Non-invasive oxidative stress markers for liver fibrosis development in the evolution of toxic hepatitis

Acta Physiol Hung. 2011 Jun;98(2):195-204. doi: 10.1556/APhysiol.98.2011.2.11.

Abstract

Oxidative stress is related to the liver fibrosis, anticipating the hepatic stellate cells' (HSC) activation. Our aim was to correlate oxidative stress markers with the histological liver alterations in order to identify predictive, noninvasive parameters of fibrosis progression in the evolution of toxic hepatitis.CCl4 in sunflower oil was administered to rats intragastrically, twice a week. After 2, 3, 4 and 8 weeks of treatment, plasma levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyls (PC), hydrogen donor capacity (HD), sulfhydryl groups (SH), and glutathione (GSH) were measured and histological examination of the liver slides was performed. Dynamics of histological disorders was assessed by The Knodell score. Significant elevation of inflammation grade was obtained after the second week of the experiment only (p=0.001), while fibrosis started to become significant (p=0.001) after 1 month of CCl4 administration. Between plasma MDA and liver fibrosis development a good correlation was obtained (r=0.877, p=0.05). Correlation between PC dynamics and liver alterations was marginally significant for inflammation grade (r=0.756, p=0.138). HD evolution revealed a marginally inverse correlation with inflammation grade (r=-0.794, p=0.108). No correlations could be established for other parameters with either inflammation grade or fibrosis stage.Our study shows that MDA elevation offers the best prediction potential for fibrosis, while marginal prediction fiability could be attributed to high levels of plasma PC and low levels of HD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Carbon Tetrachloride / adverse effects*
  • Carbon Tetrachloride / pharmacology
  • Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / blood*
  • Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / pathology
  • Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / physiopathology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Disease Progression*
  • Glutathione / blood
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Liver / pathology
  • Liver Cirrhosis / blood*
  • Liver Cirrhosis / pathology
  • Liver Cirrhosis / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Malondialdehyde / blood
  • Oxidative Stress / physiology*
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds / blood

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds
  • Malondialdehyde
  • Carbon Tetrachloride
  • Glutathione