Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of lecithin in the treatment of ethanol mediated free radical induced hepatotoxicity

  • Published:
Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) develops as a consequence of priming and sensitizing mechanisms rendered by cross-interactions of primary mechanistic factors and secondary risk factors. Liver damage due to consumption of alcohol may be caused by oxygen radicals such as superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, generated during the metabolism of ethanol by the microsomal oxidizing system. Lecithin, an important class of phospholipids contains choline, which is considered as lipotropic factor. The effects of this lecithin as a hepatoprotective drug on body weight and antioxidant status of ethanol-exposed rats were studied. The results were compared with the effects of tocopheryl acetate. From the present study, it can be concluded that ethanol-induced stress can be partly prevented by tocopheryl acetate, and showed best result. Abstination from alcohol also involved for little hepatic regeneration. Supplementation of lecithin showed better effect compared to abstination from alcohol on reversing the effect of ethanol induced liver damage in the present study. Moreover, preventive measures were found to be better than curative treatment. Antioxidants are likely to provide beneficial effects on hepatocyes via desensitization against oxidant stress while inhibiting primary mechanism for expression of proinflammatory and cytotoxic mediators. However, abstinence from alcohol, proper nutrition, and supplementation of antioxidants, vitamins and hepatoprotective drugs are some of the therapeutic options.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Tsukamoto, H. and Lu, S. C. (2001). Current concepts in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver injury. FASEB J. 15, 1335–1349.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Finkelstein, J.D. (1990). Methionine metabolism in mammals. J. Nutr. Biochem. 1, 228–237.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Mato, J.M., Alvarez, L., Corrales, F. and Pajares, M.A. (1994). S-adenosylmethionine and the liver. In: The liver biology and Pathology. Eds., Arias, I.M., Boyer, J.L., Fausto, N., Jakoby, W.B., Schachter, D.A. and Shafritz, D.A. Raven Press, New York; pp. 461–470.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Mato, J.M., Alvarez, L., Oritz, P. and Pajares, M.A. (1997). S-adenosylmethionine synthesis: molecular mechanisms and clinical implications. Pharmacol. Ther. 73, 265–280.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hoffman, D.R., Marion, D.W., Cornatzer, W.E. and Duerre, J.A. (1980). S-adenosylmethionine and S-adenosylhomocysteine metabolism in isolated rat liver. Effects of L-methionine, L-homocysteine, and adenosine. J. Biol. Chem. 255, 10822–10827.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Lu, S.C. (1998). Regulation of hepatic glutathione synthesis. Semin. Liv. Dis. 18, 331–343.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Lieber, C.S., Casini, A., DeCarli, L.M., Kim, C.I., Lowe, N., Saski, R. and Leo, M.A. (1990). S-adenosyl-L-methionine attenuates alcohol-induced liver injury in the baboon. Hepatol. 11, 165–172.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Lieber, C.S., Robins, S.J. and Leo, M.A. (1994). Hepatic phosphaidylethanolamine methyl transferase activity is decreased by ethanol and increased by phosphtidylcholine. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. 18, 592–595.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Package of Practices Recommendation (2001). Veterinary & Animal Husbandary Department, Kerala Agriculture University, Mannuthy, Thrissur.

