Sample records for idiosyncratic drug hepatotoxicity

  1. Synergistic drug-cytokine induction of hepatocellular death as an in vitro approach for the study of inflammation-associated idiosyncratic drug hepatotoxicity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cosgrove, Benjamin D.; Cell Decision Processes Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA; Biotechnology Process Engineering Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

    Idiosyncratic drug hepatotoxicity represents a major problem in drug development due to inadequacy of current preclinical screening assays, but recently established rodent models utilizing bacterial LPS co-administration to induce an inflammatory background have successfully reproduced idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity signatures for certain drugs. However, the low-throughput nature of these models renders them problematic for employment as preclinical screening assays. Here, we present an analogous, but high-throughput, in vitro approach in which drugs are administered to a variety of cell types (primary human and rat hepatocytes and the human HepG2 cell line) across a landscape of inflammatory contexts containing LPS and cytokines TNF,more » IFN{gamma}, IL-1{alpha}, and IL-6. Using this assay, we observed drug-cytokine hepatotoxicity synergies for multiple idiosyncratic hepatotoxicants (ranitidine, trovafloxacin, nefazodone, nimesulide, clarithromycin, and telithromycin) but not for their corresponding non-toxic control compounds (famotidine, levofloxacin, buspirone, and aspirin). A larger compendium of drug-cytokine mix hepatotoxicity data demonstrated that hepatotoxicity synergies were largely potentiated by TNF, IL-1{alpha}, and LPS within the context of multi-cytokine mixes. Then, we screened 90 drugs for cytokine synergy in human hepatocytes and found that a significantly larger fraction of the idiosyncratic hepatotoxicants (19%) synergized with a single cytokine mix than did the non-hepatotoxic drugs (3%). Finally, we used an information theoretic approach to ascertain especially informative subsets of cytokine treatments for most highly effective construction of regression models for drug- and cytokine mix-induced hepatotoxicities across these cell systems. Our results suggest that this drug-cytokine co-treatment approach could provide a useful preclinical tool for investigating inflammation-associated idiosyncratic drug hepatotoxicity.« less

  2. Role of metabolism in drug-induced idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Walgren, Jennie L; Mitchell, Michael D; Thompson, David C

    2005-01-01

    Rare adverse reactions to drugs that are of unknown etiology, or idiosyncratic reactions, can produce severe medical complications or even death in patients. Current hypotheses suggest that metabolic activation of a drug to a reactive intermediate is a necessary, yet insufficient, step in the generation of an idiosyncratic reaction. We review evidence for this hypothesis with drugs that are associated with hepatotoxicity, one of the most common types of idiosyncratic reactions in humans. We identified 21 drugs that have either been withdrawn from the U.S. market due to hepatotoxicity or have a black box warning for hepatotoxicity. Evidence for the formation of reactive metabolites was found for 5 out of 6 drugs that were withdrawn, and 8 out of 15 drugs that have black box warnings. For the other drugs, either evidence was not available or suitable studies have not been carried out. We also review evidence for reactive intermediate formation from a number of additional drugs that have been associated with idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity but do not have black box warnings. Finally, we consider the potential role that high dosages may play in these adverse reactions.

  3. Oxidative stress/reactive metabolite gene expression signature in rat liver detects idiosyncratic hepatotoxicants

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Leone, Angelique; Nie, Alex; Brandon Parker, J.

    Previously we reported a gene expression signature in rat liver for detecting a specific type of oxidative stress (OS) related to reactive metabolites (RM). High doses of the drugs disulfiram, ethinyl estradiol and nimesulide were used with another dozen paradigm OS/RM compounds, and three other drugs flutamide, phenacetin and sulindac were identified by this signature. In a second study, antiepileptic drugs were compared for covalent binding and their effects on OS/RM; felbamate, carbamazepine, and phenobarbital produced robust OS/RM gene expression. In the present study, liver RNA samples from drug-treated rats from more recent experiments were examined for statistical fit tomore » the OS/RM signature. Of all 97 drugs examined, in addition to the nine drugs noted above, 19 more were identified as OS/RM-producing compounds—chlorpromazine, clozapine, cyproterone acetate, dantrolene, dipyridamole, glibenclamide, isoniazid, ketoconazole, methapyrilene, naltrexone, nifedipine, sulfamethoxazole, tamoxifen, coumarin, ritonavir, amitriptyline, valproic acid, enalapril, and chloramphenicol. Importantly, all of the OS/RM drugs listed above have been linked to idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity, excepting chloramphenicol, which does not have a package label for hepatotoxicity, but does have a black box warning for idiosyncratic bone marrow suppression. Most of these drugs are not acutely toxic in the rat. The OS/RM signature should be useful to avoid idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity of drug candidates. - Highlights: • 28 of 97 drugs gave a positive OS/RM gene expression signature in rat liver. • The specificity of the signature for human idiosyncratic hepatotoxicants was 98%. • The sensitivity of the signature for human idiosyncratic hepatotoxicants was 75%. • The signature can help eliminate hepatotoxicants from drug development.« less

  4. Screening for main components associated with the idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity of a tonic herb, Polygonum multiflorum.

    PubMed

    Li, Chunyu; Niu, Ming; Bai, Zhaofang; Zhang, Congen; Zhao, Yanling; Li, Ruiyu; Tu, Can; Li, Huifang; Jing, Jing; Meng, Yakun; Ma, Zhijie; Feng, Wuwen; Tang, Jinfa; Zhu, Yun; Li, Jinjie; Shang, Xiaoya; Zou, Zhengsheng; Xiao, Xiaohe; Wang, Jiabo

    2017-06-01

    The main constituents of a typical medicinal herb, Polygonum multiflorum (Heshouwu in Chinese), that induces idiosyncratic liver injury remain unclear. Our previous work has shown that cotreatment with a nontoxic dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and therapeutic dose of Heshouwu can induce liver injury in rats, whereas the solo treatment cannot induce observable injury. In the present work, using the constituent "knock-out" and "knock-in" strategy, we found that the ethyl acetate (EA) extract of Heshouwu displayed comparable idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity to the whole extract in LPS-treated rats. Results indicated a significant elevation of plasma alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and liver histologic changes, whereas other separated fractions failed to induce liver injury. The mixture of EA extract with other separated fractions induced comparable idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity to the whole extract in LPS-treated rats. Chemical analysis further revealed that 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxy trans-stilbene-2-O-β-glucoside (trans-SG) and its cis-isomer were the two major compounds in EA extract. Furthermore, the isolated cis-, and not its trans-isomer, displayed comparable idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity to EA extract in LPS-treated rats. Higher contents of cis-SG were detected in Heshouwu liquor or preparations from actual liver intoxication patients associated with Heshouwu compared with general collected samples. In addition, plasma metabolomics analysis showed that cis-SG-disturbing enriched pathways remarkably differed from trans-SG ones in LPS-treated rats. All these results suggested that cis-SG was closely associated with the idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity of Heshouwu. Considering that the cis-trans isomerization of trans-SG was mediated by ultraviolet light or sunlight, our findings serve as reference for controlling photoisomerization in drug discovery and for the clinical use of Heshouwu and stilbene-related medications.

  5. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gandhi, Adarsh, E-mail: adarsh.gandhi@nih.gov; Guo, Tao, E-mail: tguo4@jhu.edu; Shah, Pranav

    Inflammation is a major component of idiosyncratic adverse drug reactions (IADRs). To understand the molecular mechanism of inflammation-mediated IADRs, we determined the role of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway in idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity of the anti-psychotic drug, chlorpromazine (CPZ). Activation of TLRs recruits the first adaptor protein, Toll-interleukin 1 receptor domain containing adaptor protein (TIRAP) to the TIR domain of TLRs leading to the activation of the downstream kinase, c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK). Prolonged activation of JNK leads to cell-death. We hypothesized that activation of TLR2 by lipoteichoic acid (LTA) or TLR4 by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) will augment the hepatotoxicity of CPZmore » by TIRAP-dependent mechanism involving prolonged activation of JNK. Adult male C57BL/6, TIRAP{sup +/+} and TIRAP{sup −/−} mice were pretreated with saline, LPS (2 mg/kg) or LTA (6 mg/kg) for 30 min or 16 h followed by CPZ (5 mg/kg) or saline (vehicle) up to 24 h. We found that treatment of mice with CPZ in presence of LPS or LTA leads to ∼ 3–4 fold increase in serum ALT levels, a marked reduction in hepatic glycogen content, significant induction of serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α and prolonged JNK activation, compared to LPS or LTA alone. Similar results were observed in TIRAP{sup +/+} mice, whereas the effects of LPS or LTA on CPZ-induced hepatotoxicity were attenuated in TIRAP{sup −/−} mice. For the first time, we show that inflammation-mediated hepatotoxicity of CPZ is dependent on TIRAP, and involves prolonged JNK activation in vivo. Thus, TIRAP-dependent pathways may be targeted to predict and prevent inflammation-mediated IADRs. -- Highlights: ► Inflammation augments the toxicity of an idiosyncratic hepatotoxin chlorpromazine. ► Activation of Toll-like receptors by LPS or LTA induces chlorpromazine toxicity. ► Sustained stress kinase (JNK) activation is associated with chlorpromazine toxicity. ► These studies provide novel mechanistic insights into idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity.« less

  6. Genomic Indicators in the blood predict drug-induced liver injury

    EPA Science Inventory

    Hepatotoxicity and other forms of liver injury stemming from exposure to toxicants and idiosyncratic drug reactions are major concerns during the drug discovery process. Animal model systems have been utilized in an attempt to extrapolate the risk of harmful agents to humans and...

  7. Hepatotoxicity by Drugs: The Most Common Implicated Agents

    PubMed Central

    Björnsson, Einar S.

    2016-01-01

    Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is an underreported and underestimated adverse drug reaction. Information on the documented hepatotoxicity of drugs has recently been made available by a website that can be accessed in the public domain: LiverTox (http://livertox.nlm.nih.gov). According to critical analysis of the hepatotoxicity of drugs in LiverTox, 53% of drugs had at least one case report of convincing reports of liver injury. Only 48 drugs had more than 50 case reports of DILI. Amoxicillin-clavulanate is the most commonly implicated agent leading to DILI in the prospective series. In a recent prospective study, liver injury due to amoxicillin-clavulanate was found to occur in approximately one out of 2300 users. Drugs with the highest risk of DILI in this study were azathioprine and infliximab. PMID:26861310

  8. Herbal hepatotoxicity in traditional and modern medicine: actual key issues and new encouraging steps.

    PubMed

    Teschke, Rolf; Eickhoff, Axel

    2015-01-01

    Plants are natural producers of chemical substances, providing potential treatment of human ailments since ancient times. Some herbal chemicals in medicinal plants of traditional and modern medicine carry the risk of herb induced liver injury (HILI) with a severe or potentially lethal clinical course, and the requirement of a liver transplant. Discontinuation of herbal use is mandatory in time when HILI is first suspected as diagnosis. Although, herbal hepatotoxicity is of utmost clinical and regulatory importance, lack of a stringent causality assessment remains a major issue for patients with suspected HILI, while this problem is best overcome by the use of the hepatotoxicity specific CIOMS (Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences) scale and the evaluation of unintentional reexposure test results. Sixty five different commonly used herbs, herbal drugs, and herbal supplements and 111 different herbs or herbal mixtures of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are reported causative for liver disease, with levels of causality proof that appear rarely conclusive. Encouraging steps in the field of herbal hepatotoxicity focus on introducing analytical methods that identify cases of intrinsic hepatotoxicity caused by pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and on omics technologies, including genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and assessing circulating micro-RNA in the serum of some patients with intrinsic hepatotoxicity. It remains to be established whether these new technologies can identify idiosyncratic HILI cases. To enhance its globalization, herbal medicine should universally be marketed as herbal drugs under strict regulatory surveillance in analogy to regulatory approved chemical drugs, proving a positive risk/benefit profile by enforcing evidence based clinical trials and excellent herbal drug quality.

  9. Herbal hepatotoxicity in traditional and modern medicine: actual key issues and new encouraging steps

    PubMed Central

    Teschke, Rolf; Eickhoff, Axel

    2015-01-01

    Plants are natural producers of chemical substances, providing potential treatment of human ailments since ancient times. Some herbal chemicals in medicinal plants of traditional and modern medicine carry the risk of herb induced liver injury (HILI) with a severe or potentially lethal clinical course, and the requirement of a liver transplant. Discontinuation of herbal use is mandatory in time when HILI is first suspected as diagnosis. Although, herbal hepatotoxicity is of utmost clinical and regulatory importance, lack of a stringent causality assessment remains a major issue for patients with suspected HILI, while this problem is best overcome by the use of the hepatotoxicity specific CIOMS (Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences) scale and the evaluation of unintentional reexposure test results. Sixty five different commonly used herbs, herbal drugs, and herbal supplements and 111 different herbs or herbal mixtures of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are reported causative for liver disease, with levels of causality proof that appear rarely conclusive. Encouraging steps in the field of herbal hepatotoxicity focus on introducing analytical methods that identify cases of intrinsic hepatotoxicity caused by pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and on omics technologies, including genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and assessing circulating micro-RNA in the serum of some patients with intrinsic hepatotoxicity. It remains to be established whether these new technologies can identify idiosyncratic HILI cases. To enhance its globalization, herbal medicine should universally be marketed as herbal drugs under strict regulatory surveillance in analogy to regulatory approved chemical drugs, proving a positive risk/benefit profile by enforcing evidence based clinical trials and excellent herbal drug quality. PMID:25954198

  10. Drug-induced liver injury due to antimicrobials, central nervous system agents, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

    PubMed

    Devarbhavi, Harshad; Andrade, Raúl J

    2014-05-01

    Antimicrobial agents including antituberculosis (anti-TB) agents are the most common cause of idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) and drug-induced liver failure across the world. Better molecular and genetic biomarkers are acutely needed to help identify those at risk of liver injury particularly for those needing antituberculosis therapy. Some antibiotics such as amoxicillin-clavulanate and isoniazid consistently top the lists of agents in retrospective and prospective DILI databases. Central nervous system agents, particularly antiepileptics, account for the second most common class of agents implicated in DILI registries. Hepatotoxicity from older antiepileptics such as carbamazepine, phenytoin, and phenobarbital are often associated with hypersensitivity features, whereas newer antiepileptic drugs have a more favorable safety profile. Antidepressants and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs carry very low risk of significant liver injury, but their prolific use make them important causes of DILI. Early diagnosis and withdrawal of the offending agent remain the mainstays of minimizing hepatotoxicity. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

  11. [Acute hepatitis due to ticlopidine. A report of 12 cases and review of the literature].

    PubMed

    Pizarro, A E; Andrade, R J; García-Cortés, M; Lucena, M I; Pérez-Moreno, J M; Puertas, M; Sánchez-Martínez, H; Montero, J L; Durán, J A; Jiménez, M; Ruiz-Montero, A; Soto-Conesa, M J; Rodrigo, L; de Francisco, R; Alcántara, R; Camargo, R

    To analyze the characteristics of hepatotoxicity due to ticlopidine. We describe all the case of hepatotoxicity attributed to ticlopidine and reported to the Register of drug associated hepatopathies. We also obtained data from MEDLINE and the Spanish Medical Index regarding cases reported during the period 1982 2001. We reported twelve cases of hepatopathy related to the use of ticlopidine. These made up 5% of all the cases notified to the Register. Eighty three percent of the patients were male, and of an average age of 68 years. Sixty six percent required hospital admission. The latent period varied between 2 and 13 weeks. The liver lesion was of cholestatic type in 75% of the cases, hepatocellular in 16.6% and mixed in 8.3%. Twenty five percent of the patients had received sub therapeutic doses. Ticlopidine is often related to hepatotoxicity. This seems to be due to an idiosyncratic mechanism and is mainly cholestatic. The use of lower dosage than that recommended means that the desired therapeutic effect is not attained but does not protect against the development of hepatotoxicity. Doctors who use this drug should be aware of this so as to establish the true risk benefit relation.

  12. Hepatotoxicity associated with metformin therapy in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

    PubMed

    Cone, Catherine J; Bachyrycz, Amy M; Murata, Glen H

    2010-10-01

    To report a case of idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity associated with metformin in the treatment of type 2 diabetes with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A 61-year-old obese man presented with jaundice, nausea, fatigue, and an unintentional weight loss 2 weeks following initiation of metformin. Laboratory findings revealed aminotransferase values 10-15 times the upper limit of normal. Potential causative agents, including metformin, simvastatin, and Niaspan (extended-release niacin), were discontinued. Two months later, the patient's signs and symptoms had resolved and aminotransferase values returned to normal. An objective causality assessment revealed that the adverse reaction was probably associated with metformin. Since numerous medications and disease states can cause abnormalities in liver enzymes, it is important for providers to be able to distinguish the cause(s) and take appropriate actions. This can take a great deal of time and effort in patients with multiple medications and comorbidities. In this patient's case, viral hepatitis, worsening NAFLD, and the concomitant drugs were highly suspected. As hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors offer substantial cardiovascular benefits and as metformin is a first-line agent in helping to lower blood glucose concentrations and to normalize the metabolic profile in type 2 diabetes, reintroduction of metformin and simvastatin would likely be beneficial. This is a case report of metformin-induced hepatotoxicity. As the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and subsequent metabolic effects increases in the US, metformin use will likewise increase. As potential for increased idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity associated with metformin use is likely to occur, clinicians should be vigilant.

  13. Drug-induced idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity: prevention strategy developed after the troglitazone case.

    PubMed

    Ikeda, Toshihiko

    2011-01-01

    Troglitazone induced an idiosyncratic, hepatocellular injury-type hepatotoxicity in humans. Statistically, double null genotype of glutathione S-transferase isoforms, GSTT1 and GSTM1, was a risk factor, indicating a low activity of the susceptible patients in scavenging chemically reactive metabolites. CYP3A4 and CYP2C8 were involved in the metabolic activation and CYP3A4 was inducible by repeated administrations of troglitazone. The genotype analysis, however, indicated that the metabolic idiosyncrasy resides in the degradation of but not in the production of the toxic metabolites of troglitazone. Antibody against hepatic aldolase B was detected in the case patients, suggesting involvement of immune reaction in the toxic mechanism. Troglitazone induced apoptotic cell death in human hepatocytes at a high concentration, and this property may have served as the immunological danger signal, which is thought to play an important role in activating immune reactions. Hypothesis is proposed in analogy to the virus-induced hepatitis. After the troglitazone-case, pharmaceutical companies implemented screening systems for chemically reactive metabolites at early stage of drug development, taking both the amount of covalent binding to the proteins in vitro and the assumed clinical dose level into consideration. At the post-marketing stage, gene analyses of the case patients, if any, to find pharmacogenetic biomarkers could be a powerful tool for contraindicating to the risky patients.

  14. The use of cultured hepatocytes to investigate the metabolism of drugs and mechanisms of drug hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Gómez-Lechón, M J; Ponsoda, X; Bort, R; Castell, J V

    2001-01-01

    Hepatotoxins can be classified as intrinsic when they exert their effects on all individuals in a dose-dependent manner, and as idiosyncratic when their effects are the consequence of an abnormal metabolism of the drug by susceptible individuals (metabolic idiosyncrasy) or of an immune-mediated injury to hepatocytes (allergic hepatitis). Some xenobiotics are electrophilic, and others are biotransformed by the liver into highly reactive metabolites that are usually more toxic than the parent compound. This activation process is the key to many hepatotoxic phenomena. Mitochondria are a frequent target of hepatotoxic drugs, and the alteration of their function has immediate effects on the energy balance of cells (depletion of ATP). Lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress, alteration of Ca(2+) homeostasis, and covalent binding to cell macromolecules are the molecular mechanisms that are frequently involved in the toxicity of xenobiotics. Against these potential hazards, cells have their own defence mechanisms (for example, glutathione, DNA repair, suicide inactivation). Ultimately, toxicity is the balance between bioactivation and detoxification, which determines whether a reactive metabolite elicits a toxic effect. The ultimate goal of in vitro experiments is to generate the type of scientific information needed to identify compounds that are potentially toxic to man. For this purpose, both the design of the experiments and the interpretation of the results are critical.

  15. Subtoxic Concentrations of Hepatotoxic Drugs Lead to Kupffer Cell Activation in a Human In Vitro Liver Model: An Approach to Study DILI

    PubMed Central

    Kegel, Victoria; Pfeiffer, Elisa; Burkhardt, Britta; Liu, Jia L.; Zeilinger, Katrin; Nüssler, Andreas K.; Seehofer, Daniel; Damm, Georg

    2015-01-01

    Drug induced liver injury (DILI) is an idiosyncratic adverse drug reaction leading to severe liver damage. Kupffer cells (KC) sense hepatic tissue stress/damage and therefore could be a tool for the estimation of consequent effects associated with DILI. Aim of the present study was to establish a human in vitro liver model for the investigation of immune-mediated signaling in the pathogenesis of DILI. Hepatocytes and KC were isolated from human liver specimens. The isolated KC yield was 1.2 ± 0.9 × 106 cells/g liver tissue with a purity of >80%. KC activation was investigated by the measurement of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI, DCF assay) and cell activity (XTT assay). The initial KC activation levels showed broad donor variability. Additional activation of KC using supernatants of hepatocytes treated with hepatotoxic drugs increased KC activity and led to donor-dependent changes in the formation of ROI compared to KC incubated with supernatants from untreated hepatocytes. Additionally, a compound- and donor-dependent increase in proinflammatory cytokines or in anti-inflammatory cytokines was detected. In conclusion, KC related immune signaling in hepatotoxicity was successfully determined in a newly established in vitro liver model. KC were able to detect hepatocyte stress/damage and to transmit a donor- and compound-dependent immune response via cytokine production. PMID:26491234

  16. Minimizing AED adverse effects: improving quality of life in the interictal state in epilepsy care.

    PubMed

    St Louis, Erik K; Louis, Erik K

    2009-06-01

    The goals of epilepsy therapy are to achieve seizure freedom while minimizing adverse effects of treatment. However, producing seizure-freedom is often overemphasized, at the expense of inducing adverse effects of treatment. All antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have the potential to cause dose-related, "neurotoxic" adverse effects (i.e., drowsiness, fatigue, dizziness, blurry vision, and incoordination). Such adverse effects are common, especially when initiating AED therapy and with polytherapy. Dose-related adverse effects may be obviated in most patients by dose reduction of monotherapy, reduction or elimination of polytherapy, or substituting for a better tolerated AED. Additionally, all older and several newer AEDs have idiosyncratic adverse effects which usually require withdrawal in an affected patient, including serious rash (i.e., Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis), hematologic dyscrasias, hepatotoxicity, teratogenesis in women of child bearing potential, bone density loss, neuropathy, and severe gingival hyperplasia. Unfortunately, occurrence of idiosyncratic AED adverse effects cannot be predicted or, in most cases, prevented in susceptible patients. This article reviews a practical approach for the definition and identification of adverse effects of epilepsy therapies, and reviews the literature demonstrating that adverse effects result in detrimental quality of life in epilepsy patients. Strategies for minimizing AED adverse effects by reduction or elimination of AED polytherapy, appropriately employing drug-sparing therapies, and optimally administering AEDs are outlined, including tenets of AED selection, titration, therapeutic AED laboratory monitoring, and avoidance of chronic idiosyncratic adverse effects.

  17. Effects of drugs in subtoxic concentrations on the metabolic fluxes in human hepatoma cell line Hep G2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Niklas, Jens; Noor, Fozia, E-mail: fozia.noor@mx.uni-saarland.d; Heinzle, Elmar

    2009-11-01

    Commonly used cytotoxicity assays assess the toxicity of a compound by measuring certain parameters which directly or indirectly correlate to the viability of the cells. However, the effects of a given compound at concentrations considerably below EC{sub 50} values are usually not evaluated. These subtoxic effects are difficult to identify but may eventually cause severe and costly long term problems such as idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity. We determined the toxicity of three hepatotoxic compounds, namely amiodarone, diclofenac and tacrine on the human hepatoma cell line Hep G2 using an online kinetic respiration assay and analysed the effects of subtoxic concentrations of thesemore » drugs on the cellular metabolism by using metabolic flux analysis. Several changes in the metabolism could be detected upon exposure to subtoxic concentrations of the test compounds. Upon exposure to diclofenac and tacrine an increase in the TCA-cycle activity was observed which could be a signature of an uncoupling of the oxidative phosphorylation. The results indicate that metabolic flux analysis could serve as an invaluable novel tool for the investigation of the effects of drugs. The described methodology enables tracking the toxicity of compounds dynamically using the respiration assay in a range of concentrations and the metabolic flux analysis permits interesting insights into the changes in the central metabolism of the cell upon exposure to drugs.« less

  18. Albendazole Induced Recurrent Acute Toxic Hepatitis: A Case Report.

    PubMed

    Bilgic, Yilmaz; Yilmaz, Cengiz; Cagin, Yasir Furkan; Atayan, Yahya; Karadag, Nese; Harputluoglu, Murat Muhsin Muhip

    2017-01-01

    Drug induced acute toxic hepatitis can be idiosyncratic. Albendazole, a widely used broad spectrum antiparasitic drug is generally accepted as a safe drug. It may cause asymptomatic transient liver enzyme abnormalities but acute toxic hepatitis is very rare. Case Report : Herein, we present the case of 47 year old woman with recurrent acute toxic hepatitis after a single intake of albendazole in 2010 and 2014. The patient was presented with symptoms and findings of anorexia, vomiting and jaundice. For diagnosis, other acute hepatitis etiologies were excluded. Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) score was calculated and found to be 10, which meant highly probable drug hepatotoxicity. Within 2 months, all pathological findings came to normal. There are a few reported cases of albendazole induced toxic hepatitis, but at adults, there is no known recurrent acute toxic hepatitis due to albendazole at this certainty according to RUCAM score. Physicians should be aware of this rare and potentially fatal adverse effect of albendazole. © Acta Gastro-Enterologica Belgica.

  19. Stem cell-derived models to improve mechanistic understanding and prediction of human drug-induced liver injury.

    PubMed

    Goldring, Christopher; Antoine, Daniel J; Bonner, Frank; Crozier, Jonathan; Denning, Chris; Fontana, Robert J; Hanley, Neil A; Hay, David C; Ingelman-Sundberg, Magnus; Juhila, Satu; Kitteringham, Neil; Silva-Lima, Beatriz; Norris, Alan; Pridgeon, Chris; Ross, James A; Young, Rowena Sison; Tagle, Danilo; Tornesi, Belen; van de Water, Bob; Weaver, Richard J; Zhang, Fang; Park, B Kevin

    2017-02-01

    Current preclinical drug testing does not predict some forms of adverse drug reactions in humans. Efforts at improving predictability of drug-induced tissue injury in humans include using stem cell technology to generate human cells for screening for adverse effects of drugs in humans. The advent of induced pluripotent stem cells means that it may ultimately be possible to develop personalized toxicology to determine interindividual susceptibility to adverse drug reactions. However, the complexity of idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury means that no current single-cell model, whether of primary liver tissue origin, from liver cell lines, or derived from stem cells, adequately emulates what is believed to occur during human drug-induced liver injury. Nevertheless, a single-cell model of a human hepatocyte which emulates key features of a hepatocyte is likely to be valuable in assessing potential chemical risk; furthermore, understanding how to generate a relevant hepatocyte will also be critical to efforts to build complex multicellular models of the liver. Currently, hepatocyte-like cells differentiated from stem cells still fall short of recapitulating the full mature hepatocellular phenotype. Therefore, we convened a number of experts from the areas of preclinical and clinical hepatotoxicity and safety assessment, from industry, academia, and regulatory bodies, to specifically explore the application of stem cells in hepatotoxicity safety assessment and to make recommendations for the way forward. In this short review, we particularly discuss the importance of benchmarking stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells to their terminally differentiated human counterparts using defined phenotyping, to make sure the cells are relevant and comparable between labs, and outline why this process is essential before the cells are introduced into chemical safety assessment. (Hepatology 2017;65:710-721). © 2016 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

  20. A mouse model of severe halothane hepatitis based on human risk factors.

    PubMed

    Dugan, Christine M; MacDonald, Allen E; Roth, Robert A; Ganey, Patricia E

    2010-05-01

    Halothane (2-bromo-2-chloro-1,1,1-trifluoro-ethane) is an inhaled anesthetic that induces severe, idiosyncratic liver injury, i.e., "halothane hepatitis," in approximately 1 in 20,000 human patients. We used known human risk factors (female sex, adult age, and genetics) as well as probable risk factors (fasting and inflammatory stress) to develop a murine model with characteristics of human halothane hepatitis. Female and male BALB/cJ mice treated with halothane developed dose-dependent liver injury within 24 h; however, the liver injury was severe only in females. Livers had extensive centrilobular necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltrate, and steatosis. Fasting rendered mice more sensitive to halothane hepatotoxicity, and 8-week-old female mice were more sensitive than males of the same age or than younger (4-week-old) females. C57BL/6 mice were insensitive to halothane, suggesting a strong genetic predisposition. In halothane-treated females, plasma concentration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha was greater than in males, and neutrophils were recruited to liver more rapidly and to a greater extent. Anti-CD18 serum attenuated halothane-induced liver injury in female mice, suggesting that neutrophil migration, activation, or both are required for injury. Coexposure of halothane-treated male mice to lipopolysaccharide to induce modest inflammatory stress converted their mild hepatotoxic response to a pronounced, female-like response. This is the first animal model of an idiosyncratic adverse drug reaction that is based on human risk factors and produces reproducible, severe hepatitis from halothane exposure with lesions characteristic of human halothane hepatitis. Moreover, these results suggest that a more robust innate immune response underlies the predisposition of female mice to halothane hepatitis.

  1. Clinical trials with velnacrine: (PROPP) the physician reference of predicted probabilities--a statistical model for the estimation of hepatotoxicity risk with velnacrine maleate.

    PubMed

    Hardiman, S; Miller, K; Murphy, M

    1993-01-01

    Safety observations during the clinical development of Mentane (velnacrine maleate) have included the occurrence of generally asymptomatic liver enzyme elevations confined to patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The clinical presentation of this reversible hepatocellular injury is analogous to that reported for tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA). Direct liver injury, possibly associated with the production of a toxic metabolite, would be consistent with reports of aberrant xenobiotic metabolism in Alzheimer's disease patients. Since a patient related aberration in drug metabolism was suspected, a biostatistical strategy was developed with the objective of predicting hepatotoxicity in individual patients prior to exposure to velnacrine maleate. The method used logistic regression techniques with variable selection restricted to those items which could be routinely and inexpensively accessed at screen evaluation for potential candidates for treatment. The model was to be predictive (a marker for eventual hepatotoxicity) rather than a causative model, and techniques employed "goodness of fit", percentage correct, and positive and negative predictive values. On the basis of demographic and baseline laboratory data from 942 patients, the PROPP statistic was developed (the Physician Reference Of Predicted Probabilities). Main effect variables included age, gender, and nine hematological and serum chemistry variables. The sensitivity of the current model is approximately 49%, specificity approximately 88%. Using prior probability estimates, however, in which the patient's likelihood of liver toxicity is presumed to be at least 30%, the positive predictive value ranged between 64-77%. Although the clinical utility of this statistic will require refinements and additional prospective confirmation, its potential existence speaks to the possibility of markers for idiosyncratic drug metabolism in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

  2. An Update on Drug-induced Liver Injury.

    PubMed

    Devarbhavi, Harshad

    2012-09-01

    Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality following drugs taken in therapeutic doses. Hepatotoxicity is a leading cause of attrition in drug development, or withdrawal or restricted use after marketing. No age is exempt although adults and the elderly are at increased risk. DILI spans the entire spectrum ranging from asymptomatic elevation in transaminases to severe disease such as acute hepatitis leading to acute liver failure. The liver specific Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method is the most validated and extensively used for determining the likelihood that an implicated drug caused DILI. Asymptomatic elevation in liver tests must be differentiated from adaptation. Drugs producing DILI have a signature pattern although no single pattern is characteristic. Antimicrobial and central nervous system agents including antiepileptic drugs are the leading causes of DILI worldwide. In the absence of a diagnostic test or a biomarker, the diagnosis rests on the evidence of absence of competing causes such as acute viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis and others. Recent studies show that antituberculosis drugs given for active or latent disease are still a major cause of drug-induced liver injury in India and the West respectively. Presence of jaundice signifies a severe disease and entails a worse outcome. The pathogenesis is unclear and is due to a mix of host, drug metabolite and environmental factors. Research has evolved from incriminating candidate genes to genome wide analysis studies. Immediate cessation of the drug is key to prevent or minimize progressive damage. Treatment is largely supportive. N-acetylcysteine is the antidote for paracetamol toxicity. Carnitine has been tried in valproate injury whereas steroids and ursodeoxycholic acid may be used in DILI associated with hypersensitivity or cholestatic features respectively. This article provides an overview of the epidemiology, the patterns of hepatotoxicity, the pathogenesis and associated risk factors besides its clinical management.

  3. A long-term three dimensional liver co-culture system for improved prediction of clinically relevant drug-induced hepatotoxicity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kostadinova, Radina; Boess, Franziska; Applegate, Dawn

    2013-04-01

    Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is the major cause for liver failure and post-marketing drug withdrawals. Due to species-specific differences in hepatocellular function, animal experiments to assess potential liabilities of drug candidates can predict hepatotoxicity in humans only to a certain extent. In addition to animal experimentation, primary hepatocytes from rat or human are widely used for pre-clinical safety assessment. However, as many toxic responses in vivo are mediated by a complex interplay among different cell types and often require chronic drug exposures, the predictive performance of hepatocytes is very limited. Here, we established and characterized human and rat in vitromore » three-dimensional (3D) liver co-culture systems containing primary parenchymal and non-parenchymal hepatic cells. Our data demonstrate that cells cultured on a 3D scaffold have a preserved composition of hepatocytes, stellate, Kupffer and endothelial cells and maintain liver function for up to 3 months, as measured by the production of albumin, fibrinogen, transferrin and urea. Additionally, 3D liver co-cultures maintain cytochrome P450 inducibility, form bile canaliculi-like structures and respond to inflammatory stimuli. Upon incubation with selected hepatotoxicants including drugs which have been shown to induce idiosyncratic toxicity, we demonstrated that this model better detected in vivo drug-induced toxicity, including species-specific drug effects, when compared to monolayer hepatocyte cultures. In conclusion, our results underline the importance of more complex and long lasting in vitro cell culture models that contain all liver cell types and allow repeated drug-treatments for detection of in vivo-relevant adverse drug effects. - Highlights: ► 3D liver co-cultures maintain liver specific functions for up to three months. ► Activities of Cytochrome P450s remain drug- inducible accross three months. ► 3D liver co-cultures recapitulate drug-induced liver toxicity observed in vivo. ► 3D liver co-cultures can detect species-specific drug toxicity observed in vivo. ► This in vitro model may improve assessment of human relevance of preclinical findings.« less

  4. Herbal Hepatotoxicity: Clinical Characteristics and Listing Compilation

    PubMed Central

    Frenzel, Christian; Teschke, Rolf

    2016-01-01

    Herb induced liver injury (HILI) and drug induced liver injury (DILI) share the common characteristic of chemical compounds as their causative agents, which were either produced by the plant or synthetic processes. Both, natural and synthetic chemicals are foreign products to the body and need metabolic degradation to be eliminated. During this process, hepatotoxic metabolites may be generated causing liver injury in susceptible patients. There is uncertainty, whether risk factors such as high lipophilicity or high daily and cumulative doses play a pathogenetic role for HILI, as these are under discussion for DILI. It is also often unclear, whether a HILI case has an idiosyncratic or an intrinsic background. Treatment with herbs of Western medicine or traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) rarely causes elevated liver tests (LT). However, HILI can develop to acute liver failure requiring liver transplantation in single cases. HILI is a diagnosis of exclusion, because clinical features of HILI are not specific as they are also found in many other liver diseases unrelated to herbal use. In strikingly increased liver tests signifying severe liver injury, herbal use has to be stopped. To establish HILI as the cause of liver damage, RUCAM (Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method) is a useful tool. Diagnostic problems may emerge when alternative causes were not carefully excluded and the correct therapy is withheld. Future strategies should focus on RUCAM based causality assessment in suspected HILI cases and more regulatory efforts to provide all herbal medicines and herbal dietary supplements used as medicine with strict regulatory surveillance, considering them as herbal drugs and ascertaining an appropriate risk benefit balance. PMID:27128912

  5. Identification of potential genomic biomarkers of hepatotoxicity caused by reactive metabolites of N-methylformamide: Application of stable isotope labeled compounds in toxicogenomic studies.

    PubMed

    Mutlib, Abdul; Jiang, Ping; Atherton, Jim; Obert, Leslie; Kostrubsky, Seva; Madore, Steven; Nelson, Sidney

    2006-10-01

    The inability to predict if a metabolically bioactivated compound will cause toxicity in later stages of drug development or post-marketing is of serious concern. One approach for improving the predictive success of compound toxicity has been to compare the gene expression profile in preclinical models dosed with novel compounds to a gene expression database generated from compounds with known toxicity. While this guilt-by-association approach can be useful, it is often difficult to elucidate gene expression changes that may be related to the generation of reactive metabolites. In an effort to address this issue, we compared the gene expression profiles obtained from animals treated with a soft-electrophile-producing hepatotoxic compound against corresponding deuterium labeled analogues resistant to metabolic processing. Our aim was to identify a subset of potential biomarker genes for hepatotoxicity caused by soft-electrophile-producing compounds. The current study utilized a known hepatotoxic compound N-methylformamide (NMF) and its two analogues labeled with deuterium at different positions to block metabolic oxidation at the formyl (d(1)) and methyl (d(3)) moieties. Groups of mice were dosed with each compound, and their livers were harvested at different time intervals. RNA was prepared and analyzed on Affymetrix GeneChip arrays. RNA transcripts showing statistically significant changes were identified, and selected changes were confirmed using TaqMan RT-PCR. Serum clinical chemistry and histopathologic evaluations were performed on selected samples as well. The data set generated from the different groups of animals enabled us to determine which gene expression changes were attributed to the bioactivating pathway. We were able to selectively modulate the metabolism of NMF by labeling various positions of the molecule with a stable isotope, allowing us to monitor gene changes specifically due to a particular metabolic pathway. Two groups of genes were identified, which were associated with the metabolism of a certain part of the NMF molecule. The metabolic pathway leading to the production of reactive methyl isocyanate resulted in distinct expression patterns that correlated with histopathologic findings. There was a clear correlation between the expression of certain genes involved in the cell cycle/apoptosis and inflammatory pathways and the presence of reactive metabolite. These genes may serve as potential genomic biomarkers of hepatotoxicity induced by soft-electrophile-producing compounds. However, the robustness of these potential genomic biomarkers will need to be validated using other hepatotoxicants (both soft- and hard-electrophile-producing agents) and compounds known to cause idiosyncratic liver toxicity before being adopted into the drug discovery screening process.

  6. Human biology-based drug safety evaluation: scientific rationale, current status and future challenges.

    PubMed

    Kenna, J Gerry

    2017-05-01

    Animal toxicity studies used to assess the safety of new candidate pharmaceuticals prior to their progression into human clinical trials are unable to assess the risk of non-pharmacologically mediated idiosyncratic adverse drug reactions (ADRs), the most frequent of which are drug-induced liver injury and cardiotoxicity. Idiosyncratic ADRs occur only infrequently and in certain susceptible humans, but are caused by many hundreds of different drugs and may lead to serious illness. Areas covered: Idiosyncratic ADRs are initiated by drug-related chemical insults, which cause toxicity due to susceptibility factors that manifest only in certain patients. The chemical insults can be detected using in vitro assays. These enable useful discrimination between drugs that cause high versus low levels of idiosyncratic ADR concern. Especially promising assays, which have been described recently in peer-reviewed scientific literature, are highlighted. Expert opinion: Effective interpretation of in vitro toxicity data requires integration of endpoints from multiple assays, which each address different mechanisms, and must also take account of human systemic and tissue drug exposure in vivo. Widespread acceptance and use of such assays has been hampered by the lack of correlation between idiosyncratic human ADR risk and toxicities observed in vivo in animals.

  7. Coexposure of mice to trovafloxacin and lipopolysaccharide, a model of idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity, results in a unique gene expression profile and interferon gamma-dependent liver injury.

    PubMed

    Shaw, Patrick J; Ditewig, Amy C; Waring, Jeffrey F; Liguori, Michael J; Blomme, Eric A; Ganey, Patricia E; Roth, Robert A

    2009-01-01

    The antibiotic trovafloxacin (TVX) has caused severe idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity in people, whereas levofloxacin (LVX) has not. Mice cotreated with TVX and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), but not with LVX and LPS, develop severe hepatocellular necrosis. Mice were treated with TVX and/or LPS, and hepatic gene expression changes were measured before liver injury using gene array. Hepatic gene expression profiles from mice treated with TVX/LPS clustered differently from those treated with LPS or TVX alone. Several of the probe sets expressed differently in TVX/LPS-treated mice were involved in interferon (IFN) signaling and the janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway. A time course of plasma concentrations of IFN-gamma and interleukin (IL)-18, which directly induces IFN-gamma production, revealed that both cytokines were selectively increased in TVX/LPS-treated mice. Both IL-18(-/-) and IFN-gamma(-/-) mice were significantly protected from TVX/LPS-induced liver injury. In addition, IFN-gamma(-/-) mice had decreased plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, IL-18, and IL-1beta when compared to wild-type mice. In conclusion, the altered expression of genes involved in IFN signaling in TVX/LPS-treated mice led to the finding that IL-18 and IFN-gamma play a critical role in TVX/LPS-induced liver injury.

  8. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha potentiates the cytotoxicity of amiodarone in Hepa1c1c7 cells: roles of caspase activation and oxidative stress.

    PubMed

    Lu, Jingtao; Miyakawa, Kazuhisa; Roth, Robert A; Ganey, Patricia E

    2013-01-01

    Amiodarone (AMD), a class III antiarrhythmic drug, causes idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity in human patients. We demonstrated previously that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) plays an important role in a rat model of AMD-induced hepatotoxicity under inflammatory stress. In this study, we developed a model in vitro to study the roles of caspase activation and oxidative stress in TNF potentiation of AMD cytotoxicity. AMD caused cell death in Hepa1c1c7 cells, and TNF cotreatment potentiated its toxicity. Activation of caspases 9 and 3/7 was observed in AMD/TNF-cotreated cells, and caspase inhibitors provided minor protection from cytotoxicity. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and lipid peroxidation were observed after treatment with AMD and were further elevated by TNF cotreatment. Adding water-soluble antioxidants (trolox, N-acetylcysteine, glutathione, or ascorbate) produced only minor attenuation of AMD/TNF-induced cytotoxicity and did not influence the effect of AMD alone. On the other hand, α-tocopherol (TOCO), which reduced lipid peroxidation and ROS generation, prevented AMD toxicity and caused pronounced reduction in cytotoxicity from AMD/TNF cotreatment. α-TOCO plus a pancaspase inhibitor completely abolished AMD/TNF-induced cytotoxicity. In summary, activation of caspases and oxidative stress were observed after AMD/TNF cotreatment, and caspase inhibitors and a lipid-soluble free-radical scavenger attenuated AMD/TNF-induced cytotoxicity.

  9. Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Potentiates the Cytotoxicity of Amiodarone in Hepa1c1c7 Cells: Roles of Caspase Activation and Oxidative Stress

    PubMed Central

    Ganey, Patricia E.

    2013-01-01

    Amiodarone (AMD), a class III antiarrhythmic drug, causes idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity in human patients. We demonstrated previously that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) plays an important role in a rat model of AMD-induced hepatotoxicity under inflammatory stress. In this study, we developed a model in vitro to study the roles of caspase activation and oxidative stress in TNF potentiation of AMD cytotoxicity. AMD caused cell death in Hepa1c1c7 cells, and TNF cotreatment potentiated its toxicity. Activation of caspases 9 and 3/7 was observed in AMD/TNF-cotreated cells, and caspase inhibitors provided minor protection from cytotoxicity. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and lipid peroxidation were observed after treatment with AMD and were further elevated by TNF cotreatment. Adding water-soluble antioxidants (trolox, N-acetylcysteine, glutathione, or ascorbate) produced only minor attenuation of AMD/TNF-induced cytotoxicity and did not influence the effect of AMD alone. On the other hand, α-tocopherol (TOCO), which reduced lipid peroxidation and ROS generation, prevented AMD toxicity and caused pronounced reduction in cytotoxicity from AMD/TNF cotreatment. α-TOCO plus a pancaspase inhibitor completely abolished AMD/TNF-induced cytotoxicity. In summary, activation of caspases and oxidative stress were observed after AMD/TNF cotreatment, and caspase inhibitors and a lipid-soluble free-radical scavenger attenuated AMD/TNF-induced cytotoxicity. PMID:23042730

  10. In vitro transcriptomic prediction of hepatotoxicity for early drug discovery

    PubMed Central

    Cheng, Feng; Theodorescu, Dan; Schulman, Ira G.; Lee, Jae K.

    2012-01-01

    Liver toxicity (hepatotoxicity) is a critical issue in drug discovery and development. Standard preclinical evaluation of drug hepatotoxicity is generally performed using in vivo animal systems. However, only a small number of preselected compounds can be examined in vivo due to high experimental costs. A more efficient yet accurate screening technique which can identify potentially hepatotoxic compounds in the early stages of drug development would thus be valuable. Here, we develop and apply a novel genomic prediction technique for screening hepatotoxic compounds based on in vitro human liver cell tests. Using a training set of in vivo rodent experiments for drug hepatotoxicity evaluation, we discovered common biomarkers of drug-induced liver toxicity among six heterogeneous compounds. This gene set was further triaged to a subset of 32 genes that can be used as a multi-gene expression signature to predict hepatotoxicity. This multi-gene predictor was independently validated and showed consistently high prediction performance on five test sets of in vitro human liver cell and in vivo animal toxicity experiments. The predictor also demonstrated utility in evaluating different degrees of toxicity in response to drug concentrations which may be useful not only for discerning a compound’s general hepatotoxicity but also for determining its toxic concentration. PMID:21884709

  11. Drug-Induced Liver Injury: Advances in Mechanistic Understanding that will Inform Risk Management

    PubMed Central

    Mosedale, Merrie; Watkins, Paul B.

    2016-01-01

    Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a major public health problem. Intrinsic (dose-dependent) DILI associated with acetaminophen overdose is the number one cause of acute liver failure in the US. However the most problematic type of DILI impacting drug development is idiosyncratic, occurring only very rarely among treated patients and often only after several weeks or months of treatment with the offending drug. Recent advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of DILI suggest that three mechanisms may underlie most hepatocyte effects in response to both intrinsic and idiosyncratic DILI drugs: mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and alterations in bile acid homeostasis. However, in some cases, hepatocyte stress promotes an immune response that results in clinically important idiosyncratic DILI. This review discusses recent advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of both intrinsic and idiosyncratic DILI as well as emerging tools and techniques that will likely improve DILI risk identification and management. PMID:27861792

  12. Drugp-Induced Rhabdomyolysis Atlas (DIRA) for idiosyncratic adverse drug reaction management.

    PubMed

    Wen, Zhining; Liang, Yu; Hao, Yingyi; Delavan, Brian; Huang, Ruili; Mikailov, Mike; Tong, Weida; Li, Menglong; Liu, Zhichao

    2018-06-11

    Drug-induced rhabdomyolysis (DIR) is an idiosyncratic and fatal adverse drug reaction (ADR) characterized in severe muscle injuries accompanied by multiple-organ failure. Limited knowledge regarding the pathophysiology of rhabdomyolysis is the main obstacle to developing early biomarkers and prevention strategies. Given the lack of a centralized data resource to curate, organize, and standardize widespread DIR information, here we present a Drug-Induced Rhabdomyolysis Atlas (DIRA) that provides DIR-related information, including: a classification scheme for DIR based on drug labeling information; postmarketing surveillance data of DIR; and DIR drug property information. To elucidate the utility of DIRA, we used precision dosing, concomitant use of DIR drugs, and predictive modeling development to exemplify strategies for idiosyncratic ADR (IADR) management. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  13. Upgrading cytochrome P450 activity in HepG2 cells co-transfected with adenoviral vectors for drug hepatotoxicity assessment.

    PubMed

    Tolosa, Laia; Donato, M Teresa; Pérez-Cataldo, Gabriela; Castell, José Vicente; Gómez-Lechón, M José

    2012-12-01

    In a number of adverse drug reactions leading to hepatotoxicity, drug metabolism is thought to be involved by the generation of reactive metabolites from non-toxic drugs. The use of hepatoma cell lines, such as HepG2 cell line, for the evaluation of drug-induced hepatotoxicity is hampered by their low cytochrome P450 expression which makes impossible the study of the toxicity produced by bioactivable compounds. Genetically manipulated cells constitute promising tools for hepatotoxicity applications. HepG2 cells were simultaneously transfected with recombinant adenoviruses encoding CYP1A2, CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 to confer them drug-metabolic competence. Upgraded cells (Adv-HepG2) were highly able to metabolize the toxin studied in contrast to the reduced metabolic capacity of HepG2 cells. Aflatoxin B1-induced hepatotoxicity was studied as a proof of concept in metabolically competent and non-competent HepG2 cells by using high content screening technology. Significant differences in mitochondrial membrane potential, intracellular calcium concentration, nuclear morphology and cell viability after treatment with aflatoxin B1 were observed in Adv-HepG2 when compared to HepG2 cells. Rotenone (non bioactivable) and citrate (non hepatotoxic) were analysed as negative controls. This cell model showed to be a suitable hepatic model to test hepatotoxicity of bioactivable drugs and constitutes a valuable alternative for hepatotoxicity testing. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Ginger for Prevention of Antituberculosis-induced Gastrointestinal Adverse Reactions Including Hepatotoxicity: A Randomized Pilot Clinical Trial.

    PubMed

    Emrani, Zahra; Shojaei, Esphandiar; Khalili, Hossein

    2016-06-01

    In this study, the potential benefits of ginger in preventing antituberculosis drug-induced gastrointestinal adverse reactions including hepatotoxicity have been evaluated in patients with tuberculosis. Patients in the ginger and placebo groups (30 patients in each group) received either 500 mg ginger (Zintoma)(®) or placebo one-half hour before each daily dose of antituberculosis drugs for 4 weeks. Patients' gastrointestinal complaints (nausea, vomiting, dyspepsia, and abdominal pain) and antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity were recorded during the study period. In this cohort, nausea was the most common antituberculosis drug-induced gastrointestinal adverse reactions. Forty eight (80%) patients experienced nausea. Nausea was more common in the placebo than the ginger group [27 (90%) vs 21 (70%), respectively, p = 0.05]. During the study period, 16 (26.7%) patients experienced antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity. Patients in the ginger group experienced less, but not statistically significant, antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity than the placebo group (16.7% vs 36.7%, respectively, p = 0.07). In conclusion, ginger may be a potential option for prevention of antituberculosis drug-induced gastrointestinal adverse reactions including hepatotoxicity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. Real-time imaging of oxidative and nitrosative stress in the liver of live animals for drug-toxicity testing

    PubMed Central

    Shuhendler, Adam J.; Pu, Kanyi; Cui, Lina; Uetrecht, Jack P.

    2014-01-01

    Current drug-safety assays for hepatotoxicity rely on biomarkers with low predictive power. The production of radical species, specifically reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), has been proposed as an early unifying event linking the bioactivation of drugs to hepatotoxicity and as a more direct and mechanistic indicator of hepatotoxic potential. Here we present a nanosensor for rapid, real-time in vivo imaging of drug-induced ROS and RNS for direct evaluation of acute hepatotoxicity. By combining fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (CRET), our semiconducting polymer–based nanosensor simultaneously and differentially detects RNS and ROS using two optically independent channels. Drug-induced hepatotoxicity and its remediation are imaged longitudinally in mice following systemic challenge with acetaminophen or isoniazid. Dose-dependent ROS and RNS activity is detected in the liver within minutes of drug challenge, preceding histological changes, protein nitration and DNA double strand break induction. PMID:24658645

  16. Drugs of abuse and addiction: A slippery slope toward liver injury.

    PubMed

    Roy, Dijendra Nath; Goswami, Ritobrata

    2016-08-05

    Substances of abuse induce alteration in neurobehavioral symptoms, which can lead to simultaneous exacerbation of liver injury. The biochemical changes of liver are significantly observed in the abused group of people using illicit drugs or drugs that are abused. A huge amount of work has been carried out by scientists for validation experiments using animal models to assess hepatotoxicity in cases of drugs of abuse. The risk of hepatotoxicity from these psychostimulants has been determined by different research groups. Hepatotoxicity of these drugs has been recently highlighted and isolated case reports always have been documented in relation to misuse of the drugs. These drugs induce liver toxicity on acute or chronic dose dependent process, which ultimately lead to liver damage, acute fatty infiltration, cholestatic jaundice, liver granulomas, hepatitis, liver cirrhosis etc. Considering the importance of drug-induced hepatotoxicity as a major cause of liver damage, this review emphasizes on various drugs of abuse and addiction which induce hepatotoxicity along with their mechanism of liver damage in clinical aspect as well as in vitro and in vivo approach. However, the mechanisms of drug-induced hepatotoxicity is dependent on reactive metabolite formation via metabolism, modification of covalent bonding between cellular components with drug and its metabolites, reactive oxygen species generation inside and outside of hepatocytes, activation of signal transduction pathways that alter cell death or survival mechanism, and cellular mitochondrial damage, which leads to alteration in ATP generation have been notified here. Moreover, how the cytokines are modulated by these drugs has been mentioned here. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Advancing Predictive Hepatotoxicity at the Intersection of Experimental, in Silico, and Artificial Intelligence Technologies.

    PubMed

    Fraser, Keith; Bruckner, Dylan M; Dordick, Jonathan S

    2018-06-18

    Adverse drug reactions, particularly those that result in drug-induced liver injury (DILI), are a major cause of drug failure in clinical trials and drug withdrawals. Hepatotoxicity-mediated drug attrition occurs despite substantial investments of time and money in developing cellular assays, animal models, and computational models to predict its occurrence in humans. Underperformance in predicting hepatotoxicity associated with drugs and drug candidates has been attributed to existing gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms involved in driving hepatic injury after these compounds perfuse and are metabolized by the liver. Herein we assess in vitro, in vivo (animal), and in silico strategies used to develop predictive DILI models. We address the effectiveness of several two- and three-dimensional in vitro cellular methods that are frequently employed in hepatotoxicity screens and how they can be used to predict DILI in humans. We also explore how humanized animal models can recapitulate human drug metabolic profiles and associated liver injury. Finally, we highlight the maturation of computational methods for predicting hepatotoxicity, the untapped potential of artificial intelligence for improving in silico DILI screens, and how knowledge acquired from these predictions can shape the refinement of experimental methods.

  18. Hepatotoxicity due to first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs: a five-year experience in a Taiwan medical centre.

    PubMed

    Shu, C-C; Lee, C-H; Lee, M-C; Wang, J-Y; Yu, C-J; Lee, L-N

    2013-07-01

    Hepatotoxicity with first-line drugs, a major complication of anti-tuberculosis treatment, has not been studied by time-dependent analysis. Adult patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) from 2005 to 2009 were reviewed retrospectively. Hepatotoxicity during anti-tuberculosis treatment was defined by symptomatic elevation of liver transaminases ≥3 times the upper limit of normal, or ≥5 times if asymptomatic. Risk factors for hepatotoxicity were investigated using time-dependent Cox regression analysis. Of 926 patients identified and followed for 4122.9 person-months (pm), 111 (12.0%) developed hepatotoxicity after a median 38.0 days from start of treatment. Around 3.5% had severe hepatotoxicity. The most common symptoms were general malaise and poor appetite. The incidence rate of hepatotoxicity was 0.59, 0.69 and 3.71/100 pm for isoniazid, rifampicin (RMP) and pyrazinamide (PZA), respectively. Old age, female sex, autoimmune disease, human immunodeficiency virus infection, more days with PZA in the last 8-14 days, and fewer days with RMP in the last 15-21 days before hepatotoxicity were independent risk factors for hepatotoxicity during treatment. A significant number of adult patients on first-line treatment experience hepatotoxicity. PZA is the most common causative drug. For high-risk patients, careful adjustment of the anti-tuberculosis regimen and regular monitoring of liver transaminases are necessary.

  19. A systematic review of NSAIDs withdrawn from the market due to hepatotoxicity: lessons learned from the bromfenac experience.

    PubMed

    Goldkind, Lawrence; Laine, Loren

    2006-04-01

    Drug-induced hepatotoxicity is the leading cause of acute liver failure (ALF) in the US and the most common adverse event causing drug non-approval and drug withdrawal by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Three different nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been withdrawn in the UK and/or the US due to hepatotoxicity (bromfenac, ibufenac, and benoxaprofen). A systematic review of clinical trials data for these drugs was performed in an effort to identify possible early signals that could have predicted post-marketing serious hepatoxicity. There were very limited published data on benoxaprofen and none on ibufenac or bromfenac. The publicly accessible archives of the FDA provided information on bromfenac. Flu-like symptoms associated with hepatic enzyme elevation and a case of possible drug-related hepatocellular jaundice may in retrospect have been signals for serious hepatotoxicity in the database of 1195 subjects reviewed by the FDA. Following approval, rates of acute liver failure for bromfenac were estimated to be in the range of 1:10 000. In addition, the safety databases of several drugs also accessed through FDA archives have been reviewed (simvastatin, tacrine, troglitazone, and ximelagatran). These data suggest that while ALT elevations alone do not reliably signal serious hepatotoxicity, elevated transaminases in association with symptomatic hepatitis or jaundice may be predictors of an increased risk of ALF. At present, however, pre-approval databases are generally not large enough to rule out low rates of serious hepatotoxicity. Therefore, it remains critical that clinicians report such cases to the FDA through the MEDWATCH system and that active post-marketing monitoring studies be used to identify potential rare cases of hepatotoxicity. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. Polymerase γ gene POLG determines the risk of sodium valproate-induced liver toxicity.

    PubMed

    Stewart, Joanna D; Horvath, Rita; Baruffini, Enrico; Ferrero, Iliana; Bulst, Stefanie; Watkins, Paul B; Fontana, Robert J; Day, Christopher P; Chinnery, Patrick F

    2010-11-01

    Sodium valproate (VPA) is widely used throughout the world to treat epilepsy, migraine, chronic headache, bipolar disorder, and as adjuvant chemotherapy. VPA toxicity is an uncommon but potentially fatal cause of idiosyncratic liver injury. Rare mutations in POLG, which codes for the mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ (polγ), cause Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome (AHS). AHS is a neurometabolic disorder associated with an increased risk of developing fatal VPA hepatotoxicity. We therefore set out to determine whether common genetic variants in POLG explain why some otherwise healthy individuals develop VPA hepatotoxicity. We carried out a prospective study of subjects enrolled in the Drug Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN) from 2004 to 2008 through five US centers. POLG was sequenced and the functional consequences of VPA and novel POLG variants were evaluated in primary human cell lines and the yeast model system Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Heterozygous genetic variation in POLG was strongly associated with VPA-induced liver toxicity (odds ratio = 23.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.4-65.8, P = 5.1 × 10⁻⁷). This was principally due to the p.Q1236H substitution which compromised polγ function in yeast. Therapeutic doses of VPA inhibited human cellular proliferation and high doses caused nonapoptotic cell death, which was not mediated through mitochondrial DNA depletion, mutation, or a defect of fatty acid metabolism. These findings implicate impaired liver regeneration in VPA toxicity and show that prospective genetic testing of POLG will identify individuals at high risk of this potentially fatal consequence of treatment.

  1. POLG determines the risk of sodium valproate induced liver toxicity

    PubMed Central

    Stewart, Joanna D.; Horvath, Rita; Baruffini, Enrico; Ferrero, Iliana; Bulst, Stefanie; Watkins, Paul B.; Fontana, Robert J.; Day, Christopher P.; Chinnery, Patrick F.

    2013-01-01

    Sodium valproate (VPA) is widely used throughout the world to treat epilepsy, migraine, chronic headache, bipolar disorder, and as adjuvant chemotherapy. VPA toxicity is an uncommon but potentially fatal cause of idiosyncratic liver injury. Rare mutations in POLG, which codes for the mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ (polγ), cause the Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome (AHS). AHS is a neurometabolic disorder associated with an increased risk of developing fatal VPA-hepatotoxicity. We therefore set out to determine whether common genetic variants in POLG explain why some otherwise healthy individuals develop VPA-hepatotoxicity. We carried out a prospective study of subjects enrolled in the Drug Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN) from 2004 to 2008 through five US centres. POLG was sequenced and the functional consequences of VPA and novel POLG variants were evaluated in primary human cell lines and the yeast model system Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Heterozygous genetic variation in POLG was strongly associated with VPA-induced liver toxicity (odds ratio = 23.6, 95% CI = 8.4 – 65.8, P = 5.1 × 10−7). This was principally due to the p.Q1236H substitution which compromised polγ function in yeast. Therapeutic doses of VPA inhibited human cellular proliferation, and high doses caused non-apoptotic cell death which was not mediated through mitochondrial DNA depletion, mutation, or a defect of fatty acid metabolism. These findings implicate impaired liver regeneration in VPA toxicity, and show that prospective genetic testing of POLG will identify individuals at high risk of this potentially fatal consequence of treatment. PMID:21038416

  2. A Systematic Strategy for Screening and Application of Specific Biomarkers in Hepatotoxicity Using Metabolomics Combined With ROC Curves and SVMs.

    PubMed

    Li, Yubo; Wang, Lei; Ju, Liang; Deng, Haoyue; Zhang, Zhenzhu; Hou, Zhiguo; Xie, Jiabin; Wang, Yuming; Zhang, Yanjun

    2016-04-01

    Current studies that evaluate toxicity based on metabolomics have primarily focused on the screening of biomarkers while largely neglecting further verification and biomarker applications. For this reason, we used drug-induced hepatotoxicity as an example to establish a systematic strategy for screening specific biomarkers and applied these biomarkers to evaluate whether the drugs have potential hepatotoxicity toxicity. Carbon tetrachloride (5 ml/kg), acetaminophen (1500 mg/kg), and atorvastatin (5 mg/kg) are established as rat hepatotoxicity models. Fifteen common biomarkers were screened by multivariate statistical analysis and integration analysis-based metabolomics data. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the biomarkers. We obtained 10 specific biomarker candidates with an area under the curve greater than 0.7. Then, a support vector machine model was established by extracting specific biomarker candidate data from the hepatotoxic drugs and nonhepatotoxic drugs; the accuracy of the model was 94.90% (92.86% sensitivity and 92.59% specificity) and the results demonstrated that those ten biomarkers are specific. 6 drugs were used to predict the hepatotoxicity by the support vector machines model; the prediction results were consistent with the biochemical and histopathological results, demonstrating that the model was reliable. Thus, this support vector machine model can be applied to discriminate the between the hepatic or nonhepatic toxicity of drugs. This approach not only presents a new strategy for screening-specific biomarkers with greater diagnostic significance but also provides a new evaluation pattern for hepatotoxicity, and it will be a highly useful tool in toxicity estimation and disease diagnoses. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  3. Clinical presentation and management of drug-induced agranulocytosis.

    PubMed

    Andrès, Emmanuel; Zimmer, Jacques; Mecili, Mustapha; Weitten, Thierry; Alt, Martine; Maloisel, Frédéric

    2011-04-01

    In this article, we report and discuss the clinical presentation and management of idiosyncratic drug-induced agranulocytosis (neutrophil count <0.5 × 10(9)/l). Idiosyncratic drug-induced agranulocytosis remains a potentially serious adverse event owing to the frequency of severe sepsis with severe deep tissue infections (e.g., pneumonia), septicemia and septic shock in approximately two-thirds of all hospitalized patients. However, several prognostic factors have recently been identified that may be helpful in practice to identify 'susceptible' patients. Old age (>65 years), septicemia or shock, metabolic disorders such as renal failure and a neutrophil count below 0.1 × 10(9)/l are currently consensually accepted as poor prognostic factors. In this potentially life-threatening disorder, modern management with broad-spectrum antibiotics and hematopoietic growth factors (particularly granulocyte colony-stimulating factor) is likely to improve prognosis. Thus, with appropriate management, the mortality rate from idiosyncratic drug-induced agranulocytosis is currently approximately 5%.

  4. Neutrophil-cytokine interactions in a rat model of sulindac-induced idiosyncratic liver injury.

    PubMed

    Zou, Wei; Roth, Robert A; Younis, Husam S; Malle, Ernst; Ganey, Patricia E

    2011-12-18

    Previous studies indicated that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) interacts with the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug sulindac (SLD) to produce liver injury in rats. In the present study, the mechanism of SLD/LPS-induced liver injury was further investigated. Accumulation of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in the liver was greater in SLD/LPS-cotreated rats compared to those treated with SLD or LPS alone. In addition, PMN activation occurred specifically in livers of rats cotreated with SLD/LPS. The hypothesis that PMNs and proteases released from them play critical roles in the hepatotoxicity was tested. SLD/LPS-induced liver injury was attenuated by prior depletion of PMNs or by treatment with the PMN protease inhibitor, eglin C. Previous studies suggested that tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) and the hemostatic system play critical roles in the pathogenesis of liver injury induced by SLD/LPS. TNF and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) can contribute to hepatotoxicity by affecting PMN activation and fibrin deposition. Therefore, the role of TNF and PAI-1 in PMN activation and fibrin deposition in the SLD/LPS-induced liver injury model was tested. Neutralization of TNF or inhibition of PAI-1 attenuated PMN activation. TNF had no effect on PAI-1 production or fibrin deposition. In contrast, PAI-1 contributed to fibrin deposition in livers of rats treated with SLD/LPS. In summary, PMNs, TNF and PAI-1 contribute to the liver injury induced by SLD/LPS cotreatment. TNF and PAI-1 independently contributed to PMN activation, which is critical to the pathogenesis of liver injury. Moreover, PAI-1 contributed to liver injury by promoting fibrin deposition. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Herbal Hepatotoxicity: RUCAM and the Role of Novel Diagnostic Biomarkers Such as MicroRNAs.

