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Saito M, Hirano H, Yano Y, Momose K, Yoshida M, Azuma T. Serum level of taurine would be associated with the amelioration of minimal hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients. Hepatol Res 2016. [PMID: 26224109 DOI: 10.1111/hepr.12565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
AIM A variety of treatment modalities including L-carnitine have been tried for cirrhotic patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE), which improved MHE for some patients, but were not effective for the other patients. We aimed to identify pre-therapeutic independent factors to predict the amelioration of MHE after L-carnitine treatment. METHODS We performed a prospective cohort study on a total of 64 consecutive outpatients of cirrhotic patients who underwent blood biochemical examinations and neuropsychiatric (NP) test at Kobe University Hospital. MHE patients diagnosed by the NP test were p.o. administrated L-carnitine for 3 months. The patients with and without MHE amelioration were compared, and the independent factors were statistically examined. Predictive scoring systems of the amelioration of MHE were established using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS The amelioration of MHE was found in 45.8% of MHE patients. Serum taurine before the treatment was the best predictive factor of the amelioration of MHE (P = 0.046). The predictive model using serum taurine discriminated well between patients with and without the amelioration of MHE (area under the receiver-operator curve, 0.748; 95% confidence interval, 0.531-0.901). The predictive scores of the amelioration of MHE enable the patient-specific probability to be easily looked up. CONCLUSION Serum taurine before L-carnitine treatment was shown to be an independent factor associated with the amelioration of MHE 3 months after the treatment. The easy pre-therapeutic prediction of MHE amelioration after L-carnitine treatment would help in improving awareness of the selection of MHE patients with good response to L-carnitine, thus being beneficial from a financial perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaya Saito
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Hirano
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Yano
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.,Center for Infectious Diseases, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kenji Momose
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Masaru Yoshida
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.,Division of Metabolomics Research, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Takeshi Azuma
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
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Tochitani S, Ikeno T, Ito T, Sakurai A, Yamauchi T, Matsuzaki H. Administration of Non-Absorbable Antibiotics to Pregnant Mice to Perturb the Maternal Gut Microbiota Is Associated with Alterations in Offspring Behavior. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0138293. [PMID: 26789865 PMCID: PMC4720425 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that the gut microbiota plays a major role in host health and disease. In this study, we examined whether perturbation of the maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy, induced by administration of non-absorbable antibiotics to pregnant dams, influences the behavior of offspring. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses of fecal bacterial composition showed that the relative abundance of the bacterial order Lactobacillales was lower in offspring born from antibiotic-treated dams (20.7±3.4%) than in control offspring (42.1±6.2%) at P24, while the relative abundance of the bacterial family Clostridium subcluster XIVa was higher in offspring born from antibiotic-treated dams (34.2±5.0%) than in control offspring (16.4±3.3%). Offspring born from antibiotic-treated dams exhibited low locomotor activity in both familiar and novel environments, and preferred to explore in the peripheral area of an unfamiliar field at postnatal week 4. At postnatal weeks 7–8, no difference was observed in the level of locomotor activity between control offspring and offspring from antibiotic-treated dams, while the tendency for the offspring from antibiotic-treated dams to be less engaged in exploring the inside area was still observed. The behavioral phenotypes of the offspring from antibiotic-treated dams at postnatal week 4 could be rescued to a considerable extent through fostering of these offspring by normal dams from postnatal day 1. Although the detailed underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated, the present results suggest that administration of non-absorbable antibiotics to pregnant dams to perturb the maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy leads to alterations in the behavior of their offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiro Tochitani
- Division of Development of Mental Functions, Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui 910–1193, Japan
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Osaka 565–0871, Japan
- Research and Education Program for Life Science, University of Fukui, Fukui 910–8507, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Takahiro Ikeno
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui 910–1193, Japan
| | - Tatsuhito Ito
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui 910–1193, Japan
| | - Asuka Sakurai
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui 910–1193, Japan
| | - Tomoki Yamauchi
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui 910–1193, Japan
| | - Hideo Matsuzaki
- Division of Development of Mental Functions, Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui 910–1193, Japan
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Osaka 565–0871, Japan
- Research and Education Program for Life Science, University of Fukui, Fukui 910–8507, Japan
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui 910–1193, Japan
