In vivo and in vitro studies on the protective effects of 9 beta-methylcarbacyclin, a stable prostacyclin analogue, in galactosamine-induced hepatocellular damage

Hepatoprotective action of PGE1 analogue estimated by measuring the concentrations of acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate

The research was carried out on 56 Chinchilla rabbits. The rabbits were divided into 8 groups with one control group. By means of stomach tube the rabbits were administered respectively: carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), synthetic analogue of prostaglandin misoprostol, CCl4 with misoprostol, indomethacin, misoprostol with indomethacin and CCl4 with misoprostol and indomethacin simultaneously. In order to confirm cytoprotective activity of prostaglandin E1 synthetic analogue in experimental acute hepatocellular damage, we measured in arterial blood the concentration of acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate and calculated molar ratio of their concentrations. The molar ratio of acetoacetate to beta-hydroxybutyrate which had been calculated for individual groups, regardless of the observed changes in ketone bodies' concentrations, in the case of rabbits which were administered CCl4 with misoprostol, had values similar to the ones obtained for the control group. The smallest value of the ketone body concentration ratio was stated at rabbits which were given only CCl4. The results of the research carried out unambiguously indicate hepatoprotective action of the synthetic analogue PGE1 which was administered to the rabbits.

The inhibitory effect of prostaglandin E1 on oxidative stress-induced hepatocyte injury evaluated by calpain-mu activation

BACKGROUND

Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) is known to inhibit ischemia-reperfusion injury of the liver. The calcium-dependent neutral proteinase, calpain-mu, is involved in oxidative stress-induced hepatocyte injury. We investigated the mechanisms of cytoprotection by PGE1, focusing on the elevation of intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i), activation of calpain-mu, and calpain-mu-mediated activation of protein kinase C-alpha (PKC-alpha).

METHODS

Cultured hepatocytes were treated with various amounts of PGE1 (0, 0.1, 1.0, 10, and 100 ng/ml) for 30 min and subsequently with 0.5 mM tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP). Cell injury was evaluated by the release of lactate dehydrogenase. Plasma membrane bleb formation was examined by phase contrast microscopy. Activation of calpain-mu and limited degradation of PKC-alpha was evaluated by Western blotting using antibodies that specifically recognize the amino-terminal regions of calpain-mu and PKC-alpha. [Ca2+]i was measured by confocal microscopy using Fluo-3AM.

RESULTS

LDH release from cells treated with 10 ng/ml PGE1 was significantly lower than from untreated cells (135 +/- 12 vs. 258 +/- 18 IU/L, respectively; P < 0.05). Morphologically, many blebs were observed in untreated cells, but very few were seen in those treated with 10 ng/ml PGE1. Western blotting revealed that the amount of activated calpain-mu and [Ca2+]i increased up to 1,300 nM at 35 min after the addition of TBHP (0.5 mmol/L) in control experiments (without PGE1). PGE1 (10 ng/ml) delayed the rise in [Ca2+]i for about 30 min, but did not suppress it completely. PKC-alpha decreased in experiments using PGE1 (10 ng/ml).

CONCLUSION

PGE1 exerts its cytoprotective effect in TBHP-induced hepatocyte injury partly by inhibiting Ca2+-calpain-mu-mediated mechanisms.

Prostacyclin analog-suppressed ischemia-reperfusion injury of the rat liver: evaluation by calpain mu activation

Prostaglandin I2 has a protective effect on hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, the exact intracellular mechanisms of this effect have not been elucidated. Calpain micro, a Ca2+-dependent protease, has been found to play a role in the ischemia-reperfusion injury of various organs. The hilar area of the left lateral and median lobes of rat livers was clamped for 60 min. A prostaglandin I2 analog (OP2507, C35H41NO4) was intravenously administered at 0.1, 0.32, or 1.0 microg/kg/min from 20 min before the ischemia. In addition to biochemical and microscopic analyses, the activation of calpain mu was investigated using specific antibodies against the intermediate (activated) and preactivated forms of calpain mu. The degradation of talin was also studied by Western blotting. When OP2507 was infused at 0.32 and 1.0 microg/kg/min, bile flow significantly increased after reperfusion compared with the control group, consistent with the decrease in serum transaminase levels. Membrane bleb formation and the appearance of the intermediate form of calpain mu were observed at 60 min of ischemia in the control and OP2507 (0.1 microg/kg/min) groups and remained present until 120 min after reperfusion. OP2507 (1.0 microg/kg/min) markedly suppressed not only membrane bleb formation but also calpain mu activation and the degradation of talin. In conclusion, OP2507 suppresses ischemia-reperfusion injury of the rat liver, and its cytoprotective effect is closely associated with the inhibition of calpain mu activation.

