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Antioxidant Effects of Peptides
Published in Mesut Karahan, Synthetic Peptide Vaccine Models, 2021
Rümeysa Rabia Kocatürk, Fatmanur Zehra Zelka, Öznur Özge Özcan, Fadime Canbolat
Spirulina platensis is the only blue-green algae that is grown commercially for food use. It is a good food source due to its high protein content and natural biochelate vitamins. A mixture of these two sources rich in protein was found to be successful in preventing liver damage induced by CCl4 (hepatotoxin) in an in vivo study (Gad et al. 2011).
Free Radical Damage and Lipid Peroxidation
Published in Robert G. Meeks, Steadman D. Harrison, Richard J. Bull, Hepatotoxicology, 2020
Richard O. Recknagel, Eric A. Glende, Robert S. Britton
The liver is subject to direct injurious attack by a wide variety of so-called primary hepatotoxins (Zimmerman, 1978) including alcohols; quinones; aliphatic and aromatic halogenated hydrocarbons; sulfur compounds; complex organic compounds of biological origin, e.g., phalloidin and aflatoxin; heavy metals; rare earths; elemental phosphorus; and many others. To our knowledge, in no case has a complete description been given for the biochemical and cell physiological mechanisms set into motion by the appearance of any primary hepatotoxin in the liver cell, nor for any case has a complete description been given for the full set of causes ultimately responsible for final cell death. To provide such a complete description turns out to be an exceedingly difficult and complex task. Within the context of the study of basic mechanisms, lipid peroxidation has attracted a great deal of attention. This is due in part to the wide range of xenobiotics known to cause peroxidative decomposition of liver lipids (Table 9-1, and see Kappus, 1987) and to the fact that lipid peroxidation is so destructive for biological membranes.
Diseases of the Hepatobiliary Tree and Pancreas Associated with Fever
Published in Benedict Isaac, Serge Kernbaum, Michael Burke, Unexplained Fever, 2019
Malignant tumors — Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common tumor in Africa, the Orient, and the South Pacific Islands, and not uncommon in Western countries. The most common manifestations of hepatocellular carcinoma are weight loss, malaise, anorexia, abdominal pain and fullness, and low-grade fever. A history of hepatitis B, aflatoxin, or other hepatotoxin ingestion may be contributory to the diagnosis. The presence of hepatomegaly with one or more nodular masses is suggestive. Some patients may complain of unexplained fever or FUO.172, 173 The fever has been attributed to central necrosis174 or bleeding within the tumor.175 A small percentage of patients have high fever and chills, which may simulate liver abscess.174 Rarely, there is intermittent jaundice, associated with colicky pain and fever, mimicking a common duct stone.175 Persistent HB antigenemia and a positive alpha-fetoprotein test are significant. Hepatic scanning may demonstrate one or more areas of decreased uptake when 99mTc-sulfur colloid is employed and increased activity when 67Ga citrate is administered.176 Ultrasonography may be useful in detecting echogenic masses. Computerized tomography alone is not usually diagnostic.177 Magnetic resonance imaging shows promise. However, the most definitive method of diagnosis is through needle biopsy of the liver, either blindly or under direct laparoscopic vision.
Using herbs medically without knowing their composition: are we playing Russian roulette?
Published in Current Medical Research and Opinion, 2022
Orly F. Kohn, Susie Q. Lew, Steve Siu-Man Wong, Ramin Sam, Hung-Chun Chen, Jochen G. Raimann, David J. Leehey, Antonios H. Tzamaloukas, Todd S. Ing
Many herbal medications have been identified to cause liver disorders such as hepatitis (acute, chronic and autoimmune), cholestasis, cirrhosis, vascular lesions and potentially even liver failure. Contaminations with microorganisms, pesticides, heavy metals, synthetic drugs and fungal toxins such as aflatoxin have been reported as the potential reasons20. Quan and co-authors identified two groups of hepatotoxins: the phyto-hepatotoxin group consists of phytochemicals and their metabolites produced naturally in plants, while the non-phyto-hepatotoxin group consists of contaminants or adulterants, e.g. pesticides21. Another contaminant, pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA), has been found in over 6,000 plant species growing in countries all over the world. PAs with a double bond between C1 and C2 structure exhibit strong hepatotoxic, genotoxic, cytotoxic, neurotoxic and tumorigenic potentials. The consumption in error and in large amounts of plants with the 1,2 unsaturated PAs, can lead to severe liver injury by generation of radical metabolites via metabolism by the p450 (CYP) system22,23.
The evaluation of hepatoprotective effects of flavonoids from Scorzonera austriaca Wild against CCl4-induced acute liver injury in vitro and in vivo
Published in Drug and Chemical Toxicology, 2022
Enwei Wei, Sixi Zhang, Jinghui Zhai, Sitong Wu, Guangshu Wang
Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), a well-known hepatotoxin that produces chemical hepatic injury, is commonly used to establish acute liver injury model in mice (Wang et al.2018), and previous studies have revealed its possible mechanism including oxidative stress, inflammatory and autophagy (Huang et al.2012, Chen et al.2015, Karkampouna et al.2016). With regard to the relationship between the oxidative stress and acute liver injury, it is currently accepted that toxic effects are mainly associated with reactive free radicals (Recknagel et al.1989), such as trichloromethyl radicals (·CCl3) generated by cytochrome P450 isozymes (P450s) (Chen et al.2019). In addition, many studies had reported that proinflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and other cytokines, are secreted by damaged hepatocytes, thereby leading an inflammatory reaction (Wang et al.2018). Recently, Ding et al. (2017) confirmed that toll-like receptor-4/nuclear factor-κB (TLR4/NF-κB) signaling pathway plays an important role on inhibiting the production of the proinflammatory cytokines; also, Bai et al. (2017) demonstrated that inhibition of NF-κB pathway was beneficial for ameliorating inflammation and liver injury. Thus, there is a promising way to ameliorate the liver injury through inhibiting the oxidative stress and TLR4/NF-κB pathway.
Hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of Annona squamosa seed extract against alcohol-induced liver injury in Sprague Dawley rats
Published in Drug and Chemical Toxicology, 2020
Mohammad Zahid, Muhammad Arif, Md. Azizur Rahman, Md. Mujahid
Liver is one of the vital organs in vertebrates and is prone to many diseases worldwide, especially liver damages due to alcohol including therapeutic agents (paracetamol and chemotherapeutic drugs) and environmental toxins (Victorrajmohan et al. 2005, Kelly 2009). Alcohol, a direct hepatotoxin, is regarded as the third most common preventable cause of death after hypertension and smoking (Singal et al. 2012). Long-term excess exposure to it leads to alcoholic liver disease (ALD), a worldwide health problem without efficient therapy, and is also a foremost reason of chronic hepatotoxicity worldwide that can lead to liver cirrhosis and fibrosis (Gao and Bataller 2011). Burden of ALD is highest in developed countries where it accounts for as much as 9.2% of all disability-adjusted life years (WHO 2014). Mortality by ALD contributes to 4% of all mortality and 5% of disability-adjusted life worldwide with highest impact in Europe where these same figures are 7% and 12%, respectively (Singal et al. 2012, WHO 2014).