Search

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of Chaishao Liujunzi Decoction (CLD) on alcoholic liver da-mage (ALD) and its mechanism. Methods A total of 50 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group (group A), model group (group B), low-dose CLD group (group C), middle-dose CLD group (group D), and high-dose CLD group (group E). The mice in groups B, C, D, and E were given ethanol solution (6 g/kg) by gavage at a volume fraction of 0.56 every day, and at the same time, the mice in groups C, D, and E were given CLD by gavage at a dose of 2.5, 5, and 10 g/kg, respectively, every day; the mice in group A were given an equal volume of normal saline by gavage, once a day for 15 d. Body weight was measured every 5 d. After the experiment, fresh feces was collected from each group of mice, plate culture after gradient dilution was performed to analyze the composition of intestinal flora in feces; after the mice were anesthetized, blood samples were collected from the eyes to measure the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TBIL), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC); after the mice were sacrificed, the liver was collected to calculate the liver index; HE staining was performed for liver tissue sections to observe pathological changes. Results On day 15, compared with group B, groups C and E had a significant increase in body weight (q=4.217-7.573,P0.05). Liver histopathological analysis showed that compared with group B, groups C, D, and E had alleviation of liver pathological injury. The analysis of intestinal flora showed that compared with group B, groups D and E had significant reductions in the abundance of Enterobacter and Enterococcus (q=7.209-11.730,P

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a liver disease caused by long-term heavy drinking. With the improvement in the living standard of Chinese people, the incidence rate of ALD tends to increase significantly. The typical pathological patterns of ALD include alcoholic steatosis, alcoholic steatohepatitis, liver fibrosis, and alcoholic cirrhosis. The diverse and complex pathological morphology of ALD and its similarities with other liver diseases pose a great challenge to pathologists. This article reviews the histopathological morphology, grading and staging systems, and differential diagnosis of ALD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the efficacy of Si-jun-zi Decoction in treating alcoholic liver disease and its mechanism. Methods Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal group (group A), alcohol model group (group B), low-dose Si-jun-zi Decoction group (group C), and high-dose Si-jun-zi Decoction group (group D). Mice in the groups B-D were intragastrically administered ethanol solution (6 g/kg) with a volume fraction of 0.56 per day, while mice in group A were intragastrically administered an equal dose of normal saline per day. Meanwhile, mice in groups C and D were given Si-jun-zi Decoction at 5 and 10 g/kg per day, respectively. The body mass was measured once every 5 d. The experiment lasted for 18 d. After gavage, fresh feces were collected to analyze the changes in intestinal flora by 16S rDNA gene sequencing. After anesthesia, blood was collected from the canthus, and serum was collected for intestinal permeability test. Blood, liver, and spleen tissues were collected. The liver and spleen indices as well as the content of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (T-BIL), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) were measured in each group. The morphological changes of liver and spleen were observed in each group using hematoxylin-eosin and oil red O staining. Results Compared with group B, group D had significantly different body mass and liver and spleen indices (t=3.53-4.41,P

Alcoholic foamy degeneration (AFD) is an uncommon presentation of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) with characteristic histologic findings of foamy-looking hepatocytes due to the presence of abundant microvesicles of fat within the cytoplasm predominantly in perivenular and midzonal regions without inflammation and fibrosis. It is underdiagnosed as the patients quickly recover after alcoholic abstinence and are rarely caught on biopsies. AFD has better prognosis than alcoholic hepatitis, and the injury mechanism is different, warranting a different diagnosis. We present an uncommon case of AFD incidentally diagnosed during autopsy in a chronic alcoholic and diabetic man.