    PubMed

    Teschke, Rolf; Larrey, Dominique; Melchart, Dieter; Danan, Gaby

    2016-07-19

    Background : Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with its focus on herbal use is popular and appreciated worldwide with increased tendency, although its therapeutic efficacy is poorly established for most herbal TCM products. Treatment was perceived as fairly safe but discussions emerged more recently as to whether herb induced liver injury (HILI) from herbal TCM is a major issue; Methods : To analyze clinical and case characteristics of HILI caused by herbal TCM, we undertook a selective literature search in the PubMed database with the search items Traditional Chinese Medicine, TCM, alone and combined with the terms herbal hepatotoxicity or herb induced liver injury; Results : HILI caused by herbal TCM is rare and similarly to drugs can be caused by an unpredictable idiosyncratic or a predictable intrinsic reaction. Clinical features of liver injury from herbal TCM products are variable, and specific diagnostic biomarkers such as microsomal epoxide hydrolase, pyrrole-protein adducts, metabolomics, and microRNAs are available for only a few TCM herbs. The diagnosis is ascertained if alternative causes are validly excluded and causality levels of probable or highly probable are achieved applying the liver specific RUCAM (Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method) as the most commonly used diagnostic tool worldwide. Case evaluation may be confounded by inappropriate or lacking causality assessment, poor herbal product quality, insufficiently documented cases, and failing to exclude alternative causes such as infections by hepatotropic viruses including hepatitis E virus infections; Conclusion : Suspected cases of liver injury from herbal TCM represent major challenges that deserve special clinical and regulatory attention to improve the quality of case evaluations and ascertain patients' safety and benefit.

  6. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Herbal Hepatotoxicity: RUCAM and the Role of Novel Diagnostic Biomarkers Such as MicroRNAs

    PubMed Central

    Teschke, Rolf; Larrey, Dominique; Melchart, Dieter; Danan, Gaby

    2016-01-01

    Background: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with its focus on herbal use is popular and appreciated worldwide with increased tendency, although its therapeutic efficacy is poorly established for most herbal TCM products. Treatment was perceived as fairly safe but discussions emerged more recently as to whether herb induced liver injury (HILI) from herbal TCM is a major issue; Methods: To analyze clinical and case characteristics of HILI caused by herbal TCM, we undertook a selective literature search in the PubMed database with the search items Traditional Chinese Medicine, TCM, alone and combined with the terms herbal hepatotoxicity or herb induced liver injury; Results: HILI caused by herbal TCM is rare and similarly to drugs can be caused by an unpredictable idiosyncratic or a predictable intrinsic reaction. Clinical features of liver injury from herbal TCM products are variable, and specific diagnostic biomarkers such as microsomal epoxide hydrolase, pyrrole-protein adducts, metabolomics, and microRNAs are available for only a few TCM herbs. The diagnosis is ascertained if alternative causes are validly excluded and causality levels of probable or highly probable are achieved applying the liver specific RUCAM (Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method) as the most commonly used diagnostic tool worldwide. Case evaluation may be confounded by inappropriate or lacking causality assessment, poor herbal product quality, insufficiently documented cases, and failing to exclude alternative causes such as infections by hepatotropic viruses including hepatitis E virus infections; Conclusion: Suspected cases of liver injury from herbal TCM represent major challenges that deserve special clinical and regulatory attention to improve the quality of case evaluations and ascertain patients’ safety and benefit. PMID:28930128

  7. Comparison of in vitro bioactivation of flutamide and its cyano analogue: evidence for reductive activation by human NADPH:cytochrome P450 reductase.

    PubMed

    Wen, Bo; Coe, Kevin J; Rademacher, Peter; Fitch, William L; Monshouwer, Mario; Nelson, Sidney D

    2008-12-01

    Flutamide (FLU), a nonsteroidal antiandrogen drug widely used in the treatment of prostate cancer, has been associated with idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity in patients. It is proposed that bioactivation of FLU and subsequent binding of reactive metabolite(s) to cellular proteins play a causative role. A toxicogenomic study comparing FLU and its nitro to cyano analogue (CYA) showed that the nitroaromatic group of FLU enhanced cytotoxicity to hepatocytes, indicating that reduction of the nitroaromatic group may represent a potential route of FLU-induced hepatotoxicity [Coe et al. (2007) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 20, 1277-1290]. In the current study, we compared in vitro bioactivation of FLU and CYA in human liver microsomes and cryopreserved human hepatocytes. A nitroreduction metabolite FLU-6 was formed in liver microsomal incubations of FLU under atmospheric oxygen levels and, to a greater extent, under anaerobic conditions. Seven glutathione (GSH) adducts of FLU, FLU-G1-7, were tentatively identified in human liver microsomal incubations using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ MS/MS), while CYA formed only four corresponding GSH adducts, CYA-G1-4, under the same conditions. Of particular interest was the formation of FLU-G5-7 from FLU, where the nitroaromatic group of FLU was reduced to an amino group. A tentative pathway is that upon nitroreduction, the para-diamines undergo cytochrome P450 (P450)-catalyzed two-electron oxidations to form corresponding para-diimine intermediates that react with GSH to form GSH adducts FLU-G5-7, respectively. The identities of FLU-G5-7 were further confirmed by LC/MS/MS analyses of microsomal incubations of a synthesized standard FLU-6. In an attempt to identify enzymes involved in the nitroreduction of FLU, NADPH:cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) was shown to reduce FLU to FLU-6 under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Furthermore, the formation of FLU-G5-7 was completely blocked by the addition of a reversible CPR inhibitor, alpha-lipoic acid, to the incubations of FLU under aerobic conditions. In summary, these results clearly demonstrate that nitroreduction of FLU by CPR contributes to bioactivation and potentially to hepatotoxicity of FLU.

  8. Role of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease as risk factor for drug-induced hepatotoxicity

    PubMed Central

    Massart, Julie; Begriche, Karima; Moreau, Caroline; Fromenty, Bernard

    2017-01-01

    Background Obesity is often associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which refers to a large spectrum of hepatic lesions including fatty liver, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis. Different investigations showed or suggested that obesity and NAFLD are able to increase the risk of hepatotoxicity of different drugs. Some of these drugs could induce more frequently an acute hepatitis in obese individuals whereas others could worsen pre-existing NAFLD. Aim The main objective of the present review was to collect the available information regarding the role of NAFLD as risk factor for drug-induced hepatotoxicity. For this purpose, we performed a data-mining analysis using different queries including drug-induced liver injury (or DILI), drug-induced hepatotoxicity, fatty liver, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (or NAFLD), steatosis and obesity. The main data from the collected articles are reported in this review and when available, some pathophysiological hypotheses are put forward. Relevance for patients Drugs that could pose a potential risk in obese patients include compounds belonging to different pharmacological classes such as acetaminophen, halothane, methotrexate, rosiglitazone, stavudine and tamoxifen. For some of these drugs, experimental investigations in obese rodents confirmed the clinical observations and unveiled different pathophysiological mechanisms which could explain why these pharmaceuticals are particularly hepatotoxic in obesity and NAFLD. Other drugs such as pentoxifylline, phenobarbital and omeprazole might also pose a risk but more investigations are required to determine whether this risk is significant or not. Because obese people often take several drugs for the treatment of different obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia and coronary heart disease, it is urgent to identify the main pharmaceuticals that can cause acute hepatitis on a fatty liver background or induce NAFLD worsening. PMID:28691103

  9. [3D evaluation model for drug hepatotoxicity testing on HepG2 cells and its application in drug safety evaluation].

    PubMed

    Li, Dan-Dan; Tang, Xiang-Lin; Tan, Hong-Ling; Liang, Qian-de; Wang, Yu-Guang; Ma, Zeng-Chun; Xiao, Cheng-Rong; Gao, Yue

    2016-04-01

    3D in vitro toxicity testing model was developed by magnetic levitation method for culture of the human hepatoma cell line HepG2 and applied to evaluate the drug hepatotoxicity. After formation of stable 3D structure for HepG2 cells, their glycogen storage capacity under 2D and 3D culture conditions were detected by immunohistochemistry technology, and the mRNA expression levels of phase Ⅰ and Ⅱ drug metabolism enzymes, drug transporters, nuclear receptors and liver-specific marker albumin(ALB) were compared between 2D and 3D culture conditions by using RT-PCR method. Immunohistochemistry results showed that HepG2 cells had abundant glycogen storage capacity under 3D culture conditions, which was similar to human liver tissues. The mRNA expression levels of major drug metabolism enzymes, drug transporters, nuclear receptors and ALB in HepG2 cells under 3D culture conditions were up-regulated as compared with 2D culture conditions. For drug hepatotoxicity evaluation, the typical hepatotoxic drug acetaminophen(APAP), and most reported drugs Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.(Chinese name He-shou-wu) and Psoraleae corylifolia L.(Chinese name Bu-gu-zhi) were selected for single dose and repeated dose(7 d) exposure. In the repeated dose exposure test, 3D HepG2 cells showed higher sensitivity. This established 3D HepG2 cells model with magnetic levitation 3D culture techniques was more close to the human liver tissues both in morphology and functions, so it was a better 3D hepatotoxicity evaluation model. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  10. Factors affecting drug-induced liver injury: antithyroid drugs as instances

    PubMed Central

    Niknahad, Hossein; Jamshidzadeh, Akram; Abdoli, Narges

    2014-01-01

    Methimazole and propylthiouracil have been used in the management of hyperthyroidism for more than half a century. However, hepatotoxicity is one of the most deleterious side effects associated with these medications. The mechanism(s) of hepatic injury induced by antithyroid agents is not fully recognized yet. Furthermore, there are no specific tools for predicting the occurrence of hepatotoxicity induced by these drugs. The purpose of this article is to give an overview on possible susceptibility factors in liver injury induced by antithyroid agents. Age, gender, metabolism characteristics, alcohol consumption, underlying diseases, immunologic mechanisms, and drug interactions are involved in enhancing antithyroid drugs-induced hepatic damage. An outline on the clinically used treatments for antithyroid drugs-induced hepatotoxicity and the potential therapeutic strategies found to be effective against this complication are also discussed. PMID:25320726

  11. Upgrading HepG2 cells with adenoviral vectors that encode drug-metabolizing enzymes: application for drug hepatotoxicity testing.

    PubMed

    Gómez-Lechón, M José; Tolosa, Laia; Donato, M Teresa

    2017-02-01

    Drug attrition rates due to hepatotoxicity are an important safety issue considered in drug development. The HepG2 hepatoma cell line is currently being used for drug-induced hepatotoxicity evaluations, but its expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes is poor compared with hepatocytes. Different approaches have been proposed to upgrade HepG2 cells for more reliable drug-induced liver injury predictions. Areas covered: We describe the advantages and limitations of HepG2 cells transduced with adenoviral vectors that encode drug-metabolizing enzymes for safety risk assessments of bioactivable compounds. Adenoviral transduction facilitates efficient and controlled delivery of multiple drug-metabolizing activities to HepG2 cells at comparable levels to primary human hepatocytes by generating an 'artificial hepatocyte'. Furthermore, adenoviral transduction enables the design of tailored cells expressing particular metabolic capacities. Expert opinion: Upgraded HepG2 cells that recreate known inter-individual variations in hepatic CYP and conjugating activities due to both genetic (e.g., polymorphisms) or environmental (e.g., induction, inhibition) factors seems a suitable model to identify bioactivable drug and conduct hepatotoxicity risk assessments. This strategy should enable the generation of customized cells by reproducing human pheno- and genotypic CYP variability to represent a valuable human hepatic cell model to develop new safer drugs and to improve existing predictive toxicity assays.

  12. Detection of anti-isoniazid and anti-cytochrome P450 antibodies in patients with isoniazid-induced liver failure.

    PubMed

    Metushi, Imir G; Sanders, Corron; Lee, William M; Uetrecht, Jack

    2014-03-01

    Isoniazid (INH)-induced hepatotoxicity remains one of the most common causes of drug-induced idiosyncratic liver injury and liver failure. This form of liver injury is not believed to be immune-mediated because it is not usually associated with fever or rash, does not recur more rapidly on rechallenge, and previous studies have failed to identify anti-INH antibodies (Abs). In this study, we found Abs present in sera of 15 of 19 cases of INH-induced liver failure. Anti-INH Abs were present in 8 sera; 11 had anti-cytochrome P450 (CYP)2E1 Abs, 14 had Abs against CYP2E1 modified by INH, 14 had anti-CYP3A4 antibodies, and 10 had anti-CYP2C9 Abs. INH was found to form covalent adducts with CYP2E1, CYP3A4, and CYP2C9. None of these Abs were detected in sera from INH-treated controls without significant liver injury. The presence of a range of antidrug and autoAbs has been observed in other drug-induced liver injury that is presumed to be immune mediated. These data provide strong evidence that INH induces an immune response that causes INH-induced liver injury. © 2014 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

  13. Drug Induced Liver Injury: Can Biomarkers Assist RUCAM in Causality Assessment?

    PubMed Central

    Teschke, Rolf; Schulze, Johannes; Eickhoff, Axel; Danan, Gaby

    2017-01-01

    Drug induced liver injury (DILI) is a potentially serious adverse reaction in a few susceptible individuals under therapy by various drugs. Health care professionals facing DILI are confronted with a wealth of drug-unrelated liver diseases with high incidence and prevalence rates, which can confound the DILI diagnosis. Searching for alternative causes is a key element of RUCAM (Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method) to assess rigorously causality in suspected DILI cases. Diagnostic biomarkers as blood tests would be a great help to clinicians, regulators, and pharmaceutical industry would be more comfortable if, in addition to RUCAM, causality of DILI can be confirmed. High specificity and sensitivity are required for any diagnostic biomarker. Although some risk factors are available to evaluate liver safety of drugs in patients, no valid diagnostic or prognostic biomarker exists currently for idiosyncratic DILI when a liver injury occurred. Identifying a biomarker in idiosyncratic DILI requires detailed knowledge of cellular and biochemical disturbances leading to apoptosis or cell necrosis and causing leakage of specific products in blood. As idiosyncratic DILI is typically a human disease and hardly reproducible in animals, pathogenetic events and resulting possible biomarkers remain largely undisclosed. Potential new diagnostic biomarkers should be evaluated in patients with DILI and RUCAM-based established causality. In conclusion, causality assessment in cases of suspected idiosyncratic DILI is still best achieved using RUCAM since specific biomarkers as diagnostic blood tests that could enhance RUCAM results are not yet available. PMID:28398242

  14. Public health impact of androgens.

    PubMed

    Kanayama, Gen; Kaufman, Marc J; Pope, Harrison G

    2018-06-01

    To summarize recent findings regarding the public health impact of androgen abuse. Abuse of androgens (also called 'anabolic-androgenic steroids') has grown into a major worldwide substance abuse problem involving tens of millions of individuals, of whom about 98% are men. Most androgen abusers are still under age 50 today, and thus, the long-term effects of these drugs are only beginning to be understood. Recent studies confirm that long-term supraphysiologic androgen exposure produces cardiovascular toxicity, characterized especially by cardiomyopathy and atherosclerotic disease. Withdrawal from androgens after long-term use may produce prolonged and sometimes irreversible hypogonadism in men. Supraphysiologic androgen levels may sometimes cause irritability, aggressiveness, and violence, whereas androgen withdrawal may cause depression. However, these psychiatric effects are idiosyncratic, affecting only a minority of users. Emerging evidence now also suggests that long-term androgen exposure may cause neurotoxicity, raising the possibility that aging androgen abusers may be at increased risk for dementia. Several recent studies have also described androgen-induced hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and adverse musculoskeletal effects. Recent studies have demonstrated marked adverse effects of long-term androgen abuse. As increasing numbers of androgen abusers reach middle age, these effects will likely represent an emerging public health problem.

  15. Bioactivation of drugs in the skin: relationship to cutaneous adverse drug reactions.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Amy M; Uetrecht, Jack

    2014-02-01

    Drug-induced skin rashes are poorly understood idiosyncratic reactions, and current methods cannot predict their occurrence. Most idiosyncratic drug reactions are thought to be caused by chemically reactive metabolites, and the skin is a frequent site of idiosyncratic reactions; however, the skin has a very limited capacity to metabolize drugs. To balance this, the skin represents a protective barrier with a very active immune response against pathogens and other types of skin injury. Therefore its response to reactive metabolites is quite different from that of the liver. The purpose of this review is to integrate emerging findings into proposed mechanisms of drug and carcinogen metabolism in the skin that are likely responsible for rashes and other immune responses of the skin. Current evidence suggests the skin possesses significant sulfotransferase and flavin monooxygenases activities, but very low cytochromes P450 activity. However, there are skin-specific P450s that are not present in the liver. The manner in which the skin responds to neoantigens through local antigen presentation and innate immune sensing is reviewed with a focus on insights gained from the contact hypersensitivity (CHS) field. The roles of keratinocytes and Langerhans cells, and the emerging function of NOD-like receptors, are highlighted.

  16. Predictivity of dog co-culture model, primary human hepatocytes and HepG2 cells for the detection of hepatotoxic drugs in humans

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Atienzar, Franck A., E-mail: franck.atienzar@ucb.com; Novik, Eric I.; Gerets, Helga H.

    Drug Induced Liver Injury (DILI) is a major cause of attrition during early and late stage drug development. Consequently, there is a need to develop better in vitro primary hepatocyte models from different species for predicting hepatotoxicity in both animals and humans early in drug development. Dog is often chosen as the non-rodent species for toxicology studies. Unfortunately, dog in vitro models allowing long term cultures are not available. The objective of the present manuscript is to describe the development of a co-culture dog model for predicting hepatotoxic drugs in humans and to compare the predictivity of the canine modelmore » along with primary human hepatocytes and HepG2 cells. After rigorous optimization, the dog co-culture model displayed metabolic capacities that were maintained up to 2 weeks which indicates that such model could be also used for long term metabolism studies. Most of the human hepatotoxic drugs were detected with a sensitivity of approximately 80% (n = 40) for the three cellular models. Nevertheless, the specificity was low approximately 40% for the HepG2 cells and hepatocytes compared to 72.7% for the canine model (n = 11). Furthermore, the dog co-culture model showed a higher superiority for the classification of 5 pairs of close structural analogs with different DILI concerns in comparison to both human cellular models. Finally, the reproducibility of the canine system was also satisfactory with a coefficient of correlation of 75.2% (n = 14). Overall, the present manuscript indicates that the dog co-culture model may represent a relevant tool to perform chronic hepatotoxicity and metabolism studies. - Highlights: • Importance of species differences in drug development. • Relevance of dog co-culture model for metabolism and toxicology studies. • Hepatotoxicity: higher predictivity of dog co-culture vs HepG2 and human hepatocytes.« less

  17. Mechanistic Biomarkers in Acetaminophen-induced Hepatotoxicity and Acute Liver Failure: From Preclinical Models to Patients

    PubMed Central

    McGill, Mitchell R.; Jaeschke, Hartmut

    2015-01-01

    SUMMARY Introduction Drug hepatotoxicity is a major clinical issue. Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is especially common. Serum biomarkers used to follow patient progress reflect either liver injury or function, but focus on biomarkers that can provide insight into the basic mechanisms of hepatotoxicity is increasing and enabling us to translate mechanisms of toxicity from animal models to humans. Areas covered We review recent advances in mechanistic serum biomarker research in drug hepatotoxicity. Specifically, biomarkers for reactive drug intermdiates, mitochondrial dysfunction, nuclear DNA damage, mode of cell death and inflammation are discussed, as well as microRNAs. Emphasis is placed on APAP-induced liver injury. Expert Opinion Several serum biomarkers of reactive drug intermediates, mitochondrial damage, nuclear DNA damage, apoptosis and necrosis, and inflammation have been described. These studies have provided evidence that mitochondrial damage is critical in APAP hepatotoxicity in humans, while apoptosis has only a minor role, and inflammation is important for recovery and regeneration after APAP overdose. Additionally, mechanistic serum biomarkers have been shown to predict outcome as well as, or better than, some clinical scores. In the future, such biomarkers will help determine the need for liver transplantation and, with improved understanding of the human pathophysiology, identify novel therapeutic targets. PMID:24836926

  18. Factors associated with anti-TB drug-induced hepatotoxicity and genetic polymorphisms in indigenous and non-indigenous populations in Brazil.

    PubMed

    Heinrich, Melissa M; Zembrzuski, Verônica M; Ota, Marcos M; Sacchi, Flavia P; Teixeira, Raquel L F; Cabello Acero, Pedro H; Cunha, Geraldo Marcelo; Souza-Santos, Reinaldo; Croda, Julio; Basta, Paulo C

    2016-12-01

    Anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs are responsible for the occurrence of several adverse drug reactions (ADRs), including hepatotoxicity. The aim was to estimate the incidence of hepatotoxicity and its association with genetic polymorphisms and clinical-epidemiological factors by comparing indigenous and non-indigenous TB patients. We investigated clinical-epidemiological variables, serum levels of liver enzymes and NAT2, CYP2E1 and GSTM1 polymorphisms. A non-conditional logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with hepatotoxicity. Odds ratios were used as the association measures. The incidence of hepatotoxicity was 19.7% for all patients. The risk of hepatotoxicity was almost four times higher in indigenous patients, comparing to non-indigenous. We identified a new nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism of NAT2 in indigenous patients. In total, 54.6% of the patients expressed a slow acetylation phenotype profile. The frequency of the null genotype of GSTM1 was higher in non-indigenous patients (p = 0.002), whereas no significant differences in relation to polymorphisms of CYP2E1 were observed between the groups. Hepatotoxicity was associated with patients older than 60 and indigenous (OR = 26.0; 95%CI:3.1-217.6; OR = 3.8; 95%CI:1.3-11.1, respectively). Furthermore, hepatotoxicity was associated with a slow acetylation profile in indigenous patients (OR = 10.7; 95%CI:1.2-97.2). Our findings suggest that there are distinct acetylation profiles in the Brazilian population, emphasizing the importance of pharmacogenetic analyses for achieving personalized therapeutic schemes and better outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Idiosyncratic drug-induced agranulocytosis or acute neutropenia.

    PubMed

    Andrès, Emmanuel; Maloisel, Frédéric

    2008-01-01

    Idiosyncratic drug-induced agranulocytosis or acute neutropenia is an adverse event resulting in a neutrophil count of under 0.5 x 10/l. Patients with such severe neutropenia are likely to experience life-threatening and sometimes fatal infections. Over the last 20 years, the incidence of idiosyncratic drug-induced agranulocytosis or acute neutropenia has remained stable at 2.4-15.4 cases per million, despite the emergence of new causative drugs: antibiotics (beta-lactam and cotrimoxazole), antiplatelet agents (ticlopidine), antithyroid drugs, sulfasalazine, neuroleptics (clozapine), antiepileptic agents (carbamazepine), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents and dipyrone. Drug-induced agranulocytosis remains a serious adverse event due to the occurrence of severe sepsis with severe deep infections (such as pneumonia), septicemia and septic shock in around two thirds of patients. In this setting, old age (>65 years), septicemia or shock, metabolic disorders such as renal failure, and a neutrophil count under 0.1 x 10/l are poor prognostic factors. Nevertheless with appropriate management using preestablished procedures, with intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy and hematopoietic growth factors, the mortality rate is currently around 5%. Given the increased life expectancy and subsequent longer exposure to drugs, as well as the development of new agents, healthcare professionals should be aware of this adverse event and its management.

  20. Multicenter study of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole-related hepatotoxicity: incidence and associated factors among HIV-infected patients treated for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia.

    PubMed

    Yang, Jen-Jia; Huang, Chung-Hao; Liu, Chun-Eng; Tang, Hung-Jen; Yang, Chia-Jui; Lee, Yi-Chien; Lee, Kuan-Yeh; Tsai, Mao-Song; Lin, Shu-Wen; Chen, Yen-Hsu; Lu, Po-Liang; Hung, Chien-Ching

    2014-01-01

    The incidence of hepatotoxicity related to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) administered at a therapeutic dose may vary among study populations of different ethnicities and hepatotoxic metabolites of TMP/SMX may be decreased by drug-drug interaction with fluconazole. We aimed to investigate the incidence of hepatotoxicity and the role of concomitant use of fluconazole in HIV-infected patients receiving TMP/SMX for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. We reviewed medical records to collect clinical characteristics and laboratory data of HIV-infected patients who received TMP/SMX for treatment of P. jirovecii pneumonia at 6 hospitals around Taiwan between September 2009 and February 2013. Hepatotoxicity was defined as 2-fold or greater increase of aminotransferase or total bilirubin level from baselines. Roussel UCLAF Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) was used to analyze the causality of drug-induced liver injuries. NAT1 and NAT2 acetylator types were determined with the use of polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) restriction fragment length polymorphism to differentiate common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) predictive of the acetylator phenotypes in a subgroup of patients. During the study period, 286 courses of TMP/SMX treatment administered to 284 patients were analyzed. One hundred and fifty-two patients (53.1%) developed hepatotoxicity, and TMP/SMX was considered causative in 47 (16.4%) who had a RUCAM score of 6 or greater. In multivariate analysis, concomitant use of fluconazole for candidiasis was the only factor associated with reduced risk for hepatotoxicity (adjusted odds ratio, 0.372; 95% confidence interval, 0.145-0.957), while serostatus of hepatitis B or C virus, NAT1 and NAT2 acetylator types, or receipt of combination antiretroviral therapy was not. The incidence of hepatotoxicity decreased with an increasing daily dose of fluconazole up to 4.0 mg/kg. We conclude that the incidence of TMP/SMX-related hepatotoxicity was 16.4% in HIV-infected Taiwanese patients who received TMP/SMX for pneumocystosis. Concomitant use of fluconazole was associated with decreased risk for TMP/SMX-related hepatotoxicity.

  1. An integrated analysis of liver safety data from orlistat clinical trials.

    PubMed

    Morris, Marc; Lane, Peter; Lee, Kwan; Parks, Daniel

    2012-01-01

    Orlistat is an oral gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor and is indicated for treatment of obesity in combination with a hypocaloric diet. Post-marketing reports of adverse reactions revealed hints for possible drug-induced liver injury which has prompted changes to the product information. Orlistat's development program, involving over 30,000 patients, did not indicate a hepatic safety issue. We analyzed liver function test data from randomized clinical trials of orlistat, using i) meta-analysis of published study safety data, ii) time-to-event analysis for individual patients, and iii) a novel and more sensitive method derived from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) evaluation of drug-induced serious hepatotoxicity (eDISH) technique. Over 10,000 subjects were included. The combined odds ratio from a simple summary-level fixed-effects meta-analysis of treatment-emergent abnormalities in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (defined as greater than the upper level of normal for 2 successive measurements) was 1.09 (95% CI 0.93-1.28), and in total bilirubin 1.24 (95% CI 1.03-1.49). Part of the small apparent effect was due to longer exposure to orlistat than to placebo, on average. A patient-level display, adjusting for regression towards the mean, and Kaplan-Meier analysis of changes in ALT and bilirubin, taking account of different exposure, showed no significant difference between orlistat and placebo. This shows that there is no signal for hepatic damage in clinical studies of orlistat. While idiosyncratic liver injury following exposure to orlistat cannot be excluded, it is likely to be extremely rare.

  2. Assessment of hepatotoxicity of first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs on Wistar rats.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Radhika; Kaur, Ramneek; Mukesh, Manishi; Sharma, Vijay L

    2018-01-01

    Adverse drug reactions are inevitable risk factors associated with use of modern medicines. First-line anti-tuberculosis drugs contribute to diverse pathological complications, and hepatotoxicity is one of them. This study investigated the effects of anti-TB drugs in combination (rifampicin [RIF] + isoniazid [INH] + pyrazinamide [PZA]) on Wistar rats. Rats were grouped as control group (saline), toxicant group that was given (30.85 mg/kg b.wt., INH + 61.7 mg/kg b.wt., RIF + 132.65 mg/kg b.wt. PZA in dosage extrapolated from dose that is used in human). Different anti-oxidant enzymes were measured in the liver along with histopathology, hematology, genotoxic effect on bone marrow chromosomes, and DNA fragmentation. In addition, gene and protein expression of CYP2E1, NR1I2, NAT, and CYP7A1 was measured by qPCR and western blot. After administration of anti-TB drugs to Wistar rats for 28 days, there was an increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and a decrease in anti-oxidant enzymes. Marked changes in histopathology, hematology, DNA fragmentation, chromosomes, and in gene expression were observed. Results of the study proved increased hepatotoxicity due to combinational treatment of anti-TB drugs and also that CYP2E1, NR1I2, NAT, and CYP7A1 genes play a vital role in anti-TB drug-induced hepatotoxicity.

  3. Research Advances on Hepatotoxicity of Herbal Medicines in China.

    PubMed

    Liu, Changxiao; Fan, Huirong; Li, Yazhuo; Xiao, Xiaohe

    2016-01-01

    In general, herbal medicines have been considered as safe by the general public, since they are naturally occurring and have been applied in treatment for over thousands of years. As the use of herbal medicine is rapidly increasing globally, the potential toxicity of herbal drugs, in particular drug-induced liver injury (DILI), has now become a serious medical issue. According to the literature, the authors analyzed and discussed the hepatotoxicity problem of Chinese herbal medicines (CHM), including global overview on herbal-induced liver injury (HILI), current research progress on toxic CHM, diagnosis and treatment of HILI, and modern approaches and technologies of study of hepatotoxicity. As to promote the recognition of HILI and tackle the issue, a guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of HILI has recently been drafted by Chinese scientists. As suggested by the guideline, the hepatotoxicity issue of CHM, as a matter of fact, is overestimated. Up to date, the investigation of hepatotoxicity of CHM is now booming with worldwide application of CHM. This review therefore provides useful information for investigating hepatotoxicity of herbal medicine and characterizing DILI caused by CHM. In addition, authors describe in which way further efforts should be made to study the rationale of CHM and liver injury.

  4. Review article: herbal and dietary supplement hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Bunchorntavakul, C; Reddy, K R

    2013-01-01

    Herbal and dietary supplements are commonly used throughout the World. There is a tendency for underreporting their ingestion by patients and the magnitude of their use is underrecognised by Physicians. Herbal hepatotoxicity is not uncommonly encountered, but the precise incidence and manifestations have not been well characterised. To review the epidemiology, presentation and diagnosis of herbal hepatotoxicity. This review will mainly discuss single ingredients and complex mixtures of herbs marketed under a single label. A Medline search was undertaken to identify relevant literature using search terms including 'herbal', 'herbs', 'dietary supplement', 'liver injury', 'hepatitis' and 'hepatotoxicity'. Furthermore, we scanned the reference lists of the primary and review articles to identify publications not retrieved by electronic searches. The incidence rates of herbal hepatotoxicity are largely unknown. The clinical presentation and severity can be highly variable, ranging from mild hepatitis to acute hepatic failure requiring transplantation. Scoring systems for the causality assessment of drug-induced liver injury may be helpful, but have not been validated for herbal hepatotoxicity. Hepatotoxicity features of commonly used herbal products, such as Ayurvedic and Chinese herbs, black cohosh, chaparral, germander, greater celandine, green tea, Herbalife, Hydroxycut, kava, pennyroyal, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, skullcap, and usnic acid, have been individually reviewed. Furthermore, clinically significant herb-drug interactions are also discussed. A number of herbal medicinal products are associated with a spectrum of hepatotoxicity events. Advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis and the risks involved are needed to improve herbal medicine safety. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  5. Drug induced hepatotoxicity: data from the Serbian pharmacovigilance database.

    PubMed

    Petronijevic, Marija; Ilic, Katarina; Suzuki, Ayako

    2011-04-01

    The main aim of this study was to determine the most frequently reported drugs to the Serbian Pharmacovigilance Database (SPD) with suspected induced hepatotoxicity. Additionally, reasons for the low reporting rate of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in Serbia were identified. Retrospective observational study of spontaneously reported ADRs recorded in the SPD from January 1995 to December 2008 was performed. The Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) was used to identify cases of hepatobiliary disorders (HD). Drugs were classified using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification. Medline and WHO-UMC databases were used to address specific queries suggested by our results. The questionnaire was used to investigate the health care professionals' knowledge and practice related to spontaneous reporting. Among the 1804 reports of ADRs recorded in the SPD between 1995 and 2008, 70 (3.9%) cases of HD were identified. Drugs most frequently associated with hepatotoxicity were anti-infectives for systemic use, drugs affecting the nervous system, herbal products, hypolipemics, and anticoagulant drugs (26.83, 24.39, 12.20, 9.76, and 8.54% cases, respectively). Four cases (5.71%) of liver injury resulted in death, which accounted for 10.26% of all ADR fatalities reported to the SPD. The main reasons for not reporting ADRs were lack of reporting knowledge (30.26%), well-known ADRs (29.89%), and insecurity about causality relationship (15.50%). Anti-infectives, nervous system drugs, and herbal products were the most common drug classes reported for hepatotoxicity in Serbia. There is a need for additional education about ADRs, and enhanced reporting by health care professionals. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  6. Paracetamol poisoning in children and hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed Central

    Penna, A; Buchanan, N

    1991-01-01

    1. Paracetamol is one of the most common drugs that children accidentally ingest. Unlike the situation in adults, death and hepatotoxicity in children from paracetamol poisoning are exceedingly uncommon events. A review of the literature has revealed only seven deaths and fourteen cases of hepatotoxicity in children, with most of the cases resulting from chronic poisoning and not acute poisoning. 2. Children may be less prone to paracetamol hepatotoxicity because of developmental differences in the drug's metabolism and its pathways of detoxification. In the therapeutic setting of treatment of fever and pain in children, paracetamol is regarded as a drug with a higher therapeutic index, and as such, there seems to be little concern with strict adherence to dosage regimes. 3. Scrutiny of the above paediatric cases associated with chronic paracetamol poisoning suggests that the margin of safety of frequent therapeutic doses of paracetamol in infants and young children to be a lot lower than previously appreciated. This review highlights the need to re-evaluate the safety of paracetamol in the context of chronic therapy in infants and young children. PMID:1931463

  7. Comparison of in Vitro Bioactivation of Flutamide and Its Cyano Analogue: Evidence for Reductive Activation by Human NADPH:Cytochrome P450 Reductase

    PubMed Central

    Wen, Bo; Coe, Kevin J.; Rademacher, Peter; Fitch, William L.; Monshouwer, Mario; Nelson, Sidney D.

    2009-01-01

    Flutamide (FLU), a nonsteroidal antiandrogen drug widely used in the treatment of prostate cancer, has been associated with idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity in patients. It is proposed that bioactivation of FLU and subsequent binding of reactive metabolite(s) to cellular proteins play a causative role. A toxicogenomic study comparing FLU and its nitro to cyano analogue (CYA) showed that the nitroaromatic group of FLU enhanced cytotoxicity to hepatocytes, indicating that reduction of the nitroaromatic group may represent a potential route of FLU-induced hepatotoxicity [Coe et al. (2007) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 20, 1277–1290]. In the current study, we compared in vitro bioactivation of FLU and CYA in human liver microsomes and cryopreserved human hepatocytes. A nitroreduction metabolite FLU-6 was formed in liver microsomal incubations of FLU under atmospheric oxygen levels and, to a greater extent, under anaerobic conditions. Seven glutathione (GSH) adducts of FLU, FLU-G1–7, were tentatively identified in human liver microsomal incubations using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), while CYA formed only four corresponding GSH adducts, CYA-G1–4, under the same conditions. Of particular interest was the formation of FLU-G5–7 from FLU, where the nitroaromatic group of FLU was reduced to an amino group. A tentative pathway is that upon nitroreduction, the para-diamines undergo cytochrome P450 (P450)-catalyzed two-electron oxidations to form corresponding para-diimine intermediates that react with GSH to form GSH adducts FLU-G5–7, respectively. The identities of FLU-G5–7 were further confirmed by LC/MS/MS analyses of microsomal incubations of a synthesized standard FLU-6. In an attempt to identify enzymes involved in the nitroreduction of FLU, NADPH:cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) was shown to reduce FLU to FLU-6 under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Furthermore, the formation of FLU-G5–7 was completely blocked by the addition of a reversible CPR inhibitor, α-lipoic acid, to the incubations of FLU under aerobic conditions. In summary, these results clearly demonstrate that nitroreduction of FLU by CPR contributes to bioactivation and potentially to hepatotoxicity of FLU. PMID:19548358

  8. Adverse effects of ketoconazole in dogs--a retrospective study.

    PubMed

    Mayer, Ursula K; Glos, Katharina; Schmid, Matthias; Power, Helen T; Bettenay, Sonya V; Mueller, Ralf S

    2008-08-01

    Although ketoconazole has been used extensively in dogs for the treatment of various fungal infections, information about adverse effects is mainly anecdotal. Common adverse effects in humans include dose-dependant anorexia, nausea and vomiting, allergic rashes and pruritus. Drug-induced hepatitis is very rare, but potentially fatal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the type and frequency of adverse effects associated with ketoconazole therapy in dogs treated for skin diseases and any possible influence of dosage, duration of therapy, signalment or concurrent medication. The medical records of 632 dogs treated with ketoconazole (2.6-33.4 mg/kg) were reviewed. Adverse effects occurred in 14.6% (92 dogs) and included vomiting (7.1%), anorexia (4.9%), lethargy (1.9%), diarrhea (1.1%), pruritus (0.6%), erythema (0.3%) and other adverse effects (2.5%). Of the dogs with other adverse effects, four of 16 (25%) were ataxic and three of these received concurrent ivermectin. Adverse effects were significantly more often recorded in dogs concurrently treated with ciclosporin (P = 0.034) or ivermectin (P = 0.007). Increased liver enzyme levels were reported rarely, and icterus was not seen in any of the dogs. However, monitoring liver enzymes during therapy is recommended, although this might not necessarily prevent severe idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity.

  9. Pegvisomant: a growth hormone receptor antagonist used in the treatment of acromegaly.

    PubMed

    Tritos, Nicholas A; Biller, Beverly M K

    2017-02-01

    To review published data on pegvisomant and its therapeutic role in acromegaly. Electronic searches of the published literature were conducted using the keywords: acromegaly, growth hormone (GH) receptor (antagonist), pegvisomant, therapy. Relevant articles (n = 141) were retrieved and considered for inclusion in this manuscript. Pegvisomant is a genetically engineered, recombinant growth hormone receptor antagonist, which is effective in normalizing serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels in the majority of patients with acromegaly and ameliorating symptoms and signs associated with GH excess. Pegvisomant does not have direct antiproliferative effects on the underlying somatotroph pituitary adenoma, which is the etiology of GH excess in the vast majority of patients with acromegaly. Therefore, patients receiving pegvisomant monotherapy require regular pituitary imaging in order to monitor for possible increase in tumor size. Adverse events in patients on pegvisomant therapy include skin rashes, lipohypertrophy at injection sites, and idiosyncratic liver toxicity (generally asymptomatic transaminitis that is reversible upon drug discontinuation), thus necessitating regular patient monitoring. Pegvisomant is an effective therapeutic agent in patients with acromegaly who are not in remission after undergoing pituitary surgery. It mitigates excess GH action, as demonstrated by IGF-1 normalization, but has no direct effects on pituitary tumors causing acromegaly. Regular surveillance for possible tumor growth and adverse effects (hepatotoxicity, skin manifestations) is warranted.

  10. Research Advances on Hepatotoxicity of Herbal Medicines in China

    PubMed Central

    Fan, Huirong; Li, Yazhuo; Xiao, Xiaohe

    2016-01-01

    In general, herbal medicines have been considered as safe by the general public, since they are naturally occurring and have been applied in treatment for over thousands of years. As the use of herbal medicine is rapidly increasing globally, the potential toxicity of herbal drugs, in particular drug-induced liver injury (DILI), has now become a serious medical issue. According to the literature, the authors analyzed and discussed the hepatotoxicity problem of Chinese herbal medicines (CHM), including global overview on herbal-induced liver injury (HILI), current research progress on toxic CHM, diagnosis and treatment of HILI, and modern approaches and technologies of study of hepatotoxicity. As to promote the recognition of HILI and tackle the issue, a guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of HILI has recently been drafted by Chinese scientists. As suggested by the guideline, the hepatotoxicity issue of CHM, as a matter of fact, is overestimated. Up to date, the investigation of hepatotoxicity of CHM is now booming with worldwide application of CHM. This review therefore provides useful information for investigating hepatotoxicity of herbal medicine and characterizing DILI caused by CHM. In addition, authors describe in which way further efforts should be made to study the rationale of CHM and liver injury. PMID:28078299

  11. Analysis of 90 cases of antithyroid drug-induced severe hepatotoxicity over 13 years in China.

    PubMed

    Yang, Jun; Li, Lin-Fa; Xu, Qin; Zhang, Jun; Weng, Wan-Wen; Zhu, Yang-Jun; Dong, Meng-Jie

    2015-03-01

    Antithyroid drug (ATD)-induced severe hepatotoxicity is a rare but serious complication of ATD therapy. The characteristics of severe hepatotoxicity have been reported in only a small number of patients. Ninety patients with ATD-induced severe hepatotoxicity presenting during a 13 year period (2000-2013) who were about to undergo nuclear medicine therapy with (131)I from a sample of 8864 patients with hyperthyroidism were studied, and the outcomes were evaluated. The mean age of the patients with ATD-induced severe hepatotoxicity was 41.6±12.5 years (mean±standard deviation), and the female to male ratio was 2.2:1. The methimazole (MMI) dose given at the onset was 19.1±7.4 mg/day. The propylthiouracil (PTU) dose given at the onset was 212.8±105.0 mg/day. ATD-induced severe hepatotoxicity occurred in 63.3%, 75.6%, and 81.1% of patients within 4, 8, and 12 weeks of the onset of ATD therapy, respectively. The types of severe hepatotoxicity did not differ significantly between the MMI and PTU groups (p=0.188). The frequency of the cholestatic type in the MMI group (35.3%, 18/51) was higher than that in the PTU group (17.9%, 7/39), but these frequencies were not significantly different (p=0.069). The patients who were treated with (131)I received an average dose of 279.1±86.1 MBq (n=84). Therapy was successful in 60 of the 67 patients (89.6%). The success rate was equivalent (p=0.696) between the groups receiving MMI (91.7%, 33/36) and PTU (87.1%, 27/31). Severe hepatotoxicity tends to occur within the first three months after the onset of ATD therapy. The type of ATD-induced severe hepatotoxicity did not differ between the MMI and PTU groups. (131)I therapy is an effective treatment approach for patients with ATD-induced severe hepatotoxicity.

  12. Investigation of Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Its Remediation Pathway with Reaction-Based Fluorescent Probes.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Dan; Xu, Wang; Yuan, Lin; Zhang, Xiaobing

    2017-07-18

    Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is considered a serious problem related to public health, due to its unpredictability and acute response. The level of peroxynitrite (ONOO - ) generated in liver has long been regarded as a biomarker for the prediction and measurement of DILI. Herein we present two reaction-based fluorescent probes (Naph-ONOO - and Rhod-ONOO - ) for ONOO - through a novel and universally applicable mechanism: ONOO - -mediated deprotection of α-keto caged fluorophores. Among them, Rhod-ONOO - can selectively accumulate and react in mitochondria, one of the main sources of ONOO - , with a substantial lower nanomolar sensitivity of 43 nM. The superior selectivity and sensitivity of two probes enable real-time imaging of peroxynitrite generation in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated live cells, with a remarkable difference from cells doped with other interfering reactive oxygen species, in either one- or two-photon imaging modes. More importantly, we elucidated the drug-induced hepatotoxicity pathway with Rhod-ONOO - and revealed that CYP450/CYP2E1-mediated enzymatic metabolism of acetaminophen leads to ONOO - generation in liver cells. This is the first time to showcase the drug-induced hepatotoxicity pathways by use of a small-molecule fluorescent probe. We hence conclude that fluorescent probes can engender a deeper understanding of reactive species and their pathological revelations. The reaction-based fluorescent probes will be a potentially useful chemical tool to assay drug-induced hepatotoxicity.

  13. Herbal hepatotoxicity: a tabular compilation of reported cases.

    PubMed

    Teschke, Rolf; Wolff, Albrecht; Frenzel, Christian; Schulze, Johannes; Eickhoff, Axel

    2012-11-01

    Herbal hepatotoxicity is a field that has rapidly grown over the last few years along with increased use of herbal products worldwide. To summarize the various facets of this disease, we undertook a literature search for herbs, herbal drugs and herbal supplements with reported cases of herbal hepatotoxicity. A selective literature search was performed to identify published case reports, spontaneous case reports, case series and review articles regarding herbal hepatotoxicity. A total of 185 publications were identified and the results compiled. They show 60 different herbs, herbal drugs and herbal supplements with reported potential hepatotoxicity, additional information including synonyms of individual herbs, botanical names and cross references are provided. If known, details are presented for specific ingredients and chemicals in herbal products, and for references with authors that can be matched to each herbal product and to its effect on the liver. Based on stringent causality assessment methods and/or positive re-exposure tests, causality was highly probable or probable for Ayurvedic herbs, Chaparral, Chinese herbal mixture, Germander, Greater Celandine, green tea, few Herbalife products, Jin Bu Huan, Kava, Ma Huang, Mistletoe, Senna, Syo Saiko To and Venencapsan(®). In many other publications, however, causality was not properly evaluated by a liver-specific and for hepatotoxicity-validated causality assessment method such as the scale of CIOMS (Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences). This compilation presents details of herbal hepatotoxicity, assisting thereby clinical assessment of involved physicians in the future. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  14. Identifying 2 prenylflavanones as potential hepatotoxic compounds in the ethanol extract of Sophora flavescens.

    PubMed

    Yu, Qianqian; Cheng, Nengneng; Ni, Xiaojun

    2013-11-01

    Zhixue capsule is a prescription for hemorrhoid commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. This drug was recalled by the State Food and Drug Administration in 2008 because of severe adverse hepatic reactions. Zhixue capsule is composed of ethanol extracts of Cortex Dictamni (ECD) and Sophora flavescens (ESF). In our preliminary study, we observed the hepatotoxic effects of ESF on rat primary hepatocytes. However, ECD did not exhibit hepatotoxicity at the same concentration range. In this study, ESF was evaluated for its potential hepatotoxic effects on rats. Bioassay-guided isolation was used to identify the material basis for hepatotoxicity. Treatment with 1.25 g/kg and 2.5 g/kg ESF significantly elevated the alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels in the serum. The changes in the levels of transaminases were supported by the remarkable fatty degeneration of liver histopathology. Further investigations using bioassay-guided isolation and analysis indicated that prenylated flavanones accounted for the positive hepatotoxic results. Two isolated compounds were identified, kurarinone and sophoraflavanone G, using nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry techniques. These compounds have potent toxic effects on primary rat hepatocytes (with IC50 values of 29.9 μM and 16.5 μM) and human HL-7702 liver cells (with IC50 values of 48.2 μM and 40.3 μM), respectively. Consequently, the hepatotoxic constituents of S. flavescens were determined to be prenylated flavanones, kurarinone, and sophoraflavanone G. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®

  15. Evaluation of naranjo adverse drug reactions probability scale in causality assessment of drug-induced liver injury.

    PubMed

    García-Cortés, M; Lucena, M I; Pachkoria, K; Borraz, Y; Hidalgo, R; Andrade, R J

    2008-05-01

    Causality assessment in hepatotoxicity is challenging. The current standard liver-specific Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences/Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method scale is complex and difficult to implement in daily practice. The Naranjo Adverse Drug Reactions Probability Scale is a simple and widely used nonspecific scale, which has not been specifically evaluated in drug-induced liver injury. To compare the Naranjo method with the standard liver-specific Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences/Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method scale in evaluating the accuracy and reproducibility of Naranjo Adverse Drug Reactions Probability Scale in the diagnosis of hepatotoxicity. Two hundred and twenty-five cases of suspected hepatotoxicity submitted to a national registry were evaluated by two independent observers and assessed for between-observer and between-scale differences using percentages of agreement and the weighted kappa (kappa(w)) test. A total of 249 ratings were generated. Between-observer agreement was 45% with a kappa(w) value of 0.17 for the Naranjo Adverse Drug Reactions Probability Scale, while there was a higher agreement when using the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences/Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method scale (72%, kappa(w): 0.71). Concordance between the two scales was 24% (kappa(w): 0.15). The Naranjo Adverse Drug Reactions Probability Scale had low sensitivity (54%) and poor negative predictive value (29%) and showed a limited capability to distinguish between adjacent categories of probability. The Naranjo scale lacks validity and reproducibility in the attribution of causality in hepatotoxicity.

  16. [Research progress on potential liver toxic components in traditional Chinese medicine].

    PubMed

    Wu, Hao; Zhong, Rong-Ling; Xia, Zhi; Huang, Hou-Cai; Zhong, Qing-Xiang; Feng, Liang; Song, Jie; Jia, Xiao-Bin

    2016-09-01

    In recent years, the proportion of traditional Chinese medicine in scientific research and its clinical use increased gradually. The research result also becomes more and more valuable, but in the process of using traditional Chinese medicine, it also needs to pay more attention. With the gradual deepening of the toxicity of traditional Chinese medicine, some traditional Chinese medicines have also been found to have the potential toxicity, with the exception of some traditional toxicity Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine in the growth, processing, processing, transportation and other aspects of pollution or deterioration will also cause the side effects to the body. Clinical practice should be based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine to guide rational drug use and follow the symptomatic medication, the principle of proper compatibility. The constitution of the patients are different, except for a few varieties of traditional Chinese medicines are natural herbs with hepatotoxicity, liver toxicity of most of the traditional Chinese medicine has idiosyncratic features. The liver plays an important role in drug metabolism. It is easy to be damaged by drugs. Therefore, the study of traditional Chinese medicine potential liver toxicity and its toxic components has become one of the basic areas of traditional Chinese medicine research. Based on the review of the literatures, this paper summarizes the clinical classification of liver toxicity, the pathogenesis of target cell injury, and systematically summarizes the mechanism of liver toxicity and toxic mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine. This paper provided ideas for the study of potential liver toxicity of traditional Chinese medicine and protection for clinical safety of traditional Chinese medicine. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  17. [Constitutional syndrome associated to metformin induced hepatotoxicity].

    PubMed

    de la Poza Gómez, Gema; Rivero Fernández, Miguel; Vázquez Romero, Manuel; Angueira Lapeña, Teresa; Arranz de la Mata, Gemma; Boixeda de Miquel, Daniel

    2008-12-01

    Metformin is an oral antidiabetic agent frequently used to manage type II diabetes. This drug produces nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms in 5-20% of patients and, more rarely, has also been associated with severe adverse effects such as lactic acidosis. Only a few isolated cases of hepatotoxicity due to this drug have been documented. We report the case of an 83-year-old man with constitutional syndrome and hepatic biochemical alterations, which were attributed to metformin after ruling out an oncologic etiology and observing complete clinical and biochemical resolution after withdrawal of the drug.

  18. Successful oral desensitization with osimertinib following osimertinib-induced fever and hepatotoxicity: a case report.

    PubMed

    Hirabayashi, Ryosuke; Fujimoto, Daichi; Satsuma, Yukari; Hirabatake, Masaki; Tomii, Keisuke

    2018-05-02

    Osimertinib is a standard second-line therapy for patients who develop EGFR Thr790Met resistance mutation after treatment with first-line epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Although no other effective targeted treatment option exists for these patients, osimertinib might be permanently discontinued owing to the onset of severe drug-induced toxicities like hepatotoxicity. Herein, we report a case of successful oral desensitization with osimertinib after the patient developed osimertinib-induced fever and hepatotoxicity. In the present case report, a 62-year-old Japanese woman received osimertinib as the sixth-line therapy for non-small cell lung carcinoma harboring EGFR Thr790Met-mutation. After 15 days of treatment, she developed general malaise. Although we reduced the drug at a lower dose, she again presented with high fever and elevated serum AST/ALT levels three days after re-initiating treatment. We then attempted oral desensitization with osimertinib over a two-week period. Thereafter, the patient continued osimertinib treatment for 6 months without the recurrence of side effects. In conclusion, oral desensitization may be a useful method in treating hepatotoxicity and drug fever caused by osimertinib.

  19. Adrenergic modulation of hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Roberts, S M; DeMott, R P; James, R C

    1997-01-01

    Summaries of the interactions caused by altering adrenoreceptor activity in conjunction with the administration of selected hepatotoxicants are provided in Table 2 and Fig. 1. These hepatotoxicants can be divided into two groups, one whose toxicity is increased by adrenergic agonist drugs (group I) and the other whose toxicity is decreased by adrenergic antagonists (group II). Group I includes carbon tetrachloride, acetaminophen, and methylphenidate. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect these chemicals have in common is the striking potentiation that occurs with cotreatment with certain adrenergic agonist drugs. For each of these, cotreatment with the appropriate adrenergic agent can result in massive hepatocellular necrosis from an otherwise nontoxic dose. In terms of the specific adrenoreceptors involved and mechanisms of potentiation, however, they have little in common. Potentiation of carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity appears to be mediated by alpha(2)-adrenoceptor stimulation, acetaminophen is potentiated by alpha(1)-adrenoreceptor agonists, and methylphenidate responds to beta(2)-adrenoreceptor stimulation. Studies of the potentiation of carbon tetrachloride and acetaminophen agree that the timing of adrenergic stimulation relative to the hepatotoxicant dose is critically important to the interaction but markedly different for these two toxicants. Acetaminophen was potentiated only when the adrenergic drug was administered as a 3-h pretreatment. This is apparently a consequence of a mechanism of potentiation that involves adrenergic depression of hepatic glutathione content and a requirement that peak effects on glutathione of both the adrenergic agent and acetaminophen be coincident. The mechanism of potentiation of carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity is uncertain but clearly does not involve hepatic glutathione content. In contrast to acetaminophen, adrenergic effects must occur within a time window a few hours after the carbon tetrachloride dose for potentiation to occur. The importance of dose timing has not been evaluated for adrenergic potentiation of methylphenidate hepatotoxicity, but it is clear that this interaction is based on yet a third mechanism. While only three hepatotoxicants of the group I type have been examined in detail, the diversity of receptor types and mechanisms involved suggest that this phenomenon may be relevant for a wide variety of hepatotoxic drugs and chemicals. This interaction is also of interest because factors or events that lead to increased adrenergic stimulation are common in everyday life. Most over-the-counter cold and allergy preparations contain sympathomimetic drugs, and many prescription drugs produce adrenergic effects as either an extension of the intended therapeutic effect or as a side effect. Stress and some disease states can also lead to significant increases in peripheral adrenergic activity, creating the potential for increased susceptibility to hepatic injury from exposure to certain drugs or chemicals. Cocaine and bromobenzene represent group II, chemicals whose hepatotoxicity is diminished by cotreatment with adrenergic antagonist drugs. In the case of cocaine, adrenergic antagonist cotreatment was capable of reducing serum alanine aminotransferase activities by approximately 50%. For bromobenzene, the protection afforded by adrenergic antagonist cotreatment was more profound, with minimal hepatic lesions resulting from doses of bromobenzene that otherwise produced lethal hepatic necrosis. For the chemicals in group II, experimental observations are consistent with a phenomenon in which adrenergic potentiation of toxicity is supplied by the hepatotoxicant itself. Both cocaine and bromobenzene, in hepatotoxic doses increase endogenous catecholamine levels. When the effects of the elevated catecholamines are removed with the appropriate adrenergic antagonist, much lower toxicity (presumably due only to the direct hepatotoxic effects of the drug or chemical) is obse

  20. Identification of metabolites, clinical chemistry markers and transcripts associated with hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Buness, Andreas; Roth, Adrian; Herrmann, Annika; Schmitz, Oliver; Kamp, Hennicke; Busch, Kristina; Suter, Laura

    2014-01-01

    Early and accurate pre-clinical and clinical biomarkers of hepatotoxicity facilitate the drug development process and the safety monitoring in clinical studies. We selected eight known model compounds to be administered to male Wistar rats to identify biomarkers of drug induced liver injury (DILI) using transcriptomics, metabolite profiling (metabolomics) and conventional endpoints. We specifically explored early biomarkers in serum and liver tissue associated with histopathologically evident acute hepatotoxicity. A tailored data analysis strategy was implemented to better differentiate animals with no treatment-related findings in the liver from animals showing evident hepatotoxicity as assessed by histopathological analysis. From the large number of assessed parameters, our data analysis strategy allowed us to identify five metabolites in serum and five in liver tissue, 58 transcripts in liver tissue and seven clinical chemistry markers in serum that were significantly associated with acute hepatotoxicity. The identified markers comprised metabolites such as taurocholic acid and putrescine (measured as sum parameter together with agmatine), classical clinical chemistry markers like AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase), and bilirubin, as well as gene transcripts like Igfbp1 (insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1) and Egr1 (early growth response protein 1). The response pattern of the identified biomarkers was concordant across all types of parameters and sample matrices. Our results suggest that a combination of several of these biomarkers could significantly improve the robustness and accuracy of an early diagnosis of hepatotoxicity.

  1. In silico models for the prediction of dose-dependent human hepatotoxicity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheng, Ailan; Dixon, Steven L.

    2003-12-01

    The liver is extremely vulnerable to the effects of xenobiotics due to its critical role in metabolism. Drug-induced hepatotoxicity may involve any number of different liver injuries, some of which lead to organ failure and, ultimately, patient death. Understandably, liver toxicity is one of the most important dose-limiting considerations in the drug development cycle, yet there remains a serious shortage of methods to predict hepatotoxicity from chemical structure. We discuss our latest findings in this area and present a new, fully general in silico model which is able to predict the occurrence of dose-dependent human hepatotoxicity with greater than 80% accuracy. Utilizing an ensemble recursive partitioning approach, the model classifies compounds as toxic or non-toxic and provides a confidence level to indicate which predictions are most likely to be correct. Only 2D structural information is required and predictions can be made quite rapidly, so this approach is entirely appropriate for data mining applications and for profiling large synthetic and/or virtual libraries.

  2. Exacerbation of Acetaminophen Hepatotoxicity by the Anthelmentic Drug Fenbendazole

    PubMed Central

    Gardner, Carol R.; Mishin, Vladimir; Laskin, Jeffrey D.; Laskin, Debra L.

    2012-01-01

    Fenbendazole is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug widely used to prevent or treat nematode infections in laboratory rodent colonies. Potential interactions between fenbendazole and hepatotoxicants such as acetaminophen are unknown, and this was investigated in this study. Mice were fed a control diet or a diet containing fenbendazole (8–12 mg/kg/day) for 7 days prior to treatment with acetaminophen (300 mg/kg) or phosphate buffered saline. In mice fed a control diet, acetaminophen administration resulted in centrilobular hepatic necrosis and increases in serum transaminases, which were evident within 12 h. Acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity was markedly increased in mice fed the fenbendazole-containing diet, as measured histologically and by significant increases in serum transaminase levels. Moreover, in mice fed the fenbendazole-containing diet, but not the control diet, 63% mortality was observed within 24 h of acetaminophen administration. Fenbendazole by itself had no effect on liver histology or serum transaminases. To determine if exaggerated hepatotoxicity was due to alterations in acetaminophen metabolism, we analyzed sera for the presence of free acetaminophen and acetaminophen-glucuronide. We found that there were no differences in acetaminophen turnover. We also measured cytochrome P450 (cyp) 2e1, cyp3a, and cyp1a2 activity. Whereas fenbendazole had no effect on the activity of cyp2e1 or cyp3a, cyp1a2 was suppressed. A prolonged suppression of hepatic glutathione (GSH) was also observed in acetaminophen-treated mice fed the fenbendazole-containing diet when compared with the control diet. These data demonstrate that fenbendazole exacerbates the hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen, an effect that is related to persistent GSH depletion. These findings are novel and suggest a potential drug-drug interaction that should be considered in experimental protocols evaluating mechanisms of hepatotoxicity in rodent colonies treated with fenbendazole. PMID:22048645

  3. Exacerbation of acetaminophen hepatotoxicity by the anthelmentic drug fenbendazole.

    PubMed

    Gardner, Carol R; Mishin, Vladimir; Laskin, Jeffrey D; Laskin, Debra L

    2012-02-01

    Fenbendazole is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug widely used to prevent or treat nematode infections in laboratory rodent colonies. Potential interactions between fenbendazole and hepatotoxicants such as acetaminophen are unknown, and this was investigated in this study. Mice were fed a control diet or a diet containing fenbendazole (8-12 mg/kg/day) for 7 days prior to treatment with acetaminophen (300 mg/kg) or phosphate buffered saline. In mice fed a control diet, acetaminophen administration resulted in centrilobular hepatic necrosis and increases in serum transaminases, which were evident within 12 h. Acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity was markedly increased in mice fed the fenbendazole-containing diet, as measured histologically and by significant increases in serum transaminase levels. Moreover, in mice fed the fenbendazole-containing diet, but not the control diet, 63% mortality was observed within 24 h of acetaminophen administration. Fenbendazole by itself had no effect on liver histology or serum transaminases. To determine if exaggerated hepatotoxicity was due to alterations in acetaminophen metabolism, we analyzed sera for the presence of free acetaminophen and acetaminophen-glucuronide. We found that there were no differences in acetaminophen turnover. We also measured cytochrome P450 (cyp) 2e1, cyp3a, and cyp1a2 activity. Whereas fenbendazole had no effect on the activity of cyp2e1 or cyp3a, cyp1a2 was suppressed. A prolonged suppression of hepatic glutathione (GSH) was also observed in acetaminophen-treated mice fed the fenbendazole-containing diet when compared with the control diet. These data demonstrate that fenbendazole exacerbates the hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen, an effect that is related to persistent GSH depletion. These findings are novel and suggest a potential drug-drug interaction that should be considered in experimental protocols evaluating mechanisms of hepatotoxicity in rodent colonies treated with fenbendazole.

  4. Molindone and hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Bhatia, S C; Banta, L E; Ehrlich, D W

    1985-10-01

    An adolescent male with chronic schizophrenic disorder, paranoid type, was treated with molindone. He developed hepatotoxicity in the early treatment phase as evidenced by flu-like symptoms and laboratory abnormalities of liver functions. These symptoms and his hepatic functions improved on discontinuing molindone. Similar liver function trends were seen on reintroduction and subsequent withdrawal of the drug. Hepatic hypersensitivity has not been reported previously with the use of this drug. It is suggested that clinicians should be aware of this association and should assess hepatic functions in patients who develop a prodromal flu-like syndrome with this drug, especially in the early treatment phase.

  5. Predicting Drug-induced Hepatotoxicity Using QSAR and Toxicogenomics Approaches

    PubMed Central

    Low, Yen; Uehara, Takeki; Minowa, Yohsuke; Yamada, Hiroshi; Ohno, Yasuo; Urushidani, Tetsuro; Sedykh, Alexander; Muratov, Eugene; Fourches, Denis; Zhu, Hao; Rusyn, Ivan; Tropsha, Alexander

    2014-01-01

    Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) modeling and toxicogenomics are used independently as predictive tools in toxicology. In this study, we evaluated the power of several statistical models for predicting drug hepatotoxicity in rats using different descriptors of drug molecules, namely their chemical descriptors and toxicogenomic profiles. The records were taken from the Toxicogenomics Project rat liver microarray database containing information on 127 drugs (http://toxico.nibio.go.jp/datalist.html). The model endpoint was hepatotoxicity in the rat following 28 days of exposure, established by liver histopathology and serum chemistry. First, we developed multiple conventional QSAR classification models using a comprehensive set of chemical descriptors and several classification methods (k nearest neighbor, support vector machines, random forests, and distance weighted discrimination). With chemical descriptors alone, external predictivity (Correct Classification Rate, CCR) from 5-fold external cross-validation was 61%. Next, the same classification methods were employed to build models using only toxicogenomic data (24h after a single exposure) treated as biological descriptors. The optimized models used only 85 selected toxicogenomic descriptors and had CCR as high as 76%. Finally, hybrid models combining both chemical descriptors and transcripts were developed; their CCRs were between 68 and 77%. Although the accuracy of hybrid models did not exceed that of the models based on toxicogenomic data alone, the use of both chemical and biological descriptors enriched the interpretation of the models. In addition to finding 85 transcripts that were predictive and highly relevant to the mechanisms of drug-induced liver injury, chemical structural alerts for hepatotoxicity were also identified. These results suggest that concurrent exploration of the chemical features and acute treatment-induced changes in transcript levels will both enrich the mechanistic understanding of sub-chronic liver injury and afford models capable of accurate prediction of hepatotoxicity from chemical structure and short-term assay results. PMID:21699217

  6. Raised serum alkaline phosphatase and aspartate transaminase levels in two rheumatoid patients treated with sulphasalazine.

    PubMed Central

    Farr, M; Symmons, D P; Bacon, P A

    1985-01-01

    Hepatotoxicity is a rare complication of sulphasalazine therapy in ulcerative colitis. This report describes two rheumatoid patients in whom raised serum levels of liver enzymes occurred soon after starting sulphasalazine treatment for their arthritis. In both cases the serum enzyme levels returned to normal after stopping the drug. Drug-induced hepatotoxicity should be considered in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who develop raised serum levels of liver enzymes while taking sulphasalazine. PMID:2865931

  7. In Vitro Model for Hepatotoxicity Studies Based on Primary Human Hepatocyte Cultivation in a Perfused 3D Bioreactor System.

    PubMed

    Knöspel, Fanny; Jacobs, Frank; Freyer, Nora; Damm, Georg; De Bondt, An; van den Wyngaert, Ilse; Snoeys, Jan; Monshouwer, Mario; Richter, Marco; Strahl, Nadja; Seehofer, Daniel; Zeilinger, Katrin

    2016-04-16

    Accurate prediction of the potential hepatotoxic nature of new pharmaceuticals remains highly challenging. Therefore, novel in vitro models with improved external validity are needed to investigate hepatic metabolism and timely identify any toxicity of drugs in humans. In this study, we examined the effects of diclofenac, as a model substance with a known risk of hepatotoxicity in vivo, in a dynamic multi-compartment bioreactor using primary human liver cells. Biotransformation pathways of the drug and possible effects on metabolic activities, morphology and cell transcriptome were evaluated. Formation rates of diclofenac metabolites were relatively stable over the application period of seven days in bioreactors exposed to 300 µM diclofenac (300 µM bioreactors (300 µM BR)), while in bioreactors exposed to 1000 µM diclofenac (1000 µM BR) metabolite concentrations declined drastically. The biochemical data showed a significant decrease in lactate production and for the higher dose a significant increase in ammonia secretion, indicating a dose-dependent effect of diclofenac application. The microarray analyses performed revealed a stable hepatic phenotype of the cells over time and the observed transcriptional changes were in line with functional readouts of the system. In conclusion, the data highlight the suitability of the bioreactor technology for studying the hepatotoxicity of drugs in vitro.

