Effect of ethanol on liver cell-development in the male albino mouse

Combined effects of ethanol and protein deficiency on hepatic iron, zinc, manganese, and copper contents

The present study has been performed in order to establish the relative and combined roles of ethanol and malnutrition on liver Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn alterations in alcoholic male adult Wistar rats, and also the relationships between these alterations and histomorphometrically determined hepatocyte and nuclear areas, perivenular fibrotic rim area, and total amount of fat present in the liver. Four groups of 8 animals each were fed: (1) a nutritionally adequate diet (C); (2) a 36% ethanol-containing (as percent of energy), isocaloric diet (A); (3) a 2% protein-containing, isocaloric diet (PD); and (4) a 36% ethanol, 2% protein-containing, isocaloric diet (A-PD), respectively, following the Lieber-DeCarli model. Ethanol-fed, protein-deficient animals showed the highest liver Fe, and the lowest Zn and Cu values, although differences in liver Zn, Mn, and Cu values were not significantly different between PD and A-PD groups. Statistically significant differences of these parameters were observed between the A and the A-PD groups, and between the A and PD groups, except for liver iron. Except for liver Mn, differences between C and A groups were statistically significant. These alterations correlated with liver fibrosis and steatosis, serum albumin, and weight loss, except for liver Mn, which was not correlated with fibrosis or steatosis. Thus, protein deficiency seems to enhance ethanol-induced liver Fe, Zn, and Cu alterations, whereas protein deficiency, but not ethanol, seems to play a major role on liver Mn alterations.

Metabolic zonation of the liver: regulation and implications for liver function

Liver parenchyma shows a remarkable heterogeneity of the hepatocytes along the porto-central axis with respect to ultrastructure and enzyme activities resulting in different cellular functions within different zones of the liver lobuli. According to the concept of metabolic zonation, the spatial organization of the various metabolic pathways and functions forms the basis for the efficient adaptation of liver metabolism to the different nutritional requirements of the whole organism in different metabolic states. The present review summarizes current knowledge about this heterogeneity, its development and determination, as well as about its significance for the understanding of all aspects of liver function and pathology, especially of intermediary metabolism, biotransformation of drugs and zonal toxicity of hepatotoxins.

Effect of ethanol on hepatic iron, copper, zinc and manganese contents in the male albino mouse

Liver Fe and Cu contents (determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry) were found to be higher in alcoholized male albino mice than in controls. Alcoholized animals killed at the 180th day of life also showed higher liver Fe and Cu contents than the alcoholized animals sacrificed at the 85th day of life. A significant correlation was established between liver Fe content and size of the pericentral hepatocytes and their nuclei. No differences between alcoholic and controls were obtained regarding liver Zn content, whereas Mn showed a clear tendency to be higher in the alcoholics.

Hepatocyte and nuclear areas and fatty infiltration of the liver in chronic alcoholic liver disease

In 117 patients affected by chronic alcoholic liver disease, we have histomorphometrically determined hepatocyte and nuclear areas, total amount of fat and total amount of fibrosis, comparing them with the following clinical and biochemical parameters: ascites, encephalopathy, jaundice, spiders, collateral circulation, splenomegaly, prothrombin activity, serum albumin, gammaglobulin, bilirubin, ASAT, ALAT, GGT, leukocyte and platelet count, and daily consumption of ethanol. Both hepatocyte and nuclear areas closely correlated with most of the parameters indicative of hepatic function derangement, whereas fat amount correlated with them inversely, but positively with the daily consumption of ethanol. The degree of fibrosis was greater in patients with a worse hepatic function, and there was a direct relationship between the degree of fibrosis and hepatocyte and nuclear areas, and an inverse one between the degree of fibrosis and the total amount of fat.

Effect of propylthiouracil on liver cell development in the male albino mouse: protective effect against ethanol-induced alterations

The aim of the present study is to analyze whether the addition of propylthiouracil reverts the influence of ethanol on the development of periportal and pericentral hepatocytes and their nuclei in male albino mice. Propylthiouracil-treated animals showed decreased cellular and nuclear areas when compared with the control animals, except for the 180-day-old animals, whose pericentral cells and nuclei were greater than those of the controls and exhibited fatty infiltration. Pericentral hepatocytes and nuclei of the ethanol-fed animals showed an increase of their sizes, especially in 180-day-old animals. In contrast, hepatocyte and nuclear sizes of the animals treated with both propylthiouracil and ethanol were similar to those of the control group, suggesting a protective effect of propylthiouracil against the ethanol-induced alterations.

Hepatocyte and nuclear areas in alcoholic liver cirrhosis: their relationship with the size of the nodules and the degree of fibrosis

The aim of the study in alcoholic cirrhotic patients was to determine if a relationship exists between the areas of hepatocytes and their nuclei and the area of the nodules to which these cells belong as well as the thickness of the fibrous tracts which delimit these nodules. It was found that hepatocyte and nuclear areas were enlarged the smaller the nodules and the thicker the surrounding fibrous tracts. Considering that oxygen supply in liver cirrhosis decreases with increasing fibrosis, our results permit the hypothesis that a low oxygen supply causes an increase not only in liver cell size but also in nuclear size, which is an index of nuclear activity.