The incidence rate of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is increasing year by year China, and there is a gradual increase in disease burden among Chinese people. Oxidative stress response in hepatocytes is an important pathogenic mechanism of ALD. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway is an important endogenous anti-oxidative stress pathway in the body, and Nrf2 is activated in response to oxidative stress and exerts its transcriptional activity to induce high HO-1 expression. HO-1 is an important oxidative stress response protein and plays a role in anti-inflammation, anti- oxidation, and cell apoptosis regulation together with heme hydrolysis products (bilirubin, carbon monoxide, and iron). This article reviews the research advances in the role of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway in ALD in recent years, so as to find a theoretical basis for the development and progression of ALD and an entry point for treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing alcohol excise taxes has been confirmed by the World Health Organization as the most cost-effective public policy for reducing alcohol consumption at the population level. In recent years, studies in foreign countries have believed that increasing alcohol excise taxes can improve the burden of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), but it is still unclear whether this policy is applicable to ALD management in China. Therefore, with reference to related research evidence in China and globally, this article analyzes the key factors influencing the effectiveness of the policy of increasing alcohol excise taxes from the perspective of ALD management in China, including tax shifting, price elasticity of demand, and unrecorded alcohol, and introduces other public policies that help curb ALD. We think that increasing alcohol excise taxes is currently a useful but not effective policy for improving the burden of ALD in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide and includes the different stages of steatosis, steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and liver cirrhosis. Enterococcus faecalis is a common bacterium for nosocomial infection and has a significant impact on the prognosis of patients with alcoholic hepatitis. This review mainly introduces the pathogenesis of ALD and the pathogenic mechanism of E. faecalis, summarizes the research advances in E. faecalis in ALD, and briefly describes the detection and treatment methods for E. faecalis infection in clinical practice. Since there is an extremely high mortality rate in ALD patients with lytic E. faecalis infection, an in-depth understanding of E. faecalis has become an important issue nowadays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of ursolic acid in Hippophae rhamnoides L. on hepatocyte apoptosis in rats with alcoholic liver disease based on the mitochondria-cytochrome c pathway. Methods A total of 50 specific pathogen-free male Wistar rats were divided into normal control group, alcohol model group, and low-, middle-, and high-dose ursolic acid groups using a random number table, with 10 rats in each group. The rats in the normal control group were given normal saline by gavage once a day for 8 weeks; the rats in the alcohol model group were given alcohol at increasing concentrations by gavage for 8 consecutive weeks; the rats in the low-, middle-, and high-dose ursolic acid groups were given ursolic acid at a dose of 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg, respectively, followed by an equal volume of alcohol as the model group 1 hour later. Serum liver function parameters were measured for each group; HE staining was used to observe liver histopathology; an electron microscope was used to observe hepatocyte ultrastructure; the TUNEL method was used to measure hepatocyte apoptosis; Western Blotting was used to measure the protein expression levels of cytochrome c and activated caspase-3 in hepatocyte mitochondria and cytoplasm. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. Results Compared with the alcohol model group, the middle- and high-dose ursolic acid groups had significant reductions in the serum level of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and cholinesterase (all P < 0.05). The rats in the alcohol model group had disordered arrangement of hepatic cords with marked hepatocyte edema and fatty degeneration, while those in the middle- and high- dose ursolic acid groups had basically normal arrangement of hepatic cords and a significant improvement in hepatocyte fatty degeneration, as well as a significant increase in the number of hepatocyte mitochondria and a significant improvement in morphology. Compared with the alcohol model group, the middle- and high-dose ursolic acid groups had significantly lower hepatocyte apoptosis rate and protein expression levels of cytochrome c and caspase-3 in cytoplasm (all P < 0.05). Conclusion Ursolic acid in Hippophae rhamnoides L. can improve the liver function and histomorphology of rats with alcoholic liver disease, possibly by inhibiting the release of cytochrome c in hepatocyte mitochondria, the activation of caspase-3, and the apoptosis of hepatocytes via the mitochondria-cytochrome c pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) consists of a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and pathological features, ranging from asymptomatic patients to decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients with heavy alcohol intake and advanced fibrosis often develop a subacute form of liver failure called alcohol-induced hepatitis (AH). Globally, most patients with ALD are identified at late stages of the disease, limiting therapeutic interventions. Thus, there is a need for early detection of ALD patients, which is lacking in most countries. The identification of alcohol misuse is hampered by the existence of alcohol underreporting by many patients. There are useful biomarkers that can detect recent alcohol use. Moreover, there are several non-invasive techniques to assess the presence of advanced fibrosis among patients with alcohol misuse, which could identify patients at high risk of liver related events or early death. In this review, we discuss differences between early stages of ALD and AH as the cornerstone of advanced forms. A global overview of epidemiological, anthropometric, clinical, analytical, histological, and molecular differences is summarized in this article. We propose that campaigns aimed at identifying patients with subclinical forms can prevent the development of life-threatening forms.