  8. In Vitro Model for Hepatotoxicity Studies Based on Primary Human Hepatocyte Cultivation in a Perfused 3D Bioreactor System

    PubMed Central

    Knöspel, Fanny; Jacobs, Frank; Freyer, Nora; Damm, Georg; De Bondt, An; van den Wyngaert, Ilse; Snoeys, Jan; Monshouwer, Mario; Richter, Marco; Strahl, Nadja; Seehofer, Daniel; Zeilinger, Katrin

    2016-01-01

    Accurate prediction of the potential hepatotoxic nature of new pharmaceuticals remains highly challenging. Therefore, novel in vitro models with improved external validity are needed to investigate hepatic metabolism and timely identify any toxicity of drugs in humans. In this study, we examined the effects of diclofenac, as a model substance with a known risk of hepatotoxicity in vivo, in a dynamic multi-compartment bioreactor using primary human liver cells. Biotransformation pathways of the drug and possible effects on metabolic activities, morphology and cell transcriptome were evaluated. Formation rates of diclofenac metabolites were relatively stable over the application period of seven days in bioreactors exposed to 300 µM diclofenac (300 µM bioreactors (300 µM BR)), while in bioreactors exposed to 1000 µM diclofenac (1000 µM BR) metabolite concentrations declined drastically. The biochemical data showed a significant decrease in lactate production and for the higher dose a significant increase in ammonia secretion, indicating a dose-dependent effect of diclofenac application. The microarray analyses performed revealed a stable hepatic phenotype of the cells over time and the observed transcriptional changes were in line with functional readouts of the system. In conclusion, the data highlight the suitability of the bioreactor technology for studying the hepatotoxicity of drugs in vitro. PMID:27092500

  9. Levofloxacin-induced hepatotoxicity and death.

    PubMed

    Gulen, Muge; Ay, Mehmet Oguzhan; Avci, Akkan; Acikalin, Ayca; Icme, Ferhat

    2015-01-01

    Drug-induced hepatotoxicity is a major cause of hepatocellular injury in patients admitting to emergency services with acute liver failure. Hepatic necrosis may be at varying degrees from mild elevations in transaminases to fulminant hepatitis, and even death. The case of a 53-year-old female patient with toxic hepatitis due to levofloxacin and multiple organ failure secondary to toxic hepatitis is presented. Patient suffered itching, redness, and rash after receiving a single dose of 750 mg of levofloxacin tablets for pulmonary infection 10 days ago. Skin lesions had regressed within 3 days, but desquamation formed all over the body. After the fifth day of drug intake, complaints of abdominal pain, vomiting, and yellowing in skin color had started. The patient was referred to our emergency department with these complaints 10 days after drug intake. Patient was thought as a candidate for liver transplant, but cardiopulmonary arrest occurred, and the patient died before she could be referred to a transplant center. This case is important because hepatotoxicity and death due to levofloxacin is uncommon in the literature.

  10. 6-gingerol, an active ingredient of ginger, protects acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice.

    PubMed

    Sabina, Evan Prince; Pragasam, Samuel Joshua; Kumar, Suresh; Rasool, Mahaboobkhan

    2011-11-01

    To investigate the hepatoprotective efficacy of 6-gingerol against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Mice were injected with a single dose of acetaminophen (900 mg/kg) to induce hepatotoxicity, while 6-gingerol (30 mg/kg) or the standard drug silymarin (25 mg/kg) was given 30 min after the acetaminophen administration. The mice were sacrificed 4 h after acetaminophen injection to determine the activities of liver marker enzymes such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin in serum, and lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione transferase and glutathione) in liver homogenate. The treatment of 6-gingerol and silymarin to acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity showed significant hepatoprotective effect by lowering the hepatic marker enzymes (AST, ALT, and ALP) and total bilirubin in serum (P<0.05). In addition, 6-gingerol and silymarin treatment prevented the elevation of hepatic malondialdehyde formation and the depletion of antioxidant status in the liver of acetaminophen-intoxicated mice (P<0.05). The results evidently demonstrate that 6-gingerol has promising hepatoprotective effect which is comparable to the standard drug silymarin.

  11. [Hepatox: database on hepatotoxic drugs].

    PubMed

    Quinton, A; Latry, P; Biour, M

    1993-01-01

    Hepatox is a data base on the hepatotoxic drugs file published every year in Gastroentérologie Clinique et Biologique. The program was developed under Omnis 7 for Apple computers, and under Visual Basic Professional Toolkit and Code Base for IBM PC and compatibles computers. The data base includes forms of 866 drugs identified by their approved name and those of their 1,300 corresponding proprietary names in France; drugs are distributed among 104 pharmacological classes. It is possible to have instantaneously access to the card of a drug identified by its approved name. Acceding to a drug identified by its proprietary name gives a list of the approved name of its components; going from a name of this list to the correspondent card of hepatoxicity is immediate. It is easy to extract lists of drugs responsible of a type of hepatic injury, and a table of types of hepatic injuries induced by the drugs of a pharmacological class.

  12. Rofecoxib-induced hepatotoxicity: A forgotten complication of the coxibs

    PubMed Central

    Yan, Brian; Leung, Yvette; Urbanski, Stefan J; Myers, Robert P

    2006-01-01

    Rofecoxib is a member of the coxib family of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that selectively inhibit cyclooxygenase-2. Although the coxibs are generally well-tolerated, rofecoxib was recently withdrawn from the market due to concerns regarding cardiovascular safety. Rare cases of hepatic injury attributable to the coxibs have been reported. In the present study, two additional cases of severe hepatotoxicity are described in patients with cholestatic symptoms and abnormal liver biochemistry, shortly following the initiation of rofecoxib for arthritic complaints. In both cases, liver histology was compatible with drug-induced hepatotoxicity, and rapid clinical and biochemical improvements were observed following rofecoxib discontinuation. With new coxibs and expanding indications on the horizon, physicians in all areas of practice must be aware of this disorder and consider it in any patient who develops hepatic dysfunction after taking a coxib. PMID:16691302

  13. Hesperidin protects against cyclophosphamide-induced hepatotoxicity by upregulation of PPARγ and abrogation of oxidative stress and inflammation.

    PubMed

    Mahmoud, Ayman M

    2014-09-01

    The most important reason for the non-approval and withdrawal of drugs by the Food and Drug Administration is hepatotoxicity. Therefore, this study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effects of hesperidin against cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. The rats received a single intraperitoneal dose of CYP of 200 mg/kg body mass, followed by treatment with hesperidin, orally, at doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg for 11 consecutive days. CYP induced hepatic damage, as evidenced by the significantly elevated levels of serum pro-inflammatory cytokines, serum transaminases, liver lipid peroxidation, and nitric oxide. As a consequence, there was reduced glutathione content, and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, were markedly reduced. In addition, CYP administration induced a considerable downregulation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and upregulation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression. Hesperidin, in a dose-dependent manner, rejuvenated the altered markers to an almost normal state. In conclusion, hesperidin showed a potent protective effect against CYP-induced oxidative stress and inflammation leading to hepatotoxicity. The study suggests that hesperidin exerts its protective effect against CYP-induced hepatotoxicity through upregulation of hepatic PPARγ expression and abrogation of inflammation and oxidative stress.

  14. Human hepatocytes derived from pluripotent stem cells: a promising cell model for drug hepatotoxicity screening.

    PubMed

    Gómez-Lechón, María José; Tolosa, Laia

    2016-09-01

    Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a frequent cause of failure in both clinical and post-approval stages of drug development, and poses a key challenge to the pharmaceutical industry. Current animal models offer poor prediction of human DILI. Although several human cell-based models have been proposed for the detection of human DILI, human primary hepatocytes remain the gold standard for preclinical toxicological screening. However, their use is hindered by their limited availability, variability and phenotypic instability. In contrast, pluripotent stem cells, which include embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), proliferate extensively in vitro and can be differentiated into hepatocytes by the addition of soluble factors. This provides a stable source of hepatocytes for multiple applications, including early preclinical hepatotoxicity screening. In addition, iPSCs also have the potential to establish genotype-specific cells from different individuals, which would increase the predictivity of toxicity assays allowing more successful clinical trials. Therefore, the generation of human hepatocyte-like cells derived from pluripotent stem cells seems to be promising for overcoming limitations of hepatocyte preparations, and it is expected to have a substantial repercussion in preclinical hepatotoxicity risk assessment in early drug development stages.

  15. Increased liver-specific proteins in circulating extracellular vesicles as potential biomarkers for drug- and alcohol-induced liver injury

    PubMed Central

    Cho, Young-Eun; Im, Eun-Ju; Moon, Pyong-Gon; Mezey, Esteban; Song, Byoung-Joon; Baek, Moon-Chang

    2017-01-01

    Drug- and alcohol-induced liver injury are a leading cause of liver failure and transplantation. Emerging evidence suggests that extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a source of biomarkers because they contain unique proteins reflecting the identity and tissue-specific origin of the EV proteins. This study aimed to determine whether potentially hepatotoxic agents, such as acetaminophen (APAP) and binge alcohol, can increase the amounts of circulating EVs and evaluate liver-specific EV proteins as potential biomarkers for liver injury. The circulating EVs, isolated from plasma of APAP-exposed, ethanol-fed mice, or alcoholic hepatitis patients versus normal control counterparts, were characterized by proteomics and biochemical methods. Liver specific EV proteins were analyzed by immunoblots and ELISA. The amounts of total and liver-specific proteins in circulating EVs from APAP-treated mice significantly increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Proteomic analysis of EVs from APAP-exposed mice revealed that the amounts of liver-specific and/or hepatotoxic proteins were increased compared to those of controls. Additionally, the increased protein amounts in EVs following APAP exposure returned to basal levels when mice were treated with N-acetylcysteine or glutathione. Similar results of increased amounts and liver-specific proteins in circulating EVs were also observed in mice exposed to hepatotoxic doses of thioacetamide or d-galactosamine but not by non-hepatotoxic penicillin or myotoxic bupivacaine. Additionally, binge ethanol exposure significantly elevated liver-specific proteins in circulating EVs from mice and alcoholics with alcoholic hepatitis, compared to control counterparts. These results indicate that circulating EVs in drug- and alcohol-mediated hepatic injury contain liver-specific proteins that could serve as specific biomarkers for hepatotoxicity. PMID:28225807

  16. Levetiracetam-induced transaminitis in a young male with traumatic brain injury.

    PubMed

    Rachamallu, Vivekananda; Song, Michael M; Reed, Jace M; Aligeti, Manish

    2017-11-01

    Levetiracetam is a commonly prescribed antiepileptic drug for seizure prophylaxis in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Levetiracetam metabolism has been reported to be non-dependent on hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP450) isoenzyme system. Furthermore, levetiracetam and its metabolites are reported to be eliminated from systemic circulation via renal excretion. Therefore, due to its well-known renal clearance mechanism with no dosage adjustments recommended for hepatic impairment, levetiracetam is often chosen as the drug of choice in patients with suspected or ongoing hepatic dysfunction. Furthermore, monitoring of liver enzymes is often not considered to be critical in levetiracetam therapy. However, hepatotoxicity is still possible with levetiracetam. Here, we report on an 18-year-old male with TBI who developed transaminitis with levetiracetam therapy which resolved following the discontinuation of levetiracetam. A close monitoring of liver enzymes and early recognition of hepatotoxicity is still necessary and critical to preventing major sequelae stemming from levetiracetam-induced hepatotoxicity.

  17. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: What is the actual risk of liver damage?

    PubMed Central

    Bessone, Fernando

    2010-01-01

    Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) constitute a family of drugs, which taken as a group, represents one of the most frequently prescribed around the world. Thus, not surprisingly NSAIDs, along with anti-infectious agents, list on the top for causes of Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILI). The incidence of liver disease induced by NSAIDs reported in clinical studies is fairly uniform ranging from 0.29/100 000 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.17-051] to 9/100 000 (95% CI: 6-15). However, compared with these results, a higher risk of liver-related hospitalizations was reported (3-23 per 100 000 patients). NSAIDs exhibit a broad spectrum of liver damage ranging from asymptomatic, transient, hyper-transaminasemia to fulminant hepatic failure. However, under-reporting of asymptomatic, mild cases, as well as of those with transient liver-tests alteration, in conjunction with reports non-compliant with pharmacovigilance criteria to ascertain DILI and flawed epidemiological studies, jeopardize the chance to ascertain the actual risk of NSAIDs hepatotoxicity. Several NSAIDs, namely bromfenac, ibufenac and benoxaprofen, have been withdrawn from the market due to hepatotoxicity; others like nimesulide were never marketed in some countries and withdrawn in others. Indeed, the controversy concerning the actual risk of severe liver disease persists within NSAIDs research. The present work intends (1) to provide a critical analysis of the dissimilar results currently available in the literature concerning the epidemiology of NSAIDS hepatotoxicity; and (2) to review the risk of hepatotoxicity for each one of the most commonly employed compounds of the NSAIDs family, based on past and recently published data. PMID:21128314

  18. A case of lacosamide-induced hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Sunwoo, Jun-Sang; Byun, Jung-Ick; Lee, Sang Kun

    2015-06-01

    Lacosamide is a novel antiepileptic drug that acts mainly via the selective enhancement of slow inactivation of voltage-gated sodium channels. It has been reported that lacosamide is effective and generally tolerable as an adjuvant treatment in patients with partial seizures. There are few reports regarding liver damage caused by lacosamide. We describe a case of a patient with drug-resistant epilepsy who developed symptomatic hepatotoxicity after lacosamide administration. A 22-year-old female with a 2-year history of temporal lobe epilepsy was admitted to our hospital because of nausea, dizziness, and abnormal liver function tests. Lacosamide was added for further seizure control 9 days before the current presentation. Her liver enzymes were markedly increased: aspartate aminotransferase, 635 U/L; alanine aminotransferase, 697 U/L. Lacosamide was ceased immediately, whereas other medications (zonisamide, clobazam, and tianeptine) were not withdrawn. The level of liver enzymes improved significantly within a few days, and a diagnosis of lacosamide-induced hepatitis was made based on the obvious temporal relationship. This case report demonstrates that hepatotoxicity may develop in association with lacosamide therapy. Liver function tests should be prompted in patients with symptoms suggestive of adverse effects after the initiation of lacosamide. Further research is required to identify predisposing factors of lacosamideinduced hepatotoxicity.

  19. Acute Hepatotoxicity of Intravenous Amiodarone: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chia-Chi; Wu, Chien-Chih

    2016-01-01

    Amiodarone is a class III antiarrhythmic drug widely used for the treatment of both supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias in intensive care unit. Hepatotoxicity of amiodarone is usually mild and delayed onset. Acute hepatotoxicity is a rare side effect and usually correlated to intravenous form use. In this case, acute hepatocellular injury occurred within 24 hours after the administration of intravenous amiodarone. Liver enzyme significantly improved after holding intravenous amiodarone use. Because ventricular arrhythmia persisted and side effects occurred to alternative therapy, low dose of oral amiodarone was resumed and hepatotoxicity did not occur afterward. Acute hepatotoxicity of intravenous amiodarone is possibly related to polysorbate 80, the solubilizer of amiodarone infusion or higher dose. As a result, when intravenous amiodarone is prescribed, closely monitoring liver enzyme is highly suggested. If acute hepatitis takes place secondary to intravenous amiodarone, oral therapy should not be resumed afterward. If there is no alternative treatment, lower dose of oral amiodarone (≤200 mg/d) could be tried and should monitor liver function regularly.

  20. Rescue of Graves Thyrotoxicosis-Induced Cholestatic Liver Disease Without Antithyroid Drugs: A Case Report.

    PubMed

    Yan, Lily D; Thomas, Dylan; Schwartz, Michael; Reich, Jason; Steenkamp, Devin

    2017-03-01

    Graves thyrotoxicosis rarely presents with painless jaundice resulting from hyperthyroidism-associated hepatotoxicity, without preexisting liver disease. Management in patients with this presentation is challenging, given that the thionamides, methimazole and propylthiouracil, have both been associated with drug-induced liver injury. Radioactive iodine ablation and thyroidectomy are well-established alternatives, but each have their associated risks and contraindications. We present an unusual case of severe hyperthyroidism-associated hepatotoxicity, in which adjuvant therapies, including glucocorticoids, saturated solution of potassium iodide, and cholestyramine, were used as a bridge to definitive therapy with thyroidectomy.

  1. A Comparative Analysis of Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Clinically Relevant Situations

    PubMed Central

    Thiel, Christoph; Cordes, Henrik; Fabbri, Lorenzo; Aschmann, Hélène Eloise; Baier, Vanessa; Atkinson, Francis; Blank, Lars Mathias; Kuepfer, Lars

    2017-01-01

    Drug-induced toxicity is a significant problem in clinical care. A key problem here is a general understanding of the molecular mechanisms accompanying the transition from desired drug effects to adverse events following administration of either therapeutic or toxic doses, in particular within a patient context. Here, a comparative toxicity analysis was performed for fifteen hepatotoxic drugs by evaluating toxic changes reflecting the transition from therapeutic drug responses to toxic reactions at the cellular level. By use of physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling, in vitro toxicity data were first contextualized to quantitatively describe time-resolved drug responses within a patient context. Comparatively studying toxic changes across the considered hepatotoxicants allowed the identification of subsets of drugs sharing similar perturbations on key cellular processes, functional classes of genes, and individual genes. The identified subsets of drugs were next analyzed with regard to drug-related characteristics and their physicochemical properties. Toxic changes were finally evaluated to predict both molecular biomarkers and potential drug-drug interactions. The results may facilitate the early diagnosis of adverse drug events in clinical application. PMID:28151932

  2. Herbal hepatotoxicity: suspected cases assessed for alternative causes.

    PubMed

    Teschke, Rolf; Schulze, Johannes; Schwarzenboeck, Alexander; Eickhoff, Axel; Frenzel, Christian

    2013-09-01

    Alternative explanations are common in suspected drug-induced liver injury (DILI) and account for up to 47.1% of analyzed cases. This raised the question of whether a similar frequency may prevail in cases of assumed herb-induced liver injury (HILI). We searched the Medline database for the following terms: herbs, herbal drugs, herbal dietary supplements, hepatotoxic herbs, herbal hepatotoxicity, and herb-induced liver injury. Additional terms specifically addressed single herbs and herbal products: black cohosh, Greater Celandine, green tea, Herbalife products, Hydroxycut, kava, and Pelargonium sidoides. We retrieved 23 published case series and regulatory assessments related to hepatotoxicity by herbs and herbal dietary supplements with alternative causes. The 23 publications comprised 573 cases of initially suspected HILI; alternative causes were evident in 278/573 cases (48.5%). Among them were hepatitis by various viruses (9.7%), autoimmune diseases (10.4%), nonalcoholic and alcoholic liver diseases (5.4%), liver injury by comedication (DILI and other HILI) (43.9%), and liver involvement in infectious diseases (4.7%). Biliary and pancreatic diseases were frequent alternative diagnoses (11.5%), raising therapeutic problems if specific treatment is withheld; pre-existing liver diseases including cirrhosis (9.7%) were additional confounding variables. Other diagnoses were rare, but possibly relevant for the individual patient. In 573 cases of initially assumed HILI, 48.5% showed alternative causes unrelated to the initially incriminated herb, herbal drug, or herbal dietary supplement, calling for thorough clinical evaluations and appropriate causality assessments in future cases of suspected HILI.

  3. Mechanisms of Adaptation and Progression in Idiosyncratic Drug Induced Liver Injury, Clinical Implications

    PubMed Central

    Dara, Lily; Liu, Zhang-Xu; Kaplowitz, Neil

    2015-01-01

    In the past decade our understanding of idiosyncratic drug induced liver injury (IDILI) and the contribution of genetic susceptibility and the adaptive immune system to the pathogenesis of this disease process has grown tremendously. One of the characteristics of IDILI is that it occurs rarely and only in a subset of individuals with a presumed susceptibility to the drug. Despite a clear association between single nucleotide polymorphisms in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes and certain drugs that cause IDILI, not all individuals with susceptible HLA genotypes develop clinically significant liver injury when exposed to drugs. The adaptation hypothesis has been put forth as an explanation for why only a small percentage of susceptible individuals develop overt IDILI and severe injury, while the majority with susceptible genotypes develop only mild abnormalities that resolve spontaneously upon continuation of the drug. This spontaneous resolution is referred to as clinical adaptation. Failure to adapt or defective adaptation leads to clinically significant liver injury. In this review we explore the immuno-tolerant microenvironment of the liver and the mechanisms of clinical adaptation in IDILI with a focus on the role of immune-tolerance and cellular adaptive responses. PMID:26484420

  4. Hydroxycut hepatotoxicity: A case series and review of liver toxicity from herbal weight loss supplements

    PubMed Central

    Dara, Lily; Hewett, Jennifer; Lim, Joseph Kartaik

    2008-01-01

    Dietary supplements represent an increasingly common source of drug-induced liver injury. Hydroxycut is a popular weight loss supplement which has previously been linked to hepatotoxicity, although the individual chemical components underlying liver injury remain poorly understood. We report two cases of acute hepatitis in the setting of Hydroxycut exposure and describe possible mechanisms of liver injury. We also comprehensively review and summarize the existing literature on commonly used weight loss supplements, and their individual components which have demonstrated potential for liver toxicity. An increased effort to screen for and educate patients and physicians about supplement-associated hepatotoxicity is warranted. PMID:19058338

  5. In vivo investigation on the chronic hepatotoxicity induced by sertraline.

    PubMed

    Almansour, Mansour I; Jarrar, Yazun B; Jarrar, Bashir M

    2018-05-30

    Although sertraline is widely prescribed as relatively safe antidepressant drug, hepatic toxicity was reported in some patients with sertraline treatment. The present study was conducted to investigate the morphometric, hepatotoxicity, and change in gene expression of drug metabolizing enzymes. Male healthy adult rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) ranging from 1050 to 1100 g were exposed to oral daily doses of sertraline (0, 1, 2, 4, 8 mg/kg) for 9 weeks. The animals were subjected to morphometric, hepatohistological, histochemical and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses. Sertraline chronic exposure induced morphometric changes and provoked histological and histochemical alterations including: hepatocytes hydropic degeneration, necrosis, nuclear alteration, sinusoidal dilation, bile duct hyperplasia, inflammatory cells infiltration, portal vessel congestion, Kupffer cells hyperplasia, portal fibrosis and glycogen depletion. In addition, the gene expression of drug and arachidonic acid metabolizing enzymes were reduced significantly (p value <0.05). The most affected genes were cyp4a12, ephx2, cyp2d9 and cyp1a2, demonstrating 5 folds or more down-regulation. These findings suggest that chronic sertraline treatment induced toxic histological alterations in the hepatic tissues and reduced the gene expression of drug metabolizing enzymes. Patients on chronic sertraline treatment may be on risk of hepatotoxicity with reduced capacity to metabolize drugs and fatty acids. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Tuberculosis and liver disease: management issues.

    PubMed

    Sonika, Ujjwal; Kar, Premashis

    2012-01-01

    Tuberculosis is one of the most common diseases in India and has attained epidemic proportions. Tuberculosis and liver are related in many ways. Liver disease can occur due to hepatic tuberculosis or the treatment with various anti-tubercular drugs may precipitate hepatic injury or patients with chronic liver disease may develop tuberculosis and pose special management problems. Tuberculosis per se can affect liver in three forms. The most common form is the diffuse hepatic involvement, seen along with pulmonary or miliary tuberculosis. The second is granulomatous hepatitis and the third, much rarer form presents as focal/local tuberculoma or abscess. Tubercular disease of liver occurring along with pulmonary involvement as in disseminated tuberculosis is treated with standard regimen for pulmonary tuberculosis. Granulomatous hepatitis and tubercular liver abscess are treated like any other extra-pulmonary tubercular lesions without any extra risk of hepatotoxicity by anti-tubercular drugs. Treatment of tuberculosis in patients who already have a chronic liver disease poses various clinical challenges. There is an increased risk of drug induced hepatitis in these patients and its implications are potentially more serious in these patients as their hepatic reserve is already depleted. However, hepatotoxic anti-tubercular drugs can be safely used in these patients if the number of drugs used is adjusted appropriately. Thus, the main principle is to closely monitor the patient for signs of worsening liver disease and to reduce the number of hepatotoxic drugs in the anti-tubercular regimen according to the severity of underlying liver disease.

  7. The lipid lowering drug lovastatin protects against doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Henninger, Christian; Institute of Toxicology, University Duesseldorf, Medical Faculty, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Duesseldorf; Huelsenbeck, Johannes

    2012-05-15

    Liver is the main detoxifying organ and therefore the target of high concentrations of genotoxic compounds, such as environmental carcinogens and anticancer drugs. Here, we investigated the usefulness of lovastatin, which is nowadays widely used for lipid lowering purpose, as a hepatoprotective drug following the administration of the anthracycline derivative doxorubicin in vivo. To this end, BALB/c mice were exposed to either a single high dose or three consecutive low doses of doxorubicin. Acute and subacute hepatotoxicities were analyzed with or without lovastatin co-treatment. Lovastatin protected the liver against doxorubicin-induced acute pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic stress responses as indicated by anmore » attenuated mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), respectively. Hepatoprotection by lovastatin was due to a reduced induction of DNA damage following doxorubicin treatment. The statin also mitigated subacute anthracycline-provoked hepatotoxicity as shown on the level of doxorubicin- and epirubicin-stimulated CTGF mRNA expression as well as histopathologically detectable fibrosis and serum concentration of marker enzymes of hepatotoxicity (GPT/GLDH). Kidney damage following doxorubicin exposure was not detectable under our experimental conditions. Moreover, lovastatin showed multiple inhibitory effects on doxorubicin-triggered hepatic expression of genes involved in oxidative stress response, drug transport, DNA repair, cell cycle progression and cell death. Doxorubicin also stimulated the formation of ceramides. Ceramide production, however, was not blocked by lovastatin, indicating that hepatoprotection by lovastatin is independent of the sphingolipid metabolism. Overall, the data show that lovastatin is hepatoprotective following genotoxic stress induced by anthracyclines. Based on the data, we hypothesize that statins might be suitable to lower hepatic injury following anthracycline-based anticancer therapy. -- Highlights: ► Normal tissue damage is the therapy limiting side effect of anthracyclines. ► The effect of lovastatin on doxorubicin-induced hepatic damage was analyzed in vivo. ► Lovastatin protects the liver against DNA damage induced by doxorubicin. ► Lovastatin protects against acute and subacute doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity. ► Hepatoprotection by lovastatin is independent of the shingolipid metabolism.« less

  8. Utility of human hepatocyte spheroids without feeder cells for evaluation of hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Ogihara, Takuo; Arakawa, Hiroshi; Jomura, Tomoko; Idota, Yoko; Koyama, Satoshi; Yano, Kentaro; Kojima, Hajime

    2017-01-01

    We investigated the utility of three-dimensionally cultured hepatocytes (spheroids) without feeder cells (Sph(f-)) for the prediction of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in humans. Sph(f-) and spheroids cultured on feeder cells (Sph(f+)) were exposed to the hepatotoxic drugs flutamide, diclofenac, isoniazid and chlorpromazine at various concentrations for 14 days, and albumin secretion and cumulative leakages of toxicity marker enzymes, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GTP), were measured. The cumulative AST, LDH or γ-GTP leakages from Sph(f-) were similar to or greater than those from Sph(f+) for all drugs tested, although ALT leakages showed no consistent difference between Sph(f+) and Sph(f-). In the case of Sph(f-), significant correlations among all the toxicity markers except for γ-GTP were observed. As regards the drug concentrations causing 1.2-fold elevation of enzyme leakage (F 1.2 ), no consistent difference between Sph(f+) and Sph(f-) was found, although several F 1.2 values were undetermined, especially in Sph(f+). The IC 50 of albumin secretion and F 1.2 of AST leakage from Sph(f-) were equal to or lower than those of Sph(f+) for all the tested drugs. These results indicate that feeder cells might contribute to resistance to hepatotoxicity, suggesting DILI could be evaluated more accurately by using Sph(f-). We suggest that long-term exposure of Sph(f-) to drugs might be a versatile method to predict and reproduce clinical chronic toxicity, especially in response to repeated drug administration.

  9. Topiramate-Induced Somnambulism in a Migraineur: A Probable Idiosyncratic Adverse Effect

    PubMed Central

    Mathew, Thomas; Sarma, G. R. K.; Nadig, Raghunandan; Varghese, Raji

    2012-01-01

    Somnambulism (sleepwalking) is a disorder of arousal that falls under “parasomnia” group and is more common in children. These phenomena occur as primary sleep events or secondary to systemic disease or can be drug induced. Medications that can cause sleepwalking include neuroleptics, hypnotics, lithium, amitriptyline, and β-blockers.1 This report presents an unusual adverse effect of topiramate on sleep in a patient with migraine. Citation: Mathew T; Sarma GRK; Nadig R; Varghese R. Topiramate-induced somnambulism in a migraineur: a probable idiosyncratic adverse effect. J Clin Sleep Med 2012;8(2):197-198. PMID:22505867

  10. Experimental models of hepatotoxicity related to acute liver failure

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Maes, Michaël; Vinken, Mathieu, E-mail: mvinken@vub.ac.be; Jaeschke, Hartmut

    Acute liver failure can be the consequence of various etiologies, with most cases arising from drug-induced hepatotoxicity in Western countries. Despite advances in this field, the management of acute liver failure continues to be one of the most challenging problems in clinical medicine. The availability of adequate experimental models is of crucial importance to provide a better understanding of this condition and to allow identification of novel drug targets, testing the efficacy of new therapeutic interventions and acting as models for assessing mechanisms of toxicity. Experimental models of hepatotoxicity related to acute liver failure rely on surgical procedures, chemical exposuremore » or viral infection. Each of these models has a number of strengths and weaknesses. This paper specifically reviews commonly used chemical in vivo and in vitro models of hepatotoxicity associated with acute liver failure. - Highlights: • The murine APAP model is very close to what is observed in patients. • The Gal/ET model is useful to study TNFα-mediated apoptotic signaling mechanisms. • Fas receptor activation is an effective model of apoptosis and secondary necrosis. • The ConA model is a relevant model of auto-immune hepatitis and viral hepatitis. • Multiple time point evaluation needed in experimental models of acute liver injury.« less

  11. Cholestatic hepatitis as a possible new side-effect of oxycodone: a case report

    PubMed Central

    Ho, Vincent; Stewart, Maxwell; Boyd, Peter

    2008-01-01

    Introduction Oxycodone is a widely-used semisynthetic opioid analgesic that has been used for over eighty years. Oxycodone is known to cause side effects such as nausea, pruritus, dizziness, constipation and somnolence. As far as we are aware cholestatic hepatitis as a result of oxycodone use has not been reported so far in the world literature. Case presentation A 34-year-old male presented with cholestatic jaundice and severe pruritus after receiving oxycodone for analgesia post-T11 vertebrectomy. Extensive laboratory investigations and imaging studies did not reveal any other obvious cause for his jaundice and a liver biopsy confirmed canalicular cholestatis suggestive of drug-induced hepatotoxicity. The patient's symptoms and transaminases normalised on withdrawal of oxycodone confirming that oxycodone was the probable cause of the patient's hepatotoxicity. Conclusion We conclude that cholestatic hepatitis is possibly a rare side effect of oxycodone use. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of this potentially serious picture of drug-induced hepatotoxicity. PMID:18452597

  12. Expression and polymorphism (rs4880) of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD2) and asparaginase induced hepatotoxicity in adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

    PubMed Central

    Alachkar, Houda; Fulton, Noreen; Sanford, Ben; Malnassy, Greg; Mutonga, Martin; Larson, Richard A.; Bloomfield, Clara D.; Marcucci, Guido; Nakamura, Yusuke; Stock, Wendy

    2016-01-01

    Asparaginase, which depletes asparagine and glutamine, activates amino acid stress response. Oxidative stress mediated by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) causes enhanced mitochondrial permeabilization and subsequent cell apoptosis and is considered a plausible mechanism for drug-induced hepatotoxicity, a common toxicity of asparaginase in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Studies investigating the pharmacogenetics of asparaginase in ALL are limited and focused on asparaginase-induced allergic reaction common in pediatric patients. Here, we sought to determine a potential association between the variant rs4880 in SOD2 gene, a key mitochondrial enzyme that protects cells against ROS, and hepatotoxicity during asparaginase-based therapy in 224 patients enrolled on CALGB-10102, a treatment trial for adults with ALL. We report that the CC genotype of rs4880 is associated with increased hepatotoxicity following asparaginase-based treatment. Thus, rs4880 likely contributes to asparaginase-induced hepatotoxicity, and functional studies investigating this SNP are needed to develop therapeutic approaches that mitigate this toxicity. PMID:27019981

  13. Effect of goat milk on hepatotoxicity induced by antitubercular drugs in rats.

    PubMed

    Miglani, Sonam; Patyar, Rakesh Raman; Patyar, Sazal; Reshi, Mohammad Rafi

    2016-10-01

    Aim of the present study was to assess the hepatoprotective activity of goat milk on antitubercular drug-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Hepatotoxicity was induced in rats using a combination of isoniazid, rifampicin, and pyrazinamide given orally as a suspension for 30 days. Treatment groups received goat milk along with antitubercular drugs. Liver damage was assessed using biochemical and histological parameters. Administration of goat milk (20 mL/kg) along with antitubercular drugs (Group III) reversed the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (82 ± 25.1 vs. 128.8 ± 8.9 units/L) and aspartate aminotransferase (174.7 ± 31.5 vs. 296.4 ± 56.4 units/L, p<0.01) compared with antitubercular drug treatment Group II. There was a significant decrease in serum alanine aminotransferase (41.8 ± 4.1 vs. 128.8 ± 8.9 ​ units/L, p<0.01) and aspartate aminotransferase (128.8 ± 8.54 vs. 296.4 ± 56.4 units/L, p<0.001) levels in Group IV (goat milk 40 mL/kg) compared with antitubercular drug treatment Group II. Goat milk (20 mL/kg and 40 mL/kg) was effective in reversing the rise in malondialdehyde level compared with the antitubercular drug suspension groups (58.5 ± 2 vs. 89.88 ± 2.42 μmol/mL of tissue homogenate, p<0.001 and 69.7 ± 0.78 vs. 89.88 ± 2.42 μmol/mL of tissue homogenate, p<0.001, respectively). Similarly, both doses of milk significantly prevented a fall in superoxide dismutase level (6.23 ± 0.29 vs. 3.1 ± 0.288 units/mL, p<0.001 and 7.8 ± 0.392 vs. 3.1 ± 0.288 units/mL, p<0.001) compared with the group receiving antitubercular drugs alone. Histological examination indicated that goat milk reduced inflammation and necrotic changes in hepatocytes in the treatment groups. The results indicated that goat milk prevented the antitubercular drug-induced hepatotoxicity and is an effective hepatoprotective agent. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. Evolution of Novel 3D Culture Systems for Studies of Human Liver Function and Assessments of the Hepatotoxicity of Drugs and Drug Candidates.

    PubMed

    Andersson, Tommy B

    2017-10-01

    The pharmaceutical industry urgently needs reliable pre-clinical models to evaluate the efficacy and safety of new chemical entities before they enter the clinical trials. Development of in vitro model systems that emulate the functions of the human liver organ has been an elusive task. Cell lines exhibit a low drug-metabolizing capacity and primary liver cells rapidly dedifferentiate in culture, which restrict their usefulness substantially. Recently, the development of hepatocyte spheroid cultures has shown promising results. The proteome and transcriptome in the spheroids were similar to the liver tissue, and hepatotoxicity of selected substances was detected at in vivo-relevant concentrations. © 2017 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).

  15. Lisosan G, a powder of grain, does not interfere with the drug metabolizing enzymes and has a protective role on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Longo, Vincenzo; Chirulli, Vera; Gervasi, Pier Giovanni; Nencioni, Simona; Pellegrini, Michela

    2007-08-01

    Lisosan G is a powder of grain registered as an alimentary integrator. The treatment of rats for 4 days with 0.5 g Lisosan G/kg had no effect on various drug metabolizing enzymes. Experiments in vitro showed that Lisosan G had radical scavenger activity. A confirmation of the antioxidative property of Lisosan G was also confirmed when it was administered in vivo to carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-intoxicated rats. The toxicity caused by CCl(4)-treatment of rats was restored to the control levels when the rats were given Lisosan G for 4 days before CCl(4). Lisosan G thus does not interfere with drug metabolizing system but has antioxidant properties and protects against CCl(4)-induced hepatotoxicity.

  16. Balancing Low-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Reduction and Hepatotoxicity With Lomitapide Mesylate and Mipomersen in Patients With Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

    PubMed

    Won, Jane I; Zhang, Jun; Tecson, Kristen M; McCullough, Peter A

    2017-01-01

    Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) is an autosomal codominant disorder manifested by high concentrations of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and premature cardiovascular disease. Despite conventional lipid-lowering therapy, LDL cholesterol levels remain elevated in patients with HoFH; these patients are considered to be at high risk for cardiovascular events. In 2012-2013, two drugs with novel mechanisms of action were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of HoFH: lomitapide mesylate and mipomersen. Both of these treatments reduce total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein a, and triglyceride levels. This review describes the clinical tradeoffs in efficacy and hepatotoxicity of these drugs in two cases of HoFH.

  17. Impact of glutathione S-transferase M1 and T1 on anti-tuberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity in Chinese pediatric patients.

    PubMed

    Liu, Fang; Jiao, An-xia; Wu, Xi-rong; Zhao, Wei; Yin, Qing-qin; Qi, Hui; Jiao, Wei-wei; Xiao, Jing; Sun, Lin; Shen, Chen; Tian, Jian-ling; Shen, Dan; Jacqz-Aigrain, Evelyne; Shen, A-dong

    2014-01-01

    Anti-tuberculosis drug induced hepatotoxicity (ATDH) is a major adverse drug reaction associated for anti-tuberculosis therapy. The glutathione S-transferases (GST) plays a crucial role in the detoxification of hepatotoxic metabolites of anti-tuberculosis drugs.An association between GSTM1/GSTT1 null mutations and increased risk of ATDH has been demonstrated in adults. Given the ethnic differences and developmental changes, our study aims to investigate the potential impacts of GSTM1/GSTT1 genotypes on the development of ATDH in Han Chinese children treated with anti-tuberculosis therapy. Children receiving anti-tuberculosis therapy with or without evidence of ATDH were considered as the cases or controls, respectively. The GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotyping were performed using the polymerase chain reaction. One hundred sixty-three children (20 cases and 143 controls) with a mean age of 4.7 years (range: 2 months-14.1 years) were included. For the GSTM1, 14 (70.0%) cases and 96 (67.1%) controls had homozygous null mutations. For the GSTT1, 13 (65.0%) cases and 97 (67.8%) controls had homozygous null mutations. Neither the GSTM1, nor the GSTT1 polymorphism was significantly correlated with the occurrence of ATHD. Our results did not support the GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms as the predictors of ADTH in Chinese Han children treated with anti-tuberculosis drugs. An age-related association between pharmacogenetics and ATHD need to be confirmed in the further study.

  18. In vitro screening techniques for reactive metabolites for minimizing bioactivation potential in drug discovery.

    PubMed

    Prakash, Chandra; Sharma, Raman; Gleave, Michelle; Nedderman, Angus

    2008-11-01

    Drug induced toxicity remains one of the major reasons for failures of new pharmaceuticals, and for the withdrawal of approved drugs from the market. Efforts are being made to reduce attrition of drug candidates, and to minimize their bioactivation potential in the early stages of drug discovery in order to bring safer compounds to the market. Therefore, in addition to potency and selectivity; drug candidates are now selected on the basis of acceptable metabolism/toxicology profiles in preclinical species. To support this, new approaches have been developed, which include extensive in vitro methods using human and animal hepatic cellular and subcellular systems, recombinant human drug metabolizing enzymes, increased automation for higher-throughput screens, sensitive analytical technologies and in silico computational models to assess the metabolism aspects of the new chemical entities. By using these approaches many compounds that might have serious adverse reactions associated with them are effectively eliminated before reaching clinical trials, however some toxicities such as those caused by idiosyncratic responses, are not detected until a drug is in late stages of clinical trials or has become available to the market. One of the proposed mechanisms for the development of idiosyncratic drug toxicity is the bioactivation of drugs to form reactive metabolites by drug metabolizing enzymes. This review discusses the different approaches to, and benefits of using existing in vitro techniques, for the detection of reactive intermediates in order to minimize bioactivation potential in drug discovery.

  19. Protection of a Ceramide Synthase 2 Null Mouse from Drug-induced Liver Injury

    PubMed Central

    Park, Woo-Jae; Park, Joo-Won; Erez-Roman, Racheli; Kogot-Levin, Aviram; Bame, Jessica R.; Tirosh, Boaz; Saada, Ann; Merrill, Alfred H.; Pewzner-Jung, Yael; Futerman, Anthony H.

    2013-01-01

    Very long chain (C22-C24) ceramides are synthesized by ceramide synthase 2 (CerS2). A CerS2 null mouse displays hepatopathy because of depletion of C22-C24 ceramides, elevation of C16-ceramide, and/or elevation of sphinganine. Unexpectedly, CerS2 null mice were resistant to acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. Although there were a number of biochemical changes in the liver, such as increased levels of glutathione and multiple drug-resistant protein 4, these effects are unlikely to account for the lack of acetaminophen toxicity. A number of other hepatotoxic agents, such as d-galactosamine, CCl4, and thioacetamide, were also ineffective in inducing liver damage. All of these drugs and chemicals require connexin (Cx) 32, a key gap junction protein, to induce hepatotoxicity. Cx32 was mislocalized to an intracellular location in hepatocytes from CerS2 null mice, which resulted in accelerated rates of its lysosomal degradation. This mislocalization resulted from the altered membrane properties of the CerS2 null mice, which was exemplified by the disruption of detergent-resistant membranes. The lack of acetaminophen toxicity and Cx32 mislocalization were reversed upon infection with recombinant adeno-associated virus expressing CerS2. We establish that Gap junction function is compromised upon altering the sphingolipid acyl chain length composition, which is of relevance for understanding the regulation of drug-induced liver injury. PMID:24019516

  20. Comedications alter drug-induced liver injury reporting frequency: Data mining in the WHO VigiBase™

    PubMed Central

    Suzuki, Ayako; Yuen, Nancy A.; Ilic, Katarina; Miller, Richard T.; Reese, Melinda J.; Brown, H. Roger; Ambroso, Jeffrey I.; Falls, J. Gregory; Hunt, Christine M.

    2015-01-01

    Polypharmacy is common, and may modify mechanisms of drug-induced liver injury. We examined the effect of these drug–drug interactions on liver safety reports of four drugs highly associated with hepatotoxicity. In the WHO VigiBase™, liver event reports were examined for acetaminophen, isoniazid, valproic acid, and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Then, we evaluated the liver event reporting frequency of these 4 drugs in the presence of co-reported medications. Each of the 4 primary drugs was reported as having more than 2000 liver events, and co-reported with more than 600 different medications. Overall, the effect of 2275 co-reported drugs (316 drug classes) on the reporting frequency was analyzed. Decreased liver event reporting frequency was associated with 245 drugs/122 drug classes, including anti-TNFα, opioids, and folic acid. Increased liver event reporting frequency was associated with 170 drugs/82 drug classes; in particular, halogenated hydrocarbons, carboxamides, and bile acid sequestrants. After adjusting for age, gender, and other co-reported drug classes, multiple co-reported drug classes were significantly associated with decreased/increased liver event reporting frequency in a drug-specific/unspecific manner. In conclusion, co-reported medications were associated with changes in the liver event reporting frequency of drugs commonly associated with hepatotoxicity, suggesting that comedications may modify drug hepatic safety. PMID:25988394

  1. The role of chronic hepatitis in isoniazid hepatotoxicity during treatment for latent tuberculosis infection.

    PubMed

    Bliven, E E; Podewils, L J

    2009-09-01

    To examine chronic viral hepatitis (CVH) as a risk factor for hepatotoxicity during isoniazid (INH) treatment for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). A search of MEDLINE (1966-May 2008) was conducted using the terms 'tuberculosis', 'antitubercular', 'therapeutics', 'treatment', 'prevention', 'prophylaxis', 'hepatitis', 'toxic hepatitis', 'hepatotoxic', 'liver' and 'injury'. Peer-reviewed, English-language articles describing the relationship between a history of CVH and occurrence of hepatotoxicity during LTBI treatment were selected. We limited CVH diagnoses to reports with positive serological test or biopsy for hepatitis B or C. Risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals were abstracted or derived. We reviewed 486 abstracts, and 11 studies met the selection criteria. Populations included in the studies were the general population (n = 6) and transplant recipients (n = 5). The variability in study designs and case finding practices precluded performing a quantitative meta-analysis. Two studies of former or current drug users reported a consistent, positive association between chronic hepatitis C infection and INH hepatotoxicity. Other risk ratios did not significantly or consistently show any association between CVH in patients treated for LTBI and the development of INH hepatotoxicity. Owing to the limited number of published papers, CVH was not established as a risk factor for INH hepatotoxicity during LTBI treatment. Controlled studies are needed to define the safety and tolerability of LTBI treatment in those with CVH and to provide an evidence base for recommendations for LTBI treatment in persons with CVH.

  2. Preventing Drug-Induced Liver Injury: How Useful Are Animal Models?

    PubMed

    Ballet, François

    2015-01-01

    Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is the most common organ toxicity encountered in regulatory animal toxicology studies required prior to the clinical development of new drug candidates. Very few reports have evaluated the value of these studies for predicting DILI in humans. Indeed, compounds inducing liver toxicity in regulatory toxicology studies are not always correlated with a risk of DILI in humans. Conversely, compounds associated with the occurrence of DILI in phase 3 studies or after market release are often tested negative in regulatory toxicology studies. Idiosyncratic DILI is a rare event that is precipitated in an individual by the simultaneous occurrence of several critical factors. These factors may relate to the host (e.g. human leukocyte antigen polymorphism, inflammation), the drug (e.g. reactive metabolites) or the environment (e.g. diet/microbiota). This type of toxicity therefore cannot be detected in conventional animal toxicology studies. Several animal models have recently been proposed for the identification of drugs with the potential to cause idiosyncratic DILI: rats treated with lipopolysaccharide, Sod2(+/-) mice, panels of inbred mouse strains or chimeric mice with humanized livers. These models are not suitable for use in the prospective screening of new drug candidates. Humans therefore constitute the best model for predicting and assessing idiopathic DILI. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  3. A rare cause of drug-induced hepatitis in an immunocompromised patient and the role of glutathione.

    PubMed

    Senadhi, Viplove; Arora, Deepika; Arora, Manish; Marsh, Franklin

    2012-08-27

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning on numerous herbal drugs, including many popular products at General Nutrition Centers (GNC), regarding unstudied hepatotoxicity. There have been recent reports of GNC products such as hydroxycut and herbalife, causing drug-induced hepatitis. Herbal medications are over-the-counter products and are not investigated thoroughly by the FDA. Given that the most common outpatient laboratory abnormality is elevated liver transaminases, a sign of hepatocellular toxicity; it is not surprising that some of these products end up causing hepatic dysfunction, especially when taken in large volume. There are numerous herbal supplements that are hepatotoxic, however, these medications have a much more significant effect in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/ acquired immune deficiency syndrome patients, which is secondary to depleted glutathione. We present a rare case of drug induced hepatitis secondary to herbal medications used to treat HIV and elucidate the role of glutathione depletion in immunocompromised patients.

  4. A rare cause of drug-induced hepatitis in an immunocompromised patient and the role of glutathione

    PubMed Central

    Senadhi, Viplove; Arora, Deepika; Arora, Manish; Marsh, Franklin

    2012-01-01

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning on numerous herbal drugs, including many popular products at General Nutrition Centers (GNC), regarding unstudied hepatotoxicity. There have been recent reports of GNC products such as hydroxycut and herbalife, causing drug-induced hepatitis. Herbal medications are over-the-counter products and are not investigated thoroughly by the FDA. Given that the most common outpatient laboratory abnormality is elevated liver transaminases, a sign of hepatocellular toxicity; it is not surprising that some of these products end up causing hepatic dysfunction, especially when taken in large volume. There are numerous herbal supplements that are hepatotoxic, however, these medications have a much more significant effect in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/ acquired immune deficiency syndrome patients, which is secondary to depleted glutathione. We present a rare case of drug induced hepatitis secondary to herbal medications used to treat HIV and elucidate the role of glutathione depletion in immunocompromised patients. PMID:22993667

  5. Gap Junction Inhibition Prevents Drug-induced Liver Toxicity and Fulminant Hepatic Failure

    PubMed Central

    Patel, Suraj J; Milwid, Jack M; King, Kevin R; Bohr, Stefan; Iracheta, Arvin; Li, Matthew; Vitalo, Antonia; Parekkadan, Biju; Jindal, Rohit; Yarmush, Martin L

    2013-01-01

    Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) limits the development and utilization of numerous therapeutic compounds, and consequently presents major challenges to the pharmaceutical industry and clinical medicine1, 2. Acetaminophen (APAP) containing compounds are among the most frequently prescribed drugs, and also the most common cause of DILI3. Here we describe a pharmacological strategy that targets gap junction communication to prevent amplification of fulminant hepatic failure and APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. We report that connexin 32 (Cx32), a key hepatic gap junction protein, is an essential mediator of DILI by showing that mice deficient in Cx32 are protected against liver damage, acute inflammation, and death. We identified a small molecule inhibitor of Cx32 as a novel hepatoprotectant that achieves the same result in wildtype mice when coadministered with known hepatotoxic drugs. These findings demonstrate that gap junction inhibition is an effective therapy for limiting DILI, and suggest a novel pharmaceutical strategy to improve drug safety. PMID:22252509

  6. Reparation of Isoniazid and Rifampicin Combinatorial Therapy-Induced Hepatotoxic Effects by Bacopa monnieri.

    PubMed

    Evan Prince, Sabina; Udhaya, Lavinya B; Sunitha, Priyadharshini S; Arumugam, Geetha

    2016-01-01

    Drug-induced liver injury is a major challenge in treating tuberculosis with isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF). This study was aimed at evaluating the protective effects of Bacopamonnieri (Brahmi) against INH and RIF-induced hepatotoxicity in a rat model and also to study the patterns of interaction between pregnane X receptor (PXR) and chosen active compounds of B. monnieri. Hepatotoxicity was induced in the experimental animals by the oral administration of INH and RIF (50 mg/kg b.w. each/day) for 28 days. The effects of co-administration of B. monnieri (500 mg/kg b.w./day) in INH- and RIF-induced rats were studied by the estimation of biochemical analyses. The standard hepatoprotective drug silymarin (25 mg/kg b.w./day) was used for the purpose of comparison. In silico docking experiments were carried out using the PatchDock server and the results were analysed on the PyMol molecular viewer. There was significant reduction in the antioxidant status of INH and RIF-induced rats. Also, there was significant elevation in the levels of serum liver function markers in the INH- and RIF-induced rats. B. monnieri was able to normalise the tested parameters. In silico studies reveal significant interaction between PXR and bacopaside I. B. monnieri exerts significant protective effects against INH and RIF-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  7. The Possible Mechanism of Idiosyncratic Lapatinib-Induced Liver Injury in Patients Carrying Human Leukocyte Antigen-DRB1*07:01

    PubMed Central

    Hirasawa, Makoto; Hagihara, Katsunobu; Okudaira, Noriko; Izumi, Takashi

    2015-01-01

    Idiosyncratic lapatinib-induced liver injury has been reported to be associated with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1*07:01. In order to investigate its mechanism, interaction of lapatinib with HLA-DRB1*07:01 and its ligand peptide derived from tetanus toxoid, has been evaluated in vitro. Here we show that lapatinib enhances binding of the ligand peptide to HLA-DRB1*07:01. Furthermore in silico molecular dynamics analysis revealed that lapatinib could change the β chain helix in the HLA-DRB1*07:01 specifically to form a tightly closed binding groove structure and modify a large part of the binding groove. These results indicate that lapatinib affects the ligand binding to HLA-DRB1*07:01 and idiosyncratic lapatinib-induced liver injury might be triggered by this mechanism. This is the first report showing that the clinically available drug can enhance the binding of ligand peptide to HLA class II molecules in vitro and in silico. PMID:26098642

  8. Scientific and Regulatory Perspectives in Herbal and Dietary Supplement Associated Hepatotoxicity in the United States

    PubMed Central

    Avigan, Mark I.; Mozersky, Robert P.; Seeff, Leonard B.

    2016-01-01

    In the United States (US), the risk of hepatotoxicity linked to the widespread use of certain herbal products has gained increased attention among regulatory scientists. Based on current US law, all dietary supplements sold domestically, including botanical supplements, are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a special category of foods. Under this designation, regulatory scientists do not routinely evaluate the efficacy of these products prior to their marketing, despite the content variability and phytochemical complexity that often characterizes them. Nonetheless, there has been notable progress in the development of advanced scientific methods to qualitatively and quantitatively measure ingredients and screen for contaminants and adulterants in botanical products when hepatotoxicity is recognized. PMID:26950122

  9. A Text Searching Tool to Identify Patients with Idiosyncratic Drug-Induced Liver Injury.

    PubMed

    Heidemann, Lauren; Law, James; Fontana, Robert J

    2017-03-01

    Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is an uncommon but important cause of liver disease that is challenging to diagnose and identify in the electronic medical record (EMR). To develop an accurate, reliable, and efficient method of identifying patients with bonafide DILI in an EMR system. In total, 527,000 outpatient and ER encounters in an EPIC-based EMR were searched for potential DILI cases attributed to eight drugs. A searching algorithm that extracted 200 characters of text around 14 liver injury terms in the EMR were extracted and collated. Physician investigators reviewed the data outputs and used standardized causality assessment methods to adjudicate the potential DILI cases. A total of 101 DILI cases were identified from the 2564 potential DILI cases that included 62 probable DILI cases, 25 possible DILI cases, nine historical DILI cases, and five allergy-only cases. Elimination of the term "liver disease" from the search strategy improved the search recall from 4 to 19 %, while inclusion of the four highest yield liver injury terms further improved the positive predictive value to 64 % but reduced the overall case detection rate by 47 %. RUCAM scores of the 57 probable DILI cases were generally high and concordant with expert opinion causality assessment scores. A novel text searching tool was developed that identified a large number of DILI cases from a widely used EMR system. A computerized extraction of dictated text followed by the manual review of text snippets can rapidly identify bona fide cases of idiosyncratic DILI.

  10. Novel 3D Culture Systems for Studies of Human Liver Function and Assessments of the Hepatotoxicity of Drugs and Drug Candidates.

    PubMed

    Lauschke, Volker M; Hendriks, Delilah F G; Bell, Catherine C; Andersson, Tommy B; Ingelman-Sundberg, Magnus

    2016-12-19

    The liver is an organ with critical importance for drug treatment as the disposition and response to a given drug is often determined by its hepatic metabolism. Patient-specific factors can entail increased susceptibility to drug-induced liver injury, which constitutes a major risk for drug development programs causing attrition of promising drug candidates or costly withdrawals in postmarketing stages. Hitherto, mainly animal studies and 2D hepatocyte systems have been used for the examination of human drug metabolism and toxicity. Yet, these models are far from satisfactory due to extensive species differences and because hepatocytes in 2D cultures rapidly dedifferentiate resulting in the loss of their hepatic phenotype and functionality. With the increasing comprehension that 3D cell culture systems more accurately reflect in vivo physiology, in the recent decade more and more research has focused on the development and optimization of various 3D culture strategies in an attempt to preserve liver properties in vitro. In this contribution, we critically review these developments, which have resulted in an arsenal of different static and perfused 3D models. These systems include sandwich-cultured hepatocytes, spheroid culture platforms, and various microfluidic liver or multiorgan biochips. Importantly, in many of these models hepatocytes maintain their phenotype for prolonged times, which allows probing the potential of newly developed chemical entities to cause chronic hepatotoxicity. Moreover, some platforms permit the investigation of drug action in specific genetic backgrounds or diseased hepatocytes, thereby significantly expanding the repertoire of tools to detect drug-induced liver injuries. It is concluded that the development of 3D liver models has hitherto been fruitful and that systems are now at hand whose sensitivity and specificity in detecting hepatotoxicity are superior to those of classical 2D culture systems. For the future, we highlight the need to develop more integrated coculture model systems to emulate immunotoxicities that arise due to complex interactions between hepatocytes and immune cells.

  11. Severe hepatotoxicity following ingestion of Herbalife nutritional supplements contaminated with Bacillus subtilis.

    PubMed

    Stickel, Felix; Droz, Sara; Patsenker, Eleonora; Bögli-Stuber, Katja; Aebi, Beat; Leib, Stephen L

    2009-01-01

    Nutritional supplements are widely used. Recently, liver injury after consumption of Herbalife preparations was reported but the underlying pathogenesis remained cryptic. Two patients presented with cholestatic hepatitis and pruritus, and cirrhosis, respectively. Viral, alcoholic, metabolic, autoimmune, neoplastic, vascular liver diseases and synthetic drugs as the precipitating causes of liver injury were excluded. However, both patients reported long-term consumption of Herbalife products. All Herbalife products were tested for contamination with drugs, pesticides, heavy metals, and softeners, and examined for microbial contamination according to standard laboratory procedures. Bacteria isolated from the samples were identified as Bacillus subtilis by sequencing the 16S rRNA and gyrB genes. Causality between consumption of Herbalife products and disease according to CIOMS was scored "probable" in both cases. Histology showed cholestatic and lobular/portal hepatitis with cirrhosis in one patient, and biliary fibrosis with ductopenia in the other. No contamination with chemicals or heavy metals was detected, and immunological testing showed no drug hypersensitivity. However, samples of Herbalife products ingested by both patients showed growth of Bacillus subtilis of which culture supernatants showed dose- and time-dependent hepatotoxicity. Two novel incidents of severe hepatic injury following intake of Herbalife products contaminated with Bacillus subtilis emphasize its potential hepatotoxicity.

  12. Microscale 3D Liver Bioreactor for In Vitro Hepatotoxicity Testing under Perfusion Conditions.

    PubMed

    Freyer, Nora; Greuel, Selina; Knöspel, Fanny; Gerstmann, Florian; Storch, Lisa; Damm, Georg; Seehofer, Daniel; Foster Harris, Jennifer; Iyer, Rashi; Schubert, Frank; Zeilinger, Katrin

    2018-03-15

    The accurate prediction of hepatotoxicity demands validated human in vitro models that can close the gap between preclinical animal studies and clinical trials. In this study we investigated the response of primary human liver cells to toxic drug exposure in a perfused microscale 3D liver bioreactor. The cellularized bioreactors were treated with 5, 10, or 30 mM acetaminophen (APAP) used as a reference substance. Lactate production significantly decreased upon treatment with 30 mM APAP ( p < 0.05) and ammonia release significantly increased in bioreactors treated with 10 or 30 mM APAP ( p < 0.0001), indicating APAP-induced dose-dependent toxicity. The release of prostaglandin E2 showed a significant increase at 30 mM APAP ( p < 0.05), suggesting an inflammatory reaction towards enhanced cellular stress. The expression of genes involved in drug metabolism, antioxidant reactions, urea synthesis, and apoptosis was differentially influenced by APAP exposure. Histological examinations revealed that primary human liver cells in untreated control bioreactors were reorganized in tissue-like cell aggregates. These aggregates were partly disintegrated upon APAP treatment, lacking expression of hepatocyte-specific proteins and transporters. In conclusion, our results validate the suitability of the microscale 3D liver bioreactor to detect hepatotoxic effects of drugs in vitro under perfusion conditions.

  13. Microscale 3D Liver Bioreactor for In Vitro Hepatotoxicity Testing under Perfusion Conditions

    PubMed Central

    Freyer, Nora; Greuel, Selina; Knöspel, Fanny; Gerstmann, Florian; Storch, Lisa; Damm, Georg; Seehofer, Daniel; Foster Harris, Jennifer; Iyer, Rashi; Schubert, Frank; Zeilinger, Katrin

    2018-01-01

    The accurate prediction of hepatotoxicity demands validated human in vitro models that can close the gap between preclinical animal studies and clinical trials. In this study we investigated the response of primary human liver cells to toxic drug exposure in a perfused microscale 3D liver bioreactor. The cellularized bioreactors were treated with 5, 10, or 30 mM acetaminophen (APAP) used as a reference substance. Lactate production significantly decreased upon treatment with 30 mM APAP (p < 0.05) and ammonia release significantly increased in bioreactors treated with 10 or 30 mM APAP (p < 0.0001), indicating APAP-induced dose-dependent toxicity. The release of prostaglandin E2 showed a significant increase at 30 mM APAP (p < 0.05), suggesting an inflammatory reaction towards enhanced cellular stress. The expression of genes involved in drug metabolism, antioxidant reactions, urea synthesis, and apoptosis was differentially influenced by APAP exposure. Histological examinations revealed that primary human liver cells in untreated control bioreactors were reorganized in tissue-like cell aggregates. These aggregates were partly disintegrated upon APAP treatment, lacking expression of hepatocyte-specific proteins and transporters. In conclusion, our results validate the suitability of the microscale 3D liver bioreactor to detect hepatotoxic effects of drugs in vitro under perfusion conditions. PMID:29543727

  14. Antithyroid drug-related hepatotoxicity in hyperthyroidism patients: a population-based cohort study

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Meng-Ting; Lee, Wan-Ju; Huang, Tien-Yu; Chu, Che-Li; Hsieh, Chang-Hsun

    2014-01-01

    Aims The evidence of hepatotoxicity of antithyroid drugs (ATDs) is limited to case reports or spontaneous reporting. This study aimed to quantify the incidence and comparative risks of hepatotoxicity for methimazole (MMI)/carbimazole (CBM) vs. propylthiouracil (PTU) in a population-based manner. Methods We conducted a cohort study of hyperthyroidism patients initially receiving MMI/CBM or PTU between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2008 using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The examined hepatotoxicity consisted of cholestasis, non-infectious hepatitis, acute liver failure and liver transplant, with the incidences and relative risks being quantified by Poisson exact methods and Cox proportional hazard models, respectively. Results The study cohort comprised 71 379 ATD initiators, with a median follow-up of 196 days. MMI/CBM vs. PTU users had a higher hepatitis incidence rate (3.17/1000 vs. 1.19/1000 person-years) but a lower incidence of acute liver failure (0.32/1000 vs. 0.68/1000 person-years). The relative risk analysis indicated that any use of MMI/CBM was associated with a 2.89-fold (95% CI 1.81, 4.60) increased hepatitis risk compared with PTU, with the risk increasing to 5.08-fold for high dose MMI/CBM (95% CI 3.15, 8.18). However, any MMI/CBM use vs. PTU was not related to an increased risk of cholestasis (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.14, 95% CI 0.40, 3.72) or acute liver failure (adjusted HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.24, 1.22). Conclusions MMI/CBM and PTU exert dissimilar incidence rates of hepatotoxicity. Compared to PTU, MMI/CBM are associated in a dose-dependent manner with an increased risk for hepatitis while the risks are similar for acute liver failure and cholestasis. PMID:25279406

  15. Liver steatosis is a risk factor for hepatotoxicity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease under immunosuppressive treatment.

    PubMed

    Schröder, Torsten; Schmidt, Klaus J; Olsen, Vera; Möller, Steffen; Mackenroth, Tilo; Sina, Christian; Lehnert, Hendrik; Fellermann, Klaus; Büning, Jürgen

    2015-06-01

    In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), hepatic disorders are frequently due to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and drug-induced hepatotoxicity. Immunosuppressive treatment is known to exert hepatotoxic side effects by a still unknown mode. The relevance of liver steatosis for the development of drug-related hepatotoxicity in IBD is unknown. The charts of 259 patients with IBD under immunosuppression with either azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, or methotrexate were reviewed. The prevalence of liver steatosis was assessed by means of ultrasound reports. Aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase above the normal range were used to indicate liver abnormalities. Liver steatosis on the basis of ultrasound criteria was observed in 73 patients (28.2%). In patients with liver steatosis, the presence of elevated liver enzymes (ELE) was found to be significantly more prevalent (28.8 vs. 14.5%, P=0.0095). The finding of liver steatosis was associated with higher age (44.1 vs. 34.5 years, P<0.0001) and body weight (BMI 26.7 vs. 23.4 kg/m, P<0.0001). Development of ELE under immunosuppression was seen in 50 patients (19.3%). Of the patients who developed ELE, 44.0% (vs. 24.4%, P=0.0095) showed liver steatosis. Logistic regression analysis revealed that male individuals showed an increased likelihood of developing ELE associated with steatosis (P=0.0118, odds ratio=3.93) and that patients who received steroids less often developed ELE in association with liver steatosis (P=0.0414, odds ratio=0.31). This study suggests that fatty liver represents a risk factor for hepatotoxicity in patients with IBD under immunosuppressive treatment and should be routinely considered in treatment strategies.

  16. Long-enduring primary hepatocyte-based co-cultures improve prediction of hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Novik, Eric I; Dwyer, Jacquelyn; Morelli, James K; Parekh, Amit; Cho, Cheul; Pludwinski, Eitan; Shrirao, Anil; Freedman, Robert M; MacDonald, James S; Jayyosi, Zaid

    2017-12-01

    The failure of drug candidates during clinical trials and post-marketing withdrawal due to Drug Induced Liver Injury (DILI), results in significant late-stage attrition in the pharmaceutical industry. Animal studies have proven insufficient to definitively predict DILI in the clinic, therefore a variety of in vitro models are being tested in an effort to improve prediction of human hepatotoxicity. The model system described here consists of cryopreserved primary rat, dog or human hepatocytes co-cultured together with a fibroblast cell line, which aids in the hepatocytes' maintenance of more in vivo-like characteristics compared to traditional hepatic mono-cultures, including long term viability and retention of activity of cytochrome P450 isozymes. Cell viability was assessed by measurement of ATP following treatment with 29 compounds having known hepatotoxic liabilities. Hμrelrat™, Hμreldog™, and Hμrelhuman™ hepatic co-cultures were treated for 24h, or under repeat-dosing for 7 or 13days, and compared to rat and human hepatic mono-cultures following single-dose exposure for 24h. The results allowed for a comparison of cytotoxicity, species-specific responses and the effect of repeat compound exposure on the prediction of hepatotoxic potential in each model. Results show that the co-culture model had greater sensitivity compared to that of the hepatic mono-cultures. In addition, "time-based ratios" were determined by dividing the compounds' 24-hour TC 50 /C max values by TC 50 /C max values measured after dosing for either 7 or 13days. The results suggest that this approach may serve as a useful adjunct to traditional measurements of hepatotoxicity, improving the predictive value of early screening studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Minimizing DILI risk in drug discovery - A screening tool for drug candidates.

    PubMed

    Schadt, S; Simon, S; Kustermann, S; Boess, F; McGinnis, C; Brink, A; Lieven, R; Fowler, S; Youdim, K; Ullah, M; Marschmann, M; Zihlmann, C; Siegrist, Y M; Cascais, A C; Di Lenarda, E; Durr, E; Schaub, N; Ang, X; Starke, V; Singer, T; Alvarez-Sanchez, R; Roth, A B; Schuler, F; Funk, C

    2015-12-25

    Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a leading cause of acute hepatic failure and a major reason for market withdrawal of drugs. Idiosyncratic DILI is multifactorial, with unclear dose-dependency and poor predictability since the underlying patient-related susceptibilities are not sufficiently understood. Because of these limitations, a pharmaceutical research option would be to reduce the compound-related risk factors in the drug-discovery process. Here we describe the development and validation of a methodology for the assessment of DILI risk of drug candidates. As a training set, 81 marketed or withdrawn compounds with differing DILI rates - according to the FDA categorization - were tested in a combination of assays covering different mechanisms and endpoints contributing to human DILI. These include the generation of reactive metabolites (CYP3A4 time-dependent inhibition and glutathione adduct formation), inhibition of the human bile salt export pump (BSEP), mitochondrial toxicity and cytotoxicity (fibroblasts and human hepatocytes). Different approaches for dose- and exposure-based calibrations were assessed and the same parameters applied to a test set of 39 different compounds. We achieved a similar performance to the training set with an overall accuracy of 79% correctly predicted, a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 82%. This test system may be applied in a prospective manner to reduce the risk of idiosyncratic DILI of drug candidates. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Idiosyncratic Adverse Drug Reactions: Current Concepts

    PubMed Central

    Naisbitt, Dean J.

