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Hadjihambi A, Cudalbu C, Pierzchala K, Simicic D, Donnelly C, Konstantinou C, Davies N, Habtesion A, Gourine AV, Jalan R, Hosford PS. Abnormal brain oxygen homeostasis in an animal model of liver disease. JHEP Rep 2022; 4:100509. [PMID: 35865351 PMCID: PMC9293761 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2022.100509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background & Aims Increased plasma ammonia concentration and consequent disruption of brain energy metabolism could underpin the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Brain energy homeostasis relies on effective maintenance of brain oxygenation, and dysregulation impairs neuronal function leading to cognitive impairment. We hypothesised that HE is associated with reduced brain oxygenation and we explored the potential role of ammonia as an underlying pathophysiological factor. Methods In a rat model of chronic liver disease with minimal HE (mHE; bile duct ligation [BDL]), brain tissue oxygen measurement, and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to investigate how hyperammonaemia impacts oxygenation and metabolic substrate availability in the central nervous system. Ornithine phenylacetate (OP, OCR-002; Ocera Therapeutics, CA, USA) was used as an experimental treatment to reduce plasma ammonia concentration. Results In BDL animals, glucose, lactate, and tissue oxygen concentration in the cerebral cortex were significantly lower than those in sham-operated controls. OP treatment corrected the hyperammonaemia and restored brain tissue oxygen. Although BDL animals were hypotensive, cortical tissue oxygen concentration was significantly improved by treatments that increased arterial blood pressure. Cerebrovascular reactivity to exogenously applied CO2 was found to be normal in BDL animals. Conclusions These data suggest that hyperammonaemia significantly decreases cortical oxygenation, potentially compromising brain energy metabolism. These findings have potential clinical implications for the treatment of patients with mHE. Lay summary Brain dysfunction is a serious complication of cirrhosis and affects approximately 30% of these patients; however, its treatment continues to be an unmet clinical need. This study shows that oxygen concentration in the brain of an animal model of cirrhosis is markedly reduced. Low arterial blood pressure and increased ammonia (a neurotoxin that accumulates in patients with liver failure) are shown to be the main underlying causes. Experimental correction of these abnormalities restored oxygen concentration in the brain, suggesting potential therapeutic avenues to explore.
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Key Words
- 1H-MRS, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy
- AIT, Animal Imaging and Technology
- ALT, alanine transaminase
- ATZ, acetazolamide
- Ala, alanine
- Asc, ascorbate
- Asp, aspartate
- BDL, bile duct ligation
- BOLD, blood oxygen level dependent
- BP, blood pressure
- CBF, cerebral blood flow
- CIBM, Center for Biomedical Imaging
- CLD, chronic liver disease
- CMRO2, cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen
- CNS, central nervous system
- Chronic liver disease
- Cr, creatine
- EPFL, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
- GABA, γ-aminobutyric acid
- GPC, glycerophosphocholine
- GSH, glutathione
- Glc, glucose
- Gln, glutamine
- Glu, glutamate
- HE, hepatic encephalopathy
- Hyperammonaemia
- Ins, myo-inositol
- Lac, lactate
- MAP, mean arterial pressure
- NAA, N acetylaspartate
- NO, nitric oxide
- OP, ornithine phenylacetate
- Ornithine phenylacetate
- Oxygen
- PCho, phosphocholine
- PCr, phosphocreatine
- PE, phenylephrine
- Phenylephrine
- SPECIAL, spin echo full intensity acquired localised
- TE, echo time
- Tau, taurine
- VOI, volume of interest
- [18F]-FDG PET, [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography
- eNOS, endothelial nitric oxide synthase
- fMRI, functional magnetic resonance imaging
- hepatic encephalopathy
- mHE, minimal HE
- pCO2, partial pressure of carbon dioxide
- pO2, partial pressure of oxygen
- tCho, total choline
- tCr, total creatine
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Hadjihambi
- UCL Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, Division of Medicine, UCL Medical School, Royal Free Hospital, Rowland Hill Street, London, UK
- Centre for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
- The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology London, Foundation for Liver Research, London, UK
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Cristina Cudalbu
- CIBM Center for Biomedical Imaging, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Animal Imaging and Technology, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Katarzyna Pierzchala
- CIBM Center for Biomedical Imaging, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Animal Imaging and Technology, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Functional and Metabolic Imaging, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dunja Simicic
- CIBM Center for Biomedical Imaging, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Animal Imaging and Technology, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Chris Donnelly
- Institute of Sports Science and Department of Physiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christos Konstantinou
- The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology London, Foundation for Liver Research, London, UK
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Nathan Davies
- UCL Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, Division of Medicine, UCL Medical School, Royal Free Hospital, Rowland Hill Street, London, UK
| | - Abeba Habtesion
- UCL Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, Division of Medicine, UCL Medical School, Royal Free Hospital, Rowland Hill Street, London, UK
| | - Alexander V. Gourine
- Centre for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rajiv Jalan
- UCL Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, Division of Medicine, UCL Medical School, Royal Free Hospital, Rowland Hill Street, London, UK
- European Foundation for the Study of Chronic Liver Failure
| | - Patrick S. Hosford
- Centre for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK
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