A - kinase anchor protein 12 (AKAP12) is a scaffold protein that improves the specificity and efficiency of spatio - temporal signals by assembling intracellular signal proteins into specific complexes. In recent years, the role of AKAP12 in chronic liver diseases has attracted more and more attention. This article introduces the physiological functions of AKAP12 and reviews the role of AKAP12 in chronic liver diseases, in order to lay a foundation for the use of AKAP12 small molecule as a new therapeutic target for chronic liver diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Metabolic liver disease is associated with obesity, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders. A Mediterranean diet (MD), known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, is effective in managing various chronic diseases, including liver diseases. This study aimed to explore the influence of adherence to the MD on the risk of chronic metabolic diseases, including steatotic liver disease (SLD), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and alcohol-related liver diseases (ALDs)., Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 5395 individuals from a single center between 2020 and 2022, grouped by adherence to the MD using the Korean Mediterranean Diet Adherence Score (K-MEDAS). MASLD score, ALD, and cardiovascular risk factors were also assessed. Statistical analyses were performed using 1:1 exact matching and multiple regression to compare the less adherent (K-MEDAS 0-7) and highly adherent (K-MEDAS 8-13) groups., Results: Adjusting for confounding variables, high adherence to the MD was significantly associated with lower rates of SLD (odds ratio [OR] 0.818, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.700-0.957, p = 0.012), MASLD (OR 0.839, 95% CI 0.714-0.986, p = 0.033), and ALD (OR 0.677, 95% CI 0.671-0.683, p < 0.001). Post-propensity score matching analysis revealed that the highly adherent group exhibited significantly lower triglyceride levels, triglyceride and glucose index, atherogenic Index of Plasma, and Framingham risk scores than the less adherent group., Conclusions: Good adherence to the MD considerably reduces the risk of SLD, MASLD, and ALD, underscoring its protective effects and potential to prevent metabolic liver diseases and their complications.

Background: The investigation of dietary micronutrient intakes and risk of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) based on observational studies was limited., Objectives: Our study aimed to explore the associations of 30 dietary micronutrients intakes with risk of ALD, interactions between dietary micronutrients and genetic variation, and mediation effects of blood and urinary biomarkers on the associations between dietary micronutrients and risk of ALD., Methods: A case-control study was conducted within the UK Biobank cohort, with 231 incident ALD cases and 1386 controls. Dietary data were collected using a dietary questionnaire that relied on a 24-h dietary recall of the previous day. Logistic regression models were employed to assess the associations of dietary micronutrient intakes with risk of ALD. We conducted stratified analyses on the associations between dietary micronutrient intakes and risk of ALD by PNPLA3 rs738409 and tested the interactions between dietary micronutrients and genetic variation. In addition, we conducted mediation analyses to investigate the mediating effects of biomarkers on the associations between dietary micronutrients and risk of ALD., Results: Our findings indicated significant inverse associations of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin equivalent, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, folate, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, iodine, and manganese with risk of ALD (all false discovery rate-P trend < 0.050). We also found a significant interaction between PNPLA3 rs738409 and magnesium (P interaction = 0.028). Creatinine (enzymatic) in urine, aspartate aminotransferase, and insulin-like growth factor 1 were the top 3 biomarkers with the highest number of significant mediation effects on the associations between the dietary micronutrients and risk of ALD., Conclusions: Dietary intakes of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin equivalent, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, folate, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, iodine, and manganese were inversely associated with risk of ALD., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)