    2013-01-01

    Idiosyncratic drug reactions are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality for patients; they also markedly increase the uncertainty of drug development. The major targets are skin, liver, and bone marrow. Clinical characteristics suggest that IDRs are immune mediated, and there is substantive evidence that most, but not all, IDRs are caused by chemically reactive species. However, rigorous mechanistic studies are very difficult to perform, especially in the absence of valid animal models. Models to explain how drugs or reactive metabolites interact with the MHC/T-cell receptor complex include the hapten and P-I models, and most recently it was found that abacavir can interact reversibly with MHC to alter the endogenous peptides that are presented to T cells. The discovery of HLA molecules as important risk factors for some IDRs has also significantly contributed to our understanding of these adverse reactions, but it is not yet clear what fraction of IDRs have a strong HLA dependence. In addition, with the exception of abacavir, most patients who have the HLA that confers a higher IDR risk with a specific drug will not have an IDR when treated with that drug. Interindividual differences in T-cell receptors and other factors also presumably play a role in determining which patients will have an IDR. The immune response represents a delicate balance, and immune tolerance may be the dominant response to a drug that can cause IDRs. PMID:23476052

  19. Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptom in a Patient with Pneumonia and Hyperthyroidism.

    PubMed

    Jin, Hualiang; Wang, Limin; Ye, Jian

    2017-01-01

    Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms syndrome is an idiosyncratic drug reaction characterized by fever, skin eruption, lymph node enlargement, and internal organ involvement. We report a case of a patient with pneumonia who developed clinical manifestations of fever, rash, lymphadenopathy, hypereosinophilia, and visceral involvement (renal failure and eosinophilic pneumonitis) caused by methimazole. The patient improved remarkably with drug withdrawal. A high index of clinical suspicion is emphasized to facilitate prompt diagnosis of medication-related adverse effect and its discontinuation.

  20. Unusual Synchronous Methimazole-Induced Agranulocytosis and Severe Hepatotoxicity in Patient with Hyperthyroidism: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Jun; Zhang, Jun; Xu, Qin; Sheng, Guo-ping; Weng, Wan-wen; Dong, Meng-jie

    2015-01-01

    Context. To report a patient with hyperthyroidism who developed concurrent occurrence of agranulocytosis and severe hepatotoxicity after taking methimazole (MMI). Case. A 51-year-old Chinese male was diagnosed as hyperthyroidism with normal white blood count and liver function. After 4 weeks' treatment with MMI 20 mg/d, it developed to agranulocytosis and severe cholestatic hepatotoxicity. The patient's symptoms and laboratory abnormalities disappeared after the withdrawal of MMI; his white blood count and liver function recover to normal in 2 weeks and 5 weeks, respectively. 296 MBq dose of 131I was given to the patient 3 weeks after the withdrawal of MMI and his thyroid function was back to normal in 6 months. As we know through literature review, only 5 previous cases reported the synchronous ATD-induced agranulocytosis and severe hepatotoxicity in patients with hyperthyroidism. Methods. Review of the patient's clinical course. Literature review of cases of hyperthyroidism with agranulocytosis and severe hepatotoxicity demonstrated that these complications occurred after taking antithyroid drug (ATD). Conclusions. Patient with hyperthyroidism can have synchronous ATD-induced agranulocytosis and severe hepatotoxicity. This case is extremely rare, but the adverse effects with ATDs is clinically significant. The clinicians need to be careful about this and monitor biochemical of patients who take ATDs. PMID:26060496

  1. Hypericum perforatum-induced hepatotoxicity with possible association with copaiba (Copaifera langsdorffii Desf):case report

    PubMed Central

    Agollo, Marjorie Costa; Miszputen, Sender Jankiel; Diament, Jayme

    2014-01-01

    We report a case of liver damage in an elderly patient after the use of herbal products of Hypericum perforatum and copaiba (Copaifera langsdorffii Desf). Hepatotoxicity related to Hypericum perforatum is anecdotally known, but for copaiba, widely used as anti-inflammatory, there is just experimental data in the national literature. This report aimed to draw attention to the possible toxic effects of this association as well as to the clinical recovery of the patient after discontinuing their use. There is a tendency to suspect of the action of drugs to justify a non-viral acute liver injury, because of the large number of drugs responsible for hepatotoxicity. There are experiments and clinical reports in the literature describing some herbal products, including Hypericum perforatum, as the causative agents of this aggression, and are considered innocuous and used with no restrictions. We must remember that adverse reactions also occur with these substances; hence, they should be investigated when collecting the patient´s history, for leading to severe liver failure. PMID:25167337

  2. Synergistic protective effect of picrorhiza with honey in acetaminophen induced hepatic injury.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Prashant; Tripathi, Alok; Agrawal, Tripti; Narayan, Chandradeo; Singh, B M; Kumar, Mohan; Kumar, Arvind

    2016-08-01

    Rhizome of picrorhiza along with honey prevents hepatic damage and cure the acetaminophen (paracetamol) induced hepatotoxicity by modulating the activity of hepatic enzymes. Here, we studied the in vivo effects of Picrorhiza kurroa and honey on acetaminophen induced hepatotoxicity Balb/c mice model. Hepatic histopathological observations of acetaminophen fed (day-6) group showed more congestion, hemorrhage, necrosis, distorted hepatic architecture and nuclear inclusion. Such damages were recompensed to normal by picrorhiza or honey alone or both in combinations. We observed increased activity of SGPT and SGOT in injured liver tissues, and that too was compensated to normal with picrorhiza or honey alone or both in combinations. We observed 1.27 and 1.23-fold enhanced activity of SGPT in serum and liver lysate, respectively while SGOT showed 1.66 and 1.11 fold enhanced activity. These two enzymes are signature enzymes of liver damage. Thus, our results support that honey may be used with drug picrorhiza due to its synergistic role to enhance hepatoprotective and hepatoregenerative ability along with allopathic drugs to mitigate the hepatotoxic effects.

  3. Risk assessment of hepatotoxicity among tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS-coinfected patients under tuberculosis treatment.

    PubMed

    Ngouleun, Williams; Biapa Nya, Prosper Cabral; Pieme, Anatole Constant; Telefo, Phelix Bruno

    2016-12-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) is a worldwide public health problem. It is a contagious and grave disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Current drugs such as isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and rifampicin used for the treatment of tuberculosis are potentially hepatotoxic and can lead to drug hepatitis. In order to improve the follow-up of TB patients in Cameroon, we carried out a study which aimed to evaluate the hepatotoxicity risk factors associated with anti-TB drugs. The studies were performed on 75 participants who had visited the Loum District Hospital located in the littoral region of Cameroon for their routine consultation. Participants have been selected based on pre-established criteria of inclusion and exclusion. Prior to the informed consent signature, patients were given compelling information about the objective and the result output of the study. They were questioned about antioxidant food and alcohol consumption as well as some clinical signs of hepatotoxicity such as fever, nausea, vomiting, and tiredness. The collected blood was tested for the determination of biochemical markers (transaminases and C-reactive protein) using standard spectrophotometric methods. Biochemical analysis of samples showed a significant increase (p<.05) of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase values in TB patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS (33.28±16.58UI/L and 30.84±17.17UI/L, respectively) compared with the respective values of the controls (16.35±5.31UI/L and 16.45±4.83UI/L). Taking individually, the liver injury patient percentage of TB patients was significant compared to TBC when considering alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase parameters. When considering risk factors, antioxidant food consumption significantly reduced the liver injury patient percentage for the above parameters, whereas an opposite situation was observed with alcohol consumption between TB-coinfection and TB patients. Regarding the C-reactive protein results, the percentage of positive tests was very high among coinfected patients (40%) compared with the control (15%). The interactions between parameters related to alcohol consumption and intake of antioxidant foods showed a slight decrease in activity compared with interactions without food. The results showed that human immunodeficiency virus status and alcohol consumption constitutes aggravating factors for the occurrence of hepatic toxicity. In addition, the consumption of antioxidant foods simultaneously with TB drugs help in reducing the hepatotoxic effects of these drugs. Copyright © 2016 Asian-African Society for Mycobacteriology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Three cases of severe acute hepatitis after parenteral administration of amiodarone: the active ingredient is not the only agent responsible for hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Giannattasio, Francesco; Salvio, Antonio; Varriale, Maria; Picciotto, Francesco Paolo; Di Costanzo, Giovan Giuseppe; Visconti, Mario

    2002-01-01

    Amiodarone is one of the most effective antiarrhythmic drugs available and is widely prescribed despite several potentially life-threatening side-effects. Hepatotoxicity is the most frequent one during long-term oral therapy: occasionally acute hepatitis necessitates the suspension of treatment but monitoring of a transient increase in serum aminotransferases is usually sufficient; the clinical-morphological pictures of liver cirrhosis have also been reported. Fulminant hepatitis soon after a parenteral load of the drug is far less well described in the literature. Most published cases were reversible after the suspension of treatment. A negative challenge after oral amiodarone exposure suggested that polysorbate 80, a solvent added to the intravenous infusion and already implied in the pathogenesis of a similar syndrome observed in infants, is a more likely cause of this complication. The occurrence of acute hepatitis complicating parenteral amiodarone treatment does not preclude subsequent oral use of the drug: an evidence-based therapeutic behavior now definitively consolidated. Because of the rarity of this diagnosis, we report 3 cases of short-term hepatotoxicity secondary to amiodarone treatment for supraventricular tachyarrhythmias: in 2 male patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and in a female with liver disease. The diagnosis was presumptive and based on a thorough drug history, the temporal relationship, the time-course of liver dysfunction, the exclusion of other causes and on the rapid improvement observed after parenteral amiodarone withdrawal in 2 cases; in no case could we find any other explanation for the liver damage. Since amiodarone is sometimes still an irreplaceable antiarrhythmic drug, we raise the question of whether careful and continuous vigilance should be mandatory in patients receiving the drug or whether it is possible to introduce a pharmaceutical preparation not containing the vehicle that induces acute liver toxicity.

  5. Trovafloxacin potentiation of lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor release from RAW 264.7 cells requires extracellular signal-regulated kinase and c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase.

    PubMed

    Poulsen, Kyle L; Albee, Ryan P; Ganey, Patricia E; Roth, Robert A

    2014-05-01

    Trovafloxacin (TVX) is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic known to cause idiosyncratic, drug-induced liver injury (IDILI) in humans. The mechanism underlying this toxicity remains unknown. Previously, an animal model of IDILI in mice revealed that TVX synergizes with inflammatory stress from bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to produce a hepatotoxic interaction. The liver injury required prolongation of the appearance of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) in the plasma. The results presented here describe a model of TVX/LPS coexposure in RAW 264.7 cells acting as a surrogate for TNF-releasing cells in vivo. Pretreating cells with TVX for 2 hours before LPS addition led to increased TNF protein release into culture medium in a concentration- and time-dependent manner relative to cells treated with LPS or TVX alone. During the pretreatment period, TVX increased TNF mRNA, but this was less apparent when cells were exposed to TVX after LPS addition, suggesting that the pivotal signaling events that increase TNF expression occurred during the TVX pretreatment period. Indeed, TVX exposure increased activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. Inhibition of either ERK or JNK decreased the TVX-mediated increase in TNF mRNA and LPS-induced TNF protein release, but p38 inhibition did not. These results demonstrated that the increased TNF appearance from TVX-LPS interaction in vivo can be reproduced in vitro and occurs in an ERK- and JNK-dependent manner.

  6. Genetic polymorphisms of N-acetyltransferase 2 & susceptibility to antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Surendra K; Jha, Brajesh Kumar; Sharma, Abhishek; Sreenivas, V; Upadhyay, Vishwanath; Jaisinghani, Chandrita; Singla, Rohit; Mishra, Hemant Kumar; Soneja, Manish

    2016-12-01

    The N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) gene encodes an enzyme which both activates and deactivates arylamine and other drugs and carcinogens. This study was aimed to investigate the role of NAT2 gene polymorphism in anti-tuberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity (DIH). In this prospective study, polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism results for NAT2 gene were compared between 185 tuberculosis patients who did not develop DIH and 105 tuberculosis patients who developed DIH while on anti-tuberculosis drugs. Frequency of slow-acetylator genotype was commonly encountered and was not significantly different between DIH (82.8%) and non-DIH (77.2%) patients. However, the genotypic distribution of variant NAT2FNx015/FNx017 amongst slow-acetylator genotypes was significantly higher in DIH (56%) group as compared to non-DIH (39%) group (odds ratio 2.02; P=0.006). The present study demonstrated no association between NAT2 genotype and DIH in the north Indian patients with tuberculosis.

  7. The Importance of Patient-Specific Factors for Hepatic Drug Response and Toxicity

    PubMed Central

    Lauschke, Volker M.; Ingelman-Sundberg, Magnus

    2016-01-01

    Responses to drugs and pharmacological treatments differ considerably between individuals. Importantly, only 50%–75% of patients have been shown to react adequately to pharmacological interventions, whereas the others experience either a lack of efficacy or suffer from adverse events. The liver is of central importance in the metabolism of most drugs. Because of this exposed status, hepatotoxicity is amongst the most common adverse drug reactions and hepatic liabilities are the most prevalent reason for the termination of development programs of novel drug candidates. In recent years, more and more factors were unveiled that shape hepatic drug responses and thus underlie the observed inter-individual variability. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of different principle mechanisms of drug hepatotoxicity and illustrate how patient-specific factors, such as genetic, physiological and environmental factors, can shape drug responses. Furthermore, we highlight other parameters, such as concomitantly prescribed medications or liver diseases and how they modulate drug toxicity, pharmacokinetics and dynamics. Finally, we discuss recent progress in the field of in vitro toxicity models and evaluate their utility in reflecting patient-specific factors to study inter-individual differences in drug response and toxicity, as this understanding is necessary to pave the way for a patient-adjusted medicine. PMID:27754327

  8. Drug-Induced Liver Toxicity and Prevention by Herbal Antioxidants: An Overview

    PubMed Central

    Singh, Divya; Cho, William C.; Upadhyay, Ghanshyam

    2016-01-01

    The liver is the center for drug and xenobiotic metabolism, which is influenced most with medication/xenobiotic-mediated toxic activity. Drug-induced hepatotoxicity is common and its actual frequency is hard to determine due to underreporting, difficulties in detection or diagnosis, and incomplete observation of exposure. The death rate is high, up to about 10% for drug-induced liver damage. Endorsed medications represented >50% of instances of intense liver failure in a study from the Acute Liver Failure Study Group of the patients admitted in 17 US healing facilities. Albeit different studies are accessible uncovering the mechanistic aspects of medication prompted hepatotoxicity, we are in the dilemma about the virtual story. The expanding prevalence and effectiveness of Ayurveda and natural products in the treatment of various disorders led the investigators to look into their potential in countering drug-induced liver toxicity. Several natural products have been reported to date to mitigate the drug-induced toxicity. The dietary nature and less adverse reactions of the natural products provide them an extra edge over other candidates of supplementary medication. In this paper, we have discussed the mechanism involved in drug-induced liver toxicity and the potential of herbal antioxidants as supplementary medication. PMID:26858648

  9. Alpha-lipoic acid-stearylamine conjugate-based solid lipid nanoparticles for tamoxifen delivery: formulation, optimization, in-vivo pharmacokinetic and hepatotoxicity study.

    PubMed

    Dhaundiyal, Ankit; Jena, Sunil K; Samal, Sanjaya K; Sonvane, Bhavin; Chand, Mahesh; Sangamwar, Abhay T

    2016-12-01

    This study was designed to demonstrate the potential of novel α-lipoic acid-stearylamine (ALA-SA) conjugate-based solid lipid nanoparticles in modulating the pharmacokinetics and hepatotoxicity of tamoxifen (TMX). α-lipoic acid-stearylamine bioconjugate was synthesized via carbodiimide chemistry and used as a lipid moiety for the generation of TMX-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (TMX-SLNs). TMX-SLNs were prepared by solvent emulsification-diffusion method and optimized for maximum drug loading using rotatable central composite design. The optimized TMX-SLNs were stabilized using 10% w/w trehalose as cryoprotectant. In addition, pharmacokinetics and hepatotoxicity of freeze-dried TMX-SLNs were also evaluated in Sprague Dawley rats. Initial characterization with transmission electron microscopy revealed spherical morphology with smooth surface having an average particle size of 261.08 ± 2.13 nm. The observed entrapment efficiency was 40.73 ± 2.83%. In-vitro release study showed TMX release was slow and pH dependent. Pharmacokinetic study revealed a 1.59-fold increase in relative bioavailability as compared to TMX suspension. A decrease in hepatotoxicity of TMX is evidenced by the histopathological evaluation of liver tissues. α-lipoic acid-stearylamine conjugate-based SLNs have a great potential in enhancing the oral bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs like TMX. Moreover, this ALA-SA nanoparticulate system could be of significant value in long-term anticancer therapy with least side effects. © 2016 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

  10. Muscular exercise can cause highly pathological liver function tests in healthy men

    PubMed Central

    Pettersson, Jonas; Hindorf, Ulf; Persson, Paula; Bengtsson, Thomas; Malmqvist, Ulf; Werkström, Viktoria; Ekelund, Mats

    2008-01-01

    Aim To investigate the effect of intensive muscular exercise (weightlifting) on clinical chemistry parameters reflecting liver function in healthy men. Methods Fifteen healthy men, used to moderate physical activity not including weightlifting, performed an 1 h long weightlifting programme. Blood was sampled for clinical chemistry parameters [aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LD), gamma-glutamyl transferase (γGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, creatine kinase (CK) and myoglobin] at repeated intervals during 7 days postexercise and at a follow-up examination 10–12 days postexercise. Results Five out of eight studied clinical chemistry parameters (AST, ALT, LD, CK and myoglobin) increased significantly after exercise (P < 0.01) and remained increased for at least 7 days postexercise. Bilirubin, γGT and ALP remained within the normal range. Conclusion The liver function parameters, AST and ALT, were significantly increased for at least 7 days after the exercise. In addition, LD and, in particular, CK and myoglobin showed highly elevated levels. These findings highlight the importance of imposing restrictions on weightlifting prior to and during clinical studies. Intensive muscular exercise, e.g. weightlifting, should also be considered as a cause of asymptomatic elevations of liver function tests in daily clinical practice. What is already known about this subject The occurrence of idiosyncratic drug hepatotoxicity is a major problem in all phases of clinical drug development and the leading cause of postmarketing warnings and withdrawals.Physical exercise can result in transient elevations of liver function tests.There is no consensus in the literature on which forms of exercise may cause changes in liver function tests and to what extent. What this study adds Weightlifting results in profound increases in liver function tests in healthy men used to moderate physical activity, not including weightlifting.Liver function tests are significantly increased for at least 7 days after weightlifting.It is important to impose relevant restrictions on heavy muscular exercise prior to and during clinical studies. PMID:17764474

  11. Muscular exercise can cause highly pathological liver function tests in healthy men.

    PubMed

    Pettersson, Jonas; Hindorf, Ulf; Persson, Paula; Bengtsson, Thomas; Malmqvist, Ulf; Werkström, Viktoria; Ekelund, Mats

    2008-02-01

    The occurrence of idiosyncratic drug hepatotoxicity is a major problem in all phases of clinical drug development and the leading cause of postmarketing warnings and withdrawals. Physical exercise can result in transient elevations of liver function tests. There is no consensus in the literature on which forms of exercise may cause changes in liver function tests and to what extent. Weightlifting results in profound increases in liver function tests in healthy men used to moderate physical activity, not including weightlifting. Liver function tests are significantly increased for at least 7 days after weightlifting. It is important to impose relevant restrictions on heavy muscular exercise prior to and during clinical studies. To investigate the effect of intensive muscular exercise (weightlifting) on clinical chemistry parameters reflecting liver function in healthy men. Fifteen healthy men, used to moderate physical activity not including weightlifting, performed an 1 h long weightlifting programme. Blood was sampled for clinical chemistry parameters [aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LD), gamma-glutamyl transferase (gamma GT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, creatine kinase (CK) and myoglobin] at repeated intervals during 7 days postexercise and at a follow-up examination 10-12 days postexercise. Five out of eight studied clinical chemistry parameters (AST, ALT, LD, CK and myoglobin) increased significantly after exercise (P < 0.01) and remained increased for at least 7 days postexercise. Bilirubin, gamma GT and ALP remained within the normal range. The liver function parameters, AST and ALT, were significantly increased for at least 7 days after the exercise. In addition, LD and, in particular, CK and myoglobin showed highly elevated levels. These findings highlight the importance of imposing restrictions on weightlifting prior to and during clinical studies. Intensive muscular exercise, e.g. weightlifting, should also be considered as a cause of asymptomatic elevations of liver function tests in daily clinical practice.

  12. Hepatocurative potential of sesquiterpene lactones of Taraxacum officinale on carbon tetrachloride induced liver toxicity in mice.

    PubMed

    Mahesh, A; Jeyachandran, R; Cindrella, L; Thangadurai, D; Veerapur, V P; Muralidhara Rao, D

    2010-06-01

    The hepatocurative potential of ethanolic extract (ETO) and sesquiterpene lactones enriched fraction (SL) of Taraxacum officinale roots was evaluated against carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) induced hepatotoxicity in mice. The diagnostic markers such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin contents were significantly elevated, whereas significant reduction in the level of reduced glutathione (GSH) and enhanced hepatic lipid peroxidation, liver weight and liver protein were observed in CCl 4 induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Post-treatment with ETO and SL significantly protected the hepatotoxicity as evident from the lower levels of hepatic enzyme markers, such as serum transaminase (ALT, AST), ALP and total bilirubin. Further, significant reduction in the liver weight and liver protein in drug-treated hepatotoxic mice and also reduced oxidative stress by increasing reduced glutathione content and decreasing lipid peroxidation level has been noticed. The histopathological evaluation of the liver also revealed that ETO and SL reduced the incidence of liver lesions induced by CCl 4 . The results indicate that sesquiterpene lactones have a protective effect against acute hepatotoxicity induced by the administration of CCl 4 in mice. Furthermore, observed activity of SL may be due to the synergistic action of two sesquiterpene lactones identified from enriched ethyl acetate fraction by HPLC method.

  13. Severe acute hepatitis following intravenous amiodarone : a case report and review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Stratton, A; Fenderson, J; Kenny, P; Helman, D L

    2015-06-01

    Hepatotoxic complications of long-term oral amiodarone therapy have been well described ; however, liver injury secondary to parenteral infusion of amiodarone is uncommon, potentially fatal, and poorly understood. The hepatotoxicity is thought to result from the diluent polysorbate 80 and not the amiodarone its self. Theories suggest an allergic or immunologic response leading to alterations in the hepatocellular membrane while some propose that ischemia, not a drug reaction, is truly to blame. Both the PubMed and Embase databases were searched for cases of acute hepatitis implicating intravenous amiodarone with a total of 25 cases from 1986 to 2012 identified. Each case was then carefully evaluated to determine the connection between parenteral amiodarone and acute hepatotoxicity while assessing for evidence of potential ischemia. Of the 25 published cases of amiodarone induced acute hepatotoxicity available for review, only 10 provide evidence to conclusively implicate parenteral amiodarone as the etiology. We add the eleventh reported case of parenteral amiodarone induced acute severe hepatitis to the literature and report the most comprehensive review of this topic to date. There is sufficient evidence to support amiodarone induced acute hepatotoxicity as a unique entity separate from ischemic hepatitis. If suspected, parenteral amiodarone should be discontinued and held indefinitely. © Acta Gastro-Enterologica Belgica.

  14. Development of a Convenient In Vivo Hepatotoxin Assay Using a Transgenic Zebrafish Line with Liver-Specific DsRed Expression

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Xiaoyan; Li, Caixia; Gong, Zhiyuan

    2014-01-01

    Previously we have developed a transgenic zebrafish line (LiPan) with liver-specific red fluorescent protein (DsRed) expression under the fabp10a promoter. Since red fluorescence in the liver greatly facilitates the observation of liver in live LiPan fry, we envision that the LiPan zebrafish may provide a useful tool in analyses of hepatotoxicity based on changes of liver red fluorescence intensity and size. In this study, we first tested four well-established hepatotoxins (acetaminophen, aspirin, isoniazid and phenylbutazone) in LiPan fry and demonstrated that these hepatotoxins could significantly reduce both liver red fluorescence and liver size in a dosage-dependent manner, thus the two measurable parameters could be used as indicators of hepatotoxicity. We then tested the LiPan fry with nine other chemicals including environmental toxicants and human drugs. Three (mefenamic acid, lindane, and arsenate) behave like hepatotoxins in reduction of liver red fluorescence, while three others (17β-estradiol, TCDD [2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin] and NDMA [N-nitrosodimethylamine]) caused increase of liver red fluorescence and the liver size. Ethanol and two other chemicals, amoxicillin (antibiotics) and chlorphenamine (pain killer) did not resulted in significant changes of liver red fluorescence and liver size. By quantitative RT-PCR analysis, we found that the changes of red fluorescence intensity caused by different chemicals correlated to the changes of endogenous fabp10a RNA expression, indicating that the measured hepatotoxicity was related to fatty acid transportation and metabolism. Finally we tested a mixture of four hepatotoxins and observed a significant reduction of red fluorescence in the liver at concentrations below the lowest effective concentrations of individual hepatotoxins, suggesting that the transgenic zebrafish assay is capable of reporting compound hepatotoxicity effect from chemical mixtures. Thus, the LiPan transgenic fry provide a rapid and convenient in vivo hepatotoxicity assay that should be applicable to high-throughput hepatotoxicity test in drug screening as well as in biomonitoring environmental toxicants. PMID:24626481

  15. Strategies for In Vivo Screening and Mitigation of Hepatotoxicity Associated with Antisense Drugs.

    PubMed

    Kamola, Piotr J; Maratou, Klio; Wilson, Paul A; Rush, Kay; Mullaney, Tanya; McKevitt, Tom; Evans, Paula; Ridings, Jim; Chowdhury, Probash; Roulois, Aude; Fairchild, Ann; McCawley, Sean; Cartwright, Karen; Gooderham, Nigel J; Gant, Timothy W; Moores, Kitty; Hughes, Stephen A; Edbrooke, Mark R; Clark, Kenneth; Parry, Joel D

    2017-09-15

    Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) gapmers downregulate gene expression by inducing enzyme-dependent degradation of targeted RNA and represent a promising therapeutic platform for addressing previously undruggable genes. Unfortunately, their therapeutic application, particularly that of the more potent chemistries (e.g., locked-nucleic-acid-containing gapmers), has been hampered by their frequent hepatoxicity, which could be driven by hybridization-mediated interactions. An early de-risking of this liability is a crucial component of developing safe, ASO-based drugs. To rank ASOs based on their effect on the liver, we have developed an acute screen in the mouse that can be applied early in the drug development cycle. A single-dose (3-day) screen with streamlined endpoints (i.e., plasma transaminase levels and liver weights) was observed to be predictive of ASO hepatotoxicity ranking established based on a repeat-dose (15 day) study. Furthermore, to study the underlying mechanisms of liver toxicity, we applied transcriptome profiling and pathway analyses and show that adverse in vivo liver phenotypes correlate with the number of potent, hybridization-mediated off-target effects (OTEs). We propose that a combination of in silico OTE predictions, streamlined in vivo hepatotoxicity screening, and a transcriptome-wide selectivity screen is a valid approach to identifying and progressing safer compounds. Copyright © 2017 GSK R&D. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Effects of 31 FDA approved small-molecule kinase inhibitors on isolated rat liver mitochondria.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Jun; Salminen, Alec; Yang, Xi; Luo, Yong; Wu, Qiangen; White, Matthew; Greenhaw, James; Ren, Lijun; Bryant, Matthew; Salminen, William; Papoian, Thomas; Mattes, William; Shi, Qiang

    2017-08-01

    The FDA has approved 31 small-molecule kinase inhibitors (KIs) for human use as of November 2016, with six having black box warnings for hepatotoxicity (BBW-H) in product labeling. The precise mechanisms and risk factors for KI-induced hepatotoxicity are poorly understood. Here, the 31 KIs were tested in isolated rat liver mitochondria, an in vitro system recently proposed to be a useful tool to predict drug-induced hepatotoxicity in humans. The KIs were incubated with mitochondria or submitochondrial particles at concentrations ranging from therapeutic maximal blood concentrations (Cmax) levels to 100-fold Cmax levels. Ten endpoints were measured, including oxygen consumption rate, inner membrane potential, cytochrome c release, swelling, reactive oxygen species, and individual respiratory chain complex (I-V) activities. Of the 31 KIs examined only three including sorafenib, regorafenib and pazopanib, all of which are hepatotoxic, caused significant mitochondrial toxicity at concentrations equal to the Cmax, indicating that mitochondrial toxicity likely contributes to the pathogenesis of hepatotoxicity associated with these KIs. At concentrations equal to 100-fold Cmax, 18 KIs were found to be toxic to mitochondria, and among six KIs with BBW-H, mitochondrial injury was induced by regorafenib, lapatinib, idelalisib, and pazopanib, but not ponatinib, or sunitinib. Mitochondrial liability at 100-fold Cmax had a positive predictive power (PPV) of 72% and negative predictive power (NPV) of 33% in predicting human KI hepatotoxicity as defined by product labeling, with the sensitivity and specificity being 62% and 44%, respectively. Similar predictive power was obtained using the criterion of Cmax ≥1.1 µM or daily dose ≥100 mg. Mitochondrial liability at 1-2.5-fold Cmax showed a 100% PPV and specificity, though the NPV and sensitivity were 32% and 14%, respectively. These data provide novel mechanistic insights into KI hepatotoxicity and indicate that mitochondrial toxicity at therapeutic levels can help identify hepatotoxic KIs.

  17. Hepatotoxicity due to red bush tea consumption: a case report.

    PubMed

    Reddy, Shamantha; Mishra, Pragnyadipta; Qureshi, Sana; Nair, Singh; Straker, Tracey

    2016-12-01

    Many conventional drugs used today, including isoniazid, dapsone, and acetaminophen, are well recognized culprits of hepatotoxicity. With increasing use of complementary and alternative medical therapies, several herbal medicines, such as Ma-Huang, kava, and chaparral leaf, have been implicated as hepatotoxins. Hepatotoxicity may be the most frequent adverse reaction to these herbal remedies when taken in excessive quantities. A myriad of liver dysfunctions may occur including transient liver enzyme abnormalities due to acute and chronic hepatitis. These herbal products are often overlooked as the causal etiologic agent during the evaluation of a patient with elevated liver function tests. We describe a case of hepatotoxicity due to ingestion of red bush tea diagnosed during preoperative assessment of a patient scheduled for laparoscopic appendectomy. Elevated liver enzymes and thrombocytopenia detected in the patient's laboratory work up confounded the initial diagnosis of acute appendicitis and additional investigations were required to rule out cholecystitis and other causes of hepatitis. Open appendectomy was done uneventfully under spinal anesthesia without any further deterioration of hepatic function. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. Toxicity prediction of compounds from turmeric (Curcuma longa L).

    PubMed

    Balaji, S; Chempakam, B

    2010-10-01

    Turmeric belongs to the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Currently, cheminformatics approaches are not employed in any of the spices to study the medicinal properties traditionally attributed to them. The aim of this study is to find the most efficacious molecule which does not have any toxic effects. In the present study, toxicity of 200 chemical compounds from turmeric were predicted (includes bacterial mutagenicity, rodent carcinogenicity and human hepatotoxicity). The study shows out of 200 compounds, 184 compounds were predicted as toxigenic, 136 compounds are mutagenic, 153 compounds are carcinogenic and 64 compounds are hepatotoxic. To cross validate our results, we have chosen the popular curcumin and found that curcumin and its derivatives may cause dose dependent hepatotoxicity. The results of these studies indicate that, in contrast to curcumin, few other compounds in turmeric which are non-mutagenic, non-carcinogenic, non-hepatotoxic, and do not have any side-effects. Hence, the cost-effective approach presented in this paper could be used to filter toxic compounds from the drug discovery lifecycle. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Modulatory effects of some natural products on hepatotoxicity induced by combination of sodium valproate and paracetamol in rats.

    PubMed

    Zaky, Hanan S; Gad, Amany M; Nemr, Ekram; Hassan, Wedad; Abd El-Raouf, Ola M; Ali, Aza A

    2018-05-25

    Possible hepatoprotective effect of Curcuma longa and/or Nigella sativa against hepatotoxicity induced by coadministration of sodium valproate (SV) and paracetamol was studied. Rats were divided into 10 groups, control groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 received vehicles, C. longa (200 mg/kg, p.o.), N. sativa (250 mg/kg, p.o.), or both herbs for 21 days, respectively. Toxicity groups 5, 6, and 7 received SV (300 mg/kg, i.p.), paracetamol (1000 mg/kg, p.o.) for the last 4 days or both for 21 days, respectively. Protection groups 8, 9, and 10 received C. longa, N. sativa, or both, respectively, 1 h before the administration of both the drugs for 21 days. SV and/or paracetamol significantly increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin, relative liver/body weight ratio, malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and caspase-3 (Casp-3) while significantly decreased albumin, total protein, glutathione (GSH) reduced, GSH peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Preadministration of C. longa and/or N. sativa caused protective effect against the hepatotoxicity induced by both drugs. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Liver Injury from Herbal, Dietary, and Weight Loss Supplements: a Review

    PubMed Central

    Zheng, Elizabeth X.; Navarro, Victor J.

    2015-01-01

    Herbal and dietary supplement usage has increased steadily over the past several years in the United States. Among the non-bodybuilding herbal and dietary supplements, weight loss supplements were among the most common type of HDS implicated in liver injury. While drug induced liver injury is rare, its consequences are significant and on the rise. The purpose of this review is to highlight case reports of weight loss products such as Hydroxycut and OxyElite Pro as one form of HDS that have hepatotoxic potential and to characterize its clinical effects as well as pattern of liver injury. We also propose future strategies in the identification and study of potentially hepatotoxic compounds in an effort to outline a diagnostic approach for identifying any drug induced liver injury. PMID:26357638

  1. Liver Injury from Herbal, Dietary, and Weight Loss Supplements: a Review.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Elizabeth X; Navarro, Victor J

    2015-06-28

    Herbal and dietary supplement usage has increased steadily over the past several years in the United States. Among the non-bodybuilding herbal and dietary supplements, weight loss supplements were among the most common type of HDS implicated in liver injury. While drug induced liver injury is rare, its consequences are significant and on the rise. The purpose of this review is to highlight case reports of weight loss products such as Hydroxycut and OxyElite Pro as one form of HDS that have hepatotoxic potential and to characterize its clinical effects as well as pattern of liver injury. We also propose future strategies in the identification and study of potentially hepatotoxic compounds in an effort to outline a diagnostic approach for identifying any drug induced liver injury.

  2. [Acute hepatitis following amiodarone administration].

    PubMed

    Tagliamonte, E; Cice, G; Ducceschi, V; Mayer, M S; Iacono, A

    1997-09-01

    A 61 year old man, treated with amiodarone since 1993 for resistant supraventricular arrhythmias, developed acute hepatitis after an intravenous amiodarone administration. Kidney and liver function tests were performed and pointed out abnormal results. Symptoms ascribable to hepatotoxicity were absent. These changes returned to normal levels within 20 days from withdrawal of the drug. Amiodarone hepatotoxicity can be related to prolonged therapy with a high dose. Intravenous amiodarone may cause acute hepatic disease, but it is suggested that polysorbate 80, a solvent added to the intravenous infusion, is a more likely cause of this complication.

  3. Fatal fulminant hepatitis associated with Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi) mushroom powder.

    PubMed

    Wanmuang, Harirak; Leopairut, Juvady; Kositchaiwat, Chomsri; Wananukul, Winai; Bunyaratvej, Sukhum

    2007-01-01

    Hepatotoxic effect related to Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi) mushroom powder was first described in a patient from Hong Kong in 2004. In 2005, the authors experienced a case of fatal fulminant hepatitis associated with such a preparation. Both patients had taken other therapeutic agents and traditionally boiled Lingzhi without any toxic effect. After switching to taking Lingzhi in powder form for 1-2 months, the hepatotoxic episode occurred in both patients. The toxic role of Lingzhi powder needs close monitoring in the future, especially in combination with other drugs.

  4. Quantitative NTCP Pharmacophore and Lack of Association between DILI and NTCP Inhibition

    PubMed Central

    Dong, Zhongqi; Ekins, Sean; Polli, James E.

    2014-01-01

    The human sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) is a hepatic bile acid transporter. Inhibition of NTCP uptake may potentially also prevent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The first objective was to develop a quantitative pharmacophore for NTCP inhibition. Recent studies showed that hepatotoxic drugs could inhibit bile acid uptake into hepatocytes, without inhibiting canalicular efflux, and cause bile acid elevation in plasma. Hence, a second objective was to examine whether NTCP inhibition is associated with drug induced liver injury (DILI). Twenty-seven drugs from our previous study were used as the training set to develop a quantitative pharmacophore. From secondary screening from a drug database, six retrieved drugs and three drugs not retrieved by the model were tested for NTCP inhibition. Tertiary screening involved drugs known to cause DILI and not cause DILI. Overall, ninety-four drugs were assessed for hepatotoxicity and were assessed relative to NTCP inhibition. The quantitative pharmacophore possessed one hydrogen bond acceptor, one hydrogen bond donor, a hydrophobic feature, and excluded volumes. From 94 drugs, NTCP inhibitors and non-inhibitors were approximately equally distributed across the drugs of most DILI concern, less DILI concern, and no DILI concern, indicating no relationship between NTCP inhibition and DILI risk. Hence, an approach to treat HBV via NTCP inhibition is not expected to be associated with DILI. PMID:25220493

  5. Quantitative NTCP pharmacophore and lack of association between DILI and NTCP Inhibition.

    PubMed

    Dong, Zhongqi; Ekins, Sean; Polli, James E

    2015-01-23

    The human sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) is a hepatic bile acid transporter. Inhibition of NTCP uptake may potentially also prevent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The first objective was to develop a quantitative pharmacophore for NTCP inhibition. Recent studies showed that hepatotoxic drugs could inhibit bile acid uptake into hepatocytes, without inhibiting canalicular efflux, and cause bile acid elevation in plasma. Hence, a second objective was to examine whether NTCP inhibition is associated with drug induced liver injury (DILI). Twenty-seven drugs from our previous study were used as the training set to develop a quantitative pharmacophore. From secondary screening from a drug database, six retrieved drugs and three drugs not retrieved by the model were tested for NTCP inhibition. Tertiary screening involved drugs known to cause DILI and not cause DILI. Overall, ninety-four drugs were assessed for hepatotoxicity and were assessed relative to NTCP inhibition. The quantitative pharmacophore possessed one hydrogen bond acceptor, one hydrogen bond donor, a hydrophobic feature, and excluded volumes. From 94 drugs, NTCP inhibitors and non-inhibitors were approximately equally distributed across the drugs of most DILI concern, less DILI concern, and no DILI concern, indicating no relationship between NTCP inhibition and DILI risk. Hence, an approach to treat HBV via NTCP inhibition is not expected to be associated with DILI. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Cisplatin induces mitochondrial oxidative stress with resultant energetic metabolism impairment, membrane rigidification and apoptosis in rat liver.

    PubMed

    Martins, N M; Santos, N A G; Curti, C; Bianchi, M L P; Santos, A C

    2008-04-01

    Cisplatin is a potent and widely used chemotherapeutic agent. Nephrotoxicity induced by this drug has been well documented. However, very little information is available on cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity and its underlying mechanism remains unclear. High doses of cisplatin have been known to produce hepatotoxicity. Additionally, elevated expression of CYP 2E1 has been associated with enhanced cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity. Several studies suggest that cisplatin toxicity occurs by the increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mitochondria. Therefore, the present study examined, in vivo, the cisplatin-induced effects on hepatic mitochondrial structure and function as well as the occurrence of hepatocellular death by apoptosis. Adult male Wistar rats (200-220 g) were divided into two groups (n=8) treated as follows: (1) control group (saline solution, 1 ml 100 g(-1) body weight, i.p.) and (2) cisplatin group (10 mg kg(-1) body weight, i.p.). The animals were killed 72 h after the treatment. Hepatotoxicity was evidenced in the cisplatin group by the increased serum levels of alanine (ALT) and aspartate (AST) aminotransferases. The mechanism of cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity was found to involve membrane rigidification; decreased GSH/GSSG ratio, ATP, GSH and NADPH levels; lipid peroxidation; oxidative damage of cardiolipin and protein sulfhydryl groups. Moreover, cell death by apoptosis was also demonstrated and the findings strongly suggest the participation of the mitochondrial signaling pathway in this process. Therefore, the results show the key role of mitochondria in the hepatotoxicity induced by cisplatin and delineate several mitochondrial processes that could be targeted in future cytoprotective therapy approaches.

  7. A New Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) Model for Predicting Drug-Induced Liver Injury, Based on Statistical and Expert-Based Structural Alerts

    PubMed Central

    Pizzo, Fabiola; Lombardo, Anna; Manganaro, Alberto; Benfenati, Emilio

    2016-01-01

    The prompt identification of chemical molecules with potential effects on liver may help in drug discovery and in raising the levels of protection for human health. Besides in vitro approaches, computational methods in toxicology are drawing attention. We built a structure-activity relationship (SAR) model for evaluating hepatotoxicity. After compiling a data set of 950 compounds using data from the literature, we randomly split it into training (80%) and test sets (20%). We also compiled an external validation set (101 compounds) for evaluating the performance of the model. To extract structural alerts (SAs) related to hepatotoxicity and non-hepatotoxicity we used SARpy, a statistical application that automatically identifies and extracts chemical fragments related to a specific activity. We also applied the chemical grouping approach for manually identifying other SAs. We calculated accuracy, specificity, sensitivity and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) on the training, test and external validation sets. Considering the complexity of the endpoint, the model performed well. In the training, test and external validation sets the accuracy was respectively 81, 63, and 68%, specificity 89, 33, and 33%, sensitivity 93, 88, and 80% and MCC 0.63, 0.27, and 0.13. Since it is preferable to overestimate hepatotoxicity rather than not to recognize unsafe compounds, the model's architecture followed a conservative approach. As it was built using human data, it might be applied without any need for extrapolation from other species. This model will be freely available in the VEGA platform. PMID:27920722

  8. An assessment of the potential of protopine to inhibit microsomal drug metabolising enzymes and prevent chemical-induced hepatotoxicity in rodents.

    PubMed

    Janbaz, K H; Saeed, S A; Gilani, A H

    1998-09-01

    The potential of protopine to inhibit microsomal drug metabolising enzymes (MDM E) and prevent paracetamol- and CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity was studied in rats. Paracetamol at the dose of 640 mg kg-1 produced hepatic damage in rats as manifested by the rise in serum levels of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) to 972+/-186 and 624+/-131 IU (mean+/-sem; n=10), respectively, compared to respective control values of 101+/-29 and 64+/-18 IU. Pretreatment of rats with protopine (11 mg kg-1, orally twice daily for 2 days) lowered significantly the respective serum AST and ALT levels (P<0.05) to 289+/-52 and 178+/-43 IU. The hepatotoxic dose of CCl4 (1.5 ml kg-1; orally) raised serum AST and ALT levels to 543+/-89 and 387+/-69 IU (mean+/-sem; n=10), respectively, compared to respective control values of 98+/-28 and 56+/-17 IU. The same dose of protopine (11 mg kg-1) was able to prevent significantly (P<0.05), the CCl4-induced rise in serum enzymes and the estimated values of AST and ALT were 168+/-36 and 93+/-28 IU, respectively. Protopine caused prolongation (P<0.05) in pentobarbital (55 mg kg-1)-induced sleep as well as potentiated strychnine-induced toxicity in rats, suggestive of an inhibitory effect on MDME. These results indicate that protopine exhibits anti-hepatotoxic action which may be mediated through inhibition of MDME. Copyright 1998 The Italian Pharmacological Society

  9. What is prescription labeling communicating to doctors about hepatotoxic drugs? A study of FDA approved product labeling.

    PubMed

    Willy, Mary E; Li, Zili

    2004-04-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the informativeness and consistency of product labeling of hepatotoxic drugs marketed in the United States. We searched the Physicians' Desk Reference-2000 for prescription drugs with hepatic failure and/or hepatic necrosis listed in the labeling. We used a six-item checklist to evaluate the 'informativeness' and consistency of the labeling content. An informativeness score equaled the proportion of checklist items present in each drug's labeling. Ninety-five prescription drugs were included in the study. Eleven (12%) of the drugs had information related to hepatic failure in a Black Boxed Warning, 52 (54%) in the Warnings section and 32 (34%) in the Adverse Reactions section of the label. The mean informativeness score was 35%; the score was significantly higher, 61%, when the risk was perceived to be high. The informativeness of labeling was not affected by the time of the labeling, but differed across the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) Review Division responsible for the labeling. The information provided in labeling is variable and affected by many factors, including the perceived level of risk and review division strategy. Product labeling may benefit from current FDA initiatives to improve the consistency of risk-related labeling.

  10. Hepatotoxicity of Herbal Supplements Mediated by Modulation of Cytochrome P450

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Taosheng

    2017-01-01

    Herbal supplements are a significant source of drug-drug interactions (DDIs), herb-drug interactions, and hepatotoxicity. Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes metabolize a large number of FDA-approved pharmaceuticals and herbal supplements. This metabolism of pharmaceuticals and supplements can be augmented by concomitant use of either pharmaceuticals or supplements. The xenobiotic receptors constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) and the pregnane X receptor (PXR) can respond to xenobiotics by increasing the expression of a large number of genes that are involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics, including CYP450s. Conversely, but not exclusively, many xenobiotics can inhibit the activity of CYP450s. Induction of the expression or inhibition of the activity of CYP450s can result in DDIs and toxicity. Currently, the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration does not require the investigation of the interactions of herbal supplements and CYP450s. This review provides a summary of herbal supplements that inhibit CYP450s, induce the expression of CYP450s, and/or whose toxicity is mediated by CYP450s. PMID:29117101

  11. Clinical Effects of Naltrexone on Autistic Behavior.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zingarelli, Gene; And Others

    1992-01-01

    Eight young adults (ages 19-39) with autism were given the opiate antagonist naltrexone to control self-injurious behavior and maladaptive idiosyncratic mannerisms. Although one subject appeared to have partial decreases in maladaptive behaviors, the drug did not clearly reduce the self-injurious and other maladaptive behaviors of the subjects.…

  12. 77 FR 3646 - Products Containing Imidazolines Equivalent to 0.08 Milligrams or More

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-25

    ... congestion and/or ophthalmic irritation. Products containing imidazolines can cause serious adverse reactions... unpredictable, idiosyncratic reaction (i.e., a drug effect that occurs in a small number of people due to age..., and death associated with cardiac reactions in adults. Other systemic side effects can include...

  13. Long-term culture and cryopreservation does not affect the stability and functionality of human embryonic stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells.

    PubMed

    Mandal, Arundhati; Raju, Sheena; Viswanathan, Chandra

    2016-02-01

    Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are predicted to be an unlimited source of hepatocytes which can pave the way for applications such as cell replacement therapies or as a model of human development or even to predict the hepatotoxicity of drug compounds. We have optimized a 23-d differentiation protocol to generate hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) from hESCs, obtaining a relatively pure population which expresses the major hepatic markers and is functional and mature. The stability of the HLCs in terms of hepato-specific marker expression and functionality was found to be intact even after an extended period of in vitro culture and cryopreservation. The hESC-derived HLCs have shown the capability to display sensitivity and an alteration in the level of CYP enzyme upon drug induction. This illustrates the potential of such assays in predicting the hepatotoxicity of a drug compound leading to advancement of pharmacology.

  14. Spirulina maxima Protects Liver From Isoniazid and Rifampicin Drug Toxicity.

    PubMed

    Jatav, Santosh Kumar; Kulshrestha, Archana; Zacharia, Anish; Singh, Nita; Tejovathi, G; Bisen, P S; Prasad, G B K S

    2014-07-01

    Hepatotoxicity associated with isoniazid and rifampicin is one of the major impediments in antituberculosis therapy. The present study explored the prophylactic and therapeutic efficacies of Spirulina maxima in isoniazid and rifampicin induced hepatic damage in a rat model. Hepatic damage induced in Wistar rats by isoniazid and rifampicin resulted in significant alterations in biomarkers of liver function, namely, bilirubin, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and oxidative stress markers such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Co-administration of Spirulina maxima along with antituberculosis drugs protected liver from hepatotoxicity due to isoniazid and rifampicin. Administration of Spirulina maxima consecutively for 2 weeks to hepatodamaged animals resulted in restoration of hepatic function as evident from normalization of serum markers of liver function. Thus, the present study revealed remarkable prophylactic and therapeutic potential of Spirulina maxima. Co-administration of Spirulina maxima and antituberculosis drugs is advantageous as it provides extra nutritional benefit. © The Author(s) 2014.

  15. Circulating microRNA profiles in human patients with acetaminophen hepatotoxicity or ischemic hepatitis.

    PubMed

    Ward, Jeanine; Kanchagar, Chitra; Veksler-Lublinsky, Isana; Lee, Rosalind C; McGill, Mitchell R; Jaeschke, Hartmut; Curry, Steven C; Ambros, Victor R

    2014-08-19

    We have identified, by quantitative real-time PCR, hundreds of miRNAs that are dramatically elevated in the plasma or serum of acetaminophen (APAP) overdose patients. Most of these circulating microRNAs decrease toward normal levels during treatment with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). We identified a set of 11 miRNAs whose profiles and dynamics in the circulation during NAC treatment can discriminate APAP hepatotoxicity from ischemic hepatitis. The elevation of certain miRNAs can precede the dramatic rise in the standard biomarker, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and these miRNAs also respond more rapidly than ALT to successful treatment. Our results suggest that miRNAs can serve as sensitive diagnostic and prognostic clinical tools for severe liver injury and could be useful for monitoring drug-induced liver injury during drug discovery.

  16. Simulation of interindividual differences in inactivation of reactive para-benzoquinone imine metabolites of diclofenac by glutathione S-transferases in human liver cytosol.

    PubMed

    den Braver, Michiel W; Zhang, Yongjie; Venkataraman, Harini; Vermeulen, Nico P E; Commandeur, Jan N M

    2016-07-25

    Diclofenac is a widely prescribed NSAID that causes severe idiosyncratic drug induced liver injury (IDILI) in a small part of the patient population. Formation of protein-reactive metabolites is considered to play a role in the development of diclofenac-induced IDILI. Therefore, a high hepatic activity of enzymes involved in bioactivation of diclofenac is expected to increase the risk for liver injury. However, the extent of covalent protein binding may also be determined by activity of protective enzymes, such as glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). This is supported by an association study in which a correlation was found between NSAID-induced IDILI and the combined null genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1. In the present study, the activity of 10 different recombinant human GSTs in inactivation of protein-reactive quinoneimine (QI) metabolites of diclofenac was tested. Both at low and high GSH concentrations, high activities of GSTA1-1, A2-2, A3-3, M1-1, M3-3 and P1-1 in the inactivation of these QIs were found. By using the expression levels of GSTs in livers of 22 donors, a 6-fold variation in GST-dependent inactivation of reactive diclofenac metabolites was predicted. Moreover, it was shown in vitro that GSTs can strongly increase the efficiency of GSH to protect against the alkylation of the model thiol N-acetylcysteine by reactive diclofenac metabolites. The results of this study demonstrate that variability of GST expression may significantly contribute to the inter-individual differences in susceptibility to diclofenac-induced liver injury. In addition, expression levels of GSTs in in vitro models for hepatotoxicity may be important factors determining sensitivity to diclofenac cytotoxicity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Comparison of Hepatic 2D Sandwich Cultures and 3D Spheroids for Long-term Toxicity Applications: A Multicenter Study

    PubMed Central

    Bell, Catherine C; Dankers, Anita C A; Sison-Young, Rowena; Jenkins, Roz; Rowe, Cliff; Goldring, Chris E; Park, Kevin; Regan, Sophie L; Walker, Tracy; Schofield, Chris; Baze, Audrey; Foster, Alison J; Williams, Dominic P; van de Ven, Amy W M; Jacobs, Frank; van Houdt, Jos; Lähteenmäki, Tuula; Snoeys, Jan; Juhila, Satu; Richert, Lysiane; Ingelman-Sundberg, Magnus

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) are commonly used for in vitro studies of drug-induced liver injury. However, when cultured as 2D monolayers, PHH lose crucial hepatic functions within hours. This dedifferentiation can be ameliorated when PHHs are cultured in sandwich configuration (2Dsw), particularly when cultures are regularly re-overlaid with extracellular matrix, or as 3D spheroids. In this study, the 6 participating laboratories evaluated the robustness of these 2 model systems made from cryopreserved PHH from the same donors considering both inter-donor and inter-laboratory variability and compared their suitability for use in repeated-dose toxicity studies using 5 different hepatotoxins with different toxicity mechanisms. We found that expression levels of proteins involved in drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, as well as catalytic activities of 5 different CYPs, were significantly higher in 3D spheroid cultures, potentially affecting the exposure of the cells to drugs and their metabolites. Furthermore, global proteomic analyses revealed that PHH in 3D spheroid configuration were temporally stable whereas proteomes from the same donors in 2Dsw cultures showed substantial alterations in protein expression patterns over the 14 days in culture. Overall, spheroid cultures were more sensitive to the hepatotoxic compounds investigated, particularly upon long-term exposures, across testing sites with little inter-laboratory or inter-donor variability. The data presented here suggest that repeated-dosing regimens improve the predictivity of in vitro toxicity assays, and that PHH spheroids provide a sensitive and robust system for long-term mechanistic studies of drug-induced hepatotoxicity, whereas the 2Dsw system has a more dedifferentiated phenotype and lower sensitivity to detect hepatotoxicity. PMID:29329425

  18. Toward preclinical predictive drug testing for metabolism and hepatotoxicity by using in vitro models derived from human embryonic stem cells and human cell lines - a report on the Vitrocellomics EU-project.

    PubMed

    Mandenius, Carl-Fredrik; Andersson, Tommy B; Alves, Paula M; Batzl-Hartmann, Christine; Björquist, Petter; Carrondo, Manuel J T; Chesne, Christophe; Coecke, Sandra; Edsbagge, Josefina; Fredriksson, J Magnus; Gerlach, Jörg C; Heinzle, Elmar; Ingelman-Sundberg, Magnus; Johansson, Inger; Küppers-Munther, Barbara; Müller-Vieira, Ursula; Noor, Fozia; Zeilinger, Katrin

    2011-05-01

    Drug-induced liver injury is a common reason for drug attrition in late clinical phases, and even for post-launch withdrawals. As a consequence, there is a broad consensus in the pharmaceutical industry, and within regulatory authorities, that a significant improvement of the current in vitro test methodologies for accurate assessment and prediction of such adverse effects is needed. For this purpose, appropriate in vivo-like hepatic in vitro models are necessary, in addition to novel sources of human hepatocytes. In this report, we describe recent and ongoing research toward the use of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived hepatic cells, in conjunction with new and improved test methods, for evaluating drug metabolism and hepatotoxicity. Recent progress on the directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells to the functional hepatic phenotype is reported, as well as the development and adaptation of bioreactors and toxicity assay technologies for the testing of hepatic cells. The aim of achieving a testing platform for metabolism and hepatotoxicity assessment, based on hESC-derived hepatic cells, has advanced markedly in the last 2-3 years. However, great challenges still remain, before such new test systems could be routinely used by the industry. In particular, we give an overview of results from the Vitrocellomics project (EU Framework 6) and discuss these in relation to the current state-of-the-art and the remaining difficulties, with suggestions on how to proceed before such in vitro systems can be implemented in industrial discovery and development settings and in regulatory acceptance. 2011 FRAME.

  19. Synthesis and dose interval dependent hepatotoxicity evaluation of intravenously administered polyethylene glycol-8000 coated ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle on Wistar rats.

    PubMed

    Rajan, Balan; Sathish, Shanmugam; Balakumar, Subramanian; Devaki, Thiruvengadam

    2015-03-01

    Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are being used in medical imaging, drug delivery, cancer therapy, and so on. However, there is a direct need to identify any nanotoxicity associated with these nanoparticles. However uncommon, drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a major health concern that challenges pharmaceutical industry and drug regulatory agencies alike. In this study we have synthesized and evaluated the dose interval dependent hepatotoxicity of polyethylene glycol-8000 coated ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (PUSPIOs). To assess the hepatotoxicity of intravenously injected PUSPIOs, alterations in basic clinical parameters, hematological parameters, hemolysis assay, serum levels of liver marker enzymes, serum and liver lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels, enzymatic antioxidant levels, and finally histology of liver, kidney, spleen, lung, brain, and heart tissues were studied in control and experimental Wistar rat groups over a 30-day period. The results of our study showed a significant increase in the aspartate transaminase (AST) enzyme activity at a dose of 10mg/kg b.w. PUSPIOs twice a week. Besides, alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (γGT) enzyme activity showed a slender increase when compared with control experimental groups. A significant increase in the serum and liver LPO levels at a dose of 10mg/kg b.w. PUSPIOs twice a week was also observed. Histological analyses of liver, kidney, spleen, lung, brain and heart tissue samples showed no obvious uncharacteristic changes. In conclusion, PUSPIOs were found to posses excellent biocompatibility and Wistar rats showed much better drug tolerance to the dose of 10mg/kg b.w. per week than the dose of 10mg/kg b.w. twice a week for the period of 30 days. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Chronic acetaminophen overdosing in children: risk assessment and management.

    PubMed

    Sztajnkrycer, M J; Bond, G R

    2001-04-01

    Acetaminophen is currently the pediatric analgesic and antipyretic of choice. Although children appear to tolerate single, high-dose ingestions well, the literature is replete with reports of significant morbidity and mortality after repeated supra-therapeutic dosing. Proposed risk factors for injury with chronic use include age, total dose, duration, presence of intercurrent febrile illness, starvation, co-administration of cytochrome P450-inducing drugs, underlying hepatic disease, and unique genetic makeup. Evaluation of these children should include serum acetaminophen concentration, prothrombin time, and serum bilirubin and transaminase concentrations. The Rumack-Mathew nomogram should not be used to estimate the risk of hepatotoxicity in cases of chronic ingestion. Based on history, clinical examination, and laboratory findings, patients may be placed in three categories: those without hepatic injury and with no residual acetaminophen to be metabolized, those without injury but with some acetaminophen to be metabolized, and those with hepatotoxicity. Those without injury and no residual acetaminophen need not be treated or followed. Patients with hepatotoxicity or potential for hepatotoxicity based on residual acetaminophen should be treated with N-acetylcysteine. Most importantly, because so many parents are unaware of the potential risk of inappropriate dosing, education is the key to preventing future cases.

  1. Review fantastic medical implications of 3D-printing in liver surgeries, liver regeneration, liver transplantation and drug hepatotoxicity testing: A review.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jing-Zhang; Xiong, Nan-Yan; Zhao, Li-Zhen; Hu, Jin-Tian; Kong, De-Cheng; Yuan, Jiang-Yong

    2018-06-07

    The epidemiological trend in liver diseases becomes more serious worldwide. Several recent articles published by International Journal of Surgery in 2018 particularly emphasized the encouraging clinical benefits of hepatectomy, liver regeneration and liver transplantation, however, there are still many technical bottlenecks underlying these therapeutic approaches. Remarkably, a few preliminary studies have shown some clues to the role of three-dimensional (3D) printing in improving traditional therapy for liver diseases. Here, we concisely elucidated the curative applications of 3D-printing (no cells) and 3D Bio-printing (with hepatic cells), such as 3D-printed patient-specific liver models and devices for medical education, surgical simulation, hepatectomy and liver transplantation, 3D Bio-printed hepatic constructs for liver regeneration and artificial liver, 3D-printed liver tissues for evaluating drug's hepatotoxicity, and so on. Briefly, 3D-printed liver models and bioactive tissues may facilitate a lot of key steps to cure liver disorders, predictably bringing promising clinical benefits. This work further provides novel insights into facilitating treatment of hepatic carcinoma, promoting liver regeneration both in vivo and in vitro, expanding transplantable liver resources, maximizing therapeutic efficacy as well as minimizing surgical complications, medical hepatotoxicity, operational time, economic costs, etc. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  2. Sunitinib-related fulminant hepatic failure: case report and review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Mueller, Eric W; Rockey, Michelle L; Rashkin, Mitchell C

    2008-08-01

    Drug-induced hepatotoxicity is an infrequent but life-threatening complication. Sunitinib is a multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for treatment of renal cell carcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor. However, results from preapproval clinical trials suggest an equivocal hepatic risk profile for sunitinib. We describe a 75-year-old woman with renal cell carcinoma who was admitted to the intensive care unit after experiencing fulminant hepatic failure during sunitinib therapy. The patient's hepatic and renal chemistries had been within normal limits throughout four previous cycles of sunitinib therapy spanning 9 months. After the fifth cycle, she complained of a 3-day history of severe diarrhea and dehydration. Her abnormal laboratory test results included the following: total bilirubin level 5.9 mg/dl, aspartate aminotransferase level 3872 U/L, alanine aminotransferase level 3332 U/L, ammonia level 897 microg/dl, and an international normalized ratio of 4.8. Use of the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale indicated a possible relationship between sunitinib and hepatotoxicity. Supportive care including aggressive intravenous hydration and reversal of coagulopathy was successful. The patient was discharged home on hospital day 7 without apparent longstanding sequelae. Clinicians should be aware of this possible adverse effect of sunitinib, and continued pharmacovigilance is imperative to accurately quantify the possible risk of sunitinib-related hepatotoxicity.

  3. Toxins in Botanical Dietary Supplements: Blue Cohosh Components Disrupt Cellular Respiration and Mitochondrial Membrane Potential

    PubMed Central

    Datta, Sandipan; Mahdi, Fakhri; Ali, Zulfiqar; Jekabsons, Mika B.; Khan, Ikhlas A.; Nagle, Dale G.; Zhou, Yu-Dong

    2014-01-01

    Certain botanical dietary supplements have been associated with idiosyncratic organ-specific toxicity. Similar toxicological events, caused by drug-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, have forced the withdrawal or U.S. FDA “Black Box” warnings of major pharmaceuticals. To assess the potential mitochondrial liability of botanical dietary supplements, extracts from 352 authenticated plant samples used in traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Western herbal medicine were evaluated for the ability to disrupt cellular respiration. Blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) methanol extract exhibited mitochondriotoxic activity. Used by some U.S. midwives to help induce labor, blue cohosh has been associated with perinatal stroke, acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, multiple organ injury, and neonatal shock. The potential link between mitochondrial disruption and idiosyncratic herbal intoxication prompted further examination. The C. thalictroides methanol extract and three saponins, cauloside A (1), saponin PE (2), and cauloside C (3) exhibited concentration- and time-dependent mitochondriotoxic activities. Upon treatment, cell respiration rate rapidly increased and then dramatically decreased within minutes. Mechanistic studies revealed that C. thalictroides constituents impair mitochondrial function by disrupting membrane integrity. These studies provide a potential etiological link between this mitochondria-sensitive form of cytotoxicity and idiosyncratic organ damage. PMID:24328138

  4. Altered Protein S-Glutathionylation Identifies a Potential Mechanism of Resistance to Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity

    PubMed Central

    McGarry, David J.; Chakravarty, Probir; Wolf, C. Roland

    2015-01-01

    Acetaminophen (APAP) is the most commonly used over-the-counter analgesic. However, hepatotoxicity induced by APAP is a major clinical issue, and the factors that define sensitivity to APAP remain unclear. We have previously demonstrated that mice nulled for glutathione S-transferase Pi (GSTP) are resistant to APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. This study aims to exploit this difference to delineate pathways of importance in APAP toxicity. We used mice nulled for GSTP and heme oxygenase-1 oxidative stress reporter mice, together with a novel nanoflow liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry methodology to investigate the role of oxidative stress, cell signaling, and protein S-glutathionylation in APAP hepatotoxicity. We provide evidence that the sensitivity difference between wild-type and Gstp1/2−/− mice is unrelated to the ability of APAP to induce oxidative stress, despite observing significant increases in c-Jun N-terminal kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation in wild-type mice. The major difference in response to APAP was in the levels of protein S-glutathionylation: Gstp1/2−/− mice exhibited a significant increase in the number of S-glutathionylated proteins compared with wild-type animals. Remarkably, these S-glutathionylated proteins are involved in oxidative phosphorylation, respiratory complexes, drug metabolism, and mitochondrial apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that S-glutathionylation of the rate-limiting glutathione-synthesizing enzyme, glutamate cysteine ligase, was markedly increased in Gstp1/2−/− mice in response to APAP. The data demonstrate that S-glutathionylation provides an adaptive response to APAP and, as a consequence, suggest that this is an important determinant in APAP hepatotoxicity. This work identifies potential novel avenues associated with cell survival for the treatment of chemical-induced hepatotoxicity. PMID:26311813

  5. Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System in Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Systemic Inflammation

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Jung-Chun; Peng, Yi-Jen; Wang, Shih-Yu; Young, Ton-Ho; Salter, Donald M.; Lee, Herng-Sheng

    2015-01-01

    Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is widely used as an animal model of hepatotoxicity and the mechanisms have been arduously studied, however, the contribution of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in CCl4-induced acute hepatotoxicity remains controversial. It is also known that either CCl4 or SNS can affect systemic inflammatory responses. The aim of this study was to establish the effect of chemical sympathectomy with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) in a mouse model of CCl4-induced acute hepatotoxicity and systemic inflammatory response. Mice exposed to CCl4 or vehicle were pretreated with 6-OHDA or saline. The serum levels of aminotransferases and alkaline phosphatase in the CCl4-poisoning mice with sympathetic denervation were significantly lower than those without sympathetic denervation. With sympathetic denervation, hepatocellular necrosis and fat infiltration induced by CCl4 were greatly decreased. Sympathetic denervation significantly attenuated CCl4-induced lipid peroxidation in liver and serum. Acute CCl4 intoxication showed increased expression of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines [eotaxin-2/CCL24, Fas ligand, interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-6, IL-12p40p70, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)], as well as decreased expression of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and keratinocyte-derived chemokine. The overexpressed levels of IL-1α, IL-6, IL-12p40p70, MCP-1/CCL2, and TNF-α were attenuated by sympathetic denervation. Pretreatment with dexamethasone significantly reduced CCl4-induced hepatic injury. Collectively, this study demonstrates that the SNS plays an important role in CCl4-induced acute hepatotoxicity and systemic inflammation and the effect may be connected with chemical- or drug-induced hepatotoxicity and circulating immune response. PMID:25799095

  6. Cytochrome P450 binding studies of novel tacrine derivatives: Predicting the risk of hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    McEneny-King, Alanna; Osman, Wesseem; Edginton, Andrea N; Rao, Praveen P N

    2017-06-01

    The 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine derivative tacrine was the first drug approved to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is known to act as a potent cholinesterase inhibitor. However, tacrine was removed from the market due to its hepatotoxicity concerns as it undergoes metabolism to toxic quinonemethide species through the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP1A2. Despite these challenges, tacrine serves as a useful template in the development of novel multi-targeting anti-AD agents. In this regard, we sought to evaluate the risk of hepatotoxicity in a series of C9 substituted tacrine derivatives that exhibit cholinesterase inhibition properties. The hepatotoxic potential of tacrine derivatives was evaluated using recombinant cytochrome (CYP) P450 CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 enzymes. Molecular docking studies were conducted to predict their binding modes and potential risk of forming hepatotoxic metabolites. Tacrine derivatives compound 1 (N-(3,4-dimethoxybenzyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridin-9-amine) and 2 (6-chloro-N-(3,4-dimethoxybenzyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridin-9-amine) which possess a C9 3,4-dimethoxybenzylamino substituent exhibited weak binding to CYP1A2 enzyme (1, IC 50 =33.0µM; 2, IC 50 =8.5µM) compared to tacrine (CYP1A2 IC 50 =1.5µM). Modeling studies show that the presence of a bulky 3,4-dimethoxybenzylamino C9 substituent prevents the orientation of the 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine ring close to the heme-iron center of CYP1A2 thereby reducing the risk of forming hepatotoxic species. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Liver injury from herbals and dietary supplements in the U.S. Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network.

