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Influence of administration of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on process of histological recovery in liver cirrhosis produced by oral intake of thioacetamide

  • Liver: Cirrhosis, Fibrosis, Portal Hypertension, and Transplantation
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Abstract

Patients with liver cirrhosis frequently show some degree of protein-energy malnutrition and obviously require nutritional support. In this study, the treatment of rats consisted of thead libitum oral intake of a 300 mg/liter thioacetamide solution, used as drinking water for four months. Thioacetamide treatment produced a severe alteration in the plasma fatty acid profile with significant decreases of these, which mimicked changes described in human cirrhosis. This hepatotoxic agent causes nodular cirrhosis, with loss of the normal architecture of the liver and disruption of the vascular pattern. The goal of the study was to evaluate the influence of n-3 and n-6 series long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid dietary supplementation in experimental animals and to assess the effects of those dietary components on structural recovery in the liver. Significant increases of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids as well as n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids were seen only in the animals given the n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplemented diet. However, only rats given the standard diet exhibited some degree of histological regeneration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell Biology, University of Granada, Fuentenueva s/n 18071, Granada, Spain

    Isabel Fernández BSc, Isabel Torres PhD, Eliane Moreira PhD, Luis Fontana PhD, Angel Gil PhD & Antonio Rios PhD

  2. Research Department of Puleva-Uniasa, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

    Isabel Fernández BSc, Isabel Torres PhD, Eliane Moreira PhD, Luis Fontana PhD, Angel Gil PhD & Antonio Rios PhD

  3. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Granada, Granada

    Isabel Fernández BSc, Isabel Torres PhD, Eliane Moreira PhD, Luis Fontana PhD, Angel Gil PhD & Antonio Rios PhD

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  1. Isabel Fernández BSc
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  2. Isabel Torres PhD
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  4. Luis Fontana PhD
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Fernández, I., Torres, I., Moreira, E. et al. Influence of administration of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on process of histological recovery in liver cirrhosis produced by oral intake of thioacetamide. Digest Dis Sci 41, 197–207 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02208605

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02208605

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