L-Carnitine for the Treatment of Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy in Patients with Advanced Liver Cirrhosis

Branched chain amino acids in hepatic encephalopathy and sarcopenia in liver cirrhosis: Evidence and uncertainties

Liver cirrhosis is commonly associated with nutritional alterations, reported in 20% of patients with compensated disease and over 60% of patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Nutritional disturbances are associated with a worse prognosis and increased risk of complication. Serum levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are decreased in patients with liver cirrhosis. The imbalance of amino acids levels has been suggested to be associated with the development of complications, such as hepatic encephalopathy and sarcopenia, and to affect the clinical presentation and prognosis of these patients. Several studies investigated the efficacy of BCAAs supplementation as a therapeutic option in liver cirrhosis, but uncertainties remain about the real efficacy, the best route of administration, and dosage.

Interactions between Gut Microbiota and Polyphenols: New Insights into the Treatment of Fatigue

Fatigue seriously affects people's work efficiency and quality of life and has become a common health problem in modern societies around the world. The pathophysiology of fatigue is complex and not fully clear. To some degree, interactions between gut microbiota and host may be the cause of fatigue progression. Polyphenols such as tannin, tea polyphenols, curcumin, and soybean isoflavones relieve fatigue significantly. Studies have shown that the gut microbiota is able to convert these active compounds into more active metabolites through intestinal fermentation. However, the mechanism of anti-fatigue polyphenols is currently mainly analyzed from the perspective of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and changes in gut microbiota are rarely considered. This review focuses on gut microecology and systematically summarizes the latest theoretical and research findings on the interaction of gut microbiota, fatigue, and polyphenols. First, we outline the relationship between gut microbiota and fatigue, including changes in the gut microbiota during fatigue and how they interact with the host. Next, we describe the interactions between the gut microbiota and polyphenols in fatigue treatment (regulation of the gut microbiota by polyphenols and metabolism of polyphenols by the gut microbiota), and how the importance of potential active metabolites (such as urolithin) produced by the decomposition of polyphenols by gut microbiota is emerging. Based on the new perspective of gut microbiota, this review provides interesting insights into the mechanism of polyphenols in fatigue treatment and clarifies the potential of polyphenols as targets for anti-fatigue product development, aiming to provide a useful basis for further research and design.

Hepatocyte-derived L-carnitine restricts hepatitis B surface antigen loss through an immunosuppressive effect on germinal center-related immune cells

BACKGROUND

The outcome of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is significantly affected by host immune response; herein, we aim to dissect the effect of L-carnitine (L-Cn) on germinal center (GC)-related immune cells and the influence on the prognosis of HBV infection.

METHODS

In vitro and in vivo experiments were performed in patients with chronic HBV infection and a hydrodynamic injection mouse model.

RESULTS

In vitro assays revealed that L-Cn significantly reduced GC-related immune responses and enhanced immunosuppressive profiles. Intriguingly, L-Cn released from lysed hepatocytes was associated with the degree of liver damage. Besides, the administration of L-Cn in an HBV mouse model resulted in delayed clearance of HBsAg in serum and decreased GC formation in the spleen. Notably, patients with HBsAg loss showed decreased plasma L-Cn levels, and longitudinal observations found that low baseline levels of L-Cn were associated with a favorable treatment response in chronic hepatitis B patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The suppressive effect of hepatocyte-derived L-Cn on GC-related immune cells may contribute to the inability of HBsAg clearance in chronic HBV infection, indicating that L-Cn might serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of HBV infection.

High L-Carnitine Levels Impede Viral Control in Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection

Persistent antigen exposure during chronic hepatitis B infection leads to exhausted immune responses, thus impeding viral control. In recent years, immunometabolism opens new therapeutic possibilities for the modulation of immune responses. Herein, we investigated the immunomodulatory effect of L-carnitine (L-Cn) on immune cells in chronic HBV infection. In this study, 141 treatment-naïve patients with chronic HBV infection, 38 patients who achieved HBsAg loss following antiviral treatment, and 47 patients who suffered from HBV-related HCC from real-life clinical practice were recruited. The plasma L-Cn levels were measured by ELISA. RNA sequencing was conducted to define the transcriptional profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells after L-Cn stimulation. In vitro assays were performed to assess the effect of L-Cn on immune cells; the frequencies and function of immune cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. We found that compared with patients with HBsAg loss, patients with HBsAg positivity and patients who suffered from HBV-related HCC had higher levels of L-Cn, and the plasma levels of L-Cn in the HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis patients who had elevated ALT were significantly higher than that of HBeAg-negative chronic infection and HBsAg loss groups. Moreover, a positive correlation between plasma levels of L-Cn and HBsAg levels was found. Additionally, RNA sequencing analysis demonstrated that L-Cn altered the transcriptional profiles related to immune response. In vitro assays revealed that L-Cn suppressed the proliferation of and IFN-γ production by CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. It also down-regulated the proliferation and IgG production of B cells. Notably, L-Cn enhanced IL-10 secretion from regulatory T cells and up-regulated the expression of inhibitory receptors on T cells. Moreover, a variant in CPT2 (rs1799821) was confirmed to be associated with L-Cn levels as well as complete response in CHB patients following Peg-IFNα antiviral therapy. Taken together, the immunosuppressive properties of L-Cn may hinder the control of HBV in chronic HBV infection, implicating that L-Cn manipulation might influence the prognosis of patients with HBV infection.