    PubMed

    Navarro, Victor J; Barnhart, Huiman; Bonkovsky, Herbert L; Davern, Timothy; Fontana, Robert J; Grant, Lafaine; Reddy, K Rajender; Seeff, Leonard B; Serrano, Jose; Sherker, Averell H; Stolz, Andrew; Talwalkar, Jayant; Vega, Maricruz; Vuppalanchi, Raj

    2014-10-01

    The Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN) studies hepatotoxicity caused by conventional medications as well as herbals and dietary supplements (HDS). To characterize hepatotoxicity and its outcomes from HDS versus medications, patients with hepatotoxicity attributed to medications or HDS were enrolled prospectively between 2004 and 2013. The study took place among eight U.S. referral centers that are part of the DILIN. Consecutive patients with liver injury referred to a DILIN center were eligible. The final sample comprised 130 (15.5%) of all subjects enrolled (839) who were judged to have experienced liver injury caused by HDS. Hepatotoxicity caused by HDS was evaluated by expert opinion. Demographic and clinical characteristics and outcome assessments, including death and liver transplantation (LT), were ascertained. Cases were stratified and compared according to the type of agent implicated in liver injury; 45 had injury caused by bodybuilding HDS, 85 by nonbodybuilding HDS, and 709 by medications. Liver injury caused by HDS increased from 7% to 20% (P < 0.001) during the study period. Bodybuilding HDS caused prolonged jaundice (median, 91 days) in young men, but did not result in any fatalities or LT. The remaining HDS cases presented as hepatocellular injury, predominantly in middle-aged women, and, more frequently, led to death or transplantation, compared to injury from medications (13% vs. 3%; P < 0.05). The proportion of liver injury cases attributed to HDS in DILIN has increased significantly. Liver injury from nonbodybuilding HDS is more severe than from bodybuilding HDS or medications, as evidenced by differences in unfavorable outcomes (death and transplantation). (Hepatology 2014;60:1399-1408). © 2014 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

  8. Liver injury from Herbals and Dietary Supplements in the US Drug Induced Liver Injury Network

    PubMed Central

    Navarro, Victor J.; Barnhart, Huiman; Bonkovsky, Herbert L.; Davern, Timothy; Fontana, Robert J.; Grant, Lafaine; Reddy, K. Rajender; Seeff, Leonard B.; Serrano, Jose; Sherker, Averell H.; Stolz, Andrew; Talwalkar, Jayant; Vega, Maricruz; Vuppalanchi, Raj

    2014-01-01

    Background The Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN) studies hepatotoxicity due to conventional medications as well as herbals and dietary supplements (HDS). Rationale To characterize hepatotoxicity and its outcomes from HDS versus medications, patients with hepatotoxicity attributed to medications or HDS were enrolled prospectively between 2004 and 2013. The study took place among eight US referral centers that are part of the DILIN. Consecutive patients with liver injury referred to a DILIN center were eligible. The final sample comprised 130 (15.5%) of all subjects enrolled (839) who were judged to have experienced liver injury due to HDS. Hepatotoxicity due to HDS was evaluated by expert opinion. Demographic and clinical characteristics and outcome assessments including death and liver transplantation were ascertained. Cases were stratified and compared according to the type of agent implicated in liver injury; 45 had injury due to bodybuilding HDS, 85 due to non-bodybuilding HDS, and 709 due to medications. Main Results Liver injury due to HDS increased from 7% to 20% (p < 0.001) during the study period. Bodybuilding HDS caused prolonged jaundice (median 91 days) in young men but did not result in any fatalities or liver transplantation. The remaining HDS cases presented as hepatocellular injury, predominantly in middle-aged women and more frequently led to death or transplantation compared to injury from medications (13% vs. 3%, p < 0.05). Conclusions The proportion of liver injury cases attributed to HDS in DILIN has increased significantly. Liver injury from non-bodybuilding HDS is more severe than from bodybuilding HDS or medications, as evidenced by differences in unfavorable outcomes; death and transplantation. PMID:25043597

  9. Recent advances in 2D and 3D in vitro systems using primary hepatocytes, alternative hepatocyte sources and non-parenchymal liver cells and their use in investigating mechanisms of hepatotoxicity, cell signaling and ADME.

    PubMed

    Godoy, Patricio; Hewitt, Nicola J; Albrecht, Ute; Andersen, Melvin E; Ansari, Nariman; Bhattacharya, Sudin; Bode, Johannes Georg; Bolleyn, Jennifer; Borner, Christoph; Böttger, Jan; Braeuning, Albert; Budinsky, Robert A; Burkhardt, Britta; Cameron, Neil R; Camussi, Giovanni; Cho, Chong-Su; Choi, Yun-Jaie; Craig Rowlands, J; Dahmen, Uta; Damm, Georg; Dirsch, Olaf; Donato, María Teresa; Dong, Jian; Dooley, Steven; Drasdo, Dirk; Eakins, Rowena; Ferreira, Karine Sá; Fonsato, Valentina; Fraczek, Joanna; Gebhardt, Rolf; Gibson, Andrew; Glanemann, Matthias; Goldring, Chris E P; Gómez-Lechón, María José; Groothuis, Geny M M; Gustavsson, Lena; Guyot, Christelle; Hallifax, David; Hammad, Seddik; Hayward, Adam; Häussinger, Dieter; Hellerbrand, Claus; Hewitt, Philip; Hoehme, Stefan; Holzhütter, Hermann-Georg; Houston, J Brian; Hrach, Jens; Ito, Kiyomi; Jaeschke, Hartmut; Keitel, Verena; Kelm, Jens M; Kevin Park, B; Kordes, Claus; Kullak-Ublick, Gerd A; LeCluyse, Edward L; Lu, Peng; Luebke-Wheeler, Jennifer; Lutz, Anna; Maltman, Daniel J; Matz-Soja, Madlen; McMullen, Patrick; Merfort, Irmgard; Messner, Simon; Meyer, Christoph; Mwinyi, Jessica; Naisbitt, Dean J; Nussler, Andreas K; Olinga, Peter; Pampaloni, Francesco; Pi, Jingbo; Pluta, Linda; Przyborski, Stefan A; Ramachandran, Anup; Rogiers, Vera; Rowe, Cliff; Schelcher, Celine; Schmich, Kathrin; Schwarz, Michael; Singh, Bijay; Stelzer, Ernst H K; Stieger, Bruno; Stöber, Regina; Sugiyama, Yuichi; Tetta, Ciro; Thasler, Wolfgang E; Vanhaecke, Tamara; Vinken, Mathieu; Weiss, Thomas S; Widera, Agata; Woods, Courtney G; Xu, Jinghai James; Yarborough, Kathy M; Hengstler, Jan G

    2013-08-01

    This review encompasses the most important advances in liver functions and hepatotoxicity and analyzes which mechanisms can be studied in vitro. In a complex architecture of nested, zonated lobules, the liver consists of approximately 80 % hepatocytes and 20 % non-parenchymal cells, the latter being involved in a secondary phase that may dramatically aggravate the initial damage. Hepatotoxicity, as well as hepatic metabolism, is controlled by a set of nuclear receptors (including PXR, CAR, HNF-4α, FXR, LXR, SHP, VDR and PPAR) and signaling pathways. When isolating liver cells, some pathways are activated, e.g., the RAS/MEK/ERK pathway, whereas others are silenced (e.g. HNF-4α), resulting in up- and downregulation of hundreds of genes. An understanding of these changes is crucial for a correct interpretation of in vitro data. The possibilities and limitations of the most useful liver in vitro systems are summarized, including three-dimensional culture techniques, co-cultures with non-parenchymal cells, hepatospheres, precision cut liver slices and the isolated perfused liver. Also discussed is how closely hepatoma, stem cell and iPS cell-derived hepatocyte-like-cells resemble real hepatocytes. Finally, a summary is given of the state of the art of liver in vitro and mathematical modeling systems that are currently used in the pharmaceutical industry with an emphasis on drug metabolism, prediction of clearance, drug interaction, transporter studies and hepatotoxicity. One key message is that despite our enthusiasm for in vitro systems, we must never lose sight of the in vivo situation. Although hepatocytes have been isolated for decades, the hunt for relevant alternative systems has only just begun.

  10. The altered liver microRNA profile in hepatotoxicity induced by rhizome Dioscorea bulbifera in mice.

    PubMed

    Yang, Rui; Bai, Qingyun; Zhang, Jiaqi; Sheng, Yuchen; Ji, Lili

    2017-08-01

    MicroRNA (miRNA) has been reported to play important roles in regulating drug-induced liver injury. Ethyl acetate extract isolated from rhizoma Dioscoreae bulbifera (EF) has been reported to induce hepatotoxicity in our previous studies. This study aims to observe the altered liver miRNA profile and its related signalling pathway involved in EF-induced hepatotoxicity. Serum alanine/aspartate aminotransferase assay showed that EF (450 mg/kg)-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Results of miRNA chip analysis showed that the expression of eight miRNAs was up-regulated and of other nine miRNAs was down-regulated in livers from EF-treated mice. Further, the altered expression of miR-200a-3p, miR-5132-5p and miR-5130 was validated using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. There were total seven predicted target genes of miR-200a-3p, miR-5132-5p and miR-5130. Only one kyoto encyclopedia genes and genomes pathway was annotated using those target genes, which is protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Furthermore, liver expression of DnaJ subfamily A member 1, a key gene involved in protein processing in ER based on the altered miRNAs, was increased in EF-treated mice. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that EF altered the expression of liver miRNA profile and its related signalling pathway, which may be involved in EF-induced hepatotoxicity.

  11. Non-chemotherapy drug-induced neutropenia - an update.

    PubMed

    Andrès, Emmanuel; Mourot-Cottet, Rachel

    2017-11-01

    To date, non-chemotherapy drug-induced severe neutropenia (neutrophil count of ≤0.5 x 10 9 /L) also called idiosyncratic drug-induced agranulocytosis is little discussed in the literature. In the present paper, we report and discuss the clinical data and management of this rare disorder. Areas covered: To do this, we carried out a review of the literature using PubMed database of the US National Library of Medicine. We also used data from the American Society of Hematology educational books, textbooks of Hematology and Internal medicine, and information gleaned from international meetings. Expert opinion: Idiosyncratic agranulocytosis remains a potentially serious adverse event due to the frequency of severe sepsis with severe deep tissue infections (e.g., pneumonia), septicemia, and septic shock in approximately two-thirds of all hospitalized patients. In this context, several prognostic factors have been identified that may be helpful when identifying 'susceptible' patients. Old age (>65 years), septicemia or shock, renal failure, and a neutrophil count ≤0.1 × 10 9 /L have been consensually accepted as poor prognostic factors. In our experience, modern management with pre-established procedures, intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics and hematopoietic growth factors (particularly G-CSF) is likely to improve the prognosis. Thus with appropriate management, the mortality rate is currently between 5 to 10%.

  12. Hemizygosity of transsulfuration genes confers increased vulnerability against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hagiya, Yoshifumi; Kamata, Shotaro; Mitsuoka, Saya

    2015-01-15

    The key mechanism for acetaminophen hepatotoxicity is cytochrome P450 (CYP)-dependent formation of N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine, a potent electrophile that forms protein adducts. Previous studies revealed the fundamental role of glutathione, which binds to and detoxifies N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine. Glutathione is synthesized from cysteine in the liver, and N-acetylcysteine is used as a sole antidote for acetaminophen poisoning. Here, we evaluated the potential roles of transsulfuration enzymes essential for cysteine biosynthesis, cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine γ-lyase (CTH), in acetaminophen hepatotoxicity using hemizygous (Cbs{sup +/−} or Cth{sup +/−}) and homozygous (Cth{sup −/−}) knockout mice. At 4 h after intraperitoneal acetaminophen injection, serum alaninemore » aminotransferase levels were highly elevated in Cth{sup −/−} mice at 150 mg/kg dose, and also in Cbs{sup +/−} or Cth{sup +/−} mice at 250 mg/kg dose, which was associated with characteristic centrilobular hepatocyte oncosis. Hepatic glutathione was depleted while serum malondialdehyde accumulated in acetaminophen-injected Cth{sup −/−} mice but not wild-type mice, although glutamate–cysteine ligase (composed of catalytic [GCLC] and modifier [GCLM] subunits) became more activated in the livers of Cth{sup −/−} mice with lower K{sub m} values for Cys and Glu. Proteome analysis using fluorescent two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis revealed 47 differentially expressed proteins after injection of 150 mg acetaminophen/kg into Cth{sup −/−} mice; the profiles were similar to 1000 mg acetaminophen/kg-treated wild-type mice. The prevalence of Cbs or Cth hemizygosity is estimated to be 1:200–300 population; therefore, the deletion or polymorphism of either transsulfuration gene may underlie idiosyncratic acetaminophen vulnerability along with the differences in Cyp, Gclc, and Gclm gene activities. - Highlights: • Cbs{sup +/−}, Cth{sup +/−}, and especially Cth{sup −/−} mice were susceptible to APAP hepatic injury. • Hepatic glutathione became rapidly depleted upon APAP injection in Cth{sup −/−} mice. • Hepatic glutamate–cysteine ligase was activated by APAP injection and CTH deletion. • 2D DIGE identified 47 differentially expressed hepatic proteins by APAP injection. • Both transsulfuration enzymes are essential for protection against APAP injury.« less

  13. Utility of the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) to analyze the hepatic findings in a clinical trial program: evaluation of the direct thrombin inhibitor ximelagatran.

    PubMed

    Lewis, J H; Larrey, D; Olsson, R; Lee, W M; Frison, L; Keisu, M

    2008-07-01

    Causality assessment in drug-induced liver injury is often based on circumstantial evidence rather than a formal, systematic review. The Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) provides a more objective means of assessing causality of a suspected hepatotoxin but, to our knowledge, has never been used in the assessment of a single drug with unknown hepatotoxic potential in a clinical trial setting. We studied the utility of RUCAM in assessing the hepatic events during the long-term clinical trials of the oral direct thrombin inhibitor ximelagatran, which has been associated with an increased incidence of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations. A total of 233 subjects with elevated ALT values signalling possibly severe hepatic injury were eligible for RUCAM analysis (198 ximelagatran and 35 comparator anticoagulants). RUCAM scores, calculated independently by the assessors, using the existing numerical criteria provided in its methodology, suggested a possible or probable causal relationship between ALT and ximelagatran in 37 and 27% of cases, respectively. Causality was excluded or unlikely in the remaining 36% of cases. However, in the course of utilizing RUCAM, several limitations to the methodology came to light, including awarding additional points for age > 55 years, an unspecified use of alcohol, and a latency period of < 90 days, which may have had the unintentional effect of raising the overall score. Moreover, rechallenge is highly rewarded by RUCAM but is seldom done in clinical practice or in clinical trials. We also found ambiguities in the extent to which other causes of liver injury were excluded, what constitutes a significant hepatotoxic concomitant medication, and whether a clinical trial drug should be considered as having an unknown hepatotoxic potential for purposes of RUCAM scoring. Increasing familiarity with the RUCAM over the course of the study allowed for only a slight improvement in concordance between and among the assessors regarding the scoring. While the results indicate that RUCAM can provide for an objective assessment of causality of the hepatotoxicity of a drug under development in the clinical trial setting, this study highlights a number of problems with the current scoring system that should be addressed by future enhancements of the methodology.

  14. 77 FR 73294 - Requirements for Child-Resistant Packaging: Products Containing Imidazolines Equivalent to 0.08...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-12-10

    ... serious adverse reactions, such as central nervous system (CNS) depression, decreased heart rate, and... stability testing, which is intended to increase the rate at which the degradation reactions take place. The..., idiosyncratic reaction (i.e., a drug effect that occurs in a small number of people due to age, genetics, or...

  15. Exacerbated liver injury of antithyroid drugs in endotoxin-treated mice.

    PubMed

    Heidari, Reza; Ahmadi, Fatemeh; Rahimi, Hamid Reza; Azarpira, Negar; Hosseinzadeh, Massood; Najibi, Asma; Niknahad, Hossein

    2018-05-03

    Drug-induced liver injury is a major concern in clinical studies as well as in post-marketing surveillance. Previous evidence suggested that drug exposure during periods of inflammation could increase an individual's susceptibility to drug hepatoxicity. The antithyroid drugs, methimazole (MMI) and propylthiouracil (PTU) can cause adverse reactions in patients, with liver as a usual target. We tested the hypothesis that MMI and PTU could be rendered hepatotoxic in animals undergoing a modest inflammation. Mice were treated with a nonhepatotoxic dose of LPS (100 µg/kg, i.p) or its vehicle. Nonhepatotoxic doses of MMI (10, 25 and 50 mg/kg, oral) and PTU (10, 25 and 50 mg/kg, oral) were administered two hours after LPS treatment. It was found that liver injury was evident only in animals received both drug and LPS, as estimated by increases in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and TNF-α. An increase in liver myeloperoxidase (MPO) enzyme activity and tissue lipid peroxidation (LPO) in addition of liver glutathione (GSH) depletion were also detected in LPS and antithyroid drugs cotreated animals. Furthermore, histopathological changes including, endotheliitis, fatty changes, severe inflammatory cells infiltration (hepatitis) and sinusoidal congestion were detected in liver tissue. Methyl palmitate (2 g/kg, i.v, 44 hours before LPS), as a macrophage suppressor, significantly alleviated antithyroids hepatotoxicity in LPS-treated animals. The results indicate a synergistic liver injury from antithyroid drugs and bacterial lipopolysaccharide coexposure.

  16. A pre-marketing ALT signal predicts post-marketing liver safety.

    PubMed

    Moylan, Cynthia A; Suzuki, Ayako; Papay, Julie I; Yuen, Nancy A; Ames, Michael; Hunt, Christine M

    2012-08-01

    Drug induced liver injury during drug development is evidenced by a higher incidence of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations in treated versus placebo populations and termed an "ALT signal". We sought to quantify whether an ALT signal in pre-marketing clinical trials predicted post-marketing hepatotoxicity. Incidence of ALT elevations (ALT ≥ 3 times upper limits normal [× ULN]) for drug and placebo of new chemical entities and approved drugs associated with hepatotoxicity was calculated using the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website. Post-marketing liver safety events were identified using the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS). The association of FDA AERS signal score (EB05 ≥ 2) and excess risk of pre-marketing ALT elevation (difference in incidence of ALT ≥ 3× ULN in treated versus placebo) was examined. An ALT signal of ≥ 1.2% was significantly associated with a post-marketing liver safety signal (p ≤ 0.013) and a 71.4% positive predictive value. An absent ALT signal was associated with a high likelihood of post-marketing liver safety; negative predictive value of 89.7%. Daily drug dose information improved the prediction of post-marketing liver safety. A cut-off of 1.2% increase in ALT ≥ 3× ULN in treated versus placebo groups provides an easily calculated method for predicting post-marketing liver safety. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Comparative Hepatotoxicity of Fluconazole, Ketoconazole, Itraconazole, Terbinafine, and Griseofulvin in Rats.

    PubMed

    Khoza, Star; Moyo, Ishmael; Ncube, Denver

    2017-01-01

    Oral ketoconazole was recently the subject of regulatory safety warnings because of its association with increased risk of inducing hepatic injury. However, the relative hepatotoxicity of antifungal agents has not been clearly established. The aim of this study was to compare the hepatotoxicity induced by five commonly prescribed oral antifungal agents. Rats were treated with therapeutic oral doses of griseofulvin, fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, and terbinafine. After 14 days, only ketoconazole had significantly higher ALT levels ( p = 0.0017) and AST levels ( p = 0.0008) than the control group. After 28 days, ALT levels were highest in the rats treated with ketoconazole followed by itraconazole, fluconazole, griseofulvin, and terbinafine, respectively. The AST levels were highest in the rats treated with ketoconazole followed by itraconazole, fluconazole, terbinafine, and griseofulvin, respectively. All drugs significantly elevated ALP levels after 14 days and 28 days of treatment ( p < 0.0001). The liver enzyme levels suggested that ketoconazole had the highest risk in causing liver injury followed by itraconazole, fluconazole, terbinafine, and griseofulvin. However, histopathological changes revealed that fluconazole was the most hepatotoxic, followed by ketoconazole, itraconazole, terbinafine, and griseofulvin, respectively. Given the poor correlation between liver enzymes and the extent of liver injury, it is important to confirm liver injury through histological examination.

  18. Adverse drug reactions induced by valproic acid.

    PubMed

    Nanau, Radu M; Neuman, Manuela G

    2013-10-01

    Valproic acid is a widely-used first-generation antiepileptic drug, prescribed predominantly in epilepsy and psychiatric disorders. VPA has good efficacy and pharmacoeconomic profiles, as well as a relatively favorable safety profile. However, adverse drug reactions have been reported in relation with valproic acid use, either as monotherapy or polytherapy with other antiepileptic drugs or antipsychotic drugs. This systematic review discusses valproic acid adverse drug reactions, in terms of hepatotoxicity, mitochondrial toxicity, hyperammonemic encephalopathy, hypersensitivity syndrome reactions, neurological toxicity, metabolic and endocrine adverse events, and teratogenicity. Copyright © 2013 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Gestational thyrotoxicosis, antithyroid drug use and neonatal outcomes within an integrated healthcare delivery system.

    PubMed

    Lo, Joan C; Rivkees, Scott A; Chandra, Malini; Gonzalez, Joel R; Korelitz, James J; Kuzniewicz, Michael W

    2015-06-01

    Increasing attention has focused on the prevalence and outcomes of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy, given concerns for hepatotoxicity and embryopathy associated with antithyroid drugs (ATDs). In an integrated health care delivery system, we examined the prevalence of thyrotoxicosis and gestational ATD use (propylthiouracil [PTU] or methimazole [MMI]) in women with delivered pregnancies from 1996 to 2010. Birth outcomes were compared among all infants and those born to mothers with diagnosed thyrotoxicosis or ATD therapy during gestation, with examination of ATD-associated hepatotoxicity and congenital malformations in the latter subgroups. Among 453,586 mother-infant pairs (maternal age 29.7±6.0 years, 57.1% nonwhite), 3.77 per 1000 women had diagnosed thyrotoxicosis and 1.29 per 1000 had gestational ATD exposure (86.5% PTU, 5.1% MMI, 8.4% both). Maternal PTU-associated hepatotoxicity occurred with a frequency of 1.80 per 1000 pregnancies. Infants of mothers with diagnosed thyrotoxicosis (odds ratio [OR] 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI 1.05-1.55]) or gestational ATD use (OR 1.31 [1.00-1.72]) had an increased risk of preterm birth compared to those born to mothers without thyrotoxicosis or ATD. The risk of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission was also higher with maternal thyrotoxicosis (OR 1.30 [1.07-1.59]) and ATD exposure (OR 1.64 [CI 1.26-2.13]), adjusting for prematurity. Congenital malformation rates were low and similar among infants born to mothers with thyrotoxicosis or ATD exposure (30-44 per 1000 infants). Gestational ATD exposure occurred in 1.29 per 1000 mother-infant pairs while a much larger number had maternal diagnosed thyrotoxicosis but no drug exposure during pregnancy. Infants of mothers with gestational ATD use or diagnosed thyrotoxicosis were more likely to be preterm and admitted to the NICU. The rates of congenital malformation were low for mothers diagnosed with thyrotoxicosis and did not differ by ATD use. Among women with gestational PTU therapy, the frequency of PTU-associated hepatotoxicity was 1.8 per 1000 delivered pregnancies. These findings from a large, population-based cohort provide generalizable estimates of maternal and infant risks associated with maternal thyrotoxicosis and related pharmacotherapy.

  20. Paracetamol causes endocrine disruption and hepatotoxicity in male fish Rhamdia quelen after subchronic exposure.

    PubMed

    Guiloski, Izonete Cristina; Ribas, João Luiz Coelho; Piancini, Laercio Dante Stein; Dagostim, Ana Carolina; Cirio, Silvana Maris; Fávaro, Luis Fernando; Boschen, Suelen Lúcio; Cestari, Marta Margarete; da Cunha, Cláudio; Silva de Assis, Helena Cristina

    2017-07-01

    Paracetamol is one of the most widely sold non-prescription drugs. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the paracetamol on reproductive, biochemical, genetic, histopathological and hematogical biomarkers by waterborne exposure. Male fish of Rhamdia quelen were exposed to environmental concentrations of paracetamol (0, 0.25, 2.5μg/L) in a semi-static bioassay for 21days. Hemoglobin and hematocrit were reduced upon exposure to 0.25μg/L of paracetamol. Leukocytes and thrombocytes increased after paracetamol exposure. Paracetamol reduced testosterone levels in all exposed groups and increased estradiol levels at higher concentration. Serotonin and dopamine levels increased at exposure to 0.25μg/L. Paracetamol also caused protein carbonyls and increased SOD activity in fish exposed to 2.5μg/L and in addition led to an inhibition of EROD and GST activities in both concentrations. Hepatic genotoxicity occurred at the 0.25μg/L concentration. Hepatic tissues of exposed fish showed mild blood congestion and leucocytes infiltration. The results showed that paracetamol disrupted the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, changed hematological parameters and caused hepatotoxicity in Rhamdia quelen. The findings suggest that this drug merits attention relative to its potential endocrine disrupter effect and hepatotoxicity, even at concentrations found in the aquatic environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Illicit Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Use

    PubMed Central

    Kanayama, Gen; Hudson, James I.; Pope, Harrison G.

    2009-01-01

    The anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are a family of hormones that includes testosterone and its derivatives. These substances have been used by elite athletes since the 1950s, but they did not become widespread drugs of abuse in the general population until the 1980s. Thus, knowledge of the medical and behavioral effects of illicit AAS use is still evolving. Surveys suggest that many millions of boys and men, primarily in Western countries, have abused AAS to enhance athletic performance or personal appearance. AAS use among girls and women is much less common. Taken in supraphysiologic doses, AAS show various long-term adverse medical effects, especially cardiovascular toxicity. Behavioral effects of AAS include hypomanic or manic symptoms, sometimes accompanied by aggression or violence, which usually occur while taking AAS, and depressive symptoms occurring during AAS withdrawal. However, these symptoms are idiosyncratic and afflict only a minority of illicit users; the mechanism of these idiosyncratic responses remains unclear. AAS users may also ingest a range of other illicit drugs, including both “body-image” drugs to enhance physical appearance or performance, and classical drugs of abuse. In particular, AAS users appear particularly prone to opioid use. There may well be a biological basis for this association, since both human and animal data suggest that AAS and opioids may share similar brain mechanisms. Finally, AAS may cause a dependence syndrome in a substantial minority of users. AAS dependence may pose a growing public health problem in future years, but remains little studied. PMID:19769977

  2. [Hepatotoxicity in healthy infants exposed to nevirapine during pregnancy].

    PubMed

    Iveli, Pablo; Noguera-Julian, Antoni; Soler-Palacín, Pere; Martín-Nalda, Andrea; Rovira-Girabal, Núria; Fortuny-Guasch, Clàudia; Figueras-Nadal, Concepció

    2016-01-01

    The use of nevirapine in HIV-infected pregnant women is discouraged due to its potential to cause hepatotoxicity. There is limited information available on the toxicity in non-HIV infected newborn exposed to this drug during pregnancy. The aim of the study is to determine the extent of hepatotoxicity in the newborn exposed to nevirapine and HIV during pregnancy. A cross-sectional, observational, multicenter study was conducted on a cohort of healthy infants born to HIV-infected mothers, in whom the first determination of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), before 6weeks of age, was collected. Patients were allocated to 2groups according to exposure to nevirapine during pregnancy. Hepatotoxicity was rated according to the AIDS Table for Grading the Severity of Adult and Pediatric Adverse Events (DAIDS). This study included 160newborns from 159pregnancies (88exposed to nevirapine-based regimens and 71 exposed to protease inhibitors-based therapies). No cases of hepatotoxicity were observed according to the DAIDS Table for Grading. Two cases of ALT above normal values (2.8%; 95%CI: 0.3-9.8%) were observed in patients not exposed to nevirapine, and one case (1.1%; 95%CI: 0.0-6.1%) in the group exposed to nevirapine (P=.585). The lack of differences between groups suggests that highly active antiretroviral treatment regimens including nevirapine administered during pregnancy do not involve a higher risk of liver disease compared to other treatment combinations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

  3. Tobramycin-induced hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Nisly, Sarah A; Ray, Shaunta' M; Moye, Robert A

    2007-12-01

    To report a case of tobramycin-induced hepatotoxicity. A 20-year-old female was hospitalized for treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia and osteomyelitis. Empiric intravenous antibiotic therapy with piperacillin/tazobactam, vancomycin, and ciprofloxacin was started, and based on the results of culture and sensitivity testing, was changed to intravenous ceftazidime and tobramycin 70 mg every 8 hours on hospital day 3. Liver enzyme levels then increased over days 3-6. Tests for hepatitis A, B, and C were all nonreactive, and HIV testing was negative. On day 8, therapy was changed from ceftazidime to piperacillin/tazobactam and the tobramycin dose was increased to 100 mg every 8 hours. Due to a continued increase in total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase, piperacillin/tazobactam was discontinued and aztreonam was started on day 10. All antibiotics were stopped on day 12 and the elevated liver parameters began to decrease. Aztreonam and ciprofloxacin were restarted on day 16, and most laboratory test results returned to baseline levels by day 19; total bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase decreased to lower than baseline values. This case illustrates a possible occurrence of tobramycin-induced hepatotoxicity. Liver enzymes rose when tobramycin therapy was initiated, markedly increased when the tobramycin dose was increased, then resolved upon discontinuation of therapy. Other medication-related causes were ruled out by temporal relationship or rechallenge (aztreonam). Use of the Naranjo probability scale indicated a possible relationship between hepatotoxicity and tobramycin therapy. Other adverse reaction scales specific for evaluation of drug-induced liver disease were also used. Both the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences and Maria and Victorino scales indicated a probable likelihood of tobramycin-induced hepatotoxicity. This patient was not rechallenged with tobramycin due to the highly suggestive timeline present, lack of specific symptoms, and unnecessary risk to the patient. Although no other case reports on this interaction have been published through October 9, 2007, historical data from tertiary sources reveal the possibility of aminoglycoside-induced hepatotoxicity; therefore, tobramycin-induced hepatotoxicity cannot be ruled out in this patient. Clinicians should be aware of this adverse event.

  4. [Management of adverse effects with antituberculosis chemotherapy].

    PubMed

    Tsuyuguchi, Kazunari; Wada, Masako

    2011-02-01

    Tuberculosis has now become a curable disease with chemotherapy. So it is natural that the present issues in tuberculosis management are focused on how to complete standard chemotherapy. In this context, management of adverse effects constitutes an essential part of antituberculosis chemotherapy, as well as directly observed therapy. In this symposium, discussions were held about three major subjects on this issue. First, hepatotoxicity develops frequently and has sometimes fatal outcome, which makes it the most problematic adverse effect. "Management of hepatotoxicity during antituberculosis chemotherapy" was published by the Japanese Society for Tuberculosis (JST) in 2006. Dr. Shinsho Yoshiba evaluated this recommendation and pointed out that the criteria for discontinuation of drug based on AST, ALT and bilirubin levels is too sensitive and the concept of predicting fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is lacking. He stressed the importance of monitoring serum prothrombin time for predicting FHF. Next, allergic drug reaction such as fever or skin rash often causes distress, although rarely fatal. As isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RFP) are key drugs for the cure, readministration of these drugs is often attempted by desensitization therapy. "Recommendation about desensitization therapy of antituberculosis drugs" was also published by JST in 1997. Dr. Yoshihiro Kobashi reported high success rates of 79 percent for INH and 75 percent for RFP according to this recommendation. He also reported correlated factor with the success, such as the longer period from the discontinuation to the desensitization therapy and lower doses of drugs at starting desensitization. Finally, we sometimes experience transient worsening of radiographical findings and general symptoms during antituberculosis chemotherapy. This is presumed to be due to allergic reaction to dead bacilli without requiring discontinuation of the drug. Differential diagnosis includes drug-induced pneumonia requring discontinuation and true worsening of pulmonary tuberculosis due to drug resistance requiring change in therapy. Dr. Masanori Akira reported that presence of ground-glass attenuation and/or consolidation by HRCT suggests transient worsening or drug-induced pneumonia, whereas presence of centrilobular nodules and/or tree-in bud suggests true worsening. We believe that these findings from the symposium will add useful information for management of adverse effects and be helpful for implementation of antituberculosis chemotherapy. (1) Hepatotoxicity of antituberculosis drugs: Shinsho YOSHIBA (Sempo Tokyo Takanawa Hospital) Antituberculosis drugs are sometimes hepatotoxic. Doctors who are responsible for the treatment of patients with tuberculosis should always be aware of their hepatotoxicity, because it seldom leads to fulminant hepatic failure. The Japanese Society for Tuberculosis proposed criteria based on the levels of AST, ALT and bilirubin for the prevention of such grave hepatic injury in 2006. In recent years attempts have been made to predict fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) before patients develop coma. Yoshiba's formula using prothrombin time, etiology, cholinesterase and bilirubin is widely accepted as useful to predict FHF. Introduction of the formula to this area is recommended. (2) Desensitization therapy for allergic reactions of antituberculous drugs: Yoshihiro KOBASHI, Mikio OKA (Division of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School) We evaluated the usefulness of desensitization therapy for patients showing allergic reactions of INH and RFP according to the guideline proposed by the Japanese Society for Tuberculosis. Adverse reactions were 22 patients with drug eruption, 22 with drug fever and 6 with drug fever plus eruption. The clinical effect of desensitization therapy was good in 27 out of 36 patients for RFP (75%), and in 19 out of 24 patients for INH (79%). The comparative study between patient group with success desensitization therapy and that with failure desensitization therapy was not a significant difference except for initiation period of desensitization therapy. (3) The imaging features of early transient radiographic progression, true worsening of TB, and drug induced pneumonitis during TB treatment: Masanori AKIRA (Department of Radiology, NHO Kinki-chuo Chest Medical Center) HRCT findings of the new lesions in the early transient radiographic progression are enlargement or confluence of the original lesions, development of areas of ground-glass attenuation and/or consolidation ipsilateral to the original lesion, and development of areas of ground-glass attenuation and/or consolidation in the subpleural region contralateral to the lesion. These CT findings may suggest a local hypersensitivity reaction to drug or massive dead tubercle bacilli per se. In contrast, CT findings of patients with multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis and true progression are centrilobular nodules, tree-in-bud appearance, nodules, and cavitation. These CT findings may suggest a bronchogenic spread from the original tuberculous lesions.

  5. Hibiscus vitifolius (Linn.) root extracts shows potent protective action against anti-tubercular drug induced hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Samuel, Anbu Jeba Sunilson John; Mohan, Syam; Chellappan, Dinesh Kumar; Kalusalingam, Anandarajagopal; Ariamuthu, Saraswathi

    2012-05-07

    The roots of Hibiscus vitifolius Linn. (Malvaceae) is used for the treatment of jaundice in the folklore system of medicine in India. This study is an attempt to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of the roots of Hibiscus vitifolius against anti-tubercular drug induced hepatotoxicity. Hepatotoxicity was induced in albino rats of either sex by oral administration of a combination of three anti-tubercular drugs. Petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol and aqueous extracts of roots of Hibiscus vitifolius (400mg/kg/day) were evaluated for their possible hepatoprotective potential. All the extracts were found to be safe up to a dose of 2000mg/kg. Among the four extracts studied, oral administration of methanol extract of Hibiscus vitifolius at 400mg/kg showed significant difference in all the parameters when compared to control. There was a significant (P<0.001) reduction in the levels of serum aspartate amino transaminase, alanine amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, total and direct bilirubin, where as an increase was found in the levels of total cholesterol, total protein and albumin. Liver homogenate studies showed a significant increase in the levels of total protein, phospholipids and glycogen, and a reduction in the levels of total lipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol against control animals. In the tissue anti-oxidant studies, we found a significant increase in the levels of catalase and superoxide dismutase, whereas there was marked reduction in the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, as compared to control. Histology of liver sections of the animals treated with the extracts showed significant reduction of necrosis and fatty formation when compared with control specimens. These findings suggest that the root extracts of Hibiscus vitifolius have potent hepatoprotective activity, thereby justifying its ethnopharmacological claim. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Under-reporting and Poor Adherence to Monitoring Guidelines for Severe Cases of Isoniazid Hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Hayashi, Paul H; Fontana, Robert J; Chalasani, Naga P; Stolz, Andrew A; Talwalkar, Jay A; Navarro, Victor J; Lee, William M; Davern, Timothy J; Kleiner, David E; Gu, Jiezhun; Hoofnagle, Jay H

    2015-09-01

    Isoniazid is a leading cause of liver injury but it is not clear how many cases are reported or how many clinicians and patients adhere to American Thoracic Society (ATS) guidelines. We collected data on cases of isoniazid hepatotoxicity and assessed adherence to ATS guidelines and reports to the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) isoniazid severe adverse events program. We analyzed Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN) cases considered definite, highly likely, or probable for isoniazid injury from 2004 through 2013. We assessed the delays in isoniazid discontinuance according to ATS criteria and hepatotoxicity severity by Severity Index Score. We checked reporting to the CDC by matching cases based on age, latency, indication, reporting period, and comorbidities. Isoniazid was the second most commonly reported agent in the DILIN, with 69 cases; 60 of these met inclusion criteria. The median age of cases was 49 years (range, 4-68 y), 70% were female, 97% had latent tuberculosis, and 62% were hospitalized. Patients took a median of 9 days to stop taking isoniazid (range, 0-99 days). Thirty-three cases (55%) continued taking isoniazid for more than 7 days after the ATS criteria for stopping were met. Twenty-four cases (40%) continued isoniazid for more than 14 days after meeting criteria for stopping. A delay in stopping was associated with more severe injury (P < .05). Of 13 patients who died or underwent liver transplantation, 9 (70%) continued taking isoniazid for more than 7 days after meeting criteria for stopping. Only 1 of 25 cases of isoniazid hepatotoxicity eligible for reporting to the CDC was reported. Poor adherence to ATS guidelines is common in cases of hepatotoxicity and is associated with more severe outcomes including hospitalization, death, and liver transplantation. Isoniazid continues to be a leading cause of DILI in the United States, and its hepatotoxicity is under-reported significantly. Copyright © 2015 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Mechanism Profiling of Hepatotoxicity Caused by Oxidative Stress Using Antioxidant Response Element Reporter Gene Assay Models and Big Data.

    PubMed

    Kim, Marlene Thai; Huang, Ruili; Sedykh, Alexander; Wang, Wenyi; Xia, Menghang; Zhu, Hao

    2016-05-01

    Hepatotoxicity accounts for a substantial number of drugs being withdrawn from the market. Using traditional animal models to detect hepatotoxicity is expensive and time-consuming. Alternative in vitro methods, in particular cell-based high-throughput screening (HTS) studies, have provided the research community with a large amount of data from toxicity assays. Among the various assays used to screen potential toxicants is the antioxidant response element beta lactamase reporter gene assay (ARE-bla), which identifies chemicals that have the potential to induce oxidative stress and was used to test > 10,000 compounds from the Tox21 program. The ARE-bla computational model and HTS data from a big data source (PubChem) were used to profile environmental and pharmaceutical compounds with hepatotoxicity data. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models were developed based on ARE-bla data. The models predicted the potential oxidative stress response for known liver toxicants when no ARE-bla data were available. Liver toxicants were used as probe compounds to search PubChem Bioassay and generate a response profile, which contained thousands of bioassays (> 10 million data points). By ranking the in vitro-in vivo correlations (IVIVCs), the most relevant bioassay(s) related to hepatotoxicity were identified. The liver toxicants profile contained the ARE-bla and relevant PubChem assays. Potential toxicophores for well-known toxicants were created by identifying chemical features that existed only in compounds with high IVIVCs. Profiling chemical IVIVCs created an opportunity to fully explore the source-to-outcome continuum of modern experimental toxicology using cheminformatics approaches and big data sources. Kim MT, Huang R, Sedykh A, Wang W, Xia M, Zhu H. 2016. Mechanism profiling of hepatotoxicity caused by oxidative stress using antioxidant response element reporter gene assay models and big data. Environ Health Perspect 124:634-641; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509763.

  8. Mechanism Profiling of Hepatotoxicity Caused by Oxidative Stress Using Antioxidant Response Element Reporter Gene Assay Models and Big Data

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Marlene Thai; Huang, Ruili; Sedykh, Alexander; Wang, Wenyi; Xia, Menghang; Zhu, Hao

    2015-01-01

    Background: Hepatotoxicity accounts for a substantial number of drugs being withdrawn from the market. Using traditional animal models to detect hepatotoxicity is expensive and time-consuming. Alternative in vitro methods, in particular cell-based high-throughput screening (HTS) studies, have provided the research community with a large amount of data from toxicity assays. Among the various assays used to screen potential toxicants is the antioxidant response element beta lactamase reporter gene assay (ARE-bla), which identifies chemicals that have the potential to induce oxidative stress and was used to test > 10,000 compounds from the Tox21 program. Objective: The ARE-bla computational model and HTS data from a big data source (PubChem) were used to profile environmental and pharmaceutical compounds with hepatotoxicity data. Methods: Quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models were developed based on ARE-bla data. The models predicted the potential oxidative stress response for known liver toxicants when no ARE-bla data were available. Liver toxicants were used as probe compounds to search PubChem Bioassay and generate a response profile, which contained thousands of bioassays (> 10 million data points). By ranking the in vitro–in vivo correlations (IVIVCs), the most relevant bioassay(s) related to hepatotoxicity were identified. Results: The liver toxicants profile contained the ARE-bla and relevant PubChem assays. Potential toxicophores for well-known toxicants were created by identifying chemical features that existed only in compounds with high IVIVCs. Conclusion: Profiling chemical IVIVCs created an opportunity to fully explore the source-to-outcome continuum of modern experimental toxicology using cheminformatics approaches and big data sources. Citation: Kim MT, Huang R, Sedykh A, Wang W, Xia M, Zhu H. 2016. Mechanism profiling of hepatotoxicity caused by oxidative stress using antioxidant response element reporter gene assay models and big data. Environ Health Perspect 124:634–641; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509763 PMID:26383846

  9. Long-term culture of human liver tissue with advanced hepatic functions.

    PubMed

    Ng, Soon Seng; Xiong, Anming; Nguyen, Khanh; Masek, Marilyn; No, Da Yoon; Elazar, Menashe; Shteyer, Eyal; Winters, Mark A; Voedisch, Amy; Shaw, Kate; Rashid, Sheikh Tamir; Frank, Curtis W; Cho, Nam Joon; Glenn, Jeffrey S

    2017-06-02

    A major challenge for studying authentic liver cell function and cell replacement therapies is that primary human hepatocytes rapidly lose their advanced function in conventional, 2-dimensional culture platforms. Here, we describe the fabrication of 3-dimensional hexagonally arrayed lobular human liver tissues inspired by the liver's natural architecture. The engineered liver tissues exhibit key features of advanced differentiation, such as human-specific cytochrome P450-mediated drug metabolism and the ability to support efficient infection with patient-derived inoculums of hepatitis C virus. The tissues permit the assessment of antiviral agents and maintain their advanced functions for over 5 months in culture. This extended functionality enabled the prediction of a fatal human-specific hepatotoxicity caused by fialuridine (FIAU), which had escaped detection by preclinical models and short-term clinical studies. The results obtained with the engineered human liver tissue in this study provide proof-of-concept determination of human-specific drug metabolism, demonstrate the ability to support infection with human hepatitis virus derived from an infected patient and subsequent antiviral drug testing against said infection, and facilitate detection of human-specific drug hepatotoxicity associated with late-onset liver failure. Looking forward, the scalability and biocompatibility of the scaffold are also ideal for future cell replacement therapeutic strategies.

  10. [Acarbose and propofol: a dangerous combination?].

    PubMed

    Rocha-Honor, E; Polo-Romero, F J; Sánchez-Beteta, P; Martínez-Peguero, J; Santisteban-López, Y; Beato-Pérez, J L

    2014-02-01

    Hepatotoxicity is a rare complication following the use of propofol and can be potentially serious if an early diagnosis is not made. Propofol is being increasingly used in daily practice, not only in surgery, but also in outpatient sedation procedures, such as endoscopy. Acarbose is a well-known drug used in type 2 diabetes treatment, particularly in the early phase. A case is reported on a patient who suffered an acute hepatitis secondary to the use of propofol in ophthalmology surgery, a hepatitis probably enhanced by prior use of acarbose, a drug that also can cause hepatotoxicity. An early diagnosis and it was resolved without complications. This case could contribute to improve pre-anesthetic evaluation of patients who will be undergoing sedation with propofol in order to avoid the possible appearance of hepatitis. Copyright © 2012 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  11. The Risk of Hepatotoxicity, New Onset Diabetes and Rhabdomyolysis in the Era of High-Intensity Statin Therapy: Does Statin Type Matter?

    PubMed

    Benes, Lane B; Bassi, Nikhil S; Davidson, Michael H

    The 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines on cholesterol management have placed greater emphasis on high-intensity statin dosing for those with known cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus. Differences in risk of hepatotoxicity, new onset diabetes and rhabdomyolysis specifically between the high-intensity statins and the most common moderate-intensity statin, simvastatin, were not found to a significant degree in this review. Rather, baseline characteristics and drug-drug interactions (DDIs) appear to be more important regarding the risk of these adverse effects. Pharmacogenetic differences in statin metabolism may explain individual susceptibility, however genetic testing is not felt to be cost effective at this time. More importantly, statin choice should consider concomitant use of the many prevalent CYP3A4 inhibitors or inducers, and when present, rosuvastatin selection is recommended to reduce DDIs and risk of statin-induced adverse effects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Protective effect of Chlorogenic acid against methotrexate induced oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in rat liver: An experimental approach.

    PubMed

    Ali, Nemat; Rashid, Summya; Nafees, Sana; Hasan, Syed Kazim; Shahid, Ayaz; Majed, Ferial; Sultana, Sarwat

    2017-06-25

    Methotrexate (MTX) is a drug which is used to treat different types of cancers but hepatotoxicity limits its clinical use. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is one of the most abundant naturally occurring polyphenols in the human diet. Here, we assessed the effect of CGA against MTX-induced hepatotoxicity and investigated the underlying possible mechanisms in Wistar Rats. Rats were pre-treated with CGA (50 or 100 mg kg/b.w) and administered a single dose of MTX (20 mg/kg, b.w.). MTX caused hepatotoxicity as evidenced by significant increase in serum toxicity markers, histopathological changes. decreased activities of anti-oxidant armory (SOD, CAT, GPx, GR) and GSH content. MTX significantly causes upregulation of iNOS, Cox-2, Bax and downregulation of Bcl-2 expressions, it causes higher caspase 3, 9 activities. However CGA pretreatment alleviates the hepatotoxicity by decreasing the oxidative stress. CGA inhibited Cox-2, iNOS, Bax, Bcl-2 and Caspases 3, 9 mediated inflammation and apoptosis, and improve the histology induced by MTX. Thus, these findings demonstrated the hepatoprotective nature of CGA by attenuating the pro-inflammatory and apoptotic mediators and improving antioxidant competence in hepatic tissue. These results imply that CGA has perfective effect against MTX-induced liver injury. Hence CGA supplementation might be helpful in abrogation of MTX toxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Rocuronium is more hepatotoxic than succinylcholine in vitro.

    PubMed

    Sauer, Martin; Piel, Ines; Haubner, Cristof; Richter, Georg; Mann, Miriam; Nöldge-Schomburg, Gabriele; Mencke, Thomas

    2017-09-01

    The development of liver failure is a major problem in critically ill patients. The hepatotoxicity of many drugs, as one important reason for liver failure, is poorly screened for in human models. Rocuronium and succinylcholine are neuromuscular blocking agents used for tracheal intubation and for rapid-sequence induction. We used an in-vitro test with a permanent cell line and compared rocuronium and succinylcholine for hepatotoxicity. In-vitro study. A basic science laboratory, University Hospital Rostock, Germany. The basic test compound is the permanent human liver cell line HepG2/C3A. In a standardised microtitre plate assay the toxicity of different concentrations of rocuronium, succinylcholine and plasma control was tested. After two incubation periods of 3 days, the viability of cells (XTT test, lactate dehydrogenase release and trypan blue staining), micro-albumin synthesis and the cytochrome 1A2 activity (metabolism of ethoxyresorufin) were measured. Differences between rocuronium and succinylcholine were assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis one-way test and two-tailed Mann-Whitney U test. Rocuronium, but not succinylcholine, led to a significant dose-dependent decrease of viability, albumin synthesis and cytochrome 1A2 activity of test cells. An in-vitro test with a cell line showed hepatotoxicity of rocuronium that was dose-dependent. Further studies are needed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the effects of rocuronium on hepatic cellular integrity. Not suitable.

  14. The crucial protective role of glutathione against tienilic acid hepatotoxicity in rats

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nishiya, Takayoshi; Mori, Kazuhiko; Hattori, Chiharu

    2008-10-15

    To investigate the hepatotoxic potential of tienilic acid in vivo, we administered a single oral dose of tienilic acid to Sprague-Dawley rats and performed general clinicopathological examinations and hepatic gene expression analysis using Affymetrix microarrays. No change in the serum transaminases was noted at up to 1000 mg/kg, although slight elevation of the serum bile acid and bilirubin, and very mild hepatotoxic changes in morphology were observed. In contrast to the marginal clinicopathological changes, marked upregulation of the genes involved in glutathione biosynthesis [glutathione synthetase and glutamate-cysteine ligase (Gcl)], oxidative stress response [heme oxygenase-1 and NAD(P)H dehydrogenase quinone 1] andmore » phase II drug metabolism (glutathione S-transferase and UDP glycosyltransferase 1A6) were noted after 3 or 6 h post-dosing. The hepatic reduced glutathione level decreased at 3-6 h, and then increased at 24 or 48 h, indicating that the upregulation of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-regulated gene and the late increase in hepatic glutathione are protective responses against the oxidative and/or electrophilic stresses caused by tienilic acid. In a subsequent experiment, tienilic acid in combination with L-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO), an inhibitor of Gcl caused marked elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) with extensive centrilobular hepatocyte necrosis, whereas BSO alone showed no hepatotoxicity. The elevation of ALT by this combination was observed at the same dose levels of tienilic acid as the upregulation of the Nrf2-regulated genes by tienilic acid alone. In conclusion, these results suggest that the impairment of glutathione biosynthesis may play a critical role in the development of tienilic acid hepatotoxicity through extensive oxidative and/or electrophilic stresses.« less

  15. Acetaminophen hepatotoxicity in mice: Effect of age, frailty and exposure type

    PubMed Central

    Kane, Alice E.; Mitchell, Sarah J.; Mach, John; Huizer-Pajkos, Aniko; McKenzie, Catriona; Jones, Brett; Cogger, Victoria; Le Couteur, David G.; de Cabo, Rafael; Hilmer, Sarah N.

    2018-01-01

    Acetaminophen is a commonly used analgesic that can cause severe hepatotoxicity in overdose. Despite old age and frailty being associated with extensive and long-term utilization of acetaminophen and a high prevalence of adverse drug reactions, there is limited information on the risks of toxicity from acetaminophen in old age and frailty. This study aimed to assess changes in the risk and mechanisms of hepatotoxicity from acute, chronic and sub-acute acetaminophen exposure with old age and frailty in mice. Young and old male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to either acute (300 mg/kg via oral gavage), chronic (100 mg/kg/day in diet for six weeks) or sub-acute (250 mg/kg, t.i.d., for three days) acetaminophen, or saline control. Pre-dosing mice were scored for the mouse clinical frailty index, and after dosing serum and liver tissue were collected for assessment of toxicity and mechanisms. There were no differences with old age or frailty in the degree of hepatotoxicity induced by acute, chronic or subacute acetaminophen exposure as assessed by serum liver enzymes and histology. Age-related changes in the acetaminophen toxicity pathways included increased liver GSH concentrations, increased NQO1 activity and an increased pro- and anti-inflammatory response to acetaminophen in old age. Frailty-related changes included a negative correlation between frailty index and serum protein, albumin and ALP concentrations for some mouse groups. In conclusion, although there were changes in some pathways that would be expected to influence susceptibility to acetaminophen toxicity, there was no overall increase in acetaminophen hepatotoxicity with old age or frailty in mice. PMID:26615879

  16. Increased resistance to acetaminophen hepatotoxicity in mice lacking glutathione S-transferase Pi

    PubMed Central

    Henderson, Colin J.; Wolf, C. Roland; Kitteringham, Neil; Powell, Helen; Otto, Diana; Park, B. Kevin

    2000-01-01

    Overdose of acetaminophen, a widely used analgesic drug, can result in severe hepatotoxicity and is often fatal. This toxic reaction is associated with metabolic activation by the P450 system to form a quinoneimine metabolite, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine (NAPQI), which covalently binds to proteins and other macromolecules to cause cellular damage. At low doses, NAPQI is efficiently detoxified, principally by conjugation with glutathione, a reaction catalyzed in part by the glutathione S-transferases (GST), such as GST Pi. To assess the role of GST in acetaminophen hepatotoxicity, we examined acetaminophen metabolism and liver damage in mice nulled for GstP (GstP1/P2(−/−)). Contrary to our expectations, instead of being more sensitive, GstP null mice were highly resistant to the hepatotoxic effects of this compound. No significant differences between wild-type (GstP1/P2(+/+)) mice and GstP1/P2(−/−) nulls in either the rate or route of metabolism, particularly to glutathione conjugates, or in the levels of covalent binding of acetaminophen-reactive metabolites to cellular protein were observed. However, although a similar rapid depletion of hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) was found in both GstP1/P2(+/+) and GstP1/P2(−/−) mice, GSH levels only recovered in the GstP1/P2(−/−) mice. These data demonstrate that GstP does not contribute in vivo to the formation of glutathione conjugates of acetaminophen but plays a novel and unexpected role in the toxicity of this compound. This study identifies new ways in which GST can modulate cellular sensitivity to toxic effects and suggests that the level of GST Pi may be an important and contributing factor in the sensitivity of patients with acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. PMID:11058152

  17. Metabolite monitoring to guide thiopurine therapy in systemic autoimmune diseases.

    PubMed

    Chapdelaine, Aurélie; Mansour, Anne-Marie; Troyanov, Yves; Williamson, David R; Doré, Maxime

    2017-06-01

    6-Thioguanine nucleotide (6-TGN) is the active metabolite of thiopurine drugs azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine. 6-Methylmercaptopurine (6-MMP) is an inactive and potentially hepatotoxic metabolite. A subgroup of patients (shunters) preferentially produce 6-MMP instead of 6-TGN, therefore displaying thiopurine resistance and risk for hepatotoxicity. Outside inflammatory bowel disease literature, few data exist regarding individualized thiopurine therapy based on metabolite monitoring. This study sought to describe metabolite monitoring in patients receiving weight-based thiopurine for systemic autoimmune diseases. Patients were enrolled using a laboratory database, and data were retrospectively collected. The correlation between the highest thiopurine dose (mg/kg) and the 6-TGN concentration (pmol/8 × 10 8 erythrocytes) was estimated with Pearson's correlation coefficient. Seventy-one patients with various systemic autoimmune conditions were enrolled. The correlation between the thiopurine dose and the 6-TGN level was weak for the overall patient sample (r = 0.201, p = 0.092) and for the subgroup of non-shunters (r = 0.278, p = 0.053). Subjects with 6-MMP levels >5700 pmol/8 × 10 8 erythrocytes had more hepatic cytolysis compared to subjects with 6-MMP <5700, OR = 4.36 (CI 95% 1.18-16.13, p = 0.027). Twenty-two patients (31%) were identified as shunters. Six shunters developed hepatotoxicity, five of which had 6-MMP concentration >5700. Eleven non-shunters had hepatotoxicity, one of which had 6-MMP >5700. Thiopurine metabolite monitoring shows wide variability in 6-TGN levels among patients treated with weight-based thiopurine for systemic autoimmune diseases. Thirty-one percent of the patients in our series fulfilled the shunter definition. Thiopurine metabolite monitoring and dose adjustment to improve maintenance of remission and avoid hepatotoxicity should be studied prospectively.

  18. Topiramate-induced somnambulism in a migraineur: a probable idiosyncratic adverse effect.

    PubMed

    Mathew, Thomas; Sarma, G R K; Nadig, Raghunandan; Varghese, Raji

    2012-04-15

    Somnambulism (sleepwalking) is a disorder of arousal that falls under "parasomnia" group and is more common in children. These phenomena occur as primary sleep events or secondary to systemic disease or can be drug induced. Medications that can cause sleepwalking include neuroleptics, hypnotics, lithium, amitriptyline, and β-blockers. This report presents an unusual adverse effect of topiramate on sleep in a patient with migraine.

  19. Curcuma longa Linn. extract and curcumin protect CYP 2E1 enzymatic activity against mercuric chloride-induced hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress: A protective approach.

    PubMed

    Joshi, Deepmala; Mittal, Deepak Kumar; Shukla, Sangeeta; Srivastav, Sunil Kumar; Dixit, Vaibhav A

    2017-07-05

    The present investigation has been conducted to evaluate the therapeutic potential of Curcuma longa (200mgkg -1 , po) and curcumin (80mgkg -1 , po) for their hepatoprotective efficacy against mercuric chloride (HgCl 2 : 12μmolkg -1 , ip; once only) hepatotoxicity. The HgCl 2 administration altered various biochemical parameters, including transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, bilirubin, gamma-glutamyl transferase, triglycerides and cholesterol contents with a concomitant decline in protein and albumin concentration in serum which were restored towards control by therapy of Curcuma longa or curcumin. On the other hand, both treatments showed a protective effect on drug metabolizing enzymes viz. aniline hydroxylase (AH) and amidopyrine-N-demethylase (AND), hexobarbitone induced sleep time and BSP retention. Choleretic, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH)-free radical scavenging activities and histological studies also supported the biochemical findings. The present study concludes that Curcuma longa extract or curcumin has the ability to alleviate the hepatotoxic effects caused by HgCl 2 in rats. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  20. Incidence of adverse drug reactions in adult medical inpatients.

    PubMed

    Bowman, L; Carlstedt, B C; Black, C D

    1994-10-01

    This study was a prospective observational study of ADR occurrence and evaluation in adult internal medicine inpatients conducted over a 120-day period. Clinical pharmacists screened for ADRs at a county hospital in Indianapolis, IN. Patient information was reviewed on admission, every four days during hospitalization, and at discharge. ADRs occurring after hospital admission were assessed for causality, severity, pharmacological type (i.e., augmented pharmacology versus idiosyncratic reaction) and affected organ system. Nurse and pharmacist reports, incident reports, physician consults, patient transfers to critical care units, and serum drug concentration reports were additional means of ADR identification. Overall, 23.1% of patients experienced an ADR while 2.6% of the 11,702 drug exposures resulted in an ADR. Patients aged greater than 65 years (29.6% vs. 20.5% for younger patients) and females (26.2% vs. 20% for males) were at higher risk for ADR development (p < 0.05). Length of hospital stay was longer (13.3 days vs. 6.7 days; p < 0.05) and drug exposures more frequent for patients experiencing ADRs (p < 0.001). Furosemide elicited the most ADRs with 36 in 244 patient exposures (14.7%). Diltiazem, enalapril, heparin, trimterene/hydrochlorothiazide combination and captopril were also frequently implicated. ADRs were classified as mild (35.9%), moderate (52.6%), and severe (10.2%). Organ systems most commonly affected were the metabolic/hematologic (32.9%), gastrointestinal (17.8%), genitourinary (11.8%), and cardiovascular (10.5%). Over 30% of events were idiosyncratic reactions. ADR incidence was consistent with previous literature. Many frequently implicated medications were newer agents and the severity of events was less than previously reported.

  1. Infrared spectroscopic studies to understand the effect of drugs at molecular level

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Bhawana; Gautam, Rekha; Chandrasekar, Bhagawat; Rakshit, Srabanti; Kumar B. N., Vinay; Boopathy, Sivaraman; Nandi, Dipankar; Somasundaram, Kumaravel; Umapathy, Siva

    2012-06-01

    In the recent past, there have been enormous efforts to understand effect of drugs on human body. Prior to understand the effect of drugs on human body most of the experiments are carried out on cells or model organisms. Here we present our study on the effect of chemotherapeutic drugs on cancer cells and the acetaminophen (APAP) induced hepatotoxicity in mouse model. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDIs) have attracted attention as potential drug molecules for the treatment of cancer. These are the chemotherapeutic drugs which have indirect mechanistic action against cancer cells via acting against histone deacetylases (HDAC). It has been known that different HDAC enzymes are over-expressed in various types of cancers for example; HDAC1 is over expressed in prostate, gastric and breast carcinomas. Therefore, in order to optimise chemotherapy, it is important to determine the efficacy of various classes of HDAC inhibitor drugs against variety of over-expressed HDAC enzymes. In the present study, FTIR microspectroscopy has been employed to predict the acetylation and propionylation brought in by HDIs. The liver plays an important role in cellular metabolism and is highly susceptible to drug toxicity. APAP which is an analgesic and antipyretic drug is extensively used for therapeutic purposes and has become the most common cause of acute liver failure (ALF). In the current study, we have focused to understand APAP induced hepatotoxicity using FTIR microspectroscopy. In the IR spectrum the bands corresponding to glycogen, ester group and were found to be suitable markers to predict liver injury at early time point (0.5hr) due to APAP both in tissue and serum in comparison to standard biochemical assays. Our studies show the potential of FTIR spectroscopy as a rapid, sensitive and non invasive detection technique for future clinical diagnosis.

  2. Gestational Thyrotoxicosis, Antithyroid Drug Use and Neonatal Outcomes Within an Integrated Healthcare Delivery System

    PubMed Central

    Rivkees, Scott A.; Chandra, Malini; Gonzalez, Joel R.; Korelitz, James J.; Kuzniewicz, Michael W.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Increasing attention has focused on the prevalence and outcomes of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy, given concerns for hepatotoxicity and embryopathy associated with antithyroid drugs (ATDs). Methods: In an integrated health care delivery system, we examined the prevalence of thyrotoxicosis and gestational ATD use (propylthiouracil [PTU] or methimazole [MMI]) in women with delivered pregnancies from 1996 to 2010. Birth outcomes were compared among all infants and those born to mothers with diagnosed thyrotoxicosis or ATD therapy during gestation, with examination of ATD-associated hepatotoxicity and congenital malformations in the latter subgroups. Results: Among 453,586 mother–infant pairs (maternal age 29.7±6.0 years, 57.1% nonwhite), 3.77 per 1000 women had diagnosed thyrotoxicosis and 1.29 per 1000 had gestational ATD exposure (86.5% PTU, 5.1% MMI, 8.4% both). Maternal PTU-associated hepatotoxicity occurred with a frequency of 1.80 per 1000 pregnancies. Infants of mothers with diagnosed thyrotoxicosis (odds ratio [OR] 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI 1.05–1.55]) or gestational ATD use (OR 1.31 [1.00–1.72]) had an increased risk of preterm birth compared to those born to mothers without thyrotoxicosis or ATD. The risk of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission was also higher with maternal thyrotoxicosis (OR 1.30 [1.07–1.59]) and ATD exposure (OR 1.64 [CI 1.26–2.13]), adjusting for prematurity. Congenital malformation rates were low and similar among infants born to mothers with thyrotoxicosis or ATD exposure (30–44 per 1000 infants). Conclusions: Gestational ATD exposure occurred in 1.29 per 1000 mother–infant pairs while a much larger number had maternal diagnosed thyrotoxicosis but no drug exposure during pregnancy. Infants of mothers with gestational ATD use or diagnosed thyrotoxicosis were more likely to be preterm and admitted to the NICU. The rates of congenital malformation were low for mothers diagnosed with thyrotoxicosis and did not differ by ATD use. Among women with gestational PTU therapy, the frequency of PTU-associated hepatotoxicity was 1.8 per 1000 delivered pregnancies. These findings from a large, population-based cohort provide generalizable estimates of maternal and infant risks associated with maternal thyrotoxicosis and related pharmacotherapy. PMID:25747892

  3. Metabolic activation of hepatotoxic drug (benzbromarone) induced mitochondrial membrane permeability transition

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shirakawa, Maho; Sekine, Shuichi; Tanaka, Ayaka

    The risk of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is of great concern to the pharmaceutical industry. It is well-known that metabolic activation of drugs to form toxic metabolites (TMs) is strongly associated with DILI onset. Drug-induced mitochondrial dysfunction is also strongly associated with increased risk of DILI. However, it is difficult to determine the target of TMs associated with exacerbation of DILI because of difficulties in identifying and purifying TMs. In this study, we propose a sequential in vitro assay system to assess TM formation and their ability to induce mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) in a one-pot process. In this assaymore » system, freshly-isolated rat liver mitochondria were incubated with reaction solutions of 44 test drugs preincubated with liver microsomes in the presence or absence of NADPH; then, NADPH-dependent MPT pore opening was assessed as mitochondrial swelling. In this assay system, several hepatotoxic drugs, including benzbromarone (BBR), significantly induced MPT in a NADPH-dependent manner. We investigated the rationality of using BBR as a model drug, since it showed the most prominent MPT in our assay system. Both the production of a candidate toxic metabolite of BBR (1′,6-(OH){sub 2} BBR) and NADPH-dependent MPT were inhibited by several cytochrome P450 (CYP) inhibitors (clotrimazole and SKF-525A, 100 μM). In summary, this assay system can be used to evaluate comprehensive metabolite-dependent MPT without identification or purification of metabolites. - Highlights: • We constructed a sequential assay system for toxic metabolite induced MPT in one pot. • 14 drugs (e.g. benzbromarone (BBR)) induced toxic metabolite dependent MPT. • Both the production of toxic metabolite and MPT could be inhibited by CYP inhibitors. • This system could evaluate the comprehensive MPT without purification of metabolites.« less

  4. Alginate based 3D hydrogels as an in vitro co-culture model platform for the toxicity screening of new chemical entities.

