GLUTATHIONE IN THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC FATTY LIVER DISEASES

Dentico P; Volpe A; Buongiorno R; Grattagliano I; Altomare E; Tantimonaco G; Scotto G; Sacco R; Schiraldi O; Istituto Policattedra, Università, Bari. Recenti Prog Med( in Italian ), 1995 Jul-Aug, 86:7-8, 290-3

In chronic steatosic liver disease, alcohol or non-alcohol related or HBV, HCV, HDV associated, a reduction in hepatic glutathione and, consequently, in the detoxifying effects of hepatocytes is observed. Intravenous administration of high dose glutathione in patients with chronic steatosic liver disease has shown that glutathione significantly improves the rate of some hepatic tests (bilirubin, GOT, GPT, GT) even several months after treatment interruption. Further confirmation of the efficacy of GSH treatment is provided by the reduction of malondialdehyde, a marker of hepatic cell damage. The optimal results obtained in patients receiving 1800 mg/die/i.v. advocate the use of this high dosage.

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES AND DISEASE ACTIVITY IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS C.

De Maria N; Colantoni A; Fagiuoli S; Liu GJ; Rogers BK; Farinati F; Van Thiel DH; Floyd RA; Liver Disease Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City 73104, USA. Free Radic Biol Med, 1996, 21:3, 291-5

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) may be involved in the damage occurring in the course of chronic HCV infection. Individuals with chronic hepatitis C present increased hepatic levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced levels of glutathione. To determine whether these observations are associated with serological evidence for ROS injury, MDA and protein carbonyl content (PCC) of serum was determined in 20 HCV positive patients (14 chronic active hepatitis-CAH and 6 cirrhosis) and 20 controls. Compared to controls, HCV positive subjects had increased levels of MDA (13.33 +/- 0.21 SE ng/ml vs. 9.90 +/- 0.65 P < .05) and PCC (4.74 +/- 0.21 mmol/mg vs 3.68 +/- 0.21, p < .02). Patients with CAH had higher levels than did cirrhotics. Both MDA and PCC correlated with serum ALT levels (r = .792 and r = .818 respectively, p < .001). A common origin for MDA and PCC found in patients with chronic hepatitis C was suggested by the correlation between the two measures (r = .741, p < .001). No correlation were found between MDA or PCC and the hepatic iron content. These data demonstrate that: (1) lipid and protein oxidation occur in chronic hepatitis C, (2) oxidative damage can be demonstrated as increased serum levels of MDA and PCC, and (3) both MDA and PCC levels correlate with disease activity.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page