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Weiskirchen R. Hepatoprotective and Anti-fibrotic Agents: It's Time to Take the Next Step. Front Pharmacol 2016; 6:303. [PMID: 26779021 PMCID: PMC4703795 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis cause strong human suffering and necessitate a monetary burden worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of therapies. Pre-clinical animal models are indispensable in the drug discovery and development of new anti-fibrotic compounds and are immensely valuable for understanding and proofing the mode of their proposed action. In fibrosis research, inbreed mice and rats are by far the most used species for testing drug efficacy. During the last decades, several hundred or even a thousand different drugs that reproducibly evolve beneficial effects on liver health in respective disease models were identified. However, there are only a few compounds (e.g., GR-MD-02, GM-CT-01) that were translated from bench to bedside. In contrast, the large number of drugs successfully tested in animal studies is repeatedly tested over and over engender findings with similar or identical outcome. This circumstance undermines the 3R (Replacement, Refinement, Reduction) principle of Russell and Burch that was introduced to minimize the suffering of laboratory animals. This ethical framework, however, represents the basis of the new animal welfare regulations in the member states of the European Union. Consequently, the legal authorities in the different countries are halted to foreclose testing of drugs in animals that were successfully tested before. This review provides a synopsis on anti-fibrotic compounds that were tested in classical rodent models. Their mode of action, potential sources and the observed beneficial effects on liver health are discussed. This review attempts to provide a reference compilation for all those involved in the testing of drugs or in the design of new clinical trials targeting hepatic fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy, and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen Aachen, Germany
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Orime K, Shirakawa J, Togashi Y, Tajima K, Inoue H, Nagashima Y, Terauchi Y. Lipid-lowering agents inhibit hepatic steatosis in a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis-derived hepatocellular carcinoma mouse model. Eur J Pharmacol 2015; 772:22-32. [PMID: 26724391 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2015.12.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Revised: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with various metabolic disorders, and the therapeutic strategies for treating NAFLD and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) have not been fully established. In the present study, we examined whether lipid-lowering agents inhibited the progression of NAFLD and tumorigenesis in a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis-derived hepatocellular carcinoma model mouse (STAM mice) generated by streptozotocin injection and a high-fat diet. Seven-week-old STAM mice were divided into groups fed a high-fat diet (Ctl) or a high-fat diet supplemented with ezetimibe (Ez), fenofibrate (Ff), rosuvastatin (Rs), ezetimibe plus fenofibrate (EF), or ezetimibe plus rosuvastatin (ER) for 4 weeks. At the end of the experiments, an oral glucose tolerance test, an insulin tolerance test, biochemical analyses using serum and liver, and a histological analysis of liver were performed in 11-week-old STAM mice. The lipid-lowering agents did not affect the body weight or the casual blood glucose levels in any of the groups. The serum triglyceride level was significantly decreased by Ff, Rs, and EF. Glucose tolerance was improved by Ez and Ff, but none of these agents improved insulin sensitivity. A histochemical analysis revealed that the lipid-lowering agents, with the exception of Rs, significantly inhibited the progression of hepatic steatosis. Nonetheless, no significant changes in the incidence of hepatic tumors were observed in any of the groups. Lipid-lowering agents inhibited the progression of hepatic steatosis without suppressing tumorigenesis in STAM mice. Our data has implications for the mechanism underlying steatosis-independent hepatic tumorigenesis in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Orime
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yokohama-City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Jun Shirakawa
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yokohama-City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yu Togashi
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yokohama-City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kazuki Tajima
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yokohama-City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hideaki Inoue
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yokohama-City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yoji Nagashima
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Yokohama-City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yasuo Terauchi
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yokohama-City University, Yokohama, Japan.
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Jiang F, Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Wu J, Yu L, Liu S. L-carnitine ameliorates the liver inflammatory response by regulating carnitine palmitoyltransferase I-dependent PPARγ signaling. Mol Med Rep 2015; 13:1320-8. [PMID: 26647854 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.4639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The liver is crucial for systemic inflammation in cancer cachexia. Previous studies have shown that L-carnitine, as the key regulator of lipid metabolism, exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in several diseases, and ameliorates the symptoms of cachexia by regulating the expression and activity of carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) in the liver. However, the effect of L-carnitine on the liver inflammatory response in cancer cachexia remains to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of the CPT I-dependent peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ signaling pathway in the ameliorative effect of L-carnitine on the liver inflammatory response. This was investigated in a colon-26 tumor-bearing mouse model with cancer cachexia. Liver sections were immunohistochemically analyzed, and mRNA and protein levels of representative molecules of the CPT-associated PPARγ signaling pathway were assessed using PCR and western blot analysis, respectively. The results showed that oral administration of L-carnitine in these mice improved hepatocyte necrosis, liver cell cord derangement and hydropic or fatty degeneration of