    PubMed

    Lan, Shih-Feng; Starly, Binil

    2011-10-01

    Prediction of human response to potential therapeutic drugs is through conventional methods of in vitro cell culture assays and expensive in vivo animal testing. Alternatives to animal testing require sophisticated in vitro model systems that must replicate in vivo like function for reliable testing applications. Advancements in biomaterials have enabled the development of three-dimensional (3D) cell encapsulated hydrogels as in vitro drug screening tissue model systems. In this study, we have developed an in vitro platform to enable high density 3D culture of liver cells combined with a monolayer growth of target breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) in a static environment as a representative example of screening drug compounds for hepatotoxicity and drug efficacy. Alginate hydrogels encapsulated with serial cell densities of HepG2 cells (10(5)-10(8) cells/ml) are supported by a porous poly-carbonate disc platform and co-cultured with MCF-7 cells within standard cell culture plates during a 3 day study period. The clearance rates of drug transformation by HepG2 cells are measured using a coumarin based pro-drug. The platform was used to test for HepG2 cytotoxicity 50% (CT(50)) using commercially available drugs which further correlated well with published in vivo LD(50) values. The developed test platform allowed us to evaluate drug dose concentrations to predict hepatotoxicity and its effect on the target cells. The in vitro 3D co-culture platform provides a scalable and flexible approach to test multiple-cell types in a hybrid setting within standard cell culture plates which may open up novel 3D in vitro culture techniques to screen new chemical entity compounds. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Role of CYP2E1 immunoglobulin G4 subclass antibodies and complement in pathogenesis of idiosyncratic drug-induced hepatitis.

    PubMed

    Njoku, Dolores B; Mellerson, Jenelle L; Talor, Monica V; Kerr, Douglas R; Faraday, Nauder R; Outschoorn, Ingrid; Rose, Noel R

    2006-02-01

    Idiosyncratic drug-induced hepatitis (IDDIH) is the third most common cause for acute liver failure in the United States. Previous studies have attempted to identify susceptible patients or early stages of disease with various degrees of success. To determine if total serum immunoglobulin subclasses, CYP2E1-specific subclass autoantibodies, complement components, or immune complexes could distinguish persons with IDDIH from others exposed to drugs, we studied persons exposed to halogenated volatile anesthetics, which have been associated with IDDIH and CYP2E1 autoantibodies. We found that patients with anesthetic-induced IDDIH had significantly elevated levels of CYP2E1-specific immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) autoantibodies, while anesthetic-exposed healthy persons had significantly elevated levels of CYP2E1-specific IgG1 autoantibodies. Anesthetic IDDIH patients had significantly lower levels of C4a, C3a, and C5a compared to anesthetic-exposed healthy persons. C1q- and C3d-containing immune complexes were significantly elevated in anesthetic-exposed persons. In conclusion, our data suggest that anesthetic-exposed persons develop CYP2E1-specific IgG1 autoantibodies which may form detectable circulating immune complexes subsequently cleared by classical pathway activation of the complement system. Persons susceptible to anesthetic-induced IDDIH develop CYP2E1-specific IgG4 autoantibodies which form small, nonprecipitating immune complexes that escape clearance because of their size or by direct inhibition of complement activation.

  6. Mechanisms of Drug Toxicity and Relevance to Pharmaceutical Development

    PubMed Central

    Guengerich, F. Peter

    2016-01-01

    Toxicity has been estimated to be responsible for the attrition of ~ 1/3 of drug candidates and is a major contributor to the high cost of drug development, particularly when not recognized until late in the clinical trials or post-marketing. The causes of drug toxicity can be organized in several ways and include mechanism-based (on-target) toxicity, immune hypersensitivity, off-target toxicity, and bioactivation/covalent modification. In addition, idiosyncratic responses are rare but one of the most problematic issues; several hypotheses for these have been advanced. Although covalent binding of drugs to proteins was described almost 40 years ago, the significance to toxicity has been difficult to establish; recent literature in this field is considered. The development of more useful biomarkers and short-term assays for rapid screening of drug toxicity early in the drug discovery/development process is a major goal, and some progress has been made using “omics” approaches. PMID:20978361

  7. Drug-induced liver injury: Do we know everything?

    PubMed Central

    Alempijevic, Tamara; Zec, Simon; Milosavljevic, Tomica

    2017-01-01

    Interest in drug-induced liver injury (DILI) has dramatically increased over the past decade, and it has become a hot topic for clinicians, academics, pharmaceutical companies and regulatory bodies. By investigating the current state of the art, the latest scientific findings, controversies, and guidelines, this review will attempt to answer the question: Do we know everything? Since the first descriptions of hepatotoxicity over 70 years ago, more than 1000 drugs have been identified to date, however, much of our knowledge of diagnostic and pathophysiologic principles remains unchanged. Clinically ranging from asymptomatic transaminitis and acute or chronic hepatitis, to acute liver failure, DILI remains a leading causes of emergent liver transplant. The consumption of unregulated herbal and dietary supplements has introduced new challenges in epidemiological assessment and clinician management. As such, numerous registries have been created, including the United States Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network, to further our understanding of all aspects of DILI. The launch of LiverTox and other online hepatotoxicity resources has increased our awareness of DILI. In 2013, the first guidelines for the diagnosis and management of DILI, were offered by the Practice Parameters Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology, and along with the identification of risk factors and predictors of injury, novel mechanisms of injury, refined causality assessment tools, and targeted treatment options have come to define the current state of the art, however, gaps in our knowledge still undoubtedly remain. PMID:28443154

  8. Consumption Taxes and Economic Efficiency with Idiosyncratic Wage Shocks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nishiyama, Shinichi; Smetters, Kent

    2005-01-01

    Fundamental tax reform is examined in an overlapping-generations model in which heterogeneous agents face idiosyncratic wage shocks and longevity uncertainty. A progressive income tax is replaced with a flat consumption tax. If idiosyncratic wage shocks are insurable (i.e., no risk), this reform improves (interim) efficiency, a result consistent…

  9. Assessment of mitochondrial dysfunction-related, drug-induced hepatotoxicity in primary rat hepatocytes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Liu, Cong; Sekine, Shuichi, E-mail: ssekine@facult

    Evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role in drug-induced liver injury is rapidly accumulating. In contrast to physiological conditions, in which almost all adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in hepatocytes is generated in mitochondria via aerobic respiration, the high glucose content and limited oxygen supply of conventional culture systems force primary hepatocytes to generate most ATP via cytosolic glycolysis. Thus, such anaerobically poised cells are resistant to xenobiotics that impair mitochondrial function, and are not suitable to identify drugs with mitochondrial liabilities. In this study, primary rat hepatocytes were cultured in galactose-based medium, instead of the conventional glucose-based medium, and inmore » hyperoxia to improve the reliance of energy generation on aerobic respiration. Activation of mitochondria was verified by diminished cellular lactate release and increased oxygen consumption. These conditions improved sensitivity to the mitochondrial complex I inhibitor rotenone. Since oxidative stress is also a general cause of mitochondrial impairment, cells were exposed to test compounds in the presence of transferrin to increase the generation of reactive oxygen species via increased uptake of iron. Finally, 14 compounds with reported mitochondrial liabilities were tested to validate this new drug-induced mitochondrial toxicity assay. Overall, the culture of primary rat hepatocytes in galactose, hyperoxia and transferrin is a useful model for the identification of mitochondrial dysfunction-related drug-induced hepatotoxicity. - Highlights: • Drug-induced mitochondrial toxicity was evaluated using primary rat hepatocytes. • Galactose and hyperoxia could activate OXPHOS in primary rat hepatocytes. • Cells with enhanced OXPHOS exhibit improved sensitivity to mitochondrial toxins. • Transferrin potentiate mitochondrial toxicity via increased ROS production.« less

  10. Ameliorative effect of vitamin C against hepatotoxicity induced by emamectin benzoate in rats.

    PubMed

    Khaldoun Oularbi, H; Richeval, C; Lebaili, N; Zerrouki-Daoudi, N; Baha, M; Djennas, N; Allorge, D

    2017-07-01

    In the present study, we aimed to assess the potential protective effect of ascorbic acid (AA) against emamectin benzoate (EMB)-induced hepatotoxicity. For this purpose, biochemical, histopathological and analytical investigations were performed. Male Wistar rats were distributed into three groups, that is, a control group, an EMB group given 10 mg EMB/kg body weight (BW) by gavage and an EMB + AA group given 10 mg EMB/kg BW and vitamin C intraperitoneally (200 mg/kg). The duration of the treatment was 28 days and the duration of the study was 42 days. There was a statistically significant increase of all hepatic biomarkers, that is, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltransferase activities, and glycemia, in EMB-treated group when compared with the control group. Light microscopic observations revealed variable signs of hepatotoxicity in the EMB group, which were represented by alteration of normal hepatic architecture, inflammatory cell infiltration, hepatocellular steatosis and foci of necrosis at 28 and 42 days post-treatment. However, co-treatment with vitamin C reduced EMB-related liver toxicity and diminished the abnormal biochemical and architectural damage. Emamectin B1a and B1b residues were detectable in all plasma samples of treated rats at 14, 21 and 28 days of treatment. The drug liver tissue concentration was significantly lower in EMB + AA group compared with EMB group at 28 and 42 days. In conclusion, the findings of the present study clearly indicate a significant protective action of vitamin C against EMB hepatotoxicity.

  11. Toxicological and biochemical studies on Schinus terebinthifolius concerning its curative and hepatoprotective effects against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury

    PubMed Central

    Abdou, Rania H.; Saleh, Sherif Y.; Khalil, Waleed F.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Recently, many efforts have been made to discover new products of natural origin which can limit the xenobiotic-induced hepatic injury. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a highly toxic chemical that is widely used to study hepatotoxicity in animal models. Objective: The present study was conducted to investigate the curative and protective effects of Schinus terbenthifolius ethanolic extract against CCl4 -induced acute hepatotoxicity in rats. Materials and Methods: S. terbenthifolius extract was orally administered in a dose of 350 mg dried extract/kg b.wt. before and after intoxication with CCl4 for curative and protective experiments, respectively. A group of hepatotoxicity indicative enzymes, oxidant-antioxidant capacity, DNA oxidation, and apoptosis markers were measured. Results: CCl4 increased liver enzyme leakage, oxidative stress, hepatic apoptosis, DNA oxidation, and inflammatory markers. Administration of S. terebinthifolius, either before or after CCl4 intoxication, significantly decreased elevated serum liver enzymes and reinstated the antioxidant capacity. Interestingly, S. terebinthifolius extract inhibited hepatocyte apoptosis as revealed by approximately 20 times down-regulation in caspase-3 expression when compared to CCl4 untreated group. On the other hand, there was neither protective nor curative effect of S. terebinthifolius against DNA damage caused by CCl4. Conclusion: The present study suggests that S. terebinthifolius extract could be a substantially promising hepatoprotective agent against CCl4 toxic effects and may be against other hepatotoxic chemical or drugs. PMID:26109780

  12. Fulminant hepatic failure in an infant with severe dengue infection.

    PubMed

    Soundravally, R; Narayanan, P; Bhat, B Vishnu; Soundraragavan, Jayanthi; Setia, Sajita

    2010-04-01

    Fulminant hepatic failure due to dengue infection is rare, although mild liver dysfunction is common. Here we report a fatal case of fulminant hepatitis in an infant infected with dengue 3 serotype. Attention must be given to the use of hepatotoxic drugs in some cases of dengue especially in infants.

  13. Virgin coconut oil supplementation attenuates acute chemotherapy hepatotoxicity induced by anticancer drug methotrexate via inhibition of oxidative stress in rats.

    PubMed

    Famurewa, Ademola C; Ufebe, Odomero G; Egedigwe, Chima A; Nwankwo, Onyebuchi E; Obaje, Godwin S

    2017-03-01

    The emerging health benefit of virgin coconut oil (VCO) has been associated with its potent natural antioxidants; however, the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effect of VCO against methotrexate-induced liver damage and oxidative stress remains unexplored. The study explored the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of VCO against oxidative stress and liver damage induced by anticancer drug methotrexate (MTX) in rats. Liver damage was induced in Wistar rats pretreated with dietary supplementation of VCO (5% and 15%) by intraperitoneal administration of MTX (20mg/kg bw) on day 10 only. After 12days of treatment, assays for serum liver biomarkers (aminotransferases), alkaline phosphatase, albumin and total protein as well as hepatic content of malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase) were carried out. Liver was used to examine histopathological changes. MTX administration induced significant increase in serum liver enzymes along with marked decrease in albumin and total protein compared to control group. Hepatic activities of antioxidant enzymes were significantly decreased, while malondialdehyde increased significantly. Treatment with VCO supplemented diet prior to MTX administration attenuated MTX-induced liver injury and oxidative stress evidenced by significant improvements in serum liver markers, hepatic antioxidant enzymes and malondialdehyde comparable to control group. Histopathological alterations were prevented and correlated well with the biochemical indices. The study suggests antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of VCO supplementation against hepatotoxicity and oxidative damage via improving antioxidant defense system in rats. Our findings may have beneficial application in the management of hepatotoxicity associated with MTX cancer chemotherapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  14. BIOCHEMICAL INDICATORS OF HEPATOTOXICITY IN BLOOD SERUM OF RATS UNDER THE EFFECT OF NOVEL 4-THIAZOLIDINONE DERIVATIVES AND DOXORUBICIN AND THEIR COMPLEXES WITH POLYETHYLENEGLYCOL-CONTAINING NANOSCALE POLYMERIC CARRIER.

    PubMed

    Kobylinska, L I; Havrylyuk, D Ya; Ryabtseva, A O; Mitina, N E; Zaichenko, O S; Lesyk, R B; Zimenkovsky, B S; Stoika, R S

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the effect of new synthetic 4-tiazolidinone derivatives (compounds 3882, 3288 and 3833) and doxorubicin (positive control) in free form and in their complexes with synthetic polyethyleneglycol-containing nanoscale polymeric carrier on the biochemical indicators of hepatotoxicity in blood serum of rats. The activity of enzymes considered as the markers of hepatotoxicity, as well as. the concentration of total protein, urea and creatinine were measured in blood serum of rats. It was found that after injection of investigated compounds the activities ofalanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and α-amylase increased in comparison to control. Doxorubicin injection was accompanied by 4-fold increase in the activity of γ-glutamyltransferase, and injection ofcompound 3833 led to 2.5-fold elevation ofthe activity of this enzyme. Complexation ofthese antineoplastic derivatives with a synthetic nanocarrier lowered the activity ofthe investigated enzymes substantially if compared to the effect of these compounds infreeform. The most evident decrease was measured for α-amylase, γ-glutamyltransferase and lactate dehydrogenase activities. The normalization of concentrations of total protein, urea and creatinine in blood serum of rats treated with complexes of the studied compounds with a polymeric carrier comparing with their introduction infreeform was also detected. Thus, the immobilization by novel polymeric carrier of anticancer drugs possessing high general toxicity in the treated organism mitigates their toxic effect, which is evident as normalization of specific biochemical indicators of the hepatodestructive effects of the anticancer drugs.

  15. Inhibition of pannexin1 channels alleviates acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Maes, Michaël; McGill, Mitchell R; da Silva, Tereza Cristina; Abels, Chloé; Lebofsky, Margitta; Weemhoff, James L; Tiburcio, Taynã; Veloso Alves Pereira, Isabel; Willebrords, Joost; Crespo Yanguas, Sara; Farhood, Anwar; Beschin, Alain; Van Ginderachter, Jo A; Penuela, Silvia; Jaeschke, Hartmut; Cogliati, Bruno; Vinken, Mathieu

    2017-05-01

    Pannexins constitute a relatively new family of transmembrane proteins that form channels linking the cytoplasmic compartment with the extracellular environment. The presence of pannexin1 in the liver has been documented previously, where it underlies inflammatory responses, such as those occurring upon ischemia-reperfusion injury. In the present study, we investigated whether pannexin1 plays a role in acute drug-induced liver toxicity. Hepatic expression of pannexin1 was characterized in a mouse model of acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. Subsequently, mice were overdosed with acetaminophen followed by treatment with the pannexin1 channel inhibitor 10 Panx1. Sampling was performed 1, 3, 6, 24 and 48 h after acetaminophen administration. Evaluation of the effects of pannexin1 channel inhibition was based on a number of clinically relevant readouts, including protein adduct formation, measurement of aminotransferase activity and histopathological examination of liver tissue as well as on a series of markers of inflammation, oxidative stress and regeneration. Although no significant differences were found in histopathological analysis, pannexin1 channel inhibition reduced serum levels of alanine and aspartate aminotransferase. This was paralleled by a reduced amount of neutrophils recruited to the liver. Furthermore, alterations in the oxidized status were noticed with upregulation of glutathione levels upon suppression of pannexin1 channel opening. Concomitant promotion of regenerative activity was detected as judged on increased proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein quantities in 10 Panx1-treated mice. Pannexin1 channels are important actors in liver injury triggered by acetaminophen. Inhibition of pannexin1 channel opening could represent a novel approach for the treatment of drug-induced hepatotoxicity.

  16. Methylphenidate induction of complex visual hallucinations.

    PubMed

    Halevy, Ayelet; Shuper, Avinoam

    2009-08-01

    A 15-year-old boy with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) presented with complex visual hallucinations of rats running around and touching and smelling him soon after receiving a first low dose of methylphenidate. The hallucinations resolved upon discontinuation of the drug. Reintroduction of the drug 7 years later at an even lower dose had the same effect. Other cases of vivid complex hallucinations of living creatures associated with methylphenidate have been reported in the literature. The pathogenetic mechanism is still unknown. In our case, the occurrence of hallucinations after a very low dose of the drug on 2 occasions may suggest an idiosyncratic reaction. The phenomenon might also be explained by a drug-induced dysfunction of the monoamine transmitters. Given the wide use of methylphenidate, clinicians should be aware of this possible side effect.

  17. Toxic hepatitis in occupational exposure to solvents

    PubMed Central

    Malaguarnera, Giulia; Cataudella, Emanuela; Giordano, Maria; Nunnari, Giuseppe; Chisari, Giuseppe; Malaguarnera, Mariano

    2012-01-01

    The liver is the main organ responsible for the metabolism of drugs and toxic chemicals, and so is the primary target organ for many organic solvents. Work activities with hepatotoxins exposures are numerous and, moreover, organic solvents are used in various industrial processes. Organic solvents used in different industrial processes may be associated with hepatotoxicity. Several factors contribute to liver toxicity; among these are: species differences, nutritional condition, genetic factors, interaction with medications in use, alcohol abuse and interaction, and age. This review addresses the mechanisms of hepatotoxicity. The main pathogenic mechanisms responsible for functional and organic damage caused by solvents are: inflammation, dysfunction of cytochrome P450, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. The health impact of exposure to solvents in the workplace remains an interesting and worrying question for professional health work. PMID:22719183

  18. Idiosyncratic Deals: Testing Propositions on Timing, Content, and the Employment Relationship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rousseau, Denise M.; Hornung, Severin; Kim, Tai Gyu

    2009-01-01

    This study tests propositions regarding idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) in a sample of N = 265 hospital employees using structural equation modeling. Timing and content of idiosyncratic employment arrangements are postulated to have differential consequences for the nature of the employment relationship. Results confirm that i-deals made after hire…

  19. Changing Employment Relations, New Organizational Models and the Capability To Use Idiosyncratic Knowledge.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fuchs, Manfred

    2002-01-01

    Organizations that rely heavily on a flexible work force will lose the ability to attract and retain skilled workers with idiosyncratic knowledge. There is an interdependent relationship between the quality of employee relations and the capacity to use the idiosyncratic knowledge of a work force. (Contains 61 references.) (SK)

  20. Hepatotoxicity by Dietary Supplements: A Tabular Listing and Clinical Characteristics

    PubMed Central

    García-Cortés, Miren; Robles-Díaz, Mercedes; Ortega-Alonso, Aida; Medina-Caliz, Inmaculada; Andrade, Raul J.

    2016-01-01

    Dietary supplements (DS) are extensively consumed worldwide despite unproven efficacy. The true incidence of DS-induced liver injury (DSILI) is unknown but is probably under-diagnosed due to the general belief of safety of these products. Reported cases of herbals and DS-induced liver injury are increasing worldwide. The aim of this manuscript is to report a tabular listing with a description of DS associated with hepatotoxicity as well as review the phenotype and severity of DSILI. Natural remedies related to hepatotoxicity can be divided into herbal product-induced liver injury and DS-induced liver injury. In this article, we describe different DS associated with liver injury, some of them manufactured DS containing several ingredients (Herbalife™ products, Hydroxycut™, LipoKinetix™, UCP-1 and OxyELITE™) while others have a single ingredient (green tea extract, linoleic acid, usnic acid, 1,3-Dimethylamylamine, vitamin A, Garcinia cambogia and ma huang). Additional DS containing some of the aforementioned ingredients implicated in liver injury are also covered. We have also included illicit androgenic anabolic steroids for bodybuilding in this work, as they are frequently sold under the denomination of DS despite being conventional drugs. PMID:27070596

  1. Hepatotoxicity by Dietary Supplements: A Tabular Listing and Clinical Characteristics.

    PubMed

    García-Cortés, Miren; Robles-Díaz, Mercedes; Ortega-Alonso, Aida; Medina-Caliz, Inmaculada; Andrade, Raul J

    2016-04-09

    Dietary supplements (DS) are extensively consumed worldwide despite unproven efficacy. The true incidence of DS-induced liver injury (DSILI) is unknown but is probably under-diagnosed due to the general belief of safety of these products. Reported cases of herbals and DS-induced liver injury are increasing worldwide. The aim of this manuscript is to report a tabular listing with a description of DS associated with hepatotoxicity as well as review the phenotype and severity of DSILI. Natural remedies related to hepatotoxicity can be divided into herbal product-induced liver injury and DS-induced liver injury. In this article, we describe different DS associated with liver injury, some of them manufactured DS containing several ingredients (Herbalife™ products, Hydroxycut™, LipoKinetix™, UCP-1 and OxyELITE™) while others have a single ingredient (green tea extract, linoleic acid, usnic acid, 1,3-Dimethylamylamine, vitamin A, Garcinia cambogia and ma huang). Additional DS containing some of the aforementioned ingredients implicated in liver injury are also covered. We have also included illicit androgenic anabolic steroids for bodybuilding in this work, as they are frequently sold under the denomination of DS despite being conventional drugs.

  2. A Collective Case Study of the Idiosyncratic Language of Formal Thought Disorder in Cases of Disorganized Psychosis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lowe, Amanda R.

    2012-01-01

    This study focuses on a meaningful understanding of idiosyncratic language in psychosis. The psychotic neologisms examined in this dissertation challenge the listener's accurate understanding. Idiosyncratic aspects of speech in psychosis are largely researched from a diagnostic perspective in the literature. This study asks how individuals…

  3. Idiosyncratic Shocks, Child Labor and School Attendance in Indonesia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kharisma, Bayu

    2017-01-01

    This paper investigates the effect of various idiosyncratic shocks against child labor, child labor hour and school attendance. Also, the role of the assets held by households as one of the coping strategies to mitigate the effects of shocks. The results show that various idiosyncratic shocks that encourage child labor is generally caused by crop…

  4. Hepatocyte-based in vitro model for assessment of drug-induced cholestasis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chatterjee, Sagnik, E-mail: Sagnik.Chatterjee@pharm.kuleuven.be; Richert, Lysiane, E-mail: l.richert@kaly-cell.com; Augustijns, Patrick, E-mail: Patrick.Augustijns@pharm.kuleuven.be

    Early detection of drug-induced cholestasis remains a challenge during drug development. We have developed and validated a biorelevant sandwich-cultured hepatocytes- (SCH) based model that can identify compounds causing cholestasis by altering bile acid disposition. Human and rat SCH were exposed (24–48 h) to known cholestatic and/or hepatotoxic compounds, in the presence or in the absence of a concentrated mixture of bile acids (BAs). Urea assay was used to assess (compromised) hepatocyte functionality at the end of the incubations. The cholestatic potential of the compounds was expressed by calculating a drug-induced cholestasis index (DICI), reflecting the relative residual urea formation bymore » hepatocytes co-incubated with BAs and test compound as compared to hepatocytes treated with test compound alone. Compounds with clinical reports of cholestasis, including cyclosporin A, troglitazone, chlorpromazine, bosentan, ticlopidine, ritonavir, and midecamycin showed enhanced toxicity in the presence of BAs (DICI ≤ 0.8) for at least one of the tested concentrations. In contrast, the in vitro toxicity of compounds causing hepatotoxicity by other mechanisms (including diclofenac, valproic acid, amiodarone and acetaminophen), remained unchanged in the presence of BAs. A safety margin (SM) for drug-induced cholestasis was calculated as the ratio of lowest in vitro concentration for which was DICI ≤ 0.8, to the reported mean peak therapeutic plasma concentration. SM values obtained in human SCH correlated well with reported % incidence of clinical drug-induced cholestasis, while no correlation was observed in rat SCH. This in vitro model enables early identification of drug candidates causing cholestasis by disturbed BA handling. - Highlights: • Novel in vitro assay to detect drug-induced cholestasis • Rat and human sandwich-cultured hepatocytes (SCH) as in vitro models • Cholestatic compounds sensitize SCH to toxic effects of accumulating bile acids • Drug-induced cholestasis index (DICI) as measure of a drug's cholestatic signature • In vitro findings correlate well with clinical reports on cholestasis.« less

  5. [Anticonvulsant Hypersensitivity Syndrome: A Case Report].

    PubMed

    Valderrama Escudero, Felipe; Montoya González, Laura Elisa

    2014-01-01

    DRESS syndrome (skin reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms) is an idiosyncratic drug reaction characterized by rash, fever, lymphadenopathy, and internal organ dysfunction. This case report is on a patient with bipolar affective disorder who presented with a systemic inflammatory response associated with the use of valproic acid, and an important activation of symptoms when used with other drugs with a different pharmacological action mechanism. The diagnosis of DRESS syndrome is primarily by exclusion, and its detection may be difficult, which could potentially become fatal for the patient. Copyright © 2014 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  6. Drug induced liver injury with analysis of alternative causes as confounding variables.

    PubMed

    Teschke, Rolf; Danan, Gaby

    2018-04-01

    Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is rare compared to the worldwide frequent acute or chronic liver diseases. Therefore, patients included in series of suspected DILI are at high risk of not having DILI, whereby alternative causes may confound the DILI diagnosis. The aim of this review is to evaluate published case series of DILI for alternative causes. Relevant studies were identified using a computerized search of the Medline database for publications from 1993 through 30 October 2017. We used the following terms: drug hepatotoxicity, drug induced liver injury, hepatotoxic drugs combined with diagnosis, causality assessment and alternative causes. Alternative causes as variables confounding the DILI diagnosis emerged in 22 published DILI case series, ranging from 4 to 47%. Among 13 335 cases of suspected DILI, alternative causes were found to be more likely in 4555 patients (34.2%), suggesting that the suspected DILI was probably not DILI. Biliary diseases such as biliary obstruction, cholangitis, choledocholithiasis, primary biliary cholangitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis were among the most missed diagnoses. Alternative causes included hepatitis B, C and E, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, ischemic hepatitis, cardiac hepatopathy, autoimmune hepatitis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and alcoholic liver disease. In more than one-third of published global DILI case series, alternative causes as published in these reports confounded the DILI diagnosis. In the future, published DILI case series should include only patients with secured DILI diagnosis, preferentially established by prospective use of scored items provided by robust diagnostic algorithms such as the updated Roussel Uclaf causality assessment method. © 2018 The British Pharmacological Society.

  7. An Animal Model of Abacavir-Induced HLA-Mediated Liver Injury.

    PubMed

    Song, Binbin; Aoki, Shigeki; Liu, Cong; Susukida, Takeshi; Ito, Kousei

    2018-04-01

    Genome-wide association studies indicate that several idiosyncratic adverse drug reactions are highly associated with specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles. For instance, abacavir, a human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase inhibitor, induces multiorgan toxicity exclusively in patients carrying the HLA-B*57:01 allele. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear due to a lack of appropriate animal models. Previously, we developed HLA-B*57:01 transgenic mice and found that topical application of abacavir to the ears induced proliferation of CD8+ lymphocytes in local lymph nodes. Here, we attempted to reproduce abacavir-induced liver injury in these mice. However, oral administration of abacavir alone to HLA-B*57:01 transgenic mice did not increase levels of the liver injury marker alanine aminotransferase. Considering the importance of innate immune activation in mouse liver, we treated mice with CpG oligodeoxynucleotide, a toll-like receptor 9 agonist, plus abacavir. This resulted in a marked increase in alanine aminotransferase, pathological changes in liver, increased numbers of activated CD8+ T cells, and tissue infiltration by immune cells exclusively in HLA-B*57:01 transgenic mice. These results indicate that CpG oligodeoxynucleotide-induced inflammatory reactions and/or innate immune activation are necessary for abacavir-induced HLA-mediated liver injury characterized by infiltration of CD8+ T cells. Thus, we developed the first mouse model of HLA-mediated abacavir-induced idiosyncratic liver injury. Further investigation will show that the proposed HLA-mediated liver injury model can be applied to other combinations of drugs and HLA types, thereby improving drug development and contributing to the development of personalized medicine.

  8. Role of CYP2E1 Immunoglobulin G4 Subclass Antibodies and Complement in Pathogenesis of Idiosyncratic Drug-Induced Hepatitis

    PubMed Central

    Njoku, Dolores B.; Mellerson, Jenelle L.; Talor, Monica V.; Kerr, Douglas R.; Faraday, Nauder R.; Outschoorn, Ingrid; Rose, Noel R.

    2006-01-01

    Idiosyncratic drug-induced hepatitis (IDDIH) is the third most common cause for acute liver failure in the United States. Previous studies have attempted to identify susceptible patients or early stages of disease with various degrees of success. To determine if total serum immunoglobulin subclasses, CYP2E1-specific subclass autoantibodies, complement components, or immune complexes could distinguish persons with IDDIH from others exposed to drugs, we studied persons exposed to halogenated volatile anesthetics, which have been associated with IDDIH and CYP2E1 autoantibodies. We found that patients with anesthetic-induced IDDIH had significantly elevated levels of CYP2E1-specific immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) autoantibodies, while anesthetic-exposed healthy persons had significantly elevated levels of CYP2E1-specific IgG1 autoantibodies. Anesthetic IDDIH patients had significantly lower levels of C4a, C3a, and C5a compared to anesthetic-exposed healthy persons. C1q- and C3d-containing immune complexes were significantly elevated in anesthetic-exposed persons. In conclusion, our data suggest that anesthetic-exposed persons develop CYP2E1-specific IgG1 autoantibodies which may form detectable circulating immune complexes subsequently cleared by classical pathway activation of the complement system. Persons susceptible to anesthetic-induced IDDIH develop CYP2E1-specific IgG4 autoantibodies which form small, nonprecipitating immune complexes that escape clearance because of their size or by direct inhibition of complement activation. PMID:16467335

  9. Improved Hepatoprotective Effect of Liposome-Encapsulated Astaxanthin in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Hepatotoxicity

    PubMed Central

    Chiu, Chun-Hung; Chang, Chun-Chao; Lin, Shiang-Ting; Chyau, Charng-Cherng; Peng, Robert Y.

    2016-01-01

    Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute hepatotoxicity is significantly associated with oxidative stress. Astaxanthin (AST), a xanthophyll carotenoid, is well known for its potent antioxidant capacity. However, its drawbacks of poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability have limited its utility. Liposome encapsulation is considered as an effective alternative use for the improvement of bioavailability of the hydrophobic compound. We hypothesized that AST encapsulated within liposomes (LA) apparently shows improved stability and transportability compared to that of free AST. To investigate whether LA administration can efficiently prevent the LPS-induced acute hepatotoxicity, male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = six per group) were orally administered liposome-encapsulated AST at 2, 5 or 10 mg/kg-day (LA-2, LA-5, and LA-10) for seven days and then were LPS-challenged (i.p., 5 mg/kg). The LA-10 administered group, but not the other groups, exhibited a significant amelioration of serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (CRE), hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), IL-6, and hepatic nuclear NF-κB and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), suggesting that LA at a 10 mg/kg-day dosage renders hepatoprotective effects. Moreover, the protective effects were even superior to that of positive control N-acetylcysteine (NAC, 200 mg/kg-day). Histopathologically, NAC, free AST, LA-2 and LA-5 partially, but LA-10 completely, alleviated the acute inflammatory status. These results indicate that hydrophobic AST after being properly encapsulated by liposomes improves bioavailability and can also function as potential drug delivery system in treating hepatotoxicity. PMID:27428953

  10. Herbal hepatotoxicity: Challenges and pitfalls of causality assessment methods

    PubMed Central

    Teschke, Rolf; Frenzel, Christian; Schulze, Johannes; Eickhoff, Axel

    2013-01-01

    The diagnosis of herbal hepatotoxicity or herb induced liver injury (HILI) represents a particular clinical and regulatory challenge with major pitfalls for the causality evaluation. At the day HILI is suspected in a patient, physicians should start assessing the quality of the used herbal product, optimizing the clinical data for completeness, and applying the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) scale for initial causality assessment. This scale is structured, quantitative, liver specific, and validated for hepatotoxicity cases. Its items provide individual scores, which together yield causality levels of highly probable, probable, possible, unlikely, and excluded. After completion by additional information including raw data, this scale with all items should be reported to regulatory agencies and manufacturers for further evaluation. The CIOMS scale is preferred as tool for assessing causality in hepatotoxicity cases, compared to numerous other causality assessment methods, which are inferior on various grounds. Among these disputed methods are the Maria and Victorino scale, an insufficiently qualified, shortened version of the CIOMS scale, as well as various liver unspecific methods such as the ad hoc causality approach, the Naranjo scale, the World Health Organization (WHO) method, and the Karch and Lasagna method. An expert panel is required for the Drug Induced Liver Injury Network method, the WHO method, and other approaches based on expert opinion, which provide retrospective analyses with a long delay and thereby prevent a timely assessment of the illness in question by the physician. In conclusion, HILI causality assessment is challenging and is best achieved by the liver specific CIOMS scale, avoiding pitfalls commonly observed with other approaches. PMID:23704820

  11. Plasma metabolomics study of the hepatoprotective effect of glycyrrhetinic acid on realgar-induced sub-chronic hepatotoxicity in mice via 1H NMR analysis.

    PubMed

    Huo, Taoguang; Fang, Ying; Zhang, Yinghua; Wang, Yanlei; Feng, Cong; Yuan, Mingmei; Wang, Shouyun; Chen, Mo; Jiang, Hong

    2017-08-17

    Realgar, a type of mineral drug that contains arsenic, is concurrently used with Glycyrrhizae Radx et Rhizoma to reduce its toxicity in many Chinese herbal formulations. Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is the bioactive ingredient in Glycyrrhizae Radx et Rhizoma. In this study, the protective effects of GA on realgar-induced hepatotoxicity was investigated using 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR)-based metabolomic approaches. Mice were divided into control, GA, realgar, and GA and realgar co-administration groups. Their plasma samples were used for a metabolomics study. GA can protect the mice against realgar-induced hepatotoxicity to some extent by relieving alterations in the clinical biochemical parameters and the damage to hepatocytes. Metabolic profiling via principal components analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) indicated that the metabolic perturbation caused by realgar was reduced by GA. Six metabolites, including 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB), very low density/low density lipoprotein (VLDL/LDL), N-acetylglycoprotein (NAc), lactate, choline and D-glucose, were considered as potential biomarkers that are involved in the toxicity reduction effect of GA on realgar-induced hepatotoxicity. The correlation analysis showed that these potential biomarkers were all positively correlated with ALT and AST activities (correlation coefficient > 0.5). Lipid and energy metabolism pathways were found to be primarily associated with the hepatoprotective effect of GA. GA has an effective protection function by regulating the lipid and energy metabolism to liver injuries that are induced by realgar. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Review article: Herbal hepatotoxicity--an update on traditional Chinese medicine preparations.

    PubMed

    Teschke, R; Wolff, A; Frenzel, C; Schulze, J

    2014-07-01

    Although evidence for their therapeutic efficacy is limited, herbal traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparations increasingly gain popularity. In contrast to other herbal products, adverse effects by herbal TCM including liver toxicity were rarely reported. In recent years, more cases were published, providing new clinical challenges. To summarise comprehensively the literature on herbal TCM hepatotoxicity since 2011. PubMed was searched using key words related to TCM, the results were restricted to full English-language publications and abstracts published since 2011. In addition, the database of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and LiverTox was accessed under the topic 'Drug record: Chinese and other Asian herbal medicines'. Since 2011, new case reports and case series provided evidence for herbal hepatotoxicity by TCM, focusing on nine TCM herbal mixtures and four individual TCM herbs with potential health hazards. These were the TCM products Ban Tu Wan, Chai Hu, Du Huo, Huang Qin, Jia Wei Xia Yao San, Jiguja, Kamishoyosan, Long Dan Xie Gan Tang, Lu Cha, Polygonum multiflorum products, Shan Chi, 'White flood' containing the herbal TCM Wu Zhu Yu and Qian Ceng Ta, and Xiao Chai Hu Tang. Other developments include the establishment of a new and early diagnostic serum marker for hepatotoxicity caused by pyrrolizidine alkaloids, assessed using ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, and new regulatory details to improve herbal TCM product quality and safety. Stringent evaluation of the risk/benefit ratio is essential to protect traditional Chinese medicines users from health hazards including liver injury. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Regorafenib induced severe toxic hepatitis: characterization and discussion.

    PubMed

    Sacré, Anne; Lanthier, Nicolas; Dano, Hélène; Aydin, Selda; Leggenhager, Daniela; Weber, Achim; Dekairelle, Anne-France; De Cuyper, Astrid; Gala, Jean-Luc; Humblet, Yves; Sempoux, Christine; Van den Eynde, Marc

    2016-11-01

    Regorafenib is the first small-molecule multikinase inhibitor which showed survival benefits in pretreated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. Besides classical adverse events of this drug class, hepatotoxicity has been described as a frequent side effect. Patients with refractory mCRC treated with regorafenib in our institution were reviewed. Severe treatment-related liver toxicity was investigated. Clinical history, liver histology and genetic assessment (sequence analysis) of cytochrome P3A4 (CYP3A4) and uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase 1A9 (UGT1A9) involved in regorafenib metabolization were here reported for patients with severe hepatotoxicity. Among the 93 reviewed patients, 3 presented severe and icteric toxic hepatitis which was fatal for 1 patient. Histopathological liver lesions were different depending on the onset of hepatotoxicity (acute or subacute): acinar zone 3 necrosis in case of acute symptoms, and portal tract inflammation with porto-central bridging and fibrosis in the delayed presentation. None of the patients had CYP3A4 gene mutations. Similar polymorphisms in UGT1A9 gene promoter region (UGT1A9 variant -118T 9>10 [rs3832043]) were found in both patients who presented acute hepatitis. Moreover, it appears retrospectively that both of them already experienced significant toxicity under irinotecan-based chemotherapy. This is the first report of severe hepatotoxicity with available liver histology and genetic assessment of enzymes involved in regorafenib metabolization. This report also reminds the importance of close liver tests monitoring during regorafenib treatment. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. A natural antioxidant, tannic acid mitigates iron-overload induced hepatotoxicity in Swiss albino mice through ROS regulation.

    PubMed

    Basu, Tapasree; Panja, Sourav; Shendge, Anil Khushalrao; Das, Abhishek; Mandal, Nripendranath

    2018-05-01

    Tannic acid (TA), a water soluble natural polyphenol with 8 gallic acids groups, is abundantly present in various medicinal plants. Previously TA has been investigated for its antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Being a large polyphenol, TA chelates more than 1 metal. Hence TA has been explored for potent antioxidant activities against reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and as iron chelator in vitro thereby mitigating iron-overload induced hepatotoxicity in vivo. Iron dextran was injected intraperitoneally in Swiss albino mice to induce iron-overload triggered hepatotoxicity, followed by oral administration of TA for remediation. After treatment, liver, spleen, and blood samples were processed from sacrificed animals. The liver iron, serum ferritin, serum markers, ROS, liver antioxidant status, and liver damage parameters were assessed, followed by histopathology and protein expression studies. Our results show that TA is a prominent ROS and RNS scavenger as well as iron chelator in vitro. It also reversed the ROS levels in vivo and restricted the liver damage parameters as compared to the standard drug, desirox. Moreover, this natural polyphenol exclusively ameliorates the histopathological and fibrotic changes in liver sections reducing the iron-overload, along with chelation of liver iron and normalization of serum ferritin. The protective role of TA against iron-overload induced apoptosis in liver was further supported by changed levels of caspase 3, PARP as well as Bax/BCl-2 ratio. Thus, TA can be envisaged as a better orally administrable iron chelator to reduce iron-overload induced hepatotoxicity through ROS regulation. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Potential protective effect of honey against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Galal, Reem M; Zaki, Hala F; Seif El-Nasr, Mona M; Agha, Azza M

    2012-11-01

    Paracetamol overdose causes severe hepatotoxicity that leads to liver failure in both humans and experimental animals. The present study investigates the protective effect of honey against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar albino rats. We have used silymarin as a standard reference hepatoprotective drug. Hepatoprotective activity was assessed by measuring biochemical parameters such as the liver function enzymes, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Equally, comparative effects of honey on oxidative stress biomarkers such as malondialdyhyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were also evaluated in the rat liver homogenates.  We estimated the effect of honey on serum levels and hepatic content of interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) because the initial event in paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity has been shown to be a toxic-metabolic injury that leads to hepatocyte death, activation of the innate immune response and upregulation of inflammatory cytokines. Paracetamol caused marked liver damage as noted by significant increased activities of serum AST and ALT as well as the level of Il-1β. Paracetamol also resulted in a significant decrease in liver GSH content and GPx activity which paralleled an increase in Il-1β and MDA levels. Pretreatment with honey and silymarin prior to the administration of paracetamol significantly prevented the increase in the serum levels of hepatic enzyme markers, and reduced both oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines. Histopathological evaluation of the livers also revealed that honey reduced the incidence of paracetamol-induced liver lesions. Honey can be used as an effective hepatoprotective agent against paracetamol-induced liver damage.

  16. Modeling Drug- and Chemical-Induced Hepatotoxicity with Systems Biology Approaches

    PubMed Central

    Bhattacharya, Sudin; Shoda, Lisl K.M.; Zhang, Qiang; Woods, Courtney G.; Howell, Brett A.; Siler, Scott Q.; Woodhead, Jeffrey L.; Yang, Yuching; McMullen, Patrick; Watkins, Paul B.; Andersen, Melvin E.

    2012-01-01

    We provide an overview of computational systems biology approaches as applied to the study of chemical- and drug-induced toxicity. The concept of “toxicity pathways” is described in the context of the 2007 US National Academies of Science report, “Toxicity testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and A Strategy.” Pathway mapping and modeling based on network biology concepts are a key component of the vision laid out in this report for a more biologically based analysis of dose-response behavior and the safety of chemicals and drugs. We focus on toxicity of the liver (hepatotoxicity) – a complex phenotypic response with contributions from a number of different cell types and biological processes. We describe three case studies of complementary multi-scale computational modeling approaches to understand perturbation of toxicity pathways in the human liver as a result of exposure to environmental contaminants and specific drugs. One approach involves development of a spatial, multicellular “virtual tissue” model of the liver lobule that combines molecular circuits in individual hepatocytes with cell–cell interactions and blood-mediated transport of toxicants through hepatic sinusoids, to enable quantitative, mechanistic prediction of hepatic dose-response for activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor toxicity pathway. Simultaneously, methods are being developing to extract quantitative maps of intracellular signaling and transcriptional regulatory networks perturbed by environmental contaminants, using a combination of gene expression and genome-wide protein-DNA interaction data. A predictive physiological model (DILIsym™) to understand drug-induced liver injury (DILI), the most common adverse event leading to termination of clinical development programs and regulatory actions on drugs, is also described. The model initially focuses on reactive metabolite-induced DILI in response to administration of acetaminophen, and spans multiple biological scales. PMID:23248599

  17. In vivo multiphoton kinetic imaging of the toxic effect of carbon tetrachloride on hepatobiliary metabolism.

    PubMed

    Lin, Chih-Ju; Lee, Sheng-Lin; Lee, Hsuan-Shu; Dong, Chen-Yuan

    2018-06-01

    We used intravital multiphoton microscopy to study the recovery of hepatobiliary metabolism following carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatotoxicity in mice. The acquired images were processed by a first order kinetic model to generate rate constant resolved images of the mouse liver. We found that with progression of hepatotoxicity, the spatial gradient of hepatic function disappeared. A CCl4-induced damage mechanism involves the compromise of membrane functions, resulting in accumulation of processed 6-carboxyfluorescein molecules. At day 14 following induction, a restoration of the mouse hepatobiliary function was found. Our approach allows the study of the response of hepatic functions to chemical agents in real time and is useful for studying pharmacokinetics of drug molecules through optical microscopic imaging. (2018) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

  18. Atypical onset of bicalutamide-induced liver injury.

    PubMed

    Yun, Gee Young; Kim, Seok Hyun; Kim, Seok Won; Joo, Jong Seok; Kim, Ju Seok; Lee, Eaum Seok; Lee, Byung Seok; Kang, Sun Hyoung; Moon, Hee Seok; Sung, Jae Kyu; Lee, Heon Young; Kim, Kyung Hee

    2016-04-21

    Anti-androgen therapy is the leading treatment for advanced prostate cancer and is commonly used for neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment. Bicalutamide is a non-steroidal anti-androgen, used during the initiation of androgen deprivation therapy along with a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist to reduce the symptoms of tumor-related flares in patients with advanced prostate cancer. As side effects, bicalutamide can cause fatigue, gynecomastia, and decreased libido through competitive androgen receptor blockade. Additionally, although not as common, drug-induced liver injury has also been reported. Herein, we report a case of hepatotoxicity secondary to bicalutamide use. Typically, bicalutamide-induced hepatotoxicity develops after a few days; however, in this case, hepatic injury occurred 5 mo after treatment initiation. Based on this rare case of delayed liver injury, we recommend careful monitoring of liver function throughout bicalutamide treatment for prostate cancer.

  19. Characterizing the mechanism of thiazolidinedione-induced hepatotoxicity: An in vitro model in mitochondria

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hu, Dan; Wu, Chun-qi; Li, Ze-jun

    Objective: To characterize the mechanism of action of thiazolidinedione (TZD)-induced liver mitochondrial toxicity caused by troglitazone, rosiglitazone, and pioglitazone in HepaRG cells. Methods: Human hepatoma cells (HepaRG) were treated with troglitazone, rosiglitazone, or pioglitazone (12.5, 25, and 50 μM) for 48 h. The Seahorse Biosciences XF24 Flux Analyzer was used to measure mitochondrial oxygen consumption. The effect of TZDs on reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were detected by flow cytometry. The mitochondrial ultrastructure of HepaRG cells was observed under a transmission electrical microscope (TEM). mtDNA content was evaluated by real-time PCR, and ATP content and mitochondrialmore » respiratory chain (MRC) complex I, II, III, IV activity were measured via chemiluminescence. Results were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. Results: Among the three drugs, troglitazone exhibited the highest potency, followed by rosiglitazone, and then pioglitazone. The TZDs caused varying degrees of mitochondrial respiratory function disorders including decreases in oxygen consumption, MRC activity, and ATP level, and an elevation in ROS level. TZD treatment resulted in mtDNA content decline, reduction in MMP, and alterations of mitochondrial structure. Conclusion: All investigated TZDs show a certain degree of mitochondrial toxicity, with troglitazone exhibiting the highest potency. The underlying mechanism of TZD-induced hepatotoxicity may be associated with alterations in mitochondrial respiratory function disorders, oxidative stress, and changes in membrane permeability. These parameters may be used early in drug development to further optimize risk:benefit profiles. - Highlights: • We compared three TZD mitochondrial toxicity characteristics in HepaRG cells. • TZD induced respiratory disorders and mitochondrial structural damage. • Mitochondrial toxicity evaluation presents guidance value for hepatotoxicity.« less

  20. Employee-oriented leadership and quality of working life: mediating roles of idiosyncratic deals.

    PubMed

    Hornung, Severin; Glaser, Jürgen; Rousseau, Denise M; Angerer, Peter; Weigl, Matthias

    2011-02-01

    Leader consideration has long been suggested to be conducive to quality of working life experienced by employees. The present study links this classic leadership dimension with more recent research on idiosyncratic deals, referring to personalized conditions workers negotiate in their employment relationships. A two-wave survey study (N = 159/142) among German hospital physicians suggests that authorizing idiosyncratic deals is a manifestation of employee-oriented leader behavior. Consideration had consistent positive effects on idiosyncratic deals regarding both professional development and working time flexibility. These two types had differential effects on two indicators of the quality of working life. Development related positively to work engagement, flexibility related negatively to work-family conflict. Cross-lagged correlations supported the proposed direction of influence between consideration and idiosyncratic deals in a subsample of repeating responders (n=91). The relation between development and engagement appeared to be reciprocal. Longitudinal results for the association between flexibility and work-family conflict were inconclusive.

  1. Idiosyncratic reality claims, relaxation dispositions, and ABC relaxation theory: happiness, literal christianity, miraculous powers, metaphysics, and the paranormal.

    PubMed

    Smith, Jonathan C; Karmin, Aaron D

    2002-12-01

    This study examined idiosyncratic reality claims, that is, irrational or paranormal beliefs often claimed to enhance relaxation and happiness and reduce stress. The Smith Idiosyncratic Reality Claims Inventory and the Smith Relaxation Dispositions Inventory (which measures relaxation and stress dispositions, or enduring states of mind frequently associated with relaxation or stress) were given to 310 junior college student volunteers. Principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation identified five idiosyncratic reality claim factors: belief in Literal Christianity; Magic; Space Aliens: After Death experiences; and Miraculous Powers of Meditation, Prayer, and Belief. No factor correlated with increased relaxation dispositions Peace, Energy, or Joy, or reduced dispositional somatic stress, worry, or negative emotion on the Smith Relaxation Dispositions Inventory. It was concluded that idiosyncratic reality claims may not be associated with reported relaxation, happiness, or stress. In contrast, previous research strongly supported self-affirming beliefs with few paranormal assumptions display such an association.

  2. METABOLISM AND DISPOSITION OF ACETAMINOPHEN: RECENT ADVANCES IN RELATION TO HEPATOTOXICITY AND DIAGNOSIS

    PubMed Central

    McGill, Mitchell R.; Jaeschke, Hartmut

    2013-01-01

    Acetaminophen (APAP) is one of the most widely used drugs. Though safe at therapeutic doses, overdose causes mitochondrial dysfunction and centrilobular necrosis in the liver. The first studies of APAP metabolism and activation were published more than forty years ago. Most of the drug is eliminated by glucuronidation and sulfation. These reactions are catalyzed by UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGT1A1 and 1A6) and sulfotransferases (SULT1A1, 1A3/4, and 1E1), respectively. However, some is converted by CYP2E1 and other cytochrome P450 enzymes to a reactive intermediate that can bind to sulfhydryl groups. The metabolite can deplete liver glutathione (GSH) and modify cellular proteins. GSH binding occurs spontaneously, but may also involve GSH-S-transferases. Protein binding leads to oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage. The glucuronide, sulfate, and GSH conjugates are excreted by transporters in the canalicular (Mrp2 and Bcrp) and basolateral (Mrp3 and Mrp4) hepatocyte membranes. Conditions that interfere with metabolism and metabolic activation can alter the hepatotoxicity of the drug. Recent data providing novel insights into these processes, particularly in humans, are reviewed in the context of earlier work, and the effects of altered metabolism and reactive metabolite formation are discussed. Recent advances in the diagnostic use of serum adducts are covered. PMID:23462933

  3. Drug and herb induced liver injury: Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences scale for causality assessment

    PubMed Central

    Teschke, Rolf; Wolff, Albrecht; Frenzel, Christian; Schwarzenboeck, Alexander; Schulze, Johannes; Eickhoff, Axel

    2014-01-01

    Causality assessment of suspected drug induced liver injury (DILI) and herb induced liver injury (HILI) is hampered by the lack of a standardized approach to be used by attending physicians and at various subsequent evaluating levels. The aim of this review was to analyze the suitability of the liver specific Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) scale as a standard tool for causality assessment in DILI and HILI cases. PubMed database was searched for the following terms: drug induced liver injury; herb induced liver injury; DILI causality assessment; and HILI causality assessment. The strength of the CIOMS lies in its potential as a standardized scale for DILI and HILI causality assessment. Other advantages include its liver specificity and its validation for hepatotoxicity with excellent sensitivity, specificity and predictive validity, based on cases with a positive reexposure test. This scale allows prospective collection of all relevant data required for a valid causality assessment. It does not require expert knowledge in hepatotoxicity and its results may subsequently be refined. Weaknesses of the CIOMS scale include the limited exclusion of alternative causes and qualitatively graded risk factors. In conclusion, CIOMS appears to be suitable as a standard scale for attending physicians, regulatory agencies, expert panels and other scientists to provide a standardized, reproducible causality assessment in suspected DILI and HILI cases, applicable primarily at all assessing levels involved. PMID:24653791

  4. Abacavir/Dolutegravir/Lamivudine (Triumeq)-Induced Liver Toxicity in a Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patient.

    PubMed

    Christensen, Erin S; Jain, Rupali; Roxby, Alison C

    2017-01-01

    Drug-induced liver injury related to Triumeq (abacavir/lamivudine/dolutegravir) has not been reported in clinical trials. We report a case of hepatotoxicity related to Triumeq exposure in a human immunodeficiency virus-infected patient. Clinicians should remain aware of the risk for acute and late-onset hepatitis with these agents. Close monitoring is recommended.

  5. Eosinophilic hepatitis after ingestion of choline magnesium trisalicylate.

    PubMed

    Nadkarni, M M; Peller, C A; Retig, J

    1992-01-01

    Choline magnesium trisalicylate is a non-acetylated salicylate used widely as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Although mild transient hepatotoxicity associated with aspirin and other salicylates has been well documented, most commonly with high-dose treatment for rheumatologic disorders 112), we report a case of severe hypersensitivity hepatitis with striking tissue and peripheral eosinophilia after ingestion of choline magnesium trisalicylate.

  6. An effective assessment of valproate sodium-induced hepatotoxicity with UPLC-MS and (1)HNMR-based metabonomics approach.

    PubMed

    Huo, Taoguang; Chen, Xi; Lu, Xiumei; Qu, Lianyue; Liu, Yang; Cai, Shuang

    2014-10-15

    Valproate sodium is one of the most prescribed antiepileptic drugs. However, valproate sodium has various side effects, especially its toxicity on liver. Current markers for toxicity reflect mostly the late stages of tissue damage; thus, more efficient methods for toxicity evaluation are desired. To evaluate the toxicity of valproate sodium on liver, we performed both UPLC-MS and (1)HNMR-based metabonomics analysis of serum samples from 34 epileptic patients (age: 42.0±18.6, 18 male/16 female) after valproate sodium treatment. Compared to conventional markers, the serum metabolic profiles provided clear distinction of the valproate sodium induced normal liver function and abnormal liver function in epileptic patients. Through multivariate statistical analysis, we identified marker metabolites associated with the hepatotoxicity induced by valproate sodium, such as glucose, lactate, acetoacetate, VLDL/LDL, lysophosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylcholines, choline, creatine, amino acids, N-acetyl glycoprotein, pyruvate and uric acid. This metabonomics approach may provide effective way to evaluate the valproate sodium-induced toxicity in a manner that can complement current measures. This approach is expected to find broader application in other drug-induced toxicity assessment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. A Case of Hepatotoxicity Induced by Adulterated "Tiger King", a Chinese Herbal Medicine Containing Sildenafil.

    PubMed

    Nissan, Ran; Poperno, Alina; Stein, Gideon Y; Shapira, Barak; Fuchs, Shmuel; Berkovitz, Ronny; Hess, Zipora; Arieli, Mickey

    2016-01-01

    Detection of Phosphodiesterase Type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors and their analogues in "100% natural" or "herbal" supplements have been described in numerous reports. However, few reports have been published in relation to actual harm caused by counterfeit erectile dysfunction herbal supplements. We describe a case of a 65-year old male admitted to a tertiary hospital with acute liver toxicity, possibly induced by adulterated "Chinese herbal" supplement "Tiger King" for sexual enhancement. Chemical analysis of the tablets discovered the presence of therapeutic doses of sildenafil with no other herbal components. Other medications were excluded as potential causes of the hepatic impairment. According to the Naranjo adverse drug reaction scale and the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) the probability of association of Hepatotoxicity with Sildenafil was "possible" and "probable" respectively (Naranjo score of 4, RUCAM score of 7). Within three days of admission, the patient's clinical status and liver function improved without any specific treatment. His liver function tests normalized 30 days post discharge. Further pharmacovigilance actions should be taken by regulatory authorities and pharmaceutical companies in order to determine the relation between sildenafil and hepatotoxicity. This case emphasizes the importance of raising public awareness on the potential dangers of "Tiger king" in particular, and other counterfeit medications or herbal supplements of unknown origin.

  8. Dietary saturated and monounsaturated fats protect against acute acetaminophen hepatotoxicity by altering fatty acid composition of liver microsomal membrane in rats.

    PubMed

    Hwang, Jinah; Chang, Yun-Hee; Park, Jung Hwa; Kim, Soo Yeon; Chung, Haeyon; Shim, Eugene; Hwang, Hye Jin

    2011-10-20

    Dietary polyunsaturated fats increase liver injury in response to ethanol feeding. We evaluated the effect of dietary corn oil (CO), olive oil (OO), and beef tallow (BT) on fatty acid composition of liver microsomal membrane and acute acetaminophen hepatotoxicity. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed 15% (wt/wt) CO, OO or BT for 6 weeks. After treatment with acetaminophen (600 mg/kg), samples of plasma and liver were taken for analyses of the fatty acid composition and toxicity. Treatment with acetaminophen significantly elevated levels of plasma GOT and GPT as well as hepatic TBARS but reduced hepatic GSH levels in CO compared to OO and BT groups. Acetaminophen significantly induced protein expression of cytochrome P450 2E1 in the CO group. In comparison with the CO diet, lower levels of linoleic acid, higher levels of oleic acids and therefore much lower ratios of linoleic to oleic acid were detected in rats fed OO and BT diets. Dietary OO and BT produces similar liver microsomal fatty acid composition and may account for less severe liver injury after acetaminophen treatment compared to animals fed diets with CO rich in linoleic acid. These findings imply that types of dietary fat may be important in the nutritional management of drug-induced hepatotoxicity.

  9. Gemfibrozil disrupts lysophosphatidylcholine and bile acid homeostasis via PPARα and its relevance to hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Liu, Aiming; Krausz, Kristopher W; Fang, Zhong-Ze; Brocker, Chad; Qu, Aijuan; Gonzalez, Frank J

    2014-04-01

    Gemfibrozil, a ligand of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), is one of the most widely prescribed anti-dyslipidemia fibrate drugs. Among the adverse reactions observed with gemfibrozil are alterations in liver function, cholestatic jaundice, and cholelithiasis. However, the mechanisms underlying these toxicities are poorly understood. In this study, wild-type and Ppara-null mice were dosed with a gemfibrozil-containing diet for 14 days. Ultra-performance chromatography electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and traditional approaches were used to assess the mechanism of gemfibrozil-induced hepatotoxicity. Unsupervised multivariate data analysis revealed four lysophosphatidylcholine components in wild-type mice that varied more dramatically than those in Ppara-null mice. Targeted metabolomics revealed taurocholic acid and tauro-α-muricholic acid/tauro-β-muricholic acid were significantly increased in wild-type mice, but not in Ppara-null mice. In addition to the above perturbations in metabolite homeostasis, phenotypic alterations in the liver were identified. Hepatic genes involved in metabolism and transportation of lysophosphatidylcholine and bile acid compounds were differentially regulated between wild-type and Ppara-null mice, in agreement with the observed downstream metabolic alterations. These data suggest that PPARα mediates gemfibrozil-induced hepatotoxicity in part by disrupting phospholipid and bile acid homeostasis.

  10. Liver Transplant in a Patient under Methylphenidate Therapy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

    PubMed Central

    Tong, Hoi Y.; Díaz, Carmen; Collantes, Elena; Medrano, Nicolás; Borobia, Alberto M.; Jara, Paloma; Ramírez, Elena

    2015-01-01

    Background. Methylphenidate (MPH) is widely used in treating children with attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Hepatotoxicity is a rare phenomenon; only few cases are described with no liver failure. Case. We report on the case of a 12-year-old boy who received MPH for attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Two months later the patient presented with signs and symptoms of hepatitis and MPH was discontinued, showing progressive worsening and developing liver failure and a liver transplantation was required. Other causes of liver failure were ruled out and the liver biopsy was suggestive of drug toxicity. Discussion. One rare adverse reaction of MPH is hepatotoxicity. The review of the literature shows few cases of liver injury attributed to MPH; all of them recovered after withdrawing the treatment. The probable mechanism of liver injury was MPH direct toxicity to hepatocytes. In order to establish the diagnosis of MPH-induced liver injury, we used CIOMS/RUCAM scale that led to an assessment of “possible” relationship. This report provides the first published case of acute MPH-induced liver failure with successful hepatic transplantation. Conclusions. It is important to know that hepatotoxicity can occur in patients with MPH treatment and monitoring the liver's function is highly recommended. PMID:25688317

  11. Severe excessive daytime sleepiness induced by hydroxyurea.

    PubMed

    Revol, Bruno; Joyeux-Faure, Marie; Albahary, Marie-Victoire; Gressin, Remy; Mallaret, Michel; Pepin, Jean-Louis; Launois, Sandrine H

    2017-06-01

    Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) has been reported with many drugs, either as an extension of a hypnotic effect (e.g. central nervous system depressants) or as an idiosyncratic response of the patient. Here, we report unexpected and severe subjective and objective EDS induced by hydroxyurea therapy, with a favorable outcome after withdrawal. Clinical history, sleep log, polysomnography, and multiple sleep latency tests confirming the absence of other EDS causes are presented. © 2016 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.

  12. Three months of weekly rifapentine plus isoniazid is less hepatotoxic than nine months of daily isoniazid for LTBI.

    PubMed

    Bliven-Sizemore, E E; Sterling, T R; Shang, N; Benator, D; Schwartzman, K; Reves, R; Drobeniuc, J; Bock, N; Villarino, M E

    2015-09-01

    Nine months of daily isoniazid (9H) and 3 months of once-weekly rifapentine plus isoniazid (3HP) are recommended treatments for latent tuberculous infection (LTBI). The risk profile for 3HP and the contribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection to hepatotoxicity are unclear. To evaluate the hepatotoxicity risk associated with 3HP compared to 9H, and factors associated with hepatotoxicity. Hepatotoxicity was defined as aspartate aminotransferase (AST) >3 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) with symptoms (nausea, vomiting, jaundice, or fatigue), or AST >5 x ULN. We analyzed risk factors among adults who took at least 1 dose of their assigned treatment. A nested case-control study assessed the role of HCV. Of 6862 participants, 77 (1.1%) developed hepatotoxicity; 52 (0.8%) were symptomatic; 1.8% (61/3317) were on 9H and 0.4% (15/3545) were on 3HP (P < 0.0001). Risk factors for hepatotoxicity were age, female sex, white race, non-Hispanic ethnicity, decreased body mass index, elevated baseline AST, and 9H. In the case-control study, HCV infection was associated with hepatotoxicity when controlling for other factors. The risk of hepatotoxicity during LTBI treatment with 3HP was lower than the risk with 9H. HCV and elevated baseline AST were risk factors for hepatotoxicity. For persons with these risk factors, 3HP may be preferred.

  13. Neutrophilic dermatitis and immune-mediated haematological disorders in a dog: suspected adverse reaction to carprofen.

    PubMed

    Mellor, P J; Roulois, A J A; Day, M J; Blacklaws, B A; Knivett, S J; Herrtage, M E

    2005-05-01

    This report describes the clinical and pathological findings of a suspected idiosyncratic adverse drug reaction in a young dog. The patient presented with sudden onset, severe skin lesions together with episodes of collapse. Investigations revealed a neutrophilic dermatitis with vasculitis, immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia and thrombocytopenia. Similar pathology has been described in human cases of Sweet's syndrome. The chronology of events suggested an adverse drug reaction to carprofen, although two antibiotics had been prescribed within the dog's recent history. Lymphocyte transformation tests were performed and tended to exclude both antibiotics as the cause of the reaction. To the authors' knowledge, lymphocyte transformation tests have not previously been described with regard to drug hypersensitivity assessment in the veterinary literature, and this is the first peer-reviewed case report of neutrophilic dermatitis and vasculitis with immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia and thrombocytopenia occurring as a suspected adverse drug reaction to carprofen in the dog.

  14. Evolution of the Food and Drug Administration approach to liver safety assessment for new drugs: current status and challenges.

    PubMed

    Senior, John R

    2014-11-01

    Prompted by approval in 1997 of troglitazone and bromfenac, two drugs that promptly began to show serious and sometimes fatal liver toxicity, we began at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a series of annual conferences in 1999 to consider issues of drug-induced liver injury (DILI). First inviting reviewers of new drug applications we opened the audiences in 2001 to pharmaceutical industry and academic consultants to industry and FDA, and slides shown at the meetings were posted on the internet to be available at the website of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)-go to ( http://www.aasld.org/dili/Pages/default.aspx ). Observations by Dr. Hyman J. Zimmerman that "drug-induced hepatocellular jaundice is a serious lesion" with possible mortality formed a basis for developing a computer program to plot peak serum values for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and total bilirubin (TBL) in an x-y log-log graph for all subjects enrolled in clinical trials. This program had the capability to show the time course of all liver tests for individuals who had both hepatocellular injury and reduced whole liver function, plus clinical narratives to diagnose the severity and most likely cause of the abnormalities. We called the program eDISH (for evaluation of Drug-Induced Serious Hepatotoxicity), and began in 2004 to use it to assess DILI in clinical trial subjects. From 2008, comments made by the presenters at the conferences about their slides and ensuing discussions have been added to the website. All this has raised awareness of the problem, and since 1997, the FDA has not had to withdraw a single drug because of post-marketing hepatotoxicity. Many issues still remain to be resolved; among the most controversial is the best method to estimate likelihood that a given liver injury was actually caused by the drug in question. On November 9, 2012, a workshop was convened to discuss the best practices for the assessment of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in clinical trials.

