[Activity of liver mitochondrial NAD+-dependent dehydrogenases of the krebs cycle in rats with acetaminophen-induced hepatitis developed under conditions of alimentary protein deficiency]

[Features of free radical processes in the liver of rats with a nutrient imbalance]

The activity of free radical processes in liver mitochondria was investigated in rats kept on high-sucrose and low protein/high-sucrose diets. Excess of dietary sucrose caused intensification of free radical processes in liver mitochondria as evidenced by increased hydroxyl radical generation, accumulation of primary (conjugated dienes, ketodienes) and secondary products (TBA-reactive products) of lipid peroxidation, increased cholesterol/phospholipids ratio and also accumulation of oxidative modification products of proteins (carbonyl derivatives). Additional nutritional protein deficiency (low protein/high-sucrose diet) enhanced destructive changes in liver mitochondria. This suggests a critical role of nutrient protein supplementation for maintaining the functional activity of mitochondria. The established changes can be considered as one of possible mechanisms of functional liver activity violation in conditions of nutrient imbalance.

Paracetamol: overdose-induced oxidative stress toxicity, metabolism, and protective effects of various compounds in vivo and in vitro

Paracetamol (APAP) is one of the most widely used and popular over-the-counter analgesic and antipyretic drugs in the world when used at therapeutic doses. APAP overdose can cause severe liver injury, liver necrosis and kidney damage in human beings and animals. Many studies indicate that oxidative stress is involved in the various toxicities associated with APAP, and various antioxidants were evaluated to investigate their protective roles against APAP-induced liver and kidney toxicities. To date, almost no review has addressed the APAP toxicity in relation to oxidative stress. This review updates the research conducted over the past decades into the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), and oxidative stress as a result of APAP treatments, and ultimately their correlation with the toxicity and metabolism of APAP. The metabolism of APAP involves various CYP450 enzymes, through which oxidative stress might occur, and such metabolic factors are reviewed within. The therapeutics of a variety of compounds against APAP-induced organ damage based on their anti-oxidative effects is also discussed, in order to further understand the role of oxidative stress in APAP-induced toxicity. This review will throw new light on the critical roles of oxidative stress in APAP-induced toxicity, as well as on the contradictions and blind spots that still exist in the understanding of APAP toxicity, the cellular effects in terms of organ injury and cell signaling pathways, and finally strategies to help remedy such against oxidative damage.