Differential effects between maotai and ethanol on hepatic gene expression in mice: Possible role of metallothionein and heme oxygenase-1 induction by maotai

Effects of beer, wine, and baijiu consumption on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Potential implications of the flavor compounds in the alcoholic beverages

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease and its global incidence is estimated to be 24%. Beer, wine, and Chinese baijiu have been consumed worldwide including by the NAFLD population. A better understanding of the effects of these alcoholic beverages on NAFLD would potentially improve management of patients with NAFLD and reduce the risks for progression to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. There is evidence suggesting some positive effects, such as the antioxidative effects of bioactive flavor compounds in beer, wine, and baijiu. These effects could potentially counteract the oxidative stress caused by the metabolism of ethanol contained in the beverages. In the current review, the aim is to evaluate and discuss the current human-based and laboratory-based study evidence of effects on hepatic lipid metabolism and NAFLD from ingested ethanol, the polyphenols in beer and wine, and the bioactive flavor compounds in baijiu, and their potential mechanism. It is concluded that for the potential beneficial effects of wine and beer on NAFLD, inconsistence and contrasting data exist suggesting the need for further studies. There is insufficient baijiu specific human-based study for the effects on NAFLD. Although laboratory-based studies on baijiu showed the antioxidative effects of the bioactive flavor compounds on the liver, it remains elusive whether the antioxidative effect from the relatively low abundance of the bioactivate compounds could outweigh the oxidative stress and toxic effects from the ethanol component of the beverages.

Nutrigenetics, nutrigenomics and phenotypic outcomes of dietary low-dose alcohol consumption in the suppression and induction of cancer development: evidence from in vitro studies

It is known that the intake of alcoholic beverages may impair genetic and epigenetic regulatory events with consequent crucial effects on cell phenotypes and that its association with selected genotypes can lead to a different risk of cancer in the population. The aim of this review is to pick up selected studies on this topic and recapitulate some of the biochemical and nutrigenetic/nutrigenomic aspects involved in the impact of dietary low-dose alcohol consumption on the switching-on or -off of tumorigenic pathways. These include i) the existence of predisposing or protective human genotypes and the relationship between dietary compounds and alcohol in the promotion or inhibition of carcinogenesis; ii) the effects of other components of alcoholic drinks in the modulation of the expression of oncogenes and oncosuppressors, the autophagic flux and the onset of apoptosis, with examples of their cytospecificity; and iii) the role of alcoholic beverage consumption within particular dietary regimens, including the Mediterranean diet. Taking all the data into account, several alcohol-associated bioactive dietary compounds appear capable to modulate peculiar intracellular pathways predisposing to or protecting from cancer. Advances in the nutrigenetic, nutrigenomic and nutriepigenetic knowledge complementing the biochemical and molecular approaches will help in unveiling their impact on health outcome.

Maotai ameliorates diethylnitrosamine-initiated hepatocellular carcinoma formation in mice

Consumption of alcohol is closely related to liver disease, such as hepatic fibrosis or even hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, epidemiological and experimental studies indicated that consumption of Maotai, one of the famous liquors in China, exhibits no significant correlation with hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis as other beverage sources do. This study detected the relationship of Maotai consumption and HCC development in a diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-initiated HCC animal model. DEN was given to mice at a dose of 100 mg/kg, ip, and 50 mg/kg, ip in the following week. Mice were simultaneously given Maotai or an equal amount of ethanol (53%, 5 ml/kg/day, 5days/week for up to 35weeks). At 3-week and 35- week of the experiment, serum and livers were collected for biochemical and histopathological examination of liver injury and incidence of HCC. Real-time RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to examine the expression of metallothionein-1/2 (MT-1/2), NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) and modified subunit (GCLM). We identified tissue damage and dysfunction of liver in ethanol + DEN-treated mice, whereas the extent of injury was reduced in Maotai+ DEN –treated mice. Significant Glypican-3(GPC3) expression and precancerous injury or HCC were seen in approximately 50% of mice with ethanol+ DEN, but barely be seen in Maotai + DEN-treated mice. A higher expression of MT-1/2, Nrf2 and GCLC could be seen in Maotai + DEN-treated mice. Thus, Maotai liquor ameliorates the formation of DEN-induced HCC in mice, and the protection mechanism is possibly related with the activation of anti-oxidation factors, such as MTs, Nrf2 and GCLC.

Interleukin-6 deficiency accelerates cisplatin-induced acute renal failure but not systemic injury

Cisplatin (CDDP), a major chemotherapeutic agent used to treat solid tumors, is known to induce acute renal failure (ARF). The progression of tissue injury involves the coordination of inflammatory and repair responses. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been suggested to modulate inflammatory and repair processes in various tissue injuries. In this study, we analyzed IL-6 regulation during CDDP-induced ARF in wild-type (WT) mice and determined the pathological role of IL-6 using IL-6 knockout ((-/-)) mice. A correlation between increase in serum IL-6 level and blood urea nitrogen level was found in WT mice. Renal IL-6 expression in most proximal tubular cells and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) gene expression significantly increased in WT mice after administration of CDDP, suggesting active IL-6 signaling during CDDP-induced ARF development. Interestingly, renal dysfunction occurred soon after administration of CDDP and became more severe in IL-6(-/-) mice than that in WT mice. In contrast, the survival rate of IL-6(-/-) mice (50% at 8 days) was better than that of WT mice (10%). Induction levels of proapoptotic Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) in renal proximal tubular cells was significantly higher in IL-6(-/-) mice than in WT mice at 24h after CDDP injection. Levels of antiapoptotic proteins, Bcl-2 and Bcl-extra large (Bcl-x(L)), in IL-6(-/-) groups were significantly higher than those in CDDP-treated WT groups throughout the experimental period. Bax might contribute to the development of CDDP-induced ARF at 24h; however, high expression levels of Bcl-x(L) and Bcl-2 might overcome the proapoptosis signaling at 72 h in IL-6(-/-) mice. These results indicated that local and systemic elevation of IL-6 contributes to the development of CDDP-induced ARF and that IL-6 produced in renal tubular cells prevents progression of ARF at the early stage. IL-6 deficiency accelerates CDDP-induced ARF but not development of systemic injury.

Pharmacological and clinical aspects of heme oxygenase

This review is intended to stimulate interest in the effect of increased expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protein and increased levels of HO activity on normal and pathological states. The HO system includes the heme catabolic pathway, comprising HO and biliverdin reductase, and the products of heme degradation, carbon monoxide (CO), iron, and biliverdin/bilirubin. The role of the HO system in diabetes, inflammation, heart disease, hypertension, neurological disorders, transplantation, endotoxemia and other pathologies is a burgeoning area of research. This review focuses on the clinical potential of increased levels of HO-1 protein and HO activity to ameliorate tissue injury. The use of pharmacological and genetic probes to manipulate HO, leading to new insights into the complex relationship of the HO system with biological and pathological phenomena under investigation, is reviewed. This information is critical in both drug development and the implementation of clinical approaches to moderate and to alleviate the numerous chronic disorders in humans affected by perturbations in the HO system.