  15. Status of etoricoxib in the treatment of rheumatic diseases. Expert panel opinion

    PubMed Central

    Majdan, Maria; Mastalerz-Migas, Agnieszka; Niewada, Maciej; Skrzydło-Radomańska, Barbara; Mamcarz, Artur

    2017-01-01

    Pain is one of the most disabling symptoms of rheumatoid diseases. Patients with pain secondary to osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS) or gout require effective analgesic treatment, and the physician’s task is to select a drug that is best suited for an individual patient. The choice of pharmacotherapy should be based both on drug potency and clinical efficacy, and its safety profile, particularly in the elderly population, as the number of comorbidities (and hence the risk of treatment complications and drug interactions) rises with age. In cases involving a high risk of gastrointestinal complications or concerns about hepatotoxicity, with a low cardiovascular risk, the first-line nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to consider should be coxibs including etoricoxib. PMID:29491537

  16. A cellular model to study drug-induced liver injury in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Application to acetaminophen

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Michaut, Anaïs; Le Guillou, Dounia; Moreau, Caroline

    Obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can increase susceptibility to hepatotoxicity induced by some xenobiotics including drugs, but the involved mechanisms are poorly understood. For acetaminophen (APAP), a role of hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) is suspected since the activity of this enzyme is consistently enhanced during NAFLD. The first aim of our study was to set up a cellular model of NAFLD characterized not only by triglyceride accumulation but also by higher CYP2E1 activity. To this end, human HepaRG cells were incubated for one week with stearic acid or oleic acid, in the presence of different concentrations ofmore » insulin. Although cellular triglycerides and the expression of lipid-responsive genes were similar with both fatty acids, CYP2E1 activity was significantly increased only by stearic acid. CYP2E1 activity was reduced by insulin and this effect was reproduced in cultured primary human hepatocytes. Next, APAP cytotoxicity was assessed in HepaRG cells with or without lipid accretion and CYP2E1 induction. Experiments with a large range of APAP concentrations showed that the loss of ATP and glutathione was almost always greater in the presence of stearic acid. In cells pretreated with the CYP2E1 inhibitor chlormethiazole, recovery of ATP was significantly higher in the presence of stearate with low (2.5 mM) or high (20 mM) concentrations of APAP. Levels of APAP-glucuronide were significantly enhanced by insulin. Hence, HepaRG cells can be used as a valuable model of NAFLD to unveil important metabolic and hormonal factors which can increase susceptibility to drug-induced hepatotoxicity. - Highlights: • Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is frequent in obese individuals. • NAFLD can favor hepatotoxicity induced by some drugs including acetaminophen (APAP). • A model of NAFLD was set up by using HepaRG cells incubated with stearate or oleate. • Stearate-loaded HepaRG cells presented higher cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) activity. • APAP cytotoxicity was stronger in steatotic HepaRG cells with higher CYP2E1 activity.« less

  17. DITOP: drug-induced toxicity related protein database.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Jing-Xian; Huang, Wei-Juan; Zeng, Jing-Hua; Huang, Wen-Hui; Wang, Yi; Zhao, Rui; Han, Bu-Cong; Liu, Qing-Feng; Chen, Yu-Zong; Ji, Zhi-Liang

    2007-07-01

    Drug-induced toxicity related proteins (DITRPs) are proteins that mediate adverse drug reactions (ADRs) or toxicities through their binding to drugs or reactive metabolites. Collection of these proteins facilitates better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of drug-induced toxicity and the rational drug discovery. Drug-induced toxicity related protein database (DITOP) is such a database that is intending to provide comprehensive information of DITRPs. Currently, DITOP contains 1501 records, covering 618 distinct literature-reported DITRPs, 529 drugs/ligands and 418 distinct toxicity terms. These proteins were confirmed experimentally to interact with drugs or their reactive metabolites, thus directly or indirectly cause adverse effects or toxicities. Five major types of drug-induced toxicities or ADRs are included in DITOP, which are the idiosyncratic adverse drug reactions, the dose-dependent toxicities, the drug-drug interactions, the immune-mediated adverse drug effects (IMADEs) and the toxicities caused by genetic susceptibility. Molecular mechanisms underlying the toxicity and cross-links to related resources are also provided while available. Moreover, a series of user-friendly interfaces were designed for flexible retrieval of DITRPs-related information. The DITOP can be accessed freely at http://bioinf.xmu.edu.cn/databases/ADR/index.html. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

  18. Hepatotoxicity Induced by “the 3Ks”: Kava, Kratom and Khat

    PubMed Central

    Pantano, Flaminia; Tittarelli, Roberta; Mannocchi, Giulio; Zaami, Simona; Ricci, Serafino; Giorgetti, Raffaele; Terranova, Daniela; Busardò, Francesco P.; Marinelli, Enrico

    2016-01-01

    The 3Ks (kava, kratom and khat) are herbals that can potentially induce liver injuries. On the one hand, growing controversial data have been reported about the hepatotoxicity of kratom, while, on the other hand, even though kava and khat hepatotoxicity has been investigated, the hepatotoxic effects are still not clear. Chronic recreational use of kratom has been associated with rare instances of acute liver injury. Several studies and case reports have suggested that khat is hepatotoxic, leading to deranged liver enzymes and also histopathological evidence of acute hepatocellular degeneration. Numerous reports of severe hepatotoxicity potentially induced by kava have also been highlighted, both in the USA and Europe. The aim of this review is to focus on the different patterns and the mechanisms of hepatotoxicity induced by “the 3Ks”, while trying to clarify the numerous aspects that still need to be addressed. PMID:27092496

  19. Hepatotoxicity during Treatment for Tuberculosis in People Living with HIV/AIDS.

    PubMed

    Araújo-Mariz, Carolline; Lopes, Edmundo Pessoa; Acioli-Santos, Bartolomeu; Maruza, Magda; Montarroyos, Ulisses Ramos; Ximenes, Ricardo Arraes de Alencar; Lacerda, Heloísa Ramos; Miranda-Filho, Demócrito de Barros; Albuquerque, Maria de Fátima P Militão de

    2016-01-01

    Hepatotoxicity is frequently reported as an adverse reaction during the treatment of tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of hepatotoxicity and to identify predictive factors for developing hepatotoxicity after people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) start treatment for tuberculosis. This was a prospective cohort study with PLWHA who were monitored during the first 60 days of tuberculosis treatment in Pernambuco, Brazil. Hepatotoxicity was considered increased levels of aminotransferase, namely those that rose to three times higher than the level before initiating tuberculosis treatment, these levels being associated with symptoms of hepatitis. We conducted a multivariate logistic regression analysis and the magnitude of the associations was expressed by the odds ratio with a confidence interval of 95%. Hepatotoxicity was observed in 53 (30.6%) of the 173 patients who started tuberculosis treatment. The final multivariate logistic regression model demonstrated that the use of fluconazole, malnutrition and the subject being classified as a phenotypically slow acetylator increased the risk of hepatotoxicity significantly. The incidence of hepatotoxicity during treatment for tuberculosis in PLWHA was high. Those classified as phenotypically slow acetylators and as malnourished should be targeted for specific care to reduce the risk of hepatotoxicity during treatment for tuberculosis. The use of fluconazole should be avoided during tuberculosis treatment in PLWHA.

  20. Abacavir/Dolutegravir/Lamivudine (Triumeq)–Induced Liver Toxicity in a Human Immunodeficiency Virus–Infected Patient

    PubMed Central

    Jain, Rupali; Roxby, Alison C.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Drug-induced liver injury related to Triumeq (abacavir/lamivudine/dolutegravir) has not been reported in clinical trials. We report a case of hepatotoxicity related to Triumeq exposure in a human immunodeficiency virus–infected patient. Clinicians should remain aware of the risk for acute and late-onset hepatitis with these agents. Close monitoring is recommended. PMID:28748198

  1. Cisplatin impairs rat liver mitochondrial functions by inducing changes on membrane ion permeability: prevention by thiol group protecting agents.

    PubMed

    Custódio, José B A; Cardoso, Carla M P; Santos, Maria S; Almeida, Leonor M; Vicente, Joaquim A F; Fernandes, Maria A S

    2009-05-02

    Cisplatin (CisPt) is the most important platinum anticancer drug widely used in the treatment of head, neck, ovarian and testicular cancers. However, the mechanisms by which CisPt induces cytotoxicity, namely hepatotoxicity, are not completely understood. The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of CisPt on rat liver mitochondrial functions (Ca(2+)-induced mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), mitochondrial bioenergetics, and mitochondrial oxidative stress) to better understand the mechanism underlying its hepatotoxicity. The effect of thiol group protecting agents and some antioxidants against CisPt-induced mitochondrial damage was also investigated. Treatment of rat liver mitochondria with CisPt (20nmol/mg protein) induced Ca(2+)-dependent mitochondrial swelling, depolarization of membrane potential (DeltaPsi), Ca(2+) release, and NAD(P)H fluorescence intensity decay. These effects were prevented by cyclosporine A (CyA), a potent and specific inhibitor of the MPT. In the concentration range of up to 40nmol/mg protein, CisPt slightly inhibited state 3 and stimulated state 2 and state 4 respiration rates using succinate as respiratory substrate. The respiratory indexes, respiratory control ratio (RCR) and ADP/O ratios, the DeltaPsi, and the ADP phosphorylation rate were also depressed. CisPt induced mitochondrial inner membrane permeabilization to protons (proton leak) but did not induce significant changes on mitochondrial H(2)O(2) generation. All the effects induced by CisPt on rat liver mitochondria were prevented by thiol group protecting agents namely, glutathione (GSH), dithiothreitol (DTT), N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and cysteine (CYS), whereas superoxide-dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate (ASC) were without effect. In conclusion, the anticancer drug CisPt: (1) increases the sensitivity of mitochondria to Ca(2+)-induced MPT; (2) interferes with mitochondrial bioenergetics by increasing mitochondrial inner membrane permeabilization to H(+); (3) does not significantly affect H(2)O(2) generation by mitochondria; (4) its mitochondrial damaging effects are protected by thiol group protecting agents. Based on these conclusions, it is possible to hypothesise that small changes on the redox-status of thiol groups, affecting membrane permeability to cations (Ca(2+) and H(+)) underlie CisPt-induced liver mitochondrial damage, putatively responsible for its hepatotoxicity. Therefore, we propose that CisPt-induced mitochondrial damage and consequent hepatotoxicity could be prevented by using thiol group protecting agents as therapeutic adjuvants.

  2. Testing the hypothesis that vitamin C deficiency is a risk factor for clozapine-induced agranulocytosis using guinea pigs and ODS rats.

    PubMed

    Ip, Julia; Wilson, John X; Uetrecht, Jack P

    2008-04-01

    The use of clozapine is limited by a relatively high incidence of drug-induced agranulocytosis. Clozapine is oxidized by bone marrow cells to a reactive nitrenium ion. Although many idiosyncratic drug reactions are immune-mediated, the fact that patients with a history of clozapine-induced agranulocytosis do not immediately develop agranulocytosis on rechallenge suggests that some other factor may be responsible for the idiosyncratic nature of this reaction. The reactive nitrenium ion is very rapidly reduced back to clozapine by vitamin C, and many schizophrenic patients are vitamin C deficient. We set out to test the hypothesis that vitamin C deficiency is a major risk factor for clozapine-induced agranulocytosis using a vitamin C deficient guinea pig model. Although the vitamin C deficient guinea pigs did not develop agranulocytosis, the amount of clozapine covalent binding in these animals was less than we had previously observed in samples from rats and humans. Therefore, we studied ODS rats that also cannot synthesize vitamin C. Vitamin C deficient ODS rats also did not develop agranulocytosis, and furthermore, although covalent binding in the bone marrow was greater than that in the guinea pig, it was not increased in the vitamin C deficient ODS rats relative to ODS rats that had adequate vitamin C in their diet. Therefore, it is very unlikely that vitamin C deficiency is a major risk factor for clozapine-induced agranulocytosis.

  3. Adverse drug reactions: classification, susceptibility and reporting.

    PubMed

    Kaufman, Gerri

    2016-08-10

    Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are increasingly common and are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Historically, ADRs have been classified as type A or type B. Type A reactions are predictable from the known pharmacology of a drug and are associated with high morbidity and low mortality. Type B reactions are idiosyncratic, bizarre or novel responses that cannot be predicted from the known pharmacology of a drug and are associated with low morbidity and high mortality. Not all ADRs fit into type A and type B categories; therefore, additional categories have been developed. These include type C (continuing), type D (delayed use), and type E (end of use) reactions. Susceptibility to ADRs is influenced by age, gender, disease states, pregnancy, ethnicity and polypharmacy. Drug safety is reliant on nurses and other healthcare professionals being alert to the possibility of ADRs, working with patients to optimise medicine use and exercising vigilance in the reporting of ADRs through the Yellow Card Scheme.

  4. Hepatotoxicity of high affinity gapmer antisense oligonucleotides is mediated by RNase H1 dependent promiscuous reduction of very long pre-mRNA transcripts

    PubMed Central

    Burel, Sebastien A.; Hart, Christopher E.; Cauntay, Patrick; Hsiao, Jill; Machemer, Todd; Katz, Melanie; Watt, Andy; Bui, Huynh-hoa; Younis, Husam; Sabripour, Mahyar; Freier, Susan M.; Hung, Gene; Dan, Amy; Prakash, T.P.; Seth, Punit P.; Swayze, Eric E.; Bennett, C. Frank; Crooke, Stanley T.; Henry, Scott P.

    2016-01-01

    High affinity antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) containing bicylic modifications (BNA) such as locked nucleic acid (LNA) designed to induce target RNA cleavage have been shown to have enhanced potency along with a higher propensity to cause hepatotoxicity. In order to understand the mechanism of this hepatotoxicity, transcriptional profiles were collected from the livers of mice treated with a panel of highly efficacious hepatotoxic or non-hepatotoxic LNA ASOs. We observed highly selective transcript knockdown in mice treated with non-hepatotoxic LNA ASOs, while the levels of many unintended transcripts were reduced in mice treated with hepatotoxic LNA ASOs. This transcriptional signature was concurrent with on-target RNA reduction and preceded transaminitis. Remarkably, the mRNA transcripts commonly reduced by toxic LNA ASOs were generally not strongly associated with any particular biological process, cellular component or functional group. However, they tended to have much longer pre-mRNA transcripts. We also demonstrate that the off-target RNA knockdown and hepatotoxicity is attenuated by RNase H1 knockdown, and that this effect can be generalized to high affinity modifications beyond LNA. This suggests that for a certain set of ASOs containing high affinity modifications such as LNA, hepatotoxicity can occur as a result of unintended off-target RNase H1 dependent RNA degradation. PMID:26553810

  5. Microbiota transplantation reveals beneficial impact of berberine on hepatotoxicity by improving gut homeostasis.

    PubMed

    Qin, Chenjie; Zhang, Huilu; Zhao, Linghao; Zeng, Min; Huang, Weijian; Fu, Gongbo; Zhou, Weiping; Wang, Hongyang; Yan, Hexin

    2017-11-29

    Berberine has been shown to reduce acute liver injury although the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Because of the anatomic connection, the liver is constantly exposed to gut-derived bacterial products and metabolites. In this study, we showed that berberine has beneficial effects on both hepatotoxicity and intestinal damage in a rat model of chronic or acute liver injury. Microbiota transplantation from the rats with chronic hepatotoxicity could aggravate acute hepatotoxicity in mice treated with diethylnitrosamine (DEN). In rat models with gut homeostasis disruption induced by penicillin or dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), their fecal microbiota could also cause an enhanced hepatotoxicity of recipient mice. When treated with berberine, the DSS-induced enteric dysbacteriosis could be mitigated and their fecal bacteria were able to reduce acute hepatotoxicity in recipient mice. This study indicates that berberine could improve intestinal dysbacteriosis, which reduces the hepatotoxicity caused by pathological or pharmacological intervention. Fecal microbiota transplantation might be a useful method to directly explore homeostatic alteration in gut microbiota.

  6. Herbalife hepatotoxicity: Evaluation of cases with positive reexposure tests.

    PubMed

    Teschke, Rolf; Frenzel, Christian; Schulze, Johannes; Schwarzenboeck, Alexander; Eickhoff, Axel

    2013-07-27

    To analyze the validity of applied test criteria and causality assessment methods in assumed Herbalife hepatotoxicity with positive reexposure tests. We searched the Medline database for suspected cases of Herbalife hepatotoxicity and retrieved 53 cases including eight cases with a positive unintentional reexposure and a high causality level for Herbalife. First, analysis of these eight cases focused on the data quality of the positive reexposure cases, requiring a baseline value of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) < 5 upper limit of normal (N) before reexposure, with N as the upper limit of normal, and a doubling of the ALT value at reexposure as compared to the ALT value at baseline prior to reexposure. Second, reported methods to assess causality in the eight cases were evaluated, and then the liver specific Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) scale validated for hepatotoxicity cases was used for quantitative causality reevaluation. This scale consists of various specific elements with scores provided through the respective case data, and the sum of the scores yields a causality grading for each individual case of initially suspected hepatotoxicity. Details of positive reexposure test conditions and their individual results were scattered in virtually all cases, since reexposures were unintentional and allowed only retrospective rather than prospective assessments. In 1/8 cases, criteria for a positive reexposure were fulfilled, whereas in the remaining cases the reexposure test was classified as negative (n = 1), or the data were considered as uninterpretable due to missing information to comply adequately with the criteria (n = 6). In virtually all assessed cases, liver unspecific causality assessment methods were applied rather than a liver specific method such as the CIOMS scale. Using this scale, causality gradings for Herbalife in these eight cases were probable (n = 1), unlikely (n = 4), and excluded (n = 3). Confounding variables included low data quality, alternative diagnoses, poor exclusion of important other causes, and comedication by drugs and herbs in 6/8 cases. More specifically, problems were evident in some cases regarding temporal association, daily doses, exact start and end dates of product use, actual data of laboratory parameters such as ALT, and exact dechallenge characteristics. Shortcomings included scattered exclusion of hepatitis A-C, cytomegalovirus and Epstein Barr virus infection with only globally presented or lacking parameters. Hepatitis E virus infection was considered in one single patient and found positive, infections by herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus were excluded in none. Only one case fulfilled positive reexposure test criteria in initially assumed Herbalife hepatotoxicity, with lower CIOMS based causality gradings for the other cases than hitherto proposed.

  7. Protection afforded by pre- or post-treatment with 4-phenylbutyrate against liver injury induced by acetaminophen overdose in mice.

    PubMed

    Shimizu, Daisuke; Ishitsuka, Yoichi; Miyata, Keishi; Tomishima, Yoshiro; Kondo, Yuki; Irikura, Mitsuru; Iwawaki, Takao; Oike, Yuichi; Irie, Tetsumi

    2014-09-01

    Acetaminophen (paracetamol, N-acetyl-p-aminophenol; APAP) is a widely used analgesic/antipyretic drug with few adverse effects at therapeutic doses; suicidal or unintentional overdose of APAP frequently induces severe hepatotoxicity. To explore a new and effective antidote for APAP hepatotoxicity, this study examined the effects of sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA) on liver injury induced by APAP overdose in mice. Liver injury was induced in C57BL/6 male mice by intraperitoneal injection of APAP (400mg/kg). The effects of 4-PBA (100-200mg/kg) treatment at 1h before the APAP injection were evaluated with serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and blood ammonia levels, hepatic pathological changes, including histopathology, DNA damage, nitrotyrosine formation, and mRNA or protein expression involved in the development of hepatotoxicity, such as X-box binding protein-1 (XBP1), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and B-cell lymphoma 2 interacting mediator of cell death (Bim). In addition, glutathione depletion and CYP2E1 protein expression, which are measures of the metabolic conversion of APAP to a toxic metabolite, were examined. Furthermore, we examined the effects of post-treatment with 4-PBA against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. When administered at 1h before APAP injection, 4-PBA significantly prevented the increase in serum ALT and blood ammonia levels, centrilobular necrosis of hepatocytes, DNA fragmentation, and nitrotyrosine formation induced by APAP in mice. 4-PBA also inhibited hepatic Xbp1 mRNA splicing and JNK phosphorylation induced by APAP, but did not suppress CHOP and Bim mRNA and protein expression. In addition, 4-PBA had little effect on hepatic glutathione depletion and CYP2E1 expression, parameters of toxic APAP metabolite production. Post-treatment with 4-PBA administration at 1 or 2h after APAP injection also attenuated the increase in serum ALT and blood ammonia levels and hepatic pathological changes in APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Although post-treatment with 4-PBA did not show any effects on hepatic Xbp1 mRNA splicing and JNK phosphorylation, it drastically attenuated the DNA fragmentation induced by APAP. The precise molecular mechanisms of the protection afforded by 4-PBA against APAP hepatotoxicity in mice are unclear, but they seem to involve inhibition of hepatocellular DNA fragmentation. We suggest that 4-PBA is a promising candidate as an antidote against APAP-induced liver injury. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Dietary saturated and monounsaturated fats protect against acute acetaminophen hepatotoxicity by altering fatty acid composition of liver microsomal membrane in rats

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Dietary polyunsaturated fats increase liver injury in response to ethanol feeding. We evaluated the effect of dietary corn oil (CO), olive oil (OO), and beef tallow (BT) on fatty acid composition of liver microsomal membrane and acute acetaminophen hepatotoxicity. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed 15% (wt/wt) CO, OO or BT for 6 weeks. After treatment with acetaminophen (600 mg/kg), samples of plasma and liver were taken for analyses of the fatty acid composition and toxicity. Results Treatment with acetaminophen significantly elevated levels of plasma GOT and GPT as well as hepatic TBARS but reduced hepatic GSH levels in CO compared to OO and BT groups. Acetaminophen significantly induced protein expression of cytochrome P450 2E1 in the CO group. In comparison with the CO diet, lower levels of linoleic acid, higher levels of oleic acids and therefore much lower ratios of linoleic to oleic acid were detected in rats fed OO and BT diets. Conclusions Dietary OO and BT produces similar liver microsomal fatty acid composition and may account for less severe liver injury after acetaminophen treatment compared to animals fed diets with CO rich in linoleic acid. These findings imply that types of dietary fat may be important in the nutritional management of drug-induced hepatotoxicity. PMID:22011590

  9. Deferasirox associated with liver failure and death in a sickle cell anemia patient homozygous for the -1774delG polymorphism in the Abcc2 gene.

    PubMed

    Braga, Caroline C B; Benites, Bruno Deltreggia; de Albuquerque, Dulcineia M; Alvarez, Marisa C; Seva-Pereira, Tiago; Duarte, Bruno K L; Costa, Fernando F; Gilli, Simone C O; Saad, Sara T O

    2017-08-01

    This manuscript describes the case of a patient with sickle cell anemia who died of fulminant hepatitis after therapy with the iron chelator Deferasirox. The patient was homozygous for the -1774delG polymorphism in the Abcc2 gene, which raises the concern about the use of hepatotoxic drugs in this specific context.

  10. Biomonitoring of the Genotoxic and Hepatotoxic Effects and Oxidative Stress Potentials of Itraconazole in Pregnant Rats.

    PubMed

    El-Shershaby, Abdel-Fattah; Dakrory, Ahmed I; El-Dakdoky, Mai H; Ibrahim, Jehane; Kassem, Fatma

    2015-04-01

    Pregnant women are more susceptible to both vaginal colonization and infection by yeast. One hundred million fungal infected patients have been treated worldwide with itraconazole (Caputo, 2003. Itraconazole was administrated orally to pregnant rats at doses of 75, 100, or 150 mg/kg during gestational days (GD) 1 to 7 or GD 8 to 14 or GD 14 to 20. The genotoxicity and hepatotoxicity of the antifungal drug itraconazole were assessed during different periods of pregnancy using different methods. It was found that itraconazole was a genotoxic drug for both mothers and fetuses. This finding was observed via significant elevation in the estimated comet assay parameters (percentage of fragmented DNA, tail moment, and olive moment), percentage of fragmented DNA measured by diphenylamine assay and mixed smearing and laddering of DNA fragments of liver samples. In addition, itraconazole caused significant elevation in the level of hepatic malondialdehyde and depletion in the catalase activity and glutathione level. Furthermore, itraconazole induced histopathological alterations in the hepatic tissues of both mothers and fetuses. These findings indicate that itraconazole administration at doses of 75, 100, or 150 mg/kg during pregnancy induced maternal and fetal toxicity that could be induced by the genotoxicity and the oxidative damage. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. [Nevirapine related hepatotoxicity: the prevalence and risk factors in a cohort of ART naive Han Chinese with AIDS].

    PubMed

    Gao, Shi-cheng; Gui, Xi-en; Deng, Li-ping; Zhang, Yong-xi; Yan, Ya-jun; Rong, Yu-ping; Liang, Ke; Yang, Rong-rong

    2010-09-01

    To investigate the incidence of hepatotoxicity in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients on combined anti-retroviral therapy (cART) containing nevirapine (NVP) and to assess the risk factors and its impact on cART. 330 AIDS patients from March 2003 to June 2008 at local county were enrolled and a retrospective study using Kaplan-meier survival and Multivariate logistic regression modeling was conducted. 267 out of 330 patients received NVP based cART and 63 cases received EFV-based cART. The deference of prevalences of hepatotoxicity between the two groups is statistically significant (Chi2 = 6.691, P = 0.01). 133 out of 267 (49.8%) patients on NVP based cART had at least one episode of ALT elevation during a median 21 months (interquartile ranges, IQR 6, 37) follow-up time, amounts for 28.5 cases per 100 person-years. Baseline ALT elevation (OR = 14.368, P = 0.017)and HCV co-infection (OR = 3.009, P = 0.000) were risk factors for cART related hepatotoxicity, while greatly increased CD4+ T(CD4) cell count was protective against hepatotoxicity development (OR = 0.996, P = 0.000). Patients co-infected with HCV received NVP-based cART had the higher probability of hepatotoxicity than those without HCV co-infection (Log rank: Chi2 = 16.764, P = 0.000). 23 out of the 133 subjects (17.3%) with NVP related hepatotoxicity discontinued cART temporarily or shifted NVP to efavirenz. NVP related hepatotoxicity was common among ARV naive HIV infected subjects in our cohort. Baseline ALT elevation and HCV co-infection were associated statistically with the development of hepatotoxicity. Hepatotoxicity led to discontinuing cART temporarily or switching to other regimens in some subjects. It suggested that NVP should be used with caution in patients co-infected with HCV among whom anti-HCV therapy before cART initiation may contribute to minimizing the probability of NVP associated hepatotoxicity.

  12. [EFFECT OF ACETYLCYSTEINE, CORVITIN AND THEIR COMBINATION ON THE FUNCTIONAL STATE OF LIVER IN RATS WITH PARACETAMOL INDUCED TOXIC HEPATITIS].

    PubMed

    Ghonghadze, M; Antelava, N; Liluashvili, K; Okujava, M; Pachkoria, K

    2017-02-01

    Nowadays drug-induced hepatotoxicity is urgent problem worldwide. Currently more than 1000 drugs are hepatotoxic and most often are the reason of acute fulminant hepatitis and hepatocellular failure, the states requiring liver transplantation. The paracetamol induced liver toxicity is related with accumulation of its toxic metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), which is the free radical and enhances peroxidation of lipids, disturbs the energy status and causes death of hepatocytes. During our research we investigated and assessed the efficacy of acetylcysteine, corvitin and their combination in rat model of paracetamol induced acute toxic hepatitis. The study was performed on mature white male Wistar rates with body mass 150-180 g. 50 rats were randomly divided into 5 groups (10 rats in each group). To get the model of acute toxic hepatitis single intraperitoneal injection of paracetamol solution was used (750 mg/kg). Toxic hepatitis was treated with intrapertoneal administration of 40mg/kg acetylcysteine or 100mg/kg corvitin, as well as with combination of these drugs. Monotherapy with acetylcysteine and corvitin of paracetamol induced toxic hepatitis improved the liver function, decreased relative mass of the liver and animal mortality. The treatment of toxic hepatitis was most effective in the case of simultaneous administration of acetylcysteine and corvitin. The normal value of laboratory tests (ALT, ACT, alkaline phosphatase, total and unconjugated bilirubin) was reached and mortality was not more observed. On the bases of obtained data was concluded that acetylcysteine and corvitin have almost equal hepatoprotective activity. The combination of two drugs actually improves the liver function. The most pronounced hepatoprotective effect may be due to synergic action of acetylcysteine and corvitin and such regime can be recommended for correction of liver function.

  13. Simultaneous Voltammetric Determination of Acetaminophen and Isoniazid (Hepatotoxicity-Related Drugs) Utilizing Bismuth Oxide Nanorod Modified Screen-Printed Electrochemical Sensing Platforms.

    PubMed

    Mahmoud, Bahaa G; Khairy, Mohamed; Rashwan, Farouk A; Banks, Craig E

    2017-02-07

    To overcome the recent outbreaks of hepatotoxicity-related drugs, a new analytical tool for the continuously determination of these drugs in human fluids is required. Electrochemical-based analytical methods offer an effective, rapid, and simple tool for on-site determination of various organic and inorganic species. However, the design of a sensitive, selective, stable, and reproducible sensor is still a major challenge. In the present manuscript, a facile, one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of bismuth oxide (Bi 2 O 2.33 ) nanostructures (nanorods) was developed. These BiO nanorods were cast onto mass disposable graphite screen-printed electrodes (BiO-SPEs), allowing the ultrasensitive determination of acetaminophen (APAP) in the presence of its common interference isoniazid (INH), which are both found in drug samples. The simultaneous electroanalytical sensing using BiO-SPEs exhibited strong electrocatalytic activity toward the sensing of APAP and INH with an enhanced analytical signal (voltammetric peak) over that achievable at unmodified (bare) SPEs. The electroanalytical sensing of APAP and INH are possible with accessible linear ranges from 0.5 to 1250 μM and 5 to 1760 μM with limits of detection (3σ) of 30 nM and 1.85 μM, respectively. The stability, reproducibility, and repeatability of BiO-SPE were also investigated. The BiO-SPEs were evaluated toward the sensing of APAP and INH in human serum, urine, saliva, and tablet samples. The results presented in this paper demonstrate that BiO-SPEs sensing platforms provide a potential candidate for the accurate determination of APAP and INH within human fluids and pharmaceutical formulations.

  14. Prediction of metabolism-induced hepatotoxicity on three-dimensional hepatic cell culture and enzyme microarrays.

    PubMed

    Yu, Kyeong-Nam; Nadanaciva, Sashi; Rana, Payal; Lee, Dong Woo; Ku, Bosung; Roth, Alexander D; Dordick, Jonathan S; Will, Yvonne; Lee, Moo-Yeal

    2018-03-01

    Human liver contains various oxidative and conjugative enzymes that can convert nontoxic parent compounds to toxic metabolites or, conversely, toxic parent compounds to nontoxic metabolites. Unlike primary hepatocytes, which contain myriad drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs), but are difficult to culture and maintain physiological levels of DMEs, immortalized hepatic cell lines used in predictive toxicity assays are easy to culture, but lack the ability to metabolize compounds. To address this limitation and predict metabolism-induced hepatotoxicity in high-throughput, we developed an advanced miniaturized three-dimensional (3D) cell culture array (DataChip 2.0) and an advanced metabolizing enzyme microarray (MetaChip 2.0). The DataChip is a functionalized micropillar chip that supports the Hep3B human hepatoma cell line in a 3D microarray format. The MetaChip is a microwell chip containing immobilized DMEs found in the human liver. As a proof of concept for generating compound metabolites in situ on the chip and rapidly assessing their toxicity, 22 model compounds were dispensed into the MetaChip and sandwiched with the DataChip. The IC 50 values obtained from the chip platform were correlated with rat LD 50 values, human C max values, and drug-induced liver injury categories to predict adverse drug reactions in vivo. As a result, the platform had 100% sensitivity, 86% specificity, and 93% overall predictivity at optimum cutoffs of IC 50 and C max values. Therefore, the DataChip/MetaChip platform could be used as a high-throughput, early stage, microscale alternative to conventional in vitro multi-well plate platforms and provide a rapid and inexpensive assessment of metabolism-induced toxicity at early phases of drug development.

  15. Influence of diabetes on liver injury induced by antitubercular drugs and on silymarin hepatoprotection in rats.

    PubMed

    Srivastava, R K; Sharma, S; Verma, S; Arora, B; Lal, H

    2008-12-01

    Isoniazid, rifampicin and pyrazinamide during short-course chemotherapy for tuberculosis can result in liver injury. The coexistence of tuberculosis and diabetes is common in patients who receive inadequate treatment. The risk of hepatotoxicity from many toxicants is increased in diabetic rats. Silymarin provides protection against liver injury caused by many hepatotoxicants, including antitubercular drugs (ATDs). In the wake of increased severity of ATD-induced hepatotoxicity in diabetes we report here the results of a study on the influence of diabetes on silymarin hepatoprotection in rats. Rats with diabetes induced via intraperitoneally injected streptozotocin (50 mg/kg), nondiabetic rats and insulin-treated diabetic rats received isoniazid (7.5 mg/kg/day), rifampicin (10 mg/kg/day) and pyrazinamide (35 mg/kg/day) orally (p.o.) with or without silymarin (100 mg/kg/day p.o.) treatment for 45 days. Compared to nondiabetic rats, liver function tests and histological changes of liver revealed exaggerated liver injury in diabetic rats caused by ATDs which was evident by 5- to 8-fold increases in serum levels of marker enzymes (aspartate and alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase) and 1- to 2-fold increases in bilirubin accompanied by a 2-fold decrease in total serum proteins, intense fatty and inflammatory infiltrations, necrosis and fibrosis. Coadministration of silymarin provided protection against ATD hepatotoxicity in all animals. However, insulin-treated diabetic animals showed greater silymarin-induced hepatoprotection against ATD-induced liver injury, which was characterized by near normal levels of marker enzymes, an increase in total proteins and normal hepatic structure. These results thus indicate that diabetes exaggerates ATD-induced liver injury and attenuates silymarin-induced hepatoprotection. However, insulin treatment for diabetes offers greater silymarin-induced hepatoprotection against ATD-induced liver injury. Copyright (c) 2008 Prous Science, S.A.U. or its licensors. All rights reserved.

  16. Adenosine 5'-monophosphate blocks acetaminophen toxicity by increasing ubiquitination-mediated ASK1 degradation.

    PubMed

    Yang, Xiao; Zhan, Yibei; Sun, Qi; Xu, Xi; Kong, Yi; Zhang, Jianfa

    2017-01-24

    Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is the most frequent cause of drug-induced liver failure in the world. Hepatic c-jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK) activation is thought to be a consequence of oxidative stress produced during APAP metabolism. Activation of JNK signals causes hepatocellular damage with necrotic and apoptotic cell death. Here we found that APAP caused a feedback increase in plasma adenosine 5'-monophsphate (5'-AMP). We demonstrated that co-administration of APAP and 5'-AMP significantly ameliorated APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in mice, without influences on APAP metabolism and its analgesic function. The mechanism of protection by 5'-AMP was through inhibiting APAP-induced activation of JNK, and attenuating downstream c-jun and c-fos gene expression. This was triggered by attenuating apoptosis signal-regulated kinase 1(ASK1) methylation and increasing ubiquitination-mediated ASK1 protein degradation. Our findings indicate that replacing the current APAP with a safe and functional APAP/5'-AMP formulation could prevent APAP-induced hepatotoxicity.

  17. Adenosine 5′-monophosphate blocks acetaminophen toxicity by increasing ubiquitination-mediated ASK1 degradation

    PubMed Central

    Sun, Qi; Xu, Xi; Kong, Yi; Zhang, Jianfa

    2017-01-01

    Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is the most frequent cause of drug-induced liver failure in the world. Hepatic c-jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK) activation is thought to be a consequence of oxidative stress produced during APAP metabolism. Activation of JNK signals causes hepatocellular damage with necrotic and apoptotic cell death. Here we found that APAP caused a feedback increase in plasma adenosine 5′-monophsphate (5′-AMP). We demonstrated that co-administration of APAP and 5′-AMP significantly ameliorated APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in mice, without influences on APAP metabolism and its analgesic function. The mechanism of protection by 5′-AMP was through inhibiting APAP-induced activation of JNK, and attenuating downstream c-jun and c-fos gene expression. This was triggered by attenuating apoptosis signal-regulated kinase 1(ASK1) methylation and increasing ubiquitination-mediated ASK1 protein degradation. Our findings indicate that replacing the current APAP with a safe and functional APAP/5′-AMP formulation could prevent APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. PMID:28031524

  18. Characteristics and outcomes of paracetamol poisoning cases at a general hospital in Northern Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Mohd Zain, Z; Fathelrahman, A I; Ab Rahman, A F

    2006-02-01

    Paracetamol is available as an over-the-counter medication in many countries including Malaysia. This drug has been implicated in many poisoning cases admitted to hospitals throughout the country. We conducted a three-year retrospective review of 165 medical records of patients admitted to the Penang General Hospital for acute paracetamol poisoning. Cases were identified according to the discharge diagnosis documented in their medical records. Acute paracetamol poisoning occurred in all major ethnic groups. About 70 percent of our patients were female. There was minimal involvement of children. Admissions were more likely to be due to deliberate ingestions rather than accidental poisoning. In most cases, serum concentrations data plotted on the Rumack-Matthew nomogram predicted the majority of cases to be unlikely to be hepatotoxic, which were consistent with their mild clinical courses. Patients who acutely ingested more than 140 mg/kg or predicted to be hepatotoxic, based on their serum concentrations, had a significantly longer hospital stay. Although acute paracetamol poisoning was common, the outcome was generally good.

  19. Terbinafine: novel formulations that potentiate antifungal activities.

    PubMed

    Ma, Y; Chen, X; Guan, S

    2015-03-01

    Terbinafine, an orally and topically active antifungal agent, has been available for the treatment of dermatophytic infections and onychomycosis for more than a decade. In addition, oral administration has been shown to be associated with drug-drug interactions, hepatotoxicity, low concentration at the infected sites, gastrointestinal and systemic side effects and other adverse effects. Since topical drug delivery can provide higher patient compliance, allow immediate access to the infected site and reduce unwanted systemic drug exposure, an improved topical drug delivery approach with high permeability, sustained release and prolonged retainment could overcome the limitations and side effects caused by oral administration. Conventional topical formulations cannot keep the drug in the targeted sites for a long duration of time and hence a novel drug delivery that can avoid the side effects while still providing sustained efficacy in treatment should be developed. This brief review of novel formulations based on polymers and nanostructure carriers provides insight into the efficacy and topical delivery of terbinafine. Copyright 2015 Prous Science, S.A.U. or its licensors. All rights reserved.

  20. Bicalutamide-induced hepatotoxicity: A rare adverse effect.

    PubMed

    Hussain, Salwa; Haidar, Abdallah; Bloom, Robert E; Zayouna, Nafea; Piper, Michael H; Jafri, Syed-Mohammed R

    2014-01-01

    Male, 81 FINAL DIAGNOSIS: Prostate cancer Symptoms: Anorexia • dark urine • joundice • letargy Casodex Clinical Procedure: - Specialty: Oncology. Adverse events of drug therapy. Bicalutamide is a nonsteroidal anti-androgen used extensively during the initiation of androgen deprivation therapy with a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist to reduce the symptoms of tumor flare in patients with metastatic prostate neoplasm. It can cause gynecomastia, hot flashes, fatigue, and decreased libido through competitive androgen receptor blockade. Although not as common, acute drug-induced liver injury is also possible with bicalutamide therapy. Typically, this results in transient derangement of liver function and patients remain asymptomatic. We share our experience with a case of symptomatic acute hepatotoxicity secondary to the use of bicalutamide and use this opportunity to present a brief review of existing literature. An 81-year-old African American male with metastatic prostate neoplasm presented with nonspecific symptoms along with jaundice of 1-day duration. He was started on a trial of bicalutamide 3 weeks prior to presentation. On physical examination, scleral icterus was noted. Workup revealed acutely elevated liver transaminases (>5 times the upper limit of normal), alkaline phosphatase, conjugated hyperbilirubinemia, and coagulopathy. Other etiologies, including viruses, common toxins, drugs, autoimmune, and copper-induced hepatitis, were considered. Bicalutamide was discontinued and the patient was managed with supportive care. He showed improvement of clinical and laboratory abnormalities within days. While rare, clinically significant and potentially life-threatening liver injury can result from use of bicalutamide. Prompt recognition and discontinuation of bicalutamide is necessary to avoid serious complications from this adverse reaction.

  1. Functionally Enhanced Human Stem Cell Derived Hepatocytes in Galactosylated Cellulosic Sponges for Hepatotoxicity Testing.

    PubMed

    Tasnim, Farah; Toh, Yi-Chin; Qu, Yinghua; Li, Huan; Phan, Derek; Narmada, Balakrishnan C; Ananthanarayanan, Abhishek; Mittal, Nikhil; Meng, Ryan Q; Yu, Hanry

    2016-06-06

    Pluripotent stem cell derived hepatocyte-like cells (hPSC-HLCs) are an attractive alternative to primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) used in applications ranging from therapeutics to drug safety testing studies. It would be critical to improve and maintain mature hepatocyte functions of the hPSC-HLCs, especially for long-term studies. If 3D culture systems were to be used for such purposes, it would be important that the system can support formation and maintenance of optimal-sized spheroids for long periods of time, and can also be directly deployed in liver drug testing assays. We report the use of 3-dimensional (3D) cellulosic scaffold system for the culture of hPSC-HLCs. The scaffold has a macroporous network which helps to control the formation and maintenance of the spheroids for weeks. Our results show that culturing hPSC-HLCs in 3D cellulosic scaffolds increases functionality, as demonstrated by improved urea production and hepatic marker expression. In addition, hPSC-HLCs in the scaffolds exhibit a more mature phenotype, as shown by enhanced cytochrome P450 activity and induction. This enables the system to show a higher sensitivity to hepatotoxicants and a higher degree of similarity to PHHs when compared to conventional 2D systems. These results suggest that 3D cellulosic scaffolds are ideal for the long-term cultures needed to mature hPSC-HLCs. The mature hPSC-HLCs with improved cellular function can be continually maintained in the scaffolds and directly used for hepatotoxicity assays, making this system highly attractive for drug testing applications.

  2. History and Outcome of Febrile Neutropenia Outside the Oncology Setting: A Retrospective Study of 76 Cases Related to Non-Chemotherapy Drugs

    PubMed Central

    Andrès, Emmanuel; Mourot-Cottet, Rachel; Maloisel, Frédéric; Keller, Olivier; Vogel, Thomas; Séverac, François; Tebacher, Martine; Gottenberg, Jacques-Eric; Weber, Jean-Christophe; Kaltenbach, Georges; Goichot, Bernard; Sibilia, Jean; Korganow, Anne-Sophie; Herbrecht, Raoul

    2017-01-01

    Background: Despite major advances in its prevention and treatment, febrile neutropenia remains a most concerning complication of cancer chemotherapy. Outside the oncology setting, however, only few data are currently available on febrile neutropenia related to non-chemotherapy drugs. We report here data on 76 patients with febrile neutropenia related to non-chemotherapy drugs, followed up in a referral center within a university hospital. Patients and methods: Data from 76 patients with idiosyncratic drug-induced febrile neutropenia were retrospectively reviewed. All cases were extracted from a cohort study on agranulocytosis conducted at the Strasbourg University Hospital (Strasbourg, France). Results: Mean patient age was 52.2 years old (range: 18–93) and gender ratio (F/M) 1.6, with several comorbidities present in 86.8% of patients. The most common causative drugs were: antibiotics (37.4%), antithyroid drugs (17.2%), neuroleptic and anti-epileptic agents (13.1%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and analgesics (8%), and platelet aggregation inhibitors (8%). Main clinical presentations upon hospitalization included isolated fever (30%), sore throat, acute tonsillitis and sinusitis (18.4%), documented pneumonia (18.4%), septicemia (14.5%), and septic shock (6.6%). Mean neutrophil count at nadir was 0.13 × 10(9)/L (range: 0–0.48). While in hospital, 22 patients (28.9%) worsened clinically and required intensive care unit placement. All patients were promptly treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, and 45 (59.2%) with hematopoietic growth factors. Mean duration of hematological recovery (neutrophil count ≥1.5 × 10(9)/L) was 7.5 days (range: 2–21), which was reduced to 0.7 days (range: 2–16) (p = 0.089) with hematopoietic growth factors. Outcome was favorable in 89.5% of patients, whereas eight died. Conclusions: Like in oncology and myelosuppressive chemotherapy settings, idiosyncratic febrile neutropenia is typically serious, about 40% of patients exhibiting severe pneumonia, septicemia, and septic shock, with a mortality rate of 10%. Like in febrile, chemotherapy-related neutropenia, modern and timely management (immediate broad spectrum antibiotherapy, hematopoietic growth factors) may reduce infection-related mortality. All practitioners should be aware of this potential side-effect that may even occur in the event of “daily medication” exposure. PMID:28954408

  3. Hepatotoxicity associated with 6-methyl mercaptopurine formation during azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine therapy does not occur on the short-term during 6-thioguanine therapy in IBD treatment.

    PubMed

    van Asseldonk, Dirk P; Seinen, Margien L; de Boer, Nanne K H; van Bodegraven, Ad A; Mulder, Chris J

    2012-02-01

    High concentrations of methylated thiopurine metabolites, such as 6-methyl mercaptopurine, are associated with hepatotoxicity during administration of the conventional thiopurines azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine in IBD patients. Metabolization of the non-conventional thiopurine 6-thioguanine does not generate 6-methyl mercaptopurine. Hence, the aim of our study was to evaluate hepatotoxicity during 6-thioguanine in IBD patients who previously failed conventional thiopurines due to 6-methyl mercaptopurine associated hepatotoxicity. A retrospective single center intercept cohort study was performed of IBD patients using 6-thioguanine between January 2006 and July 2010 after failing conventional thiopurine therapy due to 6-methyl mercaptopurine associated hepatotoxicity. The primary outcome was the occurrence of 6-thioguanine induced hepatotoxicity, scaled according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. Nineteen patients were included. Median duration of 6-thioguanine therapy (median daily dosage 21 mg (9-24)) was 23 weeks (6-96). Hepatotoxicity did not reoccur in 15 out of 19, whereas grade 1 toxicity persisted in 4 patients (p<0.001). Median aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase concentrations decreased from 34 U/l (20-59) and 64 U/l (15-175) to 23 U/l (18-40; p=0.003) and 20 U/l (14-48; p=0.019), respectively. Hepatotoxicity does not reoccur during 6-thioguanine treatment in most IBD patients who failed conventional thiopurines due to 6-methyl mercaptopurine associated hepatotoxicity. Hence, at least at short-term, 6-thioguanine appears a justifiable alternative thiopurine for these IBD patients. Copyright © 2011 European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. IL-1RN and IL-1β Polymorphism and ARV-Associated Hepatotoxicity

    PubMed Central

    Samani, Dharmesh; Nema, Vijay; Gangakhedkar, R. R.

    2018-01-01

    The severity of hepatic injury depends upon cytokines. Previous studies associated IL-1RN allele 2 with IL-1β production. Hence, we examined the association of IL-1 RN and IL-1β polymorphisms with ARV-associated hepatotoxicity. Genotyping of IL-1RN (VNTR), IL-1β (-511C/T) polymorphisms was done in 162 HIV-infected patients, 34 with ARV hepatotoxicity, 128 without hepatotoxicity, and 152 healthy controls using PCR and PCR-RFLP method. The haplotypes 1T and 2C enhanced the risk for severe hepatotoxicity (OR = 1.41, P = 0.25; OR = 1.67, P = 0.31). IL-1β-511TT genotype significantly represented among tobacco using HIV-infected individuals compared to nonusers (OR = 3.74, P = 0.05). IL-1β-511TT genotype among alcohol users increased the risk for hepatotoxicity (OR = 1.80, P = 0.90). IL-1β-511CT and -511TT genotypes overrepresented in alcohol using HIV-infected individuals (OR = 2.29, P = 0.27; OR = 2.64, P = 0.19). IL-RN 2/2 and 1/3 genotypes represented higher in nevirapine using hepatotoxicity patients (OR = 1.42, P = 0.64, OR = 8.79, P = 0.09). IL-1β-511CT and -511 TT genotypes among nevirapine users enhanced the risk for severe hepatotoxicity (OR = 4.29, P = 0.20; OR = 1.95, P = 0.56). IL-1β-511CT and -511TT genotypes were overrepresented in combined nevirapine and alcohol using HIV-infected individuals as compared to nevirapine users and alcohol nonusers (OR = 2.56, P = 0.26; OR = 2.84, P = 0.24). IL-1β-511TT genotype with tobacco, alcohol, and nevirapine usage revealed a trend of risk for the development of ARV-associated hepatotoxicity and its severity.

  5. Cerebral vasculopathy after 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine ingestion.

    PubMed

    Ambrose, Josiah B; Bennett, Heather D; Lee, Han S; Josephson, S Andrew

    2010-05-01

    4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B) is a designer-drug variant of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) whose recreational use has increased significantly over the last 10 years. Neurologic consequences of 2C-B usage are currently unknown. A 43-year-old woman experienced severe headaches within 48 hours of taking liquid 2C-B, after which time she developed progressive encephalopathy and quadraparesis, which did not improve over several months. MRA and cerebral angiogram imaging demonstrated profound vascular abnormalities of large, medium, and small-caliber vessels with subsequent watershed infarction. Brain biopsy and cerebrospinal fluid studies ruled out an inflammatory process. This case demonstrates an idiosyncratic and devastating neurologic response to 2C-B, a recreational drug whose popularity has increased with widespread availability of online guides for its synthesis.

  6. Bloom's Idiosyncratic History of the University.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lawler, Peter Augustine

    1989-01-01

    Analyzes "The Idiosyncratic History of the University," a chapter in Allan Bloom's "The Closing of the American Mind". Focuses on Bloom's history of the university as explained through Socrates' philosophy. Concentrates on the role of philosophers in society past and present. Discusses the Enlightenment, Existentialism,…

  7. Modulatory Effect of Methanol Extract of Piper guineense in CCl₄-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Male Rats.

    PubMed

    Oyinloye, Babatunji Emmanuel; Osunsanmi, Foluso Oluwagbemiga; Ajiboye, Basiru Olaitan; Ojo, Oluwafemi Adeleke; Kappo, Abidemi Paul

    2017-08-24

    This study seeks to investigate the possible protective role of the methanol extract of Piper guineense seeds against CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity in an animal model. Hepatotoxicity was induced by administering oral doses of CCl₄ (1.2 g/kg bw) three times a week for three weeks. Group 1 (Control) and Group 2 (CCl₄) were left untreated; Piper guineense (PG; 400 mg/kg bw) was administered to Group 3 (T₁) by oral gavage for 14 days prior to the administration of CCl₄ and simultaneously with CCl₄; PG (400 mg/kg bw) was administered simultaneously with CCl₄ in Group 4 (T₂); and Livolin forte (20 mg/kg bw) was administered simultaneously with CCl₄ in Group 5 (T₃), the standard drug group. The administration of CCl₄ induces histopathological alteration in the liver, with concomitant increased activities of serum hepatic marker enzymes associated with increased levels of lipid peroxidation. Similarly, there was decrease in non-enzymatic (reduced glutathione) and enzymatic antioxidants (glutathione S-transferase), superoxide dismutase, and catalase. An elevation in serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels was noticed along with decreased levels of serum total protein. Treatment with PG 400 mg/kg bw exhibited excellent modulatory activity with respect to the different parameters studied by reversing all the above-mentioned biochemical changes significantly in the experimental animals. These results suggest that PG offered protection comparable to that of Livolin forte with better efficacy when pre-treated with 400 mg/kg bw 14 days prior to CCl₄-exposure.

  8. Hepatoprotective activity of Leptadenia reticulata stems against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

    PubMed Central

    Nema, Amit Kumar; Agarwal, Abhinav; Kashaw, Varsha

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of ethanolic and aqueous extract of stems of Leptadenia reticulata (Retz.) Wight. and Arn. in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Materials and Methods: The toxicant CCl4 was used to induce hepatotoxicity at a dose of 1.25 ml/kg as 1 : 1 mixture with olive oil. Ethanolic and aqueous extracts of L. reticulata stems were administered in the doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg/day orally for 7 days. Silymarin (50 mg/kg) was used as standard drug. The hepatoprotective effect of these extracts was evaluated by the assessment of biochemical parameters such as serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, serum protein, and histopathological studies of the liver. Results: Treatment of animals with ethanolic and aqueous extracts significantly reduced the liver damage and the symptoms of liver injury by restoration of architecture of liver as indicated by lower levels of serum bilirubin and protein as compared with the normal and silymarin-treated groups. Histology of the liver sections confirmed that the extracts prevented hepatic damage induced by CCl4 showing the presence of normal hepatic cords, absence of necrosis, and fatty infiltration. Conclusion: The ethanolic and aqueous extracts of stems of L. reticulata showed significant hepatoprotective activity. The ethanolic extract is more potent in hepatoprotection in CCl4-indiced liver injury model as compared with aqueous extract. PMID:21713086

  9. Herbal hepatotoxicity and WHO global introspection method.

    PubMed

    Teschke, Rolf; Eickhoff, Axel; Wolff, Albrecht; Frenzel, Christian; Schulze, Johannes

    2013-01-01

    Herbal hepatotoxicity is a rare but highly disputed disease because numerous confounding variables may complicate accurate causality assessment. Case evaluation is even more difficult when the WHO global introspection method (WHO method) is applied as diagnostic algorithm. This method lacks liver specificity, hepatotoxicity validation, and quantitative items, basic qualifications required for a sound evaluation of hepatotoxicity cases. Consequently, there are no data available for reliability, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value. Its scope is also limited by the fact that it cannot discriminate between a positive and a negative causality attribution, thereby stimulating case overdiagnosing and overreporting. The WHO method ignores uncertainties regarding daily dose, temporal association, start, duration, and end of herbal use, time to onset of the adverse reaction, and course of liver values after herb discontinuation. Insufficiently considered or ignored are comedications, preexisting liver diseases, alternative explanations upon clinical assessment, and exclusion of infections by hepatitis A-C, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), and varicella zoster virus (VZV). We clearly prefer as alternative the scale of CIOMS (Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences) which is structured, quantitative, liver specific, and validated for hepatotoxicity. In conclusion, causality of herbal hepatotoxicity is best assessed by the liver specific CIOMS scale validated for hepatotoxicity rather than the obsolete WHO method that is liver unspecific and not validated for hepatotoxicity. CIOMS based assessments will ensure the correct diagnosis and exclude alternative diagnosis that may require other specific therapies.

  10. Herbalife hepatotoxicity: Evaluation of cases with positive reexposure tests

    PubMed Central

    Teschke, Rolf; Frenzel, Christian; Schulze, Johannes; Schwarzenboeck, Alexander; Eickhoff, Axel

    2013-01-01

    AIM: To analyze the validity of applied test criteria and causality assessment methods in assumed Herbalife hepatotoxicity with positive reexposure tests. METHODS: We searched the Medline database for suspected cases of Herbalife hepatotoxicity and retrieved 53 cases including eight cases with a positive unintentional reexposure and a high causality level for Herbalife. First, analysis of these eight cases focused on the data quality of the positive reexposure cases, requiring a baseline value of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) < 5 upper limit of normal (N) before reexposure, with N as the upper limit of normal, and a doubling of the ALT value at reexposure as compared to the ALT value at baseline prior to reexposure. Second, reported methods to assess causality in the eight cases were evaluated, and then the liver specific Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) scale validated for hepatotoxicity cases was used for quantitative causality reevaluation. This scale consists of various specific elements with scores provided through the respective case data, and the sum of the scores yields a causality grading for each individual case of initially suspected hepatotoxicity. RESULTS: Details of positive reexposure test conditions and their individual results were scattered in virtually all cases, since reexposures were unintentional and allowed only retrospective rather than prospective assessments. In 1/8 cases, criteria for a positive reexposure were fulfilled, whereas in the remaining cases the reexposure test was classified as negative (n = 1), or the data were considered as uninterpretable due to missing information to comply adequately with the criteria (n = 6). In virtually all assessed cases, liver unspecific causality assessment methods were applied rather than a liver specific method such as the CIOMS scale. Using this scale, causality gradings for Herbalife in these eight cases were probable (n = 1), unlikely (n = 4), and excluded (n = 3). Confounding variables included low data quality, alternative diagnoses, poor exclusion of important other causes, and comedication by drugs and herbs in 6/8 cases. More specifically, problems were evident in some cases regarding temporal association, daily doses, exact start and end dates of product use, actual data of laboratory parameters such as ALT, and exact dechallenge characteristics. Shortcomings included scattered exclusion of hepatitis A-C, cytomegalovirus and Epstein Barr virus infection with only globally presented or lacking parameters. Hepatitis E virus infection was considered in one single patient and found positive, infections by herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus were excluded in none. CONCLUSION: Only one case fulfilled positive reexposure test criteria in initially assumed Herbalife hepatotoxicity, with lower CIOMS based causality gradings for the other cases than hitherto proposed. PMID:23898368

  11. Protective Effects of Essential Oils as Natural Antioxidants against Hepatotoxicity Induced by Cyclophosphamide in Mice

    PubMed Central

    Sheweita, Salah A.; El-Hosseiny, Lobna S.; Nashashibi, Munther A.

    2016-01-01

    Clinical application of cyclophosphamide (CP) as an anticancer drug is often limited due to its toxicity. CP is metabolized mainly in the liver by cytochrome P450 system into acrolein which is the proximate toxic metabolite. Many different natural antioxidants were found to alleviate the toxic effects of various toxic agents via different mechanisms. Therefore, the present study aimed at investigating the role of essential oils extracted from fennel, cumin and clove as natural antioxidants in the alleviation of hepatotoxicity induced by CP through assessment of hepatotoxicity biomarkers (AST, ALT, ALP), histopathology of liver tissues as well as other biochemical parameters involved in the metabolism of CP. The data of the present study showed that treatment of male mice with cyclophosphamide (2.5 mg/Kg BW) as repeated dose for 28 consecutive days was found to induce hepatotoxicity through the elevation in the activities of AST, ALT, and ALP. Combined administration of any of these oils with CP to mice partially normalized the altered hepatic biochemical markers caused by CP, whereas administration of fennel, clove or cumin essential oils alone couldn’t change liver function indices. Moreover, CP caused histological changes in livers of mice including swelling and dilation in sinusoidal space, inflammation in portal tract and hepatocytes, as well as, hyperplasia in Kuppfer cells. However, co-administration of any of the essential oils with CP alleviated to some extent the changes caused by CP but not as the normal liver. CP was also found to induce free radical levels (measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) and inhibited the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, and catalase as well as activities and protein expressions of both glutathione S-transferase (GSTπ) and glutathione peroxidase. Essential oils restored changes in activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GR, GST, and GPx) caused by CP to their normal levels compared to control group. In addition, treatment of mice with CP was found to induce the protein expression of CYP 3A4, 2B1/2, 2C6, 2C23. Moreover, the present study showed that essential oils reduced the expression of CYPs 2E1, 3A4 but could not restore the expression of CYP 2C6 and 2C23 compared to CP-treated mice. Interestingly, pretreatment of mice with essential oil of clove was found to restore activities of DMN-dI, AHH, and ECOD which were induced by CP to their normal control levels. It is concluded that EOs showed a marked hepatoprotective effect against hepatotoxicity induced by CP. In addition, co-administration of CP with any of these oils might be used as a new strategy for cancer treatment to alleviate the hepatotoxicity induced by CP. PMID:27802299

  12. Protective Effects of Essential Oils as Natural Antioxidants against Hepatotoxicity Induced by Cyclophosphamide in Mice.

    PubMed

    Sheweita, Salah A; El-Hosseiny, Lobna S; Nashashibi, Munther A

    2016-01-01

    Clinical application of cyclophosphamide (CP) as an anticancer drug is often limited due to its toxicity. CP is metabolized mainly in the liver by cytochrome P450 system into acrolein which is the proximate toxic metabolite. Many different natural antioxidants were found to alleviate the toxic effects of various toxic agents via different mechanisms. Therefore, the present study aimed at investigating the role of essential oils extracted from fennel, cumin and clove as natural antioxidants in the alleviation of hepatotoxicity induced by CP through assessment of hepatotoxicity biomarkers (AST, ALT, ALP), histopathology of liver tissues as well as other biochemical parameters involved in the metabolism of CP. The data of the present study showed that treatment of male mice with cyclophosphamide (2.5 mg/Kg BW) as repeated dose for 28 consecutive days was found to induce hepatotoxicity through the elevation in the activities of AST, ALT, and ALP. Combined administration of any of these oils with CP to mice partially normalized the altered hepatic biochemical markers caused by CP, whereas administration of fennel, clove or cumin essential oils alone couldn't change liver function indices. Moreover, CP caused histological changes in livers of mice including swelling and dilation in sinusoidal space, inflammation in portal tract and hepatocytes, as well as, hyperplasia in Kuppfer cells. However, co-administration of any of the essential oils with CP alleviated to some extent the changes caused by CP but not as the normal liver. CP was also found to induce free radical levels (measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) and inhibited the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, and catalase as well as activities and protein expressions of both glutathione S-transferase (GSTπ) and glutathione peroxidase. Essential oils restored changes in activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GR, GST, and GPx) caused by CP to their normal levels compared to control group. In addition, treatment of mice with CP was found to induce the protein expression of CYP 3A4, 2B1/2, 2C6, 2C23. Moreover, the present study showed that essential oils reduced the expression of CYPs 2E1, 3A4 but could not restore the expression of CYP 2C6 and 2C23 compared to CP-treated mice. Interestingly, pretreatment of mice with essential oil of clove was found to restore activities of DMN-dI, AHH, and ECOD which were induced by CP to their normal control levels. It is concluded that EOs showed a marked hepatoprotective effect against hepatotoxicity induced by CP. In addition, co-administration of CP with any of these oils might be used as a new strategy for cancer treatment to alleviate the hepatotoxicity induced by CP.

  13. Idiosyncratic Deals and Organizational Commitment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ng, Thomas W. H.; Feldman, Daniel C.

    2010-01-01

    This article examines the relationship between idiosyncratic deals and organizational commitment. In particular, it examines how two individual differences which reflect self-worth (core self-evaluations and age) moderate that relationship. We predicted that employees with feelings of high self-worth will expect and will feel entitled to these…

  14. Herbal hepatotoxicity: a critical review

    PubMed Central

    Teschke, Rolf; Frenzel, Christian; Glass, Xaver; Schulze, Johannes; Eickhoff, Axel

    2013-01-01

    This review deals with herbal hepatotoxicity, identical to herb induced liver injury (HILI), and critically summarizes the pitfalls associated with the evaluation of assumed HILI cases. Analysis of the relevant publications reveals that several dozens of different herbs and herbal products have been implicated to cause toxic liver disease, but major quality issues limit the validity of causality attribution. In most of these reports, discussions around quality specifications regarding herbal products, case data presentations and causality assessment methods prevail. Though the production of herbal drugs is under regulatory surveillance and quality aspects are normally not a matter of concern, low quality of the less regulated herbal supplements may be a critical issue considering product batch variability, impurities, adulterants and herb misidentifications. Regarding case data presentation, essential diagnostic information is often lacking, as is the use of valid and liver specific causality assessment methods that also consider alternative diseases. At present, causality is best assessed by using the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences scale ( CIOMS) in its original or updated form, which should primarily be applied prospectively by the treating physician when evaluating a patient rather than retrospectively by regulatory agencies. To cope with these problems, a common quality approach by manufacturers, physicians and regulatory agencies should strive for the best quality. We propose steps for improvements with impact on future cases of liver injury by herbs, herbal drugs and herbal supplements. PMID:22831551

  15. Assessment of the protective potential of Premna tomentosa (L. Verbenaceae) extract on lipid profile and lipid-metabolizing enzymes in acetaminophen-intoxicated rats.

    PubMed

    Devi, Kasi Pandima; Sreepriya, Meenakshi; Balakrishna, Kedike; Veluchamy, Gopalasamy; Devaki, Thiruvegadam

    2004-06-01

    The liver is often damaged by environmental toxins, poor eating habits, alcohol and over-the-counter drug use that damage and weaken the liver, leading to important public health problems such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, and alcoholic liver diseases. It is cardinal to treat liver disorders, because it affects the biochemistry of the cell directly. Damage to the liver can be prevented by including a balanced diet that includes nutrients and herbs that support a healthy liver. Premna tomentosa (PT) is one such herbal drug used widely in India for the treatment of liver disorders, and we have already reported the hepatoprotective potential and antioxidant property of methanolic extract of PT leaves. Because injury to the liver can promote a variety of reactions with consequent effect on lipids, the present study was designed to elucidate the hypolipidemic effect of PT extract in acetaminophen (AA)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Animals were pretreated with PT extract (750 mg/kg, orally) for 15 days and then induced with hepatotoxicity by AA (640 mg/kg, intraperitoneally). PT extract pretreatment significantly inhibited induced alterations in the levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, phospholipids, serum lipoproteins, and lipid-metabolizing enzymes. The results indicate that PT extract improves lipid metabolism and has the potential for use in hepatic disorders. Copyright Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

  16. Oxaliplatin-induced Oxidative Stress Provokes Toxicity in Isolated Rat Liver Mitochondria.

    PubMed

    Tabassum, Heena; Waseem, Mohammad; Parvez, Suhel; Qureshi, M Irfan

    2015-11-01

    Oxaliplatin is a widely employed platinum-derived chemotherapeutic agent commonly used for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Unfortunately, the benefit of this important drug is compromised by severe side effects such as neuropathy, ototoxicity, gastrointestinal toxicity, and hematological toxicity. Recently, few studies have also suggested the occurrence of hepatotoxicity in oxaliplatin-treated patients. Mitochondria have emerged as targets for anticancer drugs in various kinds of toxicity including hepatotoxicity that can lead to neoplastic disease. Oxidative stress is a well-established biomarker of mitochondrial toxicity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dose-dependent damage caused by oxaliplatin on isolated liver mitochondria under in vitro conditions. The study was conducted in mitochondria isolated from liver of Wistar rats. Oxaliplatin was incubated with mitochondria in a dose-dependent manner under in vitro conditions. Oxidative stress indexes, non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants were evaluated, looking at the overall armamentarium against the toxicity induced by oxaliplatin. Oxaliplatin caused a significant rise in the mitochondrial oxidative stress indexes lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl. Alterations in the levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants and activities of enzymatic antioxidants were also observed. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the mitochondrial toxicity of oxaliplatin. The integrity of the hepatic tissue is compromised by the reactive oxygen species-mediated lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl formation. Copyright © 2015 IMSS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Edema associated with quetiapine

    PubMed Central

    Koleva, Hristina K.; Erickson, Mark A.; Vanderlip, Erik R.; Tansey, Janeta; Mac, Joseph; Fiedorowicz, Jess G.