Effect of L-carnitine on health-related quality of life in patients with liver cirrhosis

L-carnitine (4-N-trimethylammonium-3-hydroxybutyric acid) is the physiologically active form of carnitine and is a natural compound that has been shown to exhibit antioxidant activity. L-carnitine is used as a supplementary treatment in patients with cirrhosis with hepatic encephalopathy, hyperammonemia or muscle cramps. In the present study, the effect of L-carnitine supplementation on health-related quality of life in 30 patients with cirrhosis was prospectively examined. L-carnitine (1,800 mg/day) was administered orally for 6 months. To assess the effects of L-carnitine on chronic fatigue, patients filled out a self-report questionnaire regarding their physical and mental health. The levels of total and free carnitine, and acylcarnitine were found to be significantly higher 1, 3 and 6 months after therapy initiation compared with before treatment. Serum albumin levels were significantly increased 3 and 6 months after initiation of therapy. L-carnitine supplementation significantly increased the BAP/d-ROM ratio, a marker of antioxidant status in patients with cirrhosis. Changes in serum carnitine concentrations were positively correlated with changes in serum albumin levels (R²=0.369; P=0.012), but not with changes in serum ammonia levels (R²= 0.005; P=0.78). Total and mental health scores improved significantly, and physical scores improved marginally 3 and 6 months after initiation of L-carnitine. These findings may be attributed to the enhanced serum albumin levels and oxidative stress rather than the reduced serum ammonia levels. Based on these results, it is suggested that L-carnitine can potentially alleviate chronic fatigue, along with the increased BAP/d-ROM ratio, which were involved in increased oxidative stress in patients with cirrhosis. The specific mechanisms by which L-carnitine ameliorates chronic fatigue is not fully understood and requires further investigation.

Impaired brain function improved by L-carnitine in patients with cirrhosis: evaluation using near-infrared spectroscopy

To evaluate the effects of l-carnitine on impaired brain function in patients with liver cirrhosis. We conducted a retrospective cohort study that included sequential 80 liver cirrhosis patients with impaired brain function evaluated using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Among them, l-carnitine was administered to 48 patients. The NIRS data and blood ammonia level at baseline and after 8 weeks of treatment were compared between patients administered with l-carnitine (l-carnitine group) and those who were not (control group). The NIRS data at baseline were similar between the l-carnitine and control groups (0.04 ± 0.04 vs. 0.04 ± 0.05 mMmm, p = n.s), whereas those in the l-carnitine group (n = 48) were significantly better than that of the control group at 8 weeks of treatment (n = 32) (0.103 ± 0.081 vs. 0.040 ± 0.048 mMmm, p < 0.001). In the l-carnitine group, 35.4% (17/48) of patients had hyperammonemia. The NIRS data of the l-carnitine group at 8 weeks of treatment were significantly improved than that of the control group, irrespective of baseline ammonia levels (0.11 ± 0.09 vs. 0.04 ± 0.05 mMmm, p = 0.005, and 0.10 ± 0.06 vs. 0.02 ± 0.03 mMmm, p = 0.003, for normal baseline ammonia and elevated ammonia levels, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, l-carnitine administration (odds ratio [OR] 3.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23–9.99, p = 0.019) and baseline NIRS data of ≤ 0.07 mMmm (OR 5.21, 95% CI 1.69–16.0, p = 0.0041) were found as independent significant factors. l-carnitine improves impaired brain function in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Supplementation of nano-bubble curcumin extract improves gut microbiota composition and exercise performance in mice

BACKGROUND

In a previous study, we evaluated the potential beneficial effect of nano-bubble curcumin extract (NCE) in reducing exercise-related injuries and improving performance.

METHODS

In this study, we seek to investigate changes in the gut microbiota composition upon NCE supplementation in relation to health and exercise performance. Male ICR mice were divided into 3 groups (n = 8 per group) and orally administered NCE once daily for six weeks at 0 (vehicle), 3.075 (NCE-1X) and 15.375 g kg^-1 day^-1 (NCE-5X). The gut microbiota from the mice was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

RESULTS

NCE-5X did not appear to obviously cluster with the vehicle group, although NCE-5X groups showed an increased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio compared with the vehicle group. In addition, anti-fatigue activity and exercise performance were evaluated by investigating the exhaustive swimming time, forelimb grip strength and serum levels of lactate, ammonia, glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) after swimming. The NCE-1X and NCE-5X groups showed a significantly longer exhaustive swimming time and higher relative forelimb grip strength than the vehicle group. Tissue glycogen content, an important energy source for exercise, increased significantly with NCE supplementation.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, our results indicate that NCE supplementation alters the gut microbiota composition and aids in overcoming physical fatigue. Curcumin may be acting on the gut microbiome to modulate the gut system towards improving exercise performance.

Effect of L-carnitine on liver enzymes and biochemical factors in hepatic encephalopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

We aimed to investigate the effect of L-carnitine on biochemical factors including ammonia, bilirubin, albumin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (Cr) in patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE).

METHODS

A systematic search was carried out in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases to find articles related to the effect of L-carnitine supplementation in patients with HE, up to 7 February 2019. There was no language and time limitation. Meta-analyses were carried out using both the random and fixed effects models where appropriate, and I² index was used to evaluate the heterogeneity.

RESULTS

Search yielded 3462 publications. Nine randomized clinical trials with 779 patients were eligible. L-carnitine supplementation significantly reduced blood levels of ammonia. Furthermore, our results indicated that L-carnitine supplementation significantly reduced blood levels of bilirubin, AST, BUN, and Cr in patients with HE. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that L-carnitine significantly reduced ammonia in patients with all the ages, long and short duration of the supplementation, doses less or higher than 4000 mg/day, any route of treatment (intravenous or oral), and in patients with any grade of the symptoms of HE. Moreover, we found that L-carnitine significantly increased circulating levels of albumin in HE patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Present systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that L-carnitine supplementation significantly reduced blood levels of ammonia, bilirubin, AST, BUN, and Cr in HE patients. Moreover, we found that L-carnitine significantly increased circulating levels of albumin. However, further large-scale randomized clinical trials are needed.