Acute liver failure (ALF) is a clinical syndrome resulting from widespread damage of hepatocytes, with extremely high mortality rate. Urgent orthotopic liver transplantation was shown to be the most effective therapy for ALF but this treatment option is limited by sca rcity of donor organs. Therefore, hepatocyte transplantation (Tx) has emerged as a new therapeutical measure for ALF, however, the first clinical applications proved unsatisfactory. Apparently, extensive preclinical studies are needed. Our aim was to exami ne if hepatocytes isolated from transgenic “firefly luciferase” Lewis rats into the recipient liver would attenuate the course of thioacetamide (TAA) -induced ALF in Lewis rats. Untreated Lewis rats after TAA administration showed a profound decrease in sur vival rate; no animal survived 54 h. The rats showed marked increases in plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities, in plasma level of bilirubin and ammonia (NH 3 ), and in a significant decrease in plasma albumin. Hepatocyte Tx attenuated the course of TAA -induced ALF Lewis rats which was reflected by improved survival rate and reduced degree of liver injury showing as lowering of elevated plasma ALT, AST, NH 3 and bilirubin levels and increasing plasma albumin. In addition, bioluminescence imaging analyses have shown that in the TAA- damaged livers the transplanted hepatocyte were fully viable throughout the experiment. In conclusion, the results show that hepatocyte Tx into the liver can attenuate the course of TAA- induced ALF in Lewis rats. This information should be considered in attempts to develop new therapeutic approaches to the treatment of ALF., E. Koblihová, O. Lukšan, I. Mrázová, M. Ryska, L. Červenka., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Mitochondria as an energy generating cell device are very sensitive to oxidative damage. Our previous findings obtained in hepatocytes demonstrated that Complex I of the respiratory chain is more sensitive to oxidative damage than other respiratory chain complexes. We present additional data on isolated mitochondria showing that palmityl carnitine oxidation is strongly depressed at a low (200 μM) tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP) concentration, while oxidation of the flavoprotein-dependent substrate - succinate is not affected and neither is ATP synthesis inhibited by tBHP. In the presence of tBHP, the respiratory control index for palmityl carnitine oxidation is strongly depressed, but when succinate is oxidized the respiratory control index remains unaffected. Our findings thus indicate that flavoprotein-dependent substrates could be an important nutritional factor for the regeneration process in the necrotic liver damaged by oxidative stress., Z. Červinková, H. Rauchová, P. Křiváková, Z. Drahota., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
K+-p-nitrophenylphosphatase (K+pNPPase) is the enzyme, which is considered to be involved in K+-dependent hydrolysis of the phosphoenzyme in the reaction cycle of Na+, K+-ATPase. The aim of our present study was to characterize some features of K+pNPPase in homogenates of the rat brain and liver. We determined p-nitrophenylphosphatase (pNPPase) activity in the presence of various ion combinations (Mg 2++K+, Mg2+, K+). We found a higher total pNPPase activity in the brain (0.8±0.079 nkat/mg protein) than in the liver (0.08±0.01 nkat/mg protein). Contrary to the liver, the main part of the total brain activity was K+-dependent. The activity of K+pNPPase was significantly higher in cerebral cortex homogenates (0.86±0.073 nkat/mg protein) in comparison to those of the whole brain (0.57±0.075 nkat/mg protein). The specific K+pNPPase activity was two times higher in the isolated pellet fraction (0.911±0.07 nkat/mg protein), rich in synaptosomes, compared to the whole brain homogenate (0.57±0.075 nkat/mg protein). Our results demonstrate the high activity of K+pNPPase in the brain tissue and its distribution mainly into the pellet fraction, what might indicate a possible role of K+pNPPase in specific structures of the brain, e.g. in synaptosomes., M. Ďurfinová, M. Brechtlová, B. Líška, Ž. Barošková., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Lipasin is a recently identified lipokine expressed predominantly in liver and in adipose tissue. It was linked to insulin resistance in mice and to type 1 and type 2 diabetes (T1D, T2D) in humans. No metabolic studies concerning lipasin were performed yet in rats. Therefore, we used rat model of T2D and insulin resistance, Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, to determine changes of lipasin expression in liver and in white adipose tissue (WAT) over 52 weeks in the relation to glucose tolerance, peripheral tissue insulin sensitivity and adiposity. GK rats were grossly glucose intolerant since the age of 6 weeks and developed peripheral insulin resistance at the age of 20 weeks. Expression of lipasin in the liver did not differ between GK and Wistar rats, declining with age, and it was not related to hepatic triacylglycerol content. In WAT, the lipasin expression was significantly higher in Wistar rats where it correlated positively with adiposity. No such correlation was found in GK rats. In conclusion, lipasin expression was associated neither with a mild age-related insulin resistance (Wistar), nor with severe genetically-based insulin resistance (GK)., M. Cahová, D. Habart, T. Olejár, Z. Berková, Z. Papáčková, H. Daňková, A. Lodererova, M. Heczková, F. Saudek., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The aim of the present study was to define the stress-induced pattern of cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and Hsp70 protein in the liver of male Wistar rats exposed to different stress models: acute (2 h/day) immobilization or cold (4 °C); chronic (21 days) isolation, crowding, swimming or isolation plus swimming and combined (chronic plus acute stress). Changes in plasma levels of corticosterone were studied by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The results obtained by Western immunoblotting showed that both acute stressors led to a significant decrease in cytosolic GR and Hsp70 levels. Compared to acute stress effects, only a weak decrease in the levels of GR and Hsp70 was demonstrated in chronic stress models. Chronically stressed rats, which were subsequently exposed to novel acute stressors (immobilization or cold), showed a lower extent of GR down-regulation when compared to acute stress. The exception was swimming, which partially restores this down-regulation. The observed changes in the levels of these major stress-related cellular proteins in liver cytosol lead to the conclusion that chronic stressors compromise intracellular GR down-regulation in the liver., D. Filipović, L. Gavrilović, S. Dronjak, M. Demajo, M. B. Radojčić., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