the liver cells in the liver tissues, decreased serum levels of malondialdehyde, increased serum levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, and elevated the expression levels of PPARα and PPARγ at the mRNA and protein levels. These changes induced by L-carnitine were reversed by treatment with etomoxir, an inhibitor of CPT I. The inhibitory effect of L-carnitine on the increased expression level of nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells was markedly weakened by GW9662, a selective inhibitor of PPAR-γ. GW9662 also eliminated the inhibitory effect of L-carnitine on the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) in the liver, and on the serum expression levels of pro-inflammatory prostaglandin E2, C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 in the cancer cachexia model mice. This reversing effect of GW9662 on L-carnitine was restored by pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, a specific inhibitor of NF-κB signaling. Taken together, these results demonstrated that L-carnitine ameliorated liver inflammation and serum pro-inflammatory markers in cancer cachexia through regulating CPT I-dependent PPARγ signaling, including the downstream molecules of NF-κB p65 and Cox-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhabei District Central Hospital, Shanghai 200070, P.R. China
| | - Zongqi Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, No. 3 People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201900, P.R. China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China
| | - Jianping Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhabei District Central Hospital, Shanghai 200070, P.R. China
| | - Li Yu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhabei District Central Hospital, Shanghai 200070, P.R. China
| | - Su Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhabei District Central Hospital, Shanghai 200070, P.R. China
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Takaki A, Yamamoto K. Control of oxidative stress in hepatocellular carcinoma: Helpful or harmful? World J Hepatol 2015; 7:968-979. [PMID: 25954479 PMCID: PMC4419100 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v7.i7.968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Revised: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/02/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress is becoming recognized as a key factor in the progression of chronic liver disease (CLD) and hepatocarcinogenesis. The metabolically important liver is a major reservoir of mitochondria that serve as sources of reactive oxygen species, which are apparently responsible for the initiation of necroinflammation. As a result, CLD could be a major inducer of oxidative stress. Chronic hepatitis C is a powerful generator of oxidative stress, causing a high rate of hepatocarcinogenesis among patients with cirrhosis. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is also associated with oxidative stress although its hepatocarcinogenic potential is lower than that of chronic hepatitis C. Analyses of serum markers and histological findings have shown that hepatocellular carcinoma correlates with oxidative stress and experimental data indicate that oxidative stress increases the likelihood of developing hepatocarcinogenesis. However, the results of antioxidant therapy have not been favorable. Physiological oxidative stress is a necessary biological response, and thus adequate control of oxidative stress and a balance between oxidative and anti-oxidative responses is important. Several agents including metformin and L-carnitine can reportedly control mechanistic oxidative stress. This study reviews the importance of oxidative stress in hepatocarcinogenesis and of control strategies for the optimal survival of patients with CLD and hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Wang XG, Han M, Zhang LD, Wu GX, Ding H, Zhang B, Huang LH. Regulatory effect of hydrogen sulfide on β oxidation in fatty liver in rats. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2014; 22:3791-3795. [DOI: 10.11569/wcjd.v22.i25.3791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM: To observe the regulatory effect of hydrogen sulfide on β oxidation in fatty liver in rats.
METHODS: Eighteen male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal control group, a high-fat diet group and a high-fat diet + NaHS group. High-fat diet was ordinary diet supplemented with 2% cholesterol and 18% lard. The high-fat diet + NaHS group was given a high-fat diet and intraperitoneal injection of 400 mmol/L sodium hydrosulfide solution (5 mL/kg). Eight weeks after treatment, the animals were killed. The content of ketones and enoyl-CoA hydratase activity in liver homogenates were measured, and pathological changes in the liver were observed.
RESULTS: After 8 wk of treatment, fatty liver was successfully induced. Application of sodium hydrosulfide reduced fatty liver significantly. Intrahepatic triglyceride and cholesterol significantly increased in the high-fat diet group compared with the normal control group (3.87 mmol/L ± 2.63 mmol/L vs 1.18 mmol/L ± 0.85 mmol/L, 5.00 mmol/L ± 1.01 mmol/L vs 2.61 mmol/L ± 0.33 mmol/L), while treatment with sodium hydrosulfide significantly reduced hepatic lipid composition (2.28 mmol/L ± 0.51 mmol/L vs 3.87 ± 2.63 mmol/L, 4.50 mmol/L ± 1.25 mmol/L vs 5.00 mmol/L ± 1.01 mmol/L). Compared with the normal control group, hydrogen sulfide content in the high-fat diet group was significantly reduced (14.00 µmol/L ± 6.21 µmol/L vs 20.20 µmol/L ± 11.90 µmol/L); however, application of sodium hydrosulfide significantly increased hydrogen sulfide content (48.20 µmol/L ± 8.50 µmol/L vs 14.00 µmol/L ± 6.21 µmol/L). Compared with the control animals, the liver enoyl-CoA activity was significantly reduced in the high-fat diet group (25.0 µmol/min ± 7.7 µmol/min vs 12.6 µmol/min ± 3.1 µmol/min), by up to 50%, while sodium hydrosulfide significantly increased enoyl-CoA activity (19.9 µmol/min ± 6.0 µmol/min vs 12.6 µmol/min ± 3.1 µmol/min), by 60%. Hydrogen sulfide content was negatively correlated with TG and TC in the high-fat diet group (r = -0.621, -0.432, P = 0.01036, 0.04497), but positively correlated with enoyl-CoA hydratase activity (r = 0.513, P = 0.00833).
CONCLUSION: Hydrogen sulfide promotes β oxidation and reduces fat accumulation in fatty liver in rats.
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