  10. Lowry, O.H., Rosenbourgh, N.J., Farr, A.L. and Randall, R.J. (1951). Protein measurement with folin phenol reagent. J. Biol. Chem. 193, 265–275.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Roe, J.H. and Kuether, C.A. (1943). The determination of ascorbic acid in whole blood and urine through the 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazine derivative of dehydro ascorbic acid. J. Biol. Chem. 147, 399–401.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Sinnhuber, R.O., Yu, T.C. and Yu, T.C. (1958). Characterization of the red pigment formed in the thiobarbituric acid determination of oxidative rancidity. Food Res. 23, 626–630.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Ellman, G.L. (1959). The sulphydryl groups. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 32, 70–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Beers, R.F. and Sizer, I.W. (1952). A spectrophotometric method for measuring the breakdown of hydrogen peroxides by catalase. J. Biol. Chem. 195, 133–140.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Nelson, D.P. and Kiesow, L.A. (1972). Enthalpy of decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by catalase at 25°C (with molar extinction coefficients of H2O2 solutions in the UV. Anal. Biochem. 49, 474–478.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Goldberg, M.D. and Spooner, J.R. (1983). Glutathione reductase. In: Methods Enzyme Analysis. Eds. Bergmayer, H.U., Bergmayer J. and Grabi M. Academic Press, Inc., Florida; Vol. III, 3rd edn. pp. 258–265.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Habig, W.H., Pabst, M.J. and Jakoby, W.B. (1974). Glutathione S-transferase, the first enzymatic step in mercapturic acid formation. J. Biol. Chem. 249, 7130–7139.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Paglia, D.E. and Valentione, W.N. (1967). Studies on the quantitative and qualitative characterisation of erythrocyte glutathione peroxides. J. Lab. Clin. Med. 70, 158–159.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Marklund, S. and Marklund, G. (1974). Involvement of superoxide radical in the auto oxidation pyrogallol and a convenient assay for superoxide dismutase. Eur. J. Biochem. 47, 469–474.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Das, S.K. and Vasudevan, D.M. (2005). Effect of ethanol on liver antioxidant defense systems: a dose dependent study. Ind. J. Clin. Biochem. 20 (1), 79–83.

    Google Scholar 

  21. McClain, C., Hill, D., Schmidt, J. and Diehl, A.M. (2001). Cytokines and alcoholic liver disease. Semin. Liv. Dis. 13, 170–182.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Mari, M., Wu, D., Nieto, N. and Cederbaum, A.I. (2001). CYP2E1-dependent toxicity and upregulation of antioxidant genes. J. Biomed. Sci. 8 (1), 52–55.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Campos, R., Garrido, A., Guerra, R. and Valenzuela, A. (1989). Silybin dihemisuccinate protects against glutathione depletion and lipid peroxidation induced by acetaminophen on rat liver. Planta. Med. 55, 417–419.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Valenzuela, A., Lagos, C., Schimdt, K. and Videla, K. (1985). Silymarin protection against hepatic lipid peroxidation induced by acute ethanol intoxication in the rat. Biochem. Pharmacol. 3, 2209–2212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Dinu, V. and Zamfir, O. (1991). Oxidative stress in ethanol intoxicated rats. Rev. Roum. Physiol. 28 (1–2), 63–67.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Chandra, R., Aneja, R., Rewal, C., Konduri, R., Dass, S.K. and Agarwal, S. (2000). An opium alkaloid-Papaverine ameliorates ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity: diminution of oxidative stress. Ind. J. Clin. Biochem. 15 (2), 155–160.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Aniya, Y. and Daido, A. (1994). Activation of microsomal glutathione S-transferase in tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced oxidative stress of isolated rat liver. Jpn. J. Pharmacol. 66 (1), 123–130

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Buettner, G.R. (1993). The pecking order of free radicals and antioxidants: lipid peroxidation, alpha tocopherol and ascorbate. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 300, 535–543.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Maellaro, E., Casini, A.F., DelBello, B. and Comporti. (1990). Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant systems in the liver injury produced by glutathione depleting agents. Biochem. Pharmacol. 39 (10), 1513–1521.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Lieber, C.S., Leo, M.A., Mak, K.M., DeCarli, L.M. and Sato, S. (1985). Choline fails to prevent liver fibrosis in ethanol-fed baboons but causes toxicity. Hepatol. 5 (4), 561–572.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Lieber, C.S., DeCarli, L.M., Mak, K.M., Kim, C.I. and Leo, M.A. (1990). Attenuation of alcohol-induced hepatic fibrosis by polyunsaturated lecithin. Hepatol. 12 (6), 1390–1398.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, 682 026, Cochin, Kerala, India

    Subir Kumar Das & D. M. Vasudevan

Authors
  1. Subir Kumar Das
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. M. Vasudevan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Subir Kumar Das.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Das, S.K., Vasudevan, D.M. Effect of lecithin in the treatment of ethanol mediated free radical induced hepatotoxicity. Indian J Clin Biochem 21, 62–69 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02913068

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02913068

Key Words

Search

Navigation