To investigate the effect of light cue on the resetting of the peripheral clocks, we examined the resetting processes of clock genes (Per1, Per2, Bmal1, Cry1, Dec1, and Rev-erbα) in the liver and heart of rats after the feeding and light-dark (LD) reversal via a 24-h light period transition. The liver clock was reset quickly within 3 days, while the heart clock needed a longer time course of 5-7 days to be completely re-entrained. Moreover, the reentrainment of Per1 and Per2 in the liver clock was more rapid than that of the other four clock genes, suggesting the important role of these two clock genes in initiating the circadian resetting of the hepatic clock. However, the resetting rates of these two clock genes were as similar as the others in the heart clock. Therefore, the resetting mechanisms underlining these two peripheral clocks may be totally distinct. Furthermore, the reentrainment of the liver and heart clocks were relatively lengthened after the feeding and LD reversal via a light period transition compared to a dark period transition, suggesting a simultaneous shift of feeding schedule and the LD cycle may facilitate the circadian resetting in rats., T. Wu ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
We studied the response of several parameters related to oxidative stress in the liver of aging rats. Male Wistar rats aged 1.5, 3, 18 and 24 months were used. Livers showed an increase in superoxide anion (O2-) concentration at 1.5 and 18 months of age compared to the 3-month-old group; a decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) was seen at 1.5 months and catalase concentrations remained unaltered throughout the aging process. Nitric oxide (NO) progressively declined with age; a significant decrease was particularly apparent at 18 and 24 months of age. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) decreased significantly at 1.5 months, whereas it increased at 18 and 24 months of age. Concentrations of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and adenine nucleotides, and their metabolites, remained unchanged throughout the aging process. Although the mitochondrial damage caused by oxidative stress can result in reduced ATP production and compromised cell function, our results on adenosine nucleotides and their metabolites support the notion that the integrity of mitochondria and enzymatic activity remain mostly unchanged with aging. In conclusion, we observed a significant decrease in the levels of NO in the older groups of rats and hence in its antioxidant activity. This could explain the observed increase in lipid peroxides which suggests an important role for NO in oxidative stress in the liver of older rats., F. Mármol ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is involved in important biological processes such as energy metabolism and regulatory functions of the cell cycle, apoptosis, and inflammation. Our previous studies have shown hepatoprotective effect of polyphenolic compound resveratrol, which is also an activator of SIRT1. Therefore, the aim of our present study was to clarify the role of SIRT1 in process of hepatoprotection in animal model of drug-induced liver damage. Male Wistar rats were used for both in vivo and in vitro studies. Hepatotoxicity was induced by single dose of acetaminophen (APAP). Some rats and hepatocytes were treated by resveratrol or synthetic selective activator of sirtuin 1 (CAY10591). The degree of hepatotoxicity, the activity and expression of the SIRT1 were determined by biochemical, histological and molecular-biological assessments of gained samples (plasma, liver tissue, culture media and hepatocytes). Resveratrol and CAY attenuated APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, both drugs enhanced APAPreduced SIRT1 activity. Our results show that modulation of the SIRT1 activity plays a role in hepatoprotection. Synthetic activators of SIRT1 would help in understanding the role of SIRT1 and are therefore a major boost towards the search for specific treatment of liver disease., L. Wojnarová, N. Kutinová Canová, H. Farghali, T. Kučera., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The aim of our work was to compare the effect of D-galactosamine (GalN) on primary cultures of lean and steatotic rat hepatocytes isolated from intact and fatty liver, respectively. GalN caused more severe injury to steatotic hepatocytes than to lean cells as documented by lactate dehydrogenase leakage. Necrotic mode of cell death strongly prevails over apoptosis since we did not observe any significant increase in activities of caspase 3, 8 and 9 in any group of hepatocytes treated with GalN. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and lipid peroxidation were elevated in a dose-dependent manner by GalN and were significantly more pronounced in fatty hepatocytes. A decrease in the percentage of hepatocytes with energized mitochondria was observed from 30 mM and 10 mM GalN in lean and steatotic hepatocytes, respectively. Our results undoubtedly indicate that steatotic hepatocytes exert higher sensitivity to the toxic effect of GalN. This sensitivity may be caused by more intensive GalN-induced ROS production and lipid peroxidation and by higher susceptibility of mitochondria to loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in steatotic hepatocytes. In our experimental arrangement, apoptosis does not seem to participate considerably on hepatotoxic action of GalN in either group of hepatocytes., O. Kučera, H. Lotková, O. Sobotka Z. Červinková., and Obsahuje bibliografii