is a major enzyme involved in the activation of flutamide. The usefulness of this test in predicting flutamide-induced hepatic injury in patients with prostate cancer was examined. The subjects were: (1). five patients whose aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level rose to 100 IU/l or higher following the start of flutamide (moderately injured group); (2). four patients whose AST and ALT levels were higher than normal but less than 100 IU/l (mildly injured group); and (3). two patients whose hepatic function remained normal (normal group). The subjects were each given canned coffee to drink. Urinary caffeine (137X), paraxanthine (17X) and 1, 7-dimethyluric acid (17U) levels were measured 4-5 h later. The metabolite ratio, (17U+17X)/137X, was calculated to serve as an indicator of CYP1A2 activity. The metabolite ratio for the moderately injured group (3.98+/-1.56) and the mildly injured group (5.55+/-1.42) were lower than that for the normal group (9.56). The results suggest that a decrease in CYP1A2 activity is involved in the onset of flutamide-induced hepatic injury, and that the caffeine test seems to provide a useful means of its prediction.
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PMID:Caffeine test in predicting flutamide-induced hepatic injury in patients with prostate cancer. 1249 2

Zinc deficiency affects hepatic functions and due to the central role of the liver in metabolism, this may contribute to metabolic alterations in other tissues in zinc deficiency. In addition to clinical manifestations of zinc deficiency, we used cDNA- and oligonucleotide-arrays to compare the expression of > 2500 different genes in liver of rats force-fed a zinc-adequate or a zinc-deficient diet for 11 d. Radio- or fluorescence-labeled cDNAs from liver of control and zinc-deficient rats were hybridized to arrays. Approximately 1550 mRNAs were detected above background levels; by comparing expression profiles of the two groups, the mRNA levels of 66 genes were found to be altered by zinc deficiency. Steady-state expression levels of 35 genes were reduced, whereas the mRNA-levels of 31 genes were elevated. Array data were verified by Northern blot analysis for 24 selected genes and 19 were confirmed to be up- or down-regulated. Among those, predominantly gene products that participate in growth (i.e., insulin-like growth factor binding proteins), lipid metabolism (long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase), xenobiotic metabolism (cytochrome P(450) isoenzymes), the stress response (glutathione transferase), nitrogen metabolism (cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase), intracellular trafficking (syntaxin isoforms) and signal transduction (G-protein-coupled receptors) were identified. Additionally, regulation of mRNA levels of genes important for porphyrin synthesis and collagen metabolism was observed. In conclusion, we have identified in vivo a number of mammalian genes from different cellular pathways whose expression changes in response to zinc depletion. The characterization of the identified genes and their products will allow a more comprehensive analysis of the role of zinc in metabolism; moreover, the mRNAs identified could be useful in establishing biomarkers for the determination of zinc status in mammals.
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PMID:Changes in rat hepatic gene expression in response to zinc deficiency as assessed by DNA arrays. 1267 11


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