Plasma iPGE2 and i6-keto PGF1 alpha in the course of liver cirrhosis

Plasma iPGE2 and i6-keto PGF1 alpha were measured with an EIA assay in twenty patients with alcohol-related liver cirrhosis (ALC group) and 13 patients with hepatitis B virus as an etiologic factor of liver cirrhosis (HLC group). Significant increase of both prostanoids was observed irrespectively of the etiology of liver cirrhosis. Their levels increased depending on the degree of liver insufficiency with the highest values in patients classified as Child-Pugh C class. A significant, positive correlation with Child-Pugh score was found regarding PGE2 (r = 0.657; p < 0.001) as well as 6-keto PGF1 alpha (r = 0.736; p < 0.001). Correlation (r = 0.789; p < 0.001) was also observed between levels of both prostaglandins. In conclusion we have shown that plasma iPGE2 and i6-keto PGF1 alpha arise simultaneously with the degree of liver insufficiency, that can be a result of activation of non-parenchymal liver cells accompanying hepatic fibrosis.

Prostaglandins in liver disease and liver transplantation

This brief review summarizes the physiology and pharmacology of eicosanoids and describes how they have been tested for possible application in liver disease and transplantation. The objective is to trace the stepwise application from the laboratory to the bedside. Although many questions remain to be answered, the observations summarized in this article have opened up new and potentially rewarding prospects in application to liver disease.

Protective effects of Osbeckia octandra against galactosamine and tert-butyl hydroperoxide induced hepatocyte damage

Ayurvedic and other 'traditional' medical practitioners in Sri Lanka use the mature leaves of the plant Osbeckia octandra for its hepatoprotective properties. In this study the effects of an aqueous extract of Osbeckia octandra against injury induced by D-galactosamine and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBH) were investigated in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. The plant extract (500 micrograms/ml) significantly reduced the inhibition of protein synthesis (as assessed by the incorporation of 14C-leucine into protein) in hepatocytes incubated for 1 h with 10 mM galactosamine by a mean of 25.6 +/- 3.6% and decreased the release of cellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) enzyme activities into the medium by 55.3% and 32.8%, respectively. With TBH, the plant extract decreased lipid peroxidation (estimated from malondialdehyde formation) by a mean of 29.9 +/- 1.1% together with a 46.8% and 54.7% decrease in the release of LDH and AST, respectively into the incubation medium. Significant protection was also obtained when the Osbeckia extract was added to the incubation medium up to 30 min after pre-exposure of the hepatocytes to either galactosamine or, to a lesser extent, TBH. The results support the use of Osbeckia as a hepatoprotective agent.

Prostaglandin cytoprotection of galactosamine-incubated hepatocytes isolated from young and old rats

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of aging on cytoprotective properties of prostaglandins. Hepatocytes were obtained by collagenase perfusion of livers of young (4-6 mo) and old (24-28 mo) male Wistar rats. Cells were incubated for 1.5 h in Krebs-Ringer-bicarbonate buffer containing glucose and 3H-leucine in the presence of galactosamine (2.5-100 mM), PGE1, or two prostacyclin analogues: 9 beta-methylcarbacyclin and TRK-100. Cell damage was assessed by decrease in the rate of protein synthesis measured as 3H-leucine incorporation into acid precipitable material, and by increase in lactate dehydrogenase release into the medium. Hepatocytes from old rats were more susceptible to suppression of protein synthesis by GalN than cells of young ones. Preincubation of cells for 15 min with 9MC (41-560 nM) or PGE1 (10-100 nM), but not with TRK-100, before adding 10 mM GalN, led to a partial recovery of protein synthesis in both age groups. GalN increased LDH release and decreased ATP/ADP ratio to a similar extent in hepatocytes of young and old rats; both parameters were not altered by preincubation of cells with PGs. PGE1 and 9MC, but not TRK-100, elevated cyclic AMP content in hepatocytes of young but not old rats. Glucagon and forskolin similarly increased cyclic AMP content in cells of both young and old animals. These in vitro results suggest that PGE1 and some prostacyclin analogues might protect hepatocytes of both young and old rats from chemical damage, and stress the necessity for further research on cyto- and hepato-protection in the elderly.

Liver cytoprotection by prostaglandins

During the last decade intensive work on the relationships between the liver and the arachidonic acid cascade has greatly expanded our knowledge of this area of research. The liver has emerged as the major organ participating in the degradation and elimination of arachidonate products of systemic origin. The synthesis in the liver of arachidonate products derived from the cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase and cytochrome P450 system pathways has been demonstrated. The participation of leukotriene B4 and cysteinyl-leukotrienes as mediators of liver damage and the possible therapeutic usefulness of prostaglandins (PGs) in acute liver injury has attracted the interest of clinicians. This article reviews the essential features regarding the role of arachidonate metabolites in liver disease and specially focuses on the cytoprotective effects on the liver displayed by PGE2, PGE1, PGI2 and synthetic PG analogs in experimental models of liver damage induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury, carbon tetrachloride, bacterial lipopolysaccharide and viral hepatitis and on the possible mechanisms underlying liver cytoprotection in these experimental models. The therapeutic usefulness of PGs in clinical practice is critically analyzed on the basis of available evidence in patients with fulminant hepatic failure and primary graft nonfunction following liver transplantation.