    2010-01-01

    Background Edema associated with quetiapine has been described in only one case report to date and represents a potentially serious adverse reaction. Methods We present a case series of three patients who developed bilateral leg edema following initiation of quetiapine. Results One of these patients had a recurrence of edema with subsequent rechallenge. Another patient developed quetiapine-induced edema following a prior episode of olanzapine-induced edema. All the cases present a compelling temporal relationship between the drug challenge and the adverse event. Conclusions Prompt recognition and intervention with discontinuation of the offending agent is important for this potentially serious, seemingly idiosyncratic, vascular complication. PMID:19439156

  18. Neologisms and Idiosyncratic Language in Autistic Speakers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Volden, Joanne; Lord, Catherine

    1991-01-01

    This study of 80 autistic (ages 6-18), mentally handicapped, and normal children found that more autistic subjects used neologisms and idiosyncratic language than age- and language-skill-matched control groups. More autistic children used words inappropriately that were neither phonologically nor conceptually related to intended English words than…

  19. Idiom Syntax: Idiosyncratic or Principled?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tabossi, P.; Wolf, K.; Koterle, S.

    2009-01-01

    An influential theory posits that the syntactic properties of idioms are idiosyncratic and encoded in the mental lexicon in "superlemmas". It follows that experience with an idiom is necessary in order to judge the acceptability of syntactic operations on that idiom. To test these claims, Experiment 1 explored the acceptability of sentences…

  20. Children's Idiosyncratic Symbol-Making.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barrett, Margaret; And Others

    An ethnographic study documented and analyzed the idiosyncratic symbols kindergarten children employ to encode their experiences in the domains of mathematics, music, and visual art, in order to identify any patterns in use and meaning. In the area of mathematics, children were given common objects and asked to sort them. Four categories of…

  1. Idiosyncratic Functions: Severe Problem Behavior Maintained by Access to Ritualistic Behaviors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hausman, Nicole; Kahng, SungWoo; Farrell, Ellen; Mongeon, Camille

    2009-01-01

    The development of functional analysis technology has been an important tool in the assessment and treatment of aberrant behaviors among individuals with developmental disabilities. In some cases, the function of problem behavior may be idiosyncratic in nature, making modifications to functional analyses necessary. In the current study, a…

  2. Accuracy of the paracetamol-aminotransferase multiplication product to predict hepatotoxicity in modified-release paracetamol overdose.

    PubMed

    Wong, Anselm; Sivilotti, Marco L A; Graudins, Andis

    2017-06-01

    The paracetamol-aminotransferase multiplication product (APAP × ALT) is a risk predictor of hepatotoxicity that is somewhat independent of time and type of ingestion. However, its accuracy following ingestion of modified-release formulations is not known, as the product has been derived and validated after immediate-release paracetamol overdoses. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the accuracy of the multiplication product to predict hepatotoxicity in a cohort of patients with modified-release paracetamol overdose. We assessed all patients with modified-release paracetamol overdose presenting to our hospital network from October 2009 to July 2016. Ingestion of a modified-release formulation was identified by patient self-report or retrieval of the original container. Hepatotoxicity was defined as peak alanine aminotransferase ≥1000 IU/L, and acute liver injury (ALI) as a doubling of baseline ALT to more than 50 IU/L. Of 1989 paracetamol overdose presentations, we identified 73 modified-release paracetamol exposures treated with acetylcysteine. Five patients developed hepatotoxicity, including one who received acetylcysteine within eight hours of an acute ingestion. No patient with an initial multiplication product <10,000 mg/L × IU/L developed hepatotoxicity (sensitivity 100% [95%CI 48%, 100%], specificity 97% [90%, 100%]). Specificity fell to 54% (95%CI: 34, 59%) at a product cut-off point <1500 mg/L × IU/L. When calculated within eight hours of ingestion, mild elevations of the multiplication product fell quickly on repeat testing in patients without ALI or hepatotoxicity. In modified-release paracetamol overdose treated with acetylcysteine, the paracetamol-aminotransferase multiplication product demonstrated similar accuracy and temporal profile to previous reports involving mostly immediate-release formulations. Above a cut-point of 10,000 mg/L × IU/L, it was very strongly associated with the development of acute liver injury and hepatotoxicity, especially when calculated more than eight hours post-ingestion. When below 1500 mg/L × IU/L the likelihood of developing hepatotoxicity was very low. Persistently high serial multiplication product calculations were associated with the greatest risk of hepatotoxicity.

  3. Perturbation of bile acid homeostasis is an early pathogenesis event of drug induced liver injury in rats

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yamazaki, Makoto; Miyake, Manami; Sato, Hiroko

    2013-04-01

    Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a significant consideration for drug development. Current preclinical DILI assessment relying on histopathology and clinical chemistry has limitations in sensitivity and discordance with human. To gain insights on DILI pathogenesis and identify potential biomarkers for improved DILI detection, we performed untargeted metabolomic analyses on rats treated with thirteen known hepatotoxins causing various types of DILI: necrosis (acetaminophen, bendazac, cyclosporine A, carbon tetrachloride, ethionine), cholestasis (methapyrilene and naphthylisothiocyanate), steatosis (tetracycline and ticlopidine), and idiosyncratic (carbamazepine, chlorzoxasone, flutamide, and nimesulide) at two doses and two time points. Statistical analysis and pathway mapping of the nearly 1900 metabolitesmore » profiled in the plasma, urine, and liver revealed diverse time and dose dependent metabolic cascades leading to DILI by the hepatotoxins. The most consistent change induced by the hepatotoxins, detectable even at the early time point/low dose, was the significant elevations of a panel of bile acids in the plasma and urine, suggesting that DILI impaired hepatic bile acid uptake from the circulation. Furthermore, bile acid amidation in the hepatocytes was altered depending on the severity of the hepatotoxin-induced oxidative stress. The alteration of the bile acids was most evident by the necrosis and cholestasis hepatotoxins, with more subtle effects by the steatosis and idiosyncratic hepatotoxins. Taking together, our data suggest that the perturbation of bile acid homeostasis is an early event of DILI. Upon further validation, selected bile acids in the circulation could be potentially used as sensitive and early DILI preclinical biomarkers. - Highlights: ► We used metabolomics to gain insights on drug induced liver injury (DILI) in rats. ► We profiled rats treated with thirteen hepatotoxins at two doses and two time points. ► The toxins decreased the liver's ability to uptake bile acid from the circulation. ► Oxidative stress induced by the toxins altered bile acid biosynthesis in the liver. ► Selected bile acids in the plasma and urine could be sensitive DILI biomarkers.« less

  4. Pharmacology and potential therapeutic applications of nitric oxide-releasing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and related nitric oxide-donating drugs

    PubMed Central

    Keeble, J E; Moore, P K

    2002-01-01

    This review examines the biological significance, therapeutic potential and mechanism(s) of action of a range of nitric oxide-releasing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NO-NSAID) and related nitric oxide-releasing donating drugs (NODD). The slow release of nitric oxide (NO) from these compounds leads to subtle changes in the profile of pharmacological activity of the parent, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). For example, compared with NSAID, NO-NSAID cause markedly diminished gastrointestinal toxicity and improved anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive efficacy. In addition, nitroparacetamol exhibits hepatoprotection as opposed to the hepatotoxic activity of paracetamol. The possibility that NO-NSAID or NODD may be of therapeutic benefit in a wide variety of disease states including pain and inflammation, thrombosis and restenosis, neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system, colitis, cancer, urinary incontinence, liver disease, impotence, bronchial asthma and osteoporosis is discussed. PMID:12237248

  5. Cimetidine: II. Adverse reactions and patterns of use.

    PubMed

    Freston, J W

    1982-11-01

    Numerous adverse reactions have been attributed to cimetidine, which is understandable in view of the attention and scrutiny the drug has received, its widespread use, and its systemic effects. The reported frequency of side effects has differed considerably but is surprisingly low in all studies. The drug has caused an array of central nervous system disturbances, gynecomastia, and, rarely, hepatotoxicity, interstitial nephritis, bradycardia, hypotension, and even cardiac arrest. The last complication has occurred with rapid-bolus intravenous injection. Blood dyscrasias have also been rare and usually associated with serious underlying disease or multiple drugs, making it difficult to establish cause and effect in most cases. The drug is used widely to treatment conditions for which it is not approved. Some of these conditions are now believed to respond to cimetidine (gastric ulcer); others are known not to respond (acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding and acute pancreatitis).

  6. Acute hepatotoxicity after ingestion of Morinda citrifolia (Noni Berry) juice in a 14-year-old boy.

    PubMed

    Yu, Elizabeth L; Sivagnanam, Mamata; Ellis, Linda; Huang, Jeannie S

    2011-02-01

    We present a case of a 14-year-old previously healthy boy with acute hepatotoxicity after noni berry juice consumption. As the popularity of noni berry consumption continues to increase, heightened awareness of the relation between noni berry consumption and acute hepatotoxicity is important.

  7. Hydrazine inhalation hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Kao, Yung Hsiang; Chong, C H; Ng, W T; Lim, D

    2007-10-01

    Abstract Hydrazine is a hazardous chemical commonly used as a reactant in rocket and jet fuel cells. Animal studies have demonstrated hepatic changes after hydrazine inhalation. Human case reports of hydrazine inhalation hepatotoxicity are rare. We report a case of mild hepatotoxicity following brief hydrazine vapour inhalation in a healthy young man, which resolved completely on expectant management.

  8. [Rhabdomyolysis and severe hepatotoxicity due to a drug-drug interaction between ritonavir and simvastatin. Could we use the most cost-effective statin in all human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients?].

    PubMed

    Bastida, Carla; Also, Maria Antonia; Pericas, Juan Manuel; Letang, Emili; Tuset, Montse; Miró, Josep Maria

    2014-11-01

    Drugs like statins may induce rhabdomyolysis. Simvastatin and lovastatin have a high hepatic metabolism and their potential toxicity could be increased by interactions with other drugs that reduce their metabolism. A case-report is presented of an HIV-infected patient treated with antiretroviral drugs who developed a rhabdomyolysis-induced renal failure and liver toxicity when simvastatin was substituted for atorvastatin. A literature review is also presented. The patient required hospital admission and showed a favorable response after hydration and urine alkalinization. There were 4 additional cases published of which there was one death. Drug-drug interactions can increase the risk of statin induced rhabdomyolysis. In order to evaluate them properly, physicians at all levels of clinical care should be aware of all drugs prescribed to their patients and the contraindicated combinations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

  9. [Treatment of hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease: what is the recommended antithyroid drug during pregnancy?].

    PubMed

    Caron, P

    2013-05-01

    Clinical hyperthyroidism during the first trimester of pregnancy due to Graves' disease can be associated with maternal, obstetrical and fetal complications, indicating an active treatment to restore normal thyroid function. Antithyroid drugs are the first line treatment in pregnant women with hyperthyroidism. Due to the increased congenital malformations reported in neonates after first-trimester carbimazole/methimazole treatment and propylthiouracil associated hepatotoxicity, the recommended treatment for pregnant women with hyperthyroid Graves' disease is propylthiouracil during the first trimester of pregnancy and following the first trimester, consideration should be given switching to carbimazole/methimazole during the second part of gestation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  10. Protective effect of the edible brown alga Ecklonia stolonifera on doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity in primary rat hepatocytes.

    PubMed

    Jung, Hyun Ah; Kim, Jae-I; Choung, Se Young; Choi, Jae Sue

    2014-08-01

    As part of our efforts to isolate anti-hepatotoxic agents from marine natural products, we screened the ability of 14 edible varieties of Korean seaweed to protect against doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity in primary rat hepatocytes. Among the crude extracts of two Chlorophyta (Codium fragile and Capsosiphon fulvescens), seven Phaeophyta (Undaria pinnatifida, Sargassum thunbergii, Pelvetia siliquosa, Ishige okamurae, Ecklonia cava, Ecklonia stolonifera and Eisenia bicyclis), five Rhodophyta (Chondrus ocellatus, Gelidium amansii, Gracilaria verrucosa, Symphycladia latiuscula and Porphyra tenera), and the extracts of Ecklonia stolonifera, Ecklonia cava, Eisenia bicyclis and Pelvetia siliquosa exhibited significant protective effects on doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity, with half maximal effective concentration (EC50) values of 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and 15.0 μg/ml, respectively. Since Ecklonia stolonifera exhibits a significant protective potential and is frequently used as foodstuff, we isolated six phlorotannins, including phloroglucinol (1), dioxinodehydroeckol (2), eckol (3), phlorofucofuroeckol A (4), dieckol (5) and triphloroethol-A (6). Phlorotannins 2 ∼ 6 exhibited potential protective effects on doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity, with corresponding EC50 values of 3.4, 8.3, 4.4, 5.5 and 11.5 μg/ml, respectively. The results clearly demonstrated that the anti-hepatotoxic effects of Ecklonia stolonifera and its isolated phlorotannins are useful for further exploration and development of therapeutic modalities for treatment of hepatotoxicity. © 2014 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

  11. Acute Exposure to Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) Phosphate (TDCIPP) Causes Hepatic Inflammation and Leads to Hepatotoxicity in Zebrafish

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Chunsheng; Su, Guanyong; Giesy, John P.; Letcher, Robert J.; Li, Guangyu; Agrawal, Ira; Li, Jing; Yu, Liqin; Wang, Jianghua; Gong, Zhiyuan

    2016-01-01

    Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) has been frequently detected in environmental media and has adverse health effect on wildlife and humans. It has been implicated to have hepatotoxicity, but its molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, adult male zebrafish were exposed to TDCIPP and global hepatic gene expression was examined by RNA-Seq and RT-qPCR in order to understand the molecular mechanisms of TDCIPP-induced hepatotoxicity. Our results indicated that TDCIPP exposure significantly up-regulated the expression of genes involved in endoplasmic reticulum stress and Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathway, implying an inflammatory response, which was supported by up-regulation of inflammation-related biomaker genes. Hepatic inflammation was further confirmed by histological observation of increase of infiltrated neutrophils and direct observation of liver recruitment of neutrophils labeled with Ds-Red fluorescent protein of Tg(lysC:DsRed) zebrafish upon TDCIPP exposure. To further characterize the hepatotoxicity of TDCIPP, the expression of hepatotoxicity biomarker genes, liver histopathology and morphology were examined. The exposure to TDCIPP significantly up-regulated the expression of several biomarker genes for hepatotoxicity (gck, gsr and nqo1) and caused hepatic vacuolization and apoptosis as well as increase of the liver size. Collectively, our results suggest that exposure to TDCIPP induces hepatic inflammation and leads to hepatotoxicity in zebrafish.

  12. Dolutegravir-induced liver injury leading to sub-acute liver failure requiring transplantation: a case report and review of literature.

    PubMed

    Wang, Bo; Abbott, Laura; Childs, Kate; Taylor, Chris; Agarwal, Kosh; Cormack, Ian; Miquel, Rosa; Suddle, Abid

    2018-03-01

    A patient with human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection presented with sub-acute liver failure, temporally related to commencement of an antiretroviral therapy regimen containing dolutegravir (Triumeq). The patient was not a carrier of HLA-B5701, and abacavir hypersensitivity was unlikely. We believe this is the first report of severe dolutegravir-related hepatotoxicity resulting in sub-acute liver failure and transplantation and highlights a potential need for closer monitoring after drug initiation.

  13. Risk prediction of hepatotoxicity in paracetamol poisoning.

    PubMed

    Wong, Anselm; Graudins, Andis

    2017-09-01

    Paracetamol (acetaminophen) poisoning is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the developed world. A paracetamol treatment nomogram has been used for over four decades to help determine whether patients will develop hepatotoxicity without acetylcysteine treatment, and thus indicates those needing treatment. Despite this, a small proportion of patients still develop hepatotoxicity. More accurate risk predictors would be useful to increase the early detection of patients with the potential to develop hepatotoxicity despite acetylcysteine treatment. Similarly, there would be benefit in early identification of those with a low likelihood of developing hepatotoxicity, as this group may be safely treated with an abbreviated acetylcysteine regimen. To review the current literature related to risk prediction tools that can be used to identify patients at increased risk of hepatotoxicity. A systematic literature review was conducted using the search terms: "paracetamol" OR "acetaminophen" AND "overdose" OR "toxicity" OR "risk prediction rules" OR "hepatotoxicity" OR "psi parameter" OR "multiplication product" OR "half-life" OR "prothrombin time" OR "AST/ALT (aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase)" OR "dose" OR "biomarkers" OR "nomogram". The search was limited to human studies without language restrictions, of Medline (1946 to May 2016), PubMed and EMBASE. Original articles pertaining to the theme were identified from January 1974 to May 2016. Of the 13,975 articles identified, 60 were relevant to the review. Paracetamol treatment nomograms: Paracetamol treatment nomograms have been used for decades to help decide the need for acetylcysteine, but rarely used to determine the risk of hepatotoxicity with treatment. Reported paracetamol dose and concentration: A dose ingestion >12 g or serum paracetamol concentration above the treatment thresholds on the paracetamol nomogram are associated with a greater risk of hepatotoxicity. Paracetamol elimination half-life: Patients with more severe hepatotoxicity are more likely to have a longer paracetamol elimination half-life. While median elimination half-life increases in those developing hepatotoxicity, there is wide variation in half-life, making this an insensitive parameter to use as a negative risk prediction tool. Prothrombin time (PT): An initially normal PT is associated with a lower risk of developing hepatotoxicity, but cannot be used alone to identify patients not requiring acetylcysteine treatment. Hepatic aminotransferase activity: A normal ALT activity on presentation is associated with a high negative predictive value of hepatotoxicity following paracetamol-poisoning. Psi parameter: The psi parameter takes into account the time from ingestion, the serum paracetamol concentration and the time to initiation of acetylcysteine. A hepatotoxicity risk nomogram based on this parameter may be easier to use, but is limited to acute ingestions. Paracetamol-aminotransferase multiplication product: If a hepatotoxicity risk nomogram is not available, an alternate strategy may be to use the paracetamol-aminotransferase product (<1500 low risk, 1500-10,000 low to moderate risk, >10,000 mg/L × IU/L high risk) to define liver injury risk. Serial blood tests can be performed if patients present prior to 8 h post-overdose for ultimate specificity, or a single blood test can be taken if presenting more than 8 h post-overdose. Patients receiving acetylcysteine within 8 h of their overdose, with a product less than 10,000 mg/L × IU/L have a low likelihood of developing hepatotoxicity. Any clinical trials of intensified treatment (e.g., higher dose) to prevent fulminant hepatic failure might potentially use a product of >10,000 mg/L × IU/L as a criterion for inclusion. The paracetamol-aminotransferase product <1500 mg/L × IU/L may also identify those suitable for an abbreviated acetylcysteine regimen. Newer biomarkers: These show promise in the early identification of patients with a higher risk of developing hepatic injury. Point of care devices measuring paracetamol adducts need further trials. Risk prediction tools can stratify those that are more likely to develop hepatotoxicity. Currently, the paracetamol-aminotransferase multiplication product may be such a tool. Novel biomarkers show promise but need further validation and greater clinical availability. These tools may help inform clinical trials on modified acetylcysteine regimens.

  14. Idiosyncratic Drug Induced Liver Injury in African-Americans Is Associated With Greater Morbidity and Mortality Compared to Caucasians.

    PubMed

    Chalasani, Naga; Reddy, K Rajender K; Fontana, Robert J; Barnhart, Huiman; Gu, Jiezhun; Hayashi, Paul H; Ahmad, Jawad; Stolz, Andrew; Navarro, Victor; Hoofnagle, Jay H

    2017-09-01

    Idiosyncratic drug induced liver injury (DILI) is a rare but potentially serious liver disorder and a major cause of significant liver injury. Limited data exist on racial differences in DILI incidence, presentation, and course. We compared the causative agents, clinical features, and outcomes of DILI among self-described African-Americans and non-Hispanic whites (Caucasians) enrolled in the DILIN Prospective Study. Individuals with definite, highly likely, or probable DILI enrolled between September 2004 and February 2016 were included in this analysis. 144 African-Americans and 841 Caucasian patients met the eligibility criteria. Causal medications varied by race: trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole being the most common cause among African-Americans (7.6 vs. 3.6%) followed by methyldopa (4 vs. <1%), phenytoin (5 vs. <1%), isoniazid (4 vs. 4%), and amoxicillin/clavulanate (4.1 vs. 13.4%). The severity of illness, however, tended to be greater in African-Americans than Caucasians as determined by peak mean bilirubin (14.3 vs. 12.8 mg/dl), INR (1.9 vs. 1.6), and DILIN severity score (3.0 vs. 2.6). The frequency of severe cutaneous reactions was significantly higher in African-Americans (2.1 vs. 0.36% in Caucasians, P=0.048). African-Americans also had higher rates of hospitalization (76.7 vs. 57.6%, P<0.001), liver transplantation or liver related death by 6 months (10.2 vs. 5.8%, P=0.02 after controlling for selected covariates), and chronic DILI (24 vs. 16%, P=0.06). The most common DILI causative agents differ between African-Americans and Caucasians. African-Americans are more likely to have severe cutaneous reactions and more severe liver injury leading to worse outcomes, including death and liver transplant.

  15. Polymorphism in glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) is associated with sulfamethoxazole-induced hypersensitivity in HIV/AIDS patients

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is a commonly used antibiotic for prevention of infectious diseases associated with HIV/AIDS and immune-compromised states. SMX-induced hypersensitivity is an idiosyncratic cutaneous drug reaction with genetic components. Here, we tested association of candidate genes involved in SMX bioactivation and antioxidant defense with SMX-induced hypersensitivity. Results Seventy seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 14 candidate genes were genotyped and assessed for association with SMX-induced hypersensitivity, in a cohort of 171 HIV/AIDS patients. SNP rs761142 T > G, in glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), was significantly associated with SMX-induced hypersensitivity, with an adjusted p value of 0.045. This result was replicated in a second cohort of 249 patients (p = 0.025). In the combined cohort, heterozygous and homozygous carriers of the minor G allele were at increased risk of developing hypersensitivity (GT vs TT, odds ratio = 2.2, 95% CL 1.4-3.7, p = 0.0014; GG vs TT, odds ratio = 3.3, 95% CL 1.6 – 6.8, p = 0.0010). Each minor allele copy increased risk of developing hypersensitivity 1.9 fold (95% CL 1.4 – 2.6, p = 0.00012). Moreover, in 91 human livers and 84 B-lymphocytes samples, SNP rs761142 homozygous G allele carriers expressed significantly less GCLC mRNA than homozygous TT carriers (p < 0.05). Conclusions rs761142 in GCLC was found to be associated with reduced GCLC mRNA expression and with SMX-induced hypersensitivity in HIV/AIDS patients. Catalyzing a critical step in glutathione biosynthesis, GCLC may play a broad role in idiosyncratic drug reactions. PMID:22824134

  16. Myotoxicity of gemfibrozil in Cynomolgus monkey model and its relationship to pharmacokinetic properties

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Liu Aiming; Xie Shuilin; Sun He

    2009-03-15

    Fibrate drugs are PPAR{alpha} agonists prescribed for the treatment of dyslipidemia. Severe myotoxicity has been reportedly associated with their use albeit at a low frequency, especially for gemfibrozil. Few studies have investigated the mechanism of fibrate-induced myotoxicity in vivo. Considering the apparent species-related differences in PPAR{alpha} agonist-induced hepatotoxicity, we studied the myotoxicity of gemfibrozil in a Cynomolgus monkey model and explored the relationship between myotoxicity and pharmacokinetics. Six Cynomolgus monkeys were dosed with gemfibrozil twice daily at 600 mg/kg/day for the first two periods (P1 and P2, 8 days and 9 days respectively) and 300 mg/kg/day for the third periodmore » (P3, 14 days). Creatine kinase and myoglobin were measured, together with hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity markers. Behavioral responses were recorded for indication of toxicity. Pharmacokinetics was carried out following the 16th dosage of P1 and 17th dosage of P2 when myotoxicity was identified. Multivariable data analysis was employed to explore the relationship between pharmacokinetic parameters and myotoxicity markers. Consequently, myotoxicity occurred in monkey no. 2 (M2) and M6 in P1, M3 and M4 in P2, M3 and M6 in P3. Data analysis showed T80-150 (sustained time above the given concentration) contributed for myotoxicity discriminance and correlated with myotoxicity risk. This study revealed Cynomolgus monkey may be a good animal model for myotoxicity evaluation with sensitivity, reproducibility and similarities to humans. More interestingly, they exhibited a much higher incidence of myotoxicity than that of humans. Sustained high drug concentration plays an important role for the occurrence of myotoxicity. This may suggest an influence of drug transport and metabolism on myotoxicity.« less

  17. Isolation and expansion of human pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatic progenitor cells by growth factor defined serum-free culture conditions.

    PubMed

    Fukuda, Takayuki; Takayama, Kazuo; Hirata, Mitsuhi; Liu, Yu-Jung; Yanagihara, Kana; Suga, Mika; Mizuguchi, Hiroyuki; Furue, Miho K

    2017-03-15

    Limited growth potential, narrow ranges of sources, and difference in variability and functions from batch to batch of primary hepatocytes cause a problem for predicting drug-induced hepatotoxicity during drug development. Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived hepatocyte-like cells in vitro are expected as a tool for predicting drug-induced hepatotoxicity. Several studies have already reported efficient methods for differentiating hPSCs into hepatocyte-like cells, however its differentiation process is time-consuming, labor-intensive, cost-intensive, and unstable. In order to solve this problem, expansion culture for hPSC-derived hepatic progenitor cells, including hepatic stem cells and hepatoblasts which can self-renewal and differentiate into hepatocytes should be valuable as a source of hepatocytes. However, the mechanisms of the expansion of hPSC-derived hepatic progenitor cells are not yet fully understood. In this study, to isolate hPSC-derived hepatic progenitor cells, we tried to develop serum-free growth factor defined culture conditions using defined components. Our culture conditions were able to isolate and grow hPSC-derived hepatic progenitor cells which could differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells through hepatoblast-like cells. We have confirmed that the hepatocyte-like cells prepared by our methods were able to increase gene expression of cytochrome P450 enzymes upon encountering rifampicin, phenobarbital, or omeprazole. The isolation and expansion of hPSC-derived hepatic progenitor cells in defined culture conditions should have advantages in terms of detecting accurate effects of exogenous factors on hepatic lineage differentiation, understanding mechanisms underlying self-renewal ability of hepatic progenitor cells, and stably supplying functional hepatic cells. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Structural Exploration of Quinazolin-4(3H)-ones as Anticonvulsants: Rational Design, Synthesis, Pharmacological Evaluation, and Molecular Docking Studies.

    PubMed

    Ugale, Vinod G; Bari, Sanjay B

    2016-11-01

    Anticonvulsants effective against multiple seizures are of wide interest as antiepileptic drugs, especially if active against pharmaco-resistant seizures. Herein, we synthesized 16 different, rationally designed 2-((6,7-dimethoxy-4-oxo-2-phenylquinazolin-3(4H)-yl)amino)-N-(substituted phenyl)acetamides and screened for anticonvulsant activities through in vivo experiments. Compound 4d emerged as prototype with excellent anti-seizure action in mice against electroshock, chemically induced and pharmaco-resistant 6-Hz seizure models with no symptoms of neurotoxicity and hepatotoxicity (ED 50  = 23.5 mg/kg, MES, mice, i.p.; ED 50  = 32.6 mg/kg, scPTZ, mice, i.p.; ED 50  = 45.2 mg/kg, 6-Hz, mice, i.p.; TD 50  = 325.9 mg/kg, mice, i.p.). In addition, investigation of compound 4l in mice for its pharmacological profile proved it as safer anticonvulsant, devoid of the side effects such as motor dysfunction and hepatotoxicity of classical antiepileptic drugs (ED 50  = 26.1 mg/kg, MES, mice, i.p.; ED 50  = 79.4 mg/kg, scPTZ, mice, i.p.; TD 50  = 361.2 mg/kg, mice, i.p.). We also predicted physiochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of structurally optimized quinazolin-4(3H)-ones by a computational protocol. A combination of in vivo anticonvulsant profile, ex vivo toxicity, and in silico studies suggested that the synthesized compounds may be useful as broad-spectrum anti-seizure drug candidates with favorable pharmacokinetic parameters. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Myotoxicity of Gemfibrozil in Cynomolgus Monkey Model and Its Relationship to Pharmacokinetic Properties

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Aiming; Xie, Shuilin; Sun, He; Gonzalez, Frank J.; Wei, Xiaoxiong; Dai, Renke

    2008-01-01

    Fibrate drugs are PPARα agonists prescribed for the treatment of dyslipidemia. Severe myotoxicity has been reported associated with their use albeit at a low frequency, especially for gemfibrozil. Few studies have investigated the mechanism of fibrate-induced myotoxicity in vivo. Considering the apparent species-related differences in PPARα agonist-induced hepatotoxicity, we studied the myotoxicity of gemfibrozil in a Cynomolgus monkey model and explored the relationship between myotoxicity and pharmacokinetics. Six Cynomolgus monkeys were dosed with gemfibrozil twice daily at 600 mg/kg/day for the first two periods (P1 and P2, 8 days and 9 days respectively) and 300 mg/kg/day for the third period (P3, 14 days). Creatine kinase and myoglobin were measured, together with hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity markers. Behavioral responses were recorded for indication of toxicity. Pharmacokinetics was carried out following the 16th dosage of P1 and 17th dosage of P2 when myotoxicity was identified. Multivariable data analysis was employed to explore the relationship between pharmacokinetic parameters and myotoxicity markers. Consequently, myotoxicity occurred in monkey #2 (M2) and M6 in P1, M3 and M4 in P2, M3 and M6 in P3. Data analysis showed T80-150 (sustained time above the given concentration) contributed for myotoxicity discriminance and correlated with myotoxicity risk. This study revealed Cynomolgus monkey may be a good animal model for myotoxicity evaluation with sensitivity, reproducibility and similarities to humans. More interestingly they exhibited a much higher incidence of myotoxicity than that of human. Sustained high drug concentration plays an important role for the occurrence of myotoxicity. This may suggest an influence of drug transport and metabolism on myotoxicity. PMID:19150455

  20. A Laminated Microfluidic Device for Comprehensive Preclinical Testing in the Drug ADME Process

    PubMed Central

    An, Fan; Qu, Yueyang; Luo, Yong; Fang, Ning; Liu, Yang; Gao, Zhigang; Zhao, Weijie; Lin, Bingcheng

    2016-01-01

    New techniques are urgently needed to replace conventional long and costly pre-clinical testing in the new drug administration process. In this study, a laminated microfluidic device was fabricated to mimic the drug ADME response test in vivo. This proposed device was loaded and cultured with functional cells for drug response investigation and organ tissues that are involved in ADME testing. The drug was introduced from the top of the device and first absorbed by the Caco-2 cell layer, and then metabolized by the primary hepatocyte layer. It subsequently interacted with the MCF-7 cell layer, distributed in the lung, heart and fat tissues, and was finally eliminated through the dialysis membrane. Throughout this on-chip ADME process, the proposed device can be used as a reliable tool to simultaneously evaluate the drug anti-tumor activity, hepatotoxicity and pharmacokinetics. Furthermore, this device was proven to be able to reflect the hepatic metabolism of a drug, drug distribution in the target tissues, and the administration method of a drug. Furthermore, this microdevice is expected to reduce the number of drug candidates and accelerate the pre-clinical testing process subject to animal testing upon adaptation in new drug discovery. PMID:27122192

  1. A Laminated Microfluidic Device for Comprehensive Preclinical Testing in the Drug ADME Process.

    PubMed

    An, Fan; Qu, Yueyang; Luo, Yong; Fang, Ning; Liu, Yang; Gao, Zhigang; Zhao, Weijie; Lin, Bingcheng

    2016-04-28

    New techniques are urgently needed to replace conventional long and costly pre-clinical testing in the new drug administration process. In this study, a laminated microfluidic device was fabricated to mimic the drug ADME response test in vivo. This proposed device was loaded and cultured with functional cells for drug response investigation and organ tissues that are involved in ADME testing. The drug was introduced from the top of the device and first absorbed by the Caco-2 cell layer, and then metabolized by the primary hepatocyte layer. It subsequently interacted with the MCF-7 cell layer, distributed in the lung, heart and fat tissues, and was finally eliminated through the dialysis membrane. Throughout this on-chip ADME process, the proposed device can be used as a reliable tool to simultaneously evaluate the drug anti-tumor activity, hepatotoxicity and pharmacokinetics. Furthermore, this device was proven to be able to reflect the hepatic metabolism of a drug, drug distribution in the target tissues, and the administration method of a drug. Furthermore, this microdevice is expected to reduce the number of drug candidates and accelerate the pre-clinical testing process subject to animal testing upon adaptation in new drug discovery.

  2. 3D spheroid culture of hESC/hiPSC-derived hepatocyte-like cells for drug toxicity testing.

    PubMed

    Takayama, Kazuo; Kawabata, Kenji; Nagamoto, Yasuhito; Kishimoto, Keisuke; Tashiro, Katsuhisa; Sakurai, Fuminori; Tachibana, Masashi; Kanda, Katsuhiro; Hayakawa, Takao; Furue, Miho Kusuda; Mizuguchi, Hiroyuki

    2013-02-01

    Although it is expected that hepatocyte-like cells differentiated from human embryonic stem (ES) cells or induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells will be utilized in drug toxicity testing, the actual applicability of hepatocyte-like cells in this context has not been well examined so far. To generate mature hepatocyte-like cells that would be applicable for drug toxicity testing, we established a hepatocyte differentiation method that employs not only stage-specific transient overexpression of hepatocyte-related transcription factors but also a three-dimensional spheroid culture system using a Nanopillar Plate. We succeeded in establishing protocol that could generate more matured hepatocyte-like cells than our previous protocol. In addition, our hepatocyte-like cells could sensitively predict drug-induced hepatotoxicity, including reactive metabolite-mediated toxicity. In conclusion, our hepatocyte-like cells differentiated from human ES cells or iPS cells have potential to be applied in drug toxicity testing. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Synthesis, antimycobacterial and cytotoxic activity of α,β-unsaturated amides and 2,4-disubstituted oxazoline derivatives.

    PubMed

    Avalos-Alanís, Francisco G; Hernández-Fernández, Eugenio; Carranza-Rosales, Pilar; López-Cortina, Susana; Hernández-Fernández, Jorge; Ordóñez, Mario; Guzmán-Delgado, Nancy E; Morales-Vargas, Alejandro; Velázquez-Moreno, Víctor M; Santiago-Mauricio, María G

    2017-02-15

    The synthesis of six α,β,-unsaturated amides and six 2,4-disubstituted oxazolines derivatives and their evaluation against two Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains (sensitive H37Rv and a resistant clinical isolate) is reported. 2,4-Disubstituted oxazolines (S)-3b,d,e were the most active in the sensitive strain with a MIC of 14.2, 13.6 and 10.8μM, respectively, and the compounds (S)-3d,f were the most active against resistant strain with a MIC of 6.8 and 7.4μM. The ex-vivo evaluation of hepatotoxicity on precision-cut rat liver slices was also tested for the α,β-unsaturated amides (S)-2b and (S)-2d,f and for the oxazolines (S)-3b and (S)-3d,f at different concentrations (5, 15 and 30μg/mL). The results indicate that these compounds possess promising antimycobacterial activity and at the same time are not hepatotoxic. These findings open the possibility for development of new drugs against tuberculosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. The hepatoprotective role of Silymarin in isoniazid induced liver damage of rabbits.

    PubMed

    Jahan, Sarwat; Khan, Moosa; Imran, Sana; Sair, Mohammad

    2015-06-01

    To evaluate the hepatoprotective role of Silymarin against isonicotinylhydrazine-induced hepatotoxicity in rabbit model. The experimental animal study was held at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, from April to September 2013 and comprised rabbits weighing 1-1.5kgof either gender. The animals were divided randomly into equal groups: group I underwent liver function test without any drug; in group II effects of Silymarin (50mg/kg/day orally) was observed; in group III isoniazid (50mg/kg/dayorally) was administered; and in group IV combined effects of isoniazid and silymarin were observed. Liver function tests were performed at day0 and after the treatment at day19. SPSS 16 was used for statistical analysis. The 28 rabbits in the study were divided in four groups of 7(25%) each. No mortality was recorded in any group. In group III, bilirubin level was increased and alanine transaminase was decreased significantly (p<0.05 each). In group IV, there was significant improvement in serum billirubin and serum alanine transaminase (p<0.05 each). Isonicotinylhydrazine-induced hepatotoxicity was well treated by concurrent administration of Silymarin.

  5. Characterization and evaluation of an oral microemulsion containing the antitumor diterpenoid compound ent-11alpha-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic-acid.

    PubMed

    Lu, Yingnian; Wu, Kefeng; Li, Li; He, Yuhui; Cui, Liao; Liang, Nianci; Mu, Bozhong

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this study was to develop an oral microemulsion formulation of the antitumor diterpenoid agent, ent-11α-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic-acid (henceforth referred to as 5F), to enhance its bioavailability and evaluate its hepatotoxicity. Pseudoternary phase diagrams showed that the optimal microemulsion formulation contained 45% water, 10% castor oil as the oil phase, 15% Cremophor EL as the surfactant, and 30% as a cosurfactant mixture of 1,2-propanediol and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-400 (2:1, w/w). The microemulsion preparation was characterized and its droplet diameter was within 50 nm. Release of 5F in vitro from the microemulsion was slightly increased compared with a suspension containing the same amount of active drug. Pharmacokinetic parameters in vivo indicated that bioavailability was markedly improved, with the relative bioavailability being 616.15% higher for the microemulsion than for the suspension. Toxicity tests showed that the microemulsion had no hepatotoxicity in mice. These results suggest the potential for 5F microemulsion to be administered by the oral route.

  6. Grand Rounds: An Outbreak of Toxic Hepatitis among Industrial Waste Disposal Workers

    PubMed Central

    Cheong, Hae-Kwan; Kim, Eun A; Choi, Jung-Keun; Choi, Sung-Bong; Suh, Jeong-Ill; Choi, Dae Seob; Kim, Jung Ran

    2007-01-01

    Context Industrial waste (which is composed of various toxic chemicals), changes to the disposal process, and addition of chemicals should all be monitored and controlled carefully in the industrial waste industry to reduce the health hazard to workers. Case presentation Five workers in an industrial waste plant developed acute toxic hepatitis, one of whom died after 3 months due to fulminant hepatitis. In the plant, we detected several chemicals with hepatotoxic potential, including pyridine, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, and methylenedianiline. The workers had been working in the high-vapor-generating area of the plant, and the findings of pathologic examination showed typical features of acute toxic hepatitis. Discussion Infectious hepatitis and drug-induced hepatitis were excluded by laboratory findings, as well as the clinical course of hepatitis. All cases of toxic hepatitis in this plant developed after the change of the disposal process to thermochemical reaction–type treatment using unslaked lime reacted with industrial wastes. During this chemical reaction, vapor containing several toxic materials was generated. Although we could not confirm the definitive causative chemical, we suspect that these cases of hepatitis were caused by one of the hepatotoxic agents or by a synergistic interaction among several of them. Relevance to clinical or professional practice In the industrial waste treatment process, the danger of developing toxic hepatitis should be kept in mind, because any subtle change of the treatment process can generate various toxic materials and threaten the workers’ health. A mixture of hepatotoxic chemicals can induce clinical manifestations that are quite different from those predicted by the toxic property of a single agent. PMID:17366828

  7. Acetaminophen-induced liver injury is attenuated in transgenic fat-1 mice endogenously synthesizing long-chain n-3 fatty acids.

    PubMed

    Feng, Ruibing; Wang, Yang; Liu, Conghui; Yan, Chunyan; Zhang, Hang; Su, Huanxing; Kang, Jing X; Shang, Chang-Zhen; Wan, Jian-Bo

    2018-04-18

    Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose-induced hepatotoxicity is the most commonly cause of drug-induced liver failure characterized by oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell damage. Therapeutic efficacy of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in several models of liver disease is well documented. However, the impacts of n-3 PUFA on APAP hepatotoxicity are not adequately addressed. In this study, the fat-1 transgenic mice that synthesize endogenous n-3 PUFA and wild type (WT) littermates were injected intraperitoneally with APAP at the dose of 400 mg/kg to induce liver injury, and euthanized at 0 h, 2 h, 4 h and 6 h post APAP injection for sampling. APAP overdose caused severe liver injury in WT mice as indicated by serum parameters, histopathological changes and hepatocyte apoptosis, which were remarkably ameliorated in fat-1 mice. These protective effects of n-3 PUFA were associated with regulation of the prolonged JNK activation via inhibition of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1)/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MKK4) pathway. Additionally, the augment of endogenous n-3 PUFA reduced nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) - mediated inflammation response induced by APAP treatment in the liver. These findings indicate that n-3 PUFA has potent protective effects against APAP-induced acute liver injury, suggesting that n-3 dietary supplement with n-3 PUFA may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of hepatotoxicity induced by APAP overdose. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Association of antioxidant nutraceuticals and acetaminophen (paracetamol): Friend or foe?

    PubMed

    Abdel-Daim, Mohamed; Abushouk, Abdelrahman Ibrahim; Reggi, Raffaella; Yarla, Nagendra Sastry; Palmery, Maura; Peluso, Ilaria

    2018-04-01

    Acetaminophen (paracetamol or APAP) is an analgesic and antipyretic drug that can induce oxidative stress-mediated hepatotoxicity at high doses. Several studies reported that antioxidant nutraceuticals, in particular phenolic phytochemicals from dietary food, spices, herbs and algae have hepatoprotective effects. Others, however, suggested that they may negatively impact the metabolism, efficacy and toxicity of APAP. The aim of this review is to discuss the pros and cons of the association of antioxidant nutraceuticals and APAP by reviewing the in vivo evidence, with particular reference to APAP pharmacokinetics and hepatotoxicity. Results from the murine models of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity showed amelioration of liver damage with nutraceuticals coadministration, as well as reductions in tissue markers of oxidative stress, and serum levels of hepatic enzymes, bilirubin, cholesterol, triglycerides and inflammatory cytokines. On the other hand, both increased and decreased APAP plasma levels have been reported, depending on the nutraceutical type and route of administration. For example, studies showed that repeated administration of flavonoids causes down-regulation of cytochrome P450 enzymes and up-regulation of uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferases (UGT). Moreover, nutraceuticals can alter the levels of APAP metabolites, such as mercapturate glucuronide, sulfate and cysteine conjugates. Overall, the reviewed in vivo studies indicate that interactions between APAP and nutraceuticals or plant foods exist. However, the majority of data come from animal models with doses of phytochemicals far from dietary ones. Human studies should investigate gene-diet interactions, as well as ethnic variability in order to clarify the pros and cons of co-administering antioxidant nutraceuticals and APAP. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  9. Grand rounds: an outbreak of toxic hepatitis among industrial waste disposal workers.

    PubMed

    Cheong, Hae-Kwan; Kim, Eun A; Choi, Jung-Keun; Choi, Sung-Bong; Suh, Jeong-Ill; Choi, Dae Seob; Kim, Jung Ran

    2007-01-01

    Industrial waste (which is composed of various toxic chemicals), changes to the disposal process, and addition of chemicals should all be monitored and controlled carefully in the industrial waste industry to reduce the health hazard to workers. Five workers in an industrial waste plant developed acute toxic hepatitis, one of whom died after 3 months due to fulminant hepatitis. In the plant, we detected several chemicals with hepatotoxic potential, including pyridine, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, and methylenedianiline. The workers had been working in the high-vapor-generating area of the plant, and the findings of pathologic examination showed typical features of acute toxic hepatitis. Infectious hepatitis and drug-induced hepatitis were excluded by laboratory findings, as well as the clinical course of hepatitis. All cases of toxic hepatitis in this plant developed after the change of the disposal process to thermochemical reaction-type treatment using unslaked lime reacted with industrial wastes. During this chemical reaction, vapor containing several toxic materials was generated. Although we could not confirm the definitive causative chemical, we suspect that these cases of hepatitis were caused by one of the hepatotoxic agents or by a synergistic interaction among several of them. In the industrial waste treatment process, the danger of developing toxic hepatitis should be kept in mind, because any subtle change of the treatment process can generate various toxic materials and threaten the workers' health. A mixture of hepatotoxic chemicals can induce clinical manifestations that are quite different from those predicted by the toxic property of a single agent.

  10. Sodium valproate induces mitochondrial respiration dysfunction in HepG2 in vitro cell model.

    PubMed

    Komulainen, Tuomas; Lodge, Tiffany; Hinttala, Reetta; Bolszak, Maija; Pietilä, Mika; Koivunen, Peppi; Hakkola, Jukka; Poulton, Joanna; Morten, Karl J; Uusimaa, Johanna

    2015-05-04

    Sodium valproate (VPA) is a potentially hepatotoxic antiepileptic drug. Risk of VPA-induced hepatotoxicity is increased in patients with mitochondrial diseases and especially in patients with POLG1 gene mutations. We used a HepG2 cell in vitro model to investigate the effect of VPA on mitochondrial activity. Cells were incubated in glucose medium and mitochondrial respiration-inducing medium supplemented with galactose and pyruvate. VPA treatments were carried out at concentrations of 0-2.0mM for 24-72 h. In both media, VPA caused decrease in oxygen consumption rates and mitochondrial membrane potential. VPA exposure led to depleted ATP levels in HepG2 cells incubated in galactose medium suggesting dysfunction in mitochondrial ATP production. In addition, VPA exposure for 72 h increased levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), but adversely decreased protein levels of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase SOD2, suggesting oxidative stress caused by impaired elimination of mitochondrial ROS and a novel pathomechanism related to VPA toxicity. Increased cell death and decrease in cell number was detected under both metabolic conditions. However, immunoblotting did not show any changes in the protein levels of the catalytic subunit A of mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ, the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I, II and IV, ATP synthase, E3 subunit dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase of pyruvate dehydrogenase, 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and glutathione peroxidase. Our results show that VPA inhibits mitochondrial respiration and leads to mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and increased cell death, thus suggesting an essential role of mitochondria in VPA-induced hepatotoxicity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Diet Restriction Inhibits Apoptosis and HMGB1 Oxidation and Promotes Inflammatory Cell Recruitment during Acetaminophen Hepatotoxicity

    PubMed Central

    Antoine, Daniel James; Williams, Dominic P; Kipar, Anja; Laverty, Hugh; Park, B Kevin

    2010-01-01

    Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is a major cause of acute liver failure and serves as a paradigm to elucidate mechanisms, predisposing factors and therapeutic interventions. The roles of apoptosis and inflammation during APAP hepatotoxicity remain controversial. We investigated whether fasting of mice for 24 h can inhibit APAP-induced caspase activation and apoptosis through the depletion of basal ATP. We also investigated in fasted mice the critical role played by inhibition of caspase-dependent cysteine 106 oxidation within high mobility group box-1 protein (HMGB1) released by ATP depletion in dying cells as a mechanism of immune activation. In fed mice treated with APAP, necrosis was the dominant form of hepatocyte death. However, apoptosis was also observed, indicated by K18 cleavage, DNA laddering and procaspase-3 processing. In fasted mice treated with APAP, only necrosis was observed. Inflammatory cell recruitment as a consequence of hepatocyte death was observed only in fasted mice treated with APAP or fed mice cotreated with a caspase inhibitor. Hepatic inflammation was also associated with loss in detection of serum oxidized-HMGB1. A significant role of HMGB1 in the induction of inflammation was confirmed with an HMGB1-neutralizing antibody. The differential response between fasted and fed mice was a consequence of a significant reduction in basal hepatic ATP, which prevented caspase processing, rather than glutathione depletion or altered APAP metabolism. Thus, the inhibition of caspase-driven apoptosis and HMGB1 oxidation by ATP depletion from fasting promotes an inflammatory response during drug-induced hepatotoxicity/liver pathology. PMID:20811657

  12. Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions: The Pharmacogenomics from Research to Clinical Implementation

    PubMed Central

    Su, Shih-Chi; Hung, Shuen-Iu; Fan, Wen-Lang; Dao, Ro-Lan; Chung, Wen-Hung

    2016-01-01

    Severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs), previously thought to be idiosyncratic or unpredictable, are a deadly form of adverse drug reactions with skin manifestations. Current pharmacogenomic studies of SCARs have made important strides, as the prevention of SCARs, to some extent, appears attainable with the identification of genetic variants for genes encoding drug-metabolizing enzymes and human leukocyte antigens (HLAs). Despite the improvement of incidence, a treatment guideline for this devastating condition is still unavailable, highlighting the inadequacy of contemporary accepted therapeutic interventions. As such, prompt withdrawal of causative drugs is believed to be a priority of patient management. In this review, we discuss recent cutting-edge findings concerning the discovery of biomarkers for SCARs and their clinical utilities in the better prediction and early diagnosis of this disease. The knowledge compiled herein provides clues for future investigations on deciphering additional genetic markers for SCARs and the design of clinical trials for the prospective identification of subjects at genetic risk for this condition, ultimately personalizing the medicine. PMID:27854302

  13. Bioactivation to an aldehyde metabolite--possible role in the onset of toxicity induced by the anti-HIV drug abacavir.

    PubMed

    Grilo, Nádia M; Charneira, Catarina; Pereira, Sofia A; Monteiro, Emília C; Marques, M Matilde; Antunes, Alexandra M M

    2014-01-30

    Aldehydes are highly reactive molecules, which can be generated during numerous physiological processes, including the biotransformation of drugs. Several non-P450 enzymes participate in their metabolism albeit alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase are the ones most frequently involved in this process. Endogenous and exogenous aldehydes have been strongly implicated in multiple human pathologies. Their ability to react with biomacromolecules (e.g. proteins) yielding covalent adducts is suggested to be the common primary mechanism underlying the toxicity of these reactive species. Abacavir is one of the options for combined anti-HIV therapy. Although individual susceptibilities to adverse effects differ among patients, abacavir is associated with idiosyncratic hypersensitivity drug reactions and an increased risk of cardiac dysfunction. This review highlights the current knowledge on abacavir metabolism and discusses the potential role of bioactivation to an aldehyde metabolite, capable of forming protein adducts, in the onset of abacavir-induced toxic outcomes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. A Challenge for Diagnosing Acute Liver Injury with Concomitant/Sequential Exposure to Multiple Drugs: Can Causality Assessment Scales Be Utilized to Identify the Offending Drug?

    PubMed Central

    Lim, Roxanne; Conner, Kim; Karnsakul, Wikrom

    2014-01-01

    Drug-induced hepatotoxicity most commonly manifests as an acute hepatitis syndrome and remains the leading cause of drug-induced death/mortality and the primary reason for withdrawal of drugs from the pharmaceutical market. We report a case of acute liver injury in a 12-year-old Hispanic boy, who received a series of five antibiotics (amoxicillin, ceftriaxone, vancomycin, ampicillin/sulbactam, and clindamycin) for cervical lymphadenitis/retropharyngeal cellulitis. Histopathology of the liver biopsy specimen revealed acute cholestatic hepatitis. All known causes of acute liver injury were appropriately excluded and (only) drug-induced liver injury was left as a cause of his cholestasis. Liver-specific causality assessment scales such as Council for the International Organization of Medical Sciences/Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method scoring system (CIOMS/RUCAM), Maria and Victorino scale, and Digestive Disease Week-Japan were applied to seek the most likely offending drug. Although clindamycin is the most likely cause by clinical diagnosis, none of causality assessment scales aid in the diagnosis. PMID:25506455

  15. Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network Causality Assessment: Criteria and Experience in the United States.

    PubMed

    Hayashi, Paul H

    2016-02-04

    Hepatotoxicity due to drugs, herbal or dietary supplements remains largely a clinical diagnosis based on meticulous history taking and exclusion of other causes of liver injury. In 2004, the U.S. Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN) was created under the auspices of the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases with the aims of establishing a large registry of cases for clinical, epidemiological and mechanistic study. From inception, the DILIN has used an expert opinion process that incorporates consensus amongst three different DILIN hepatologists assigned to each case. It is the most well-established, well-described and vigorous expert opinion process for DILI to date, and yet it is an imperfect standard. This review will discuss the DILIN expert opinion process, its strengths and weaknesses, psychometric performance and future.

  16. Genetic Polymorphisms of Glutathione S-Transferase P1 (GSTP1) and the Incidence of Anti-Tuberculosis Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Wu, Shouquan; Wang, You-Juan; Tang, Xiaoyan; Wang, Yu; Wu, Jingcan; Ji, Guiyi; Zhang, Miaomiao; Chen, Guo; Liu, Qianqian; Sandford, Andrew J; He, Jian-Qing

    2016-01-01

    Anti-tuberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity (ATDH) is one of the most common adverse effects associated with tuberculosis (TB) therapy. Animal studies have demonstrated important roles of glutathione S-transferases in the prevention of chemical-induced hepatotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) and ATDH in TB patients. We used two independent samples for this genetic association study. In the initial prospective study, 322 newly diagnosed TB patients were followed up for three months after initiating anti-TB therapy. In an independent retrospective study, 115 ATDH patients and 116 patients without ATDH were selected to verify the results of the prospective study. Tag-SNPs of GSTP1 were genotyped either with the MassARRAY platform or the improved multiple ligase detection reaction (iMLDR) method. The associations between SNPs and ATDH were analyzed by logistic regression analysis adjusting for confounding factors. Of the 322 patients recruited in the prospective cohort, 35 were excluded during the 3 months of follow-up, and 30 were diagnosed with ATDH and were considered as the ATDH group. The remaining 257 subjects without ATDH were considered as the non-ATDH group. After correction for potential confounding factors, significant differences were found for rs1695 (A>G) under an allelic model (OR = 3.876, 95%CI: 1.258011.905; P = 0.018). In the retrospective study, rs1695 allele A also had a higher risk of ATDH (OR = 2.10, 95%CI: 1.17-3.76; P = 0.012). We only found rs4147581AA genotype under a dominant model was related to ATDH in the prospective study (OR = 2.578, 95%CI: 1.076-6.173; P = 0.034). This is the first study to suggest that GSTP1 genotyping can be an important tool for identifying patients who are susceptible to ATDH. This result should be verified in independent large sample studies and also in other ethnic populations.

  17. Alcoholism: the role of different motivational systems.

    PubMed Central

    Pihl, R O; Peterson, J B

    1995-01-01

    Individuals use and misuse alcohol (and other drugs) because of the pharmacologically mediated effects these substances have on the operation of 4 psychobiological systems, mediating response to motivationally relevant unconditioned and conditioned stimuli. These 4 systems have unique neuroanatomical structure, biochemical modes of operation, association with affect, behavior and cognition, and responsiveness to drugs of abuse. Individual variation in the operation of these systems determines individual susceptibility to initiation and maintenance of drug use and abuse. Sources of such variation differ, in a vitally important fashion, in various specific populations of individuals at heightened risk for drug abuse. Nonalcoholic sons of male alcoholics, with multigenerational family histories of male alcoholism, appear to be at heightened risk for the development of alcohol abuse because alcohol eliminates their heightened response to threat, and because they are hypersensitive to ethanol's psychomotor stimulant effects. Anxiety-sensitive individuals also appear attracted to alcohol for its anxiolytic properties. Many other important sources of idiosyncratic variability exist. Detailed analysis of such sources may lead to the development of more effective prevention and treatment programs. Images Figure 7 PMID:8527424

  18. Argininosuccinate synthetase as a plasma biomarker of liver injury after acetaminophen overdose in rodents and humans

    PubMed Central

    McGill, Mitchell R.; Cao, Mengde; Svetlov, Archie; Sharpe, Matthew R.; Williams, C. David; Curry, Steven C.; Farhood, Anwar; Jaeschke, Hartmut; Svetlov, Stanislav I.

    2014-01-01

    Context New biomarkers are needed in acetaminophen (APAP) hepatotoxicity. Plasma argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS) is a promising candidate. Objective Characterize ASS in APAP hepatotoxicity. Methods ASS was measured in plasma from rodents and humans with APAP hepatotoxicity. Results In mice, ASS increased before injury, peaked before ALT, and decreased rapidly. Fischer rats had a greater increase in ASS relative to ALT. Patients with abnormal liver test results had very high ASS compared to controls. ASS appeared to increase early in some patients, and declined rapidly in all. Conclusions : ASS may be a useful biomarker of acute cell death in APAP hepatotoxicity. PMID:24597531

  19. Adverse effects of analgesics commonly used by older adults with osteoarthritis: focus on non-opioid and opioid analgesics.

    PubMed

    O'Neil, Christine K; Hanlon, Joseph T; Marcum, Zachary A

    2012-12-01

    Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common cause of disability in older adults, and although analgesic use can be helpful, it can also result in adverse drug events. To review the recent literature to describe potential adverse drug events associated with analgesics commonly used by older adults with OA. To identify articles for this review, a systematic search of the English-language literature from January 2001 to June 2012 was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, EBSCO, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for publications related to the medical management of OA. Search terms used were "analgesics," "acetaminophen," "nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs" (NSAIDs), "opioids," "pharmacokinetics," "pharmacodynamics," and "adverse drug events." The search was restricted to those articles that concerned humans aged ≥65 years. A manual search of the reference lists from identified articles and the authors' article files, book chapters, and recent reviews was conducted to identify additional articles. From these, the authors identified those studies that examined analgesic use in older adults. There are limited data to suggest that non-frail elders are more likely than their younger counterparts to develop acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. However, decreased hepatic phase II metabolism in frail elders may result in increased risk of hepatotoxicity. It is now well established that older adults are at higher risk of NSAID-induced gastrointestinal toxicity and renal insufficiency. Insofar as opioids, the data that suggest an increased risk of falls, fractures, or delirium need to be tempered by the potential risk of inadequately treating severe chronic OA-related pain. Acetaminophen is the mainstay frontline analgesic for treating OA-related pain in older adults. NSAIDs should be limited to short-term use only, and for moderate to severe OA-related pain, opioids may be preferable in individuals without substance abuse or dependence issues. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Raising awareness of new psychoactive substances: chemical analysis and in vitro toxicity screening of 'legal high' packages containing synthetic cathinones.

    PubMed

    Araújo, Ana Margarida; Valente, Maria João; Carvalho, Márcia; Dias da Silva, Diana; Gaspar, Helena; Carvalho, Félix; de Lourdes Bastos, Maria; Guedes de Pinho, Paula

    2015-05-01

    The world's status quo on recreational drugs has dramatically changed in recent years due to the rapid emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS), represented by new narcotic or psychotropic drugs, in pure form or in preparation, which are not controlled by international conventions, but that may pose a public health threat comparable with that posed by substances listed in these conventions. These NPS, also known as 'legal highs' or 'smart drugs', are typically sold via Internet or 'smartshops' as legal alternatives to controlled substances, being announced as 'bath salts' and 'plant feeders' and is often sought after for consumption especially among young people. Although NPS have the biased reputation of being safe, the vast majority has hitherto not been tested and several fatal cases have been reported, namely for synthetic cathinones, with pathological patterns comparable with amphetamines. Additionally, the unprecedented speed of appearance and distribution of the NPS worldwide brings technical difficulties in the development of analytical procedures and risk assessment in real time. In this study, 27 products commercialized as 'plant feeders' were chemically characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. It was also evaluated, for the first time, the in vitro hepatotoxic effects of individual synthetic cathinones, namely methylone, pentedrone, 4-methylethcathinone (4-MEC) and 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV). Two commercial mixtures ('Bloom' and 'Blow') containing mainly cathinone derivatives were also tested, and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) was used as the reference drug. The study allowed the identification of 19 compounds, showing that synthetic cathinones are the main active compounds present in these products. Qualitative and quantitative variability was found in products sold with the same trade name in matching or different 'smartshops'. In the toxicity studies performed in primary cultured rat hepatocytes, pentedrone and MDPV proved to be the most potent individual agents, with EC50 values of 0.664 and 0.742 mM, respectively, followed by MDMA (EC50 = 0.754 mM). 4-MEC and methylone were the least potent substances, with EC50 values significantly higher (1.29 and 1.18 mM, respectively; p < 0.05 vs. MDMA). 'Bloom' and 'Blow' showed hepatotoxic effects similar to MDMA (EC50 = 0.788 and 0.870 mM, respectively), with cathinones present in these mixtures contributing additively to the overall toxicological effect. Our results show a miscellany of psychoactive compounds present in 'legal high' products with evident hepatotoxic effects. These data contribute to increase the awareness on the real composition of 'legal high' packages and unveil the health risks posed by NPS.

  1. Economic Shocks and Children's Dropout from Primary School: Implications for Education Policy in Ethiopia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woldehanna, Tassew; Hagos, Adiam

    2015-01-01

    This paper investigates the impact of idiosyncratic and covariate economic shocks, on the likelihood of children dropping out of primary school. In this endeavour, an Accelerated Failure Time Hazard model was estimated using data from the Young Lives study of childhood poverty. The estimated results indicate that both idiosyncratic shocks and…

  2. Try to See It My Way: The Discursive Function of Idiosyncratic Mathematical Metaphor

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abrahamson, Dor; Gutierrez, Jose F.; Baddorf, Anna K.

    2012-01-01

    What are the nature, forms, and roles of metaphors in mathematics instruction? We present and closely analyze three examples of idiosyncratic metaphors produced during one-to-one tutorial clinical interviews with 11-year-old participants as they attempted to use unfamiliar artifacts and procedures to reason about realistic probability problems.…

  3. New Tacrines as Anti-Alzheimer's Disease Agents. The (Benzo)Chromeno- PyranoTacrines.

    PubMed

    Oset-Gasque, Maria Jesus; Marco-Contelles, Jose

    2017-01-01

    Tacrine was the first drug approved by FDA (US) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease suffering patients. Nowadays, this agent has been withdrawn from the clinics due to secondary effects, which, most importantly, include hepatotoxicity. However, the research on new tacrine analogues devoid of these therapeutically undesirable effects, but benefiting of their high and well known positive cholinergic power, has produced a number of new non-hepatotoxic tacrines. In this context, our laboratory has recently prepared a new set of heterocyclic tacrines by changing the benzene ring present in tacrine by appropriate heterocyclic motifs. Based on this approach, in this review we summarize the results that we have found in the ChromenoPyranoTacrines, one of the families of tacrine analogues. This highlights their pharmacological profile, such as their cholinesterase inhibition power, calcium channel blockade, antioxidant capacity, Aβ-anti-aggregating, and neuroprotective properties. As a result of this work we have identified permeable, neuroprotective MTD tacrines racemic hit-tacrines 11-amino-12-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-7,9,10,12-tetrahydro-8H-chromeno[2,3- b]quinolin-3-ol (6g) and 14-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-9,11,12,14-tetrahydro-10H-benzo[5,6] chromeno [2,3-b] quinolin-13-amine (7i),devoid of toxic effects and showing potent anti-cholinesterasic properties, that deserve attention and further development in order to find new, and more efficient drugs, for AD therapy. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  4. Influence of genetic variants on toxicity to anti-tubercular agents: a systematic review and meta-analysis (protocol).

    PubMed

    Richardson, Marty; Kirkham, Jamie; Dwan, Kerry; Sloan, Derek; Davies, Geraint; Jorgensen, Andrea

    2017-07-13

    Tuberculosis patients receiving anti-tuberculosis treatment may experience serious adverse drug reactions, such as hepatotoxicity. Genetic risk factors, such as polymorphisms of the NAT2, CYP2E1 and GSTM1 genes, may increase the risk of experiencing such toxicity events. Many pharmacogenetic studies have investigated the association between genetic variants and anti-tuberculosis drug-related toxicity events, and several meta-analyses have synthesised data from these studies, although conclusions from these meta-analyses are conflicting. Many meta-analyses also have serious methodological limitations, such as applying restrictive inclusion criteria, or not assessing the quality of included studies. Most also only consider hepatotoxicity outcomes and specific genetic variants. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to give a comprehensive evaluation of the evidence base for associations between any genetic variant and anti-tuberculosis drug-related toxicity. We will search for studies in MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS and Web of Science. We will also hand search reference lists from relevant studies and contact experts in the field. We will include cohort studies, case-control studies and randomised controlled trials that recruited patients with tuberculosis who were either already established on anti-tuberculosis treatment or were commencing treatment and who were genotyped to investigate the effect of genetic variants on any anti-tuberculosis drug-related toxicity outcome. One author will screen abstracts to identify potentially relevant studies and will then obtain the full text for each potentially relevant study in order to assess eligibility. At each of these stages, a second author will independently screen/assess 10% of studies. Two authors will independently extract data and assess the quality of studies using a pre-piloted data extraction form. If appropriate, we will pool estimates of effect for each genotype on each outcome using meta-analyses stratified by ethnicity. Our review and meta-analysis will update and add to the existing research in this field. By not restricting the scope of the review to a specific drug, genetic variant, or toxicity outcome, we hope to synthesise data for associations between genetic variants and anti-tuberculosis drug-related toxicity outcomes that have previously not been summarised in systematic reviews, and consequently, add to the knowledge base of the pharmacogenetics of anti-tuberculosis drugs. PROSPERO CRD42017068448.

  5. Allopurinol Use During Maintenance Therapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Avoids Mercaptopurine-related Hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Giamanco, Nicole M; Cunningham, Bethany S; Klein, Laura S; Parekh, Dina S; Warwick, Anne B; Lieuw, Kenneth

    2016-03-01

    6-Mercaptopurine (6-MP) is the mainstay of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma. It is metabolized into the pharmacologically active, 6-thioguanine nucleotide (6-TGN), and 6-methyl mercaptopurine nucleotides (6-MMPN), which is associated with hepatotoxicity that jeopardizes antileukemic therapy. Allopurinol alters the metabolism of 6-MP to increase 6-TGN levels and decreases 6-methyl mercaptopurine nucleotides levels. We report 2 cases in which combination therapy of allopurinol with 6-MP was used successfully to avoid hepatotoxicity while delivering adequate 6-TGN levels. We suggest that this combination therapy can be used safely to change the metabolite production in patients who develop excessive hepatotoxicity.

  6. A social ecology approach to understanding urban ecosystems and landscapes

    Treesearch

    J. Morgan Grove; Karen E. Hinson; Robert J. Northrop

    2003-01-01

    The shape and dynamics of cities are the result of physical, biological, and social forces. We include the term dynamic to emphasize that cities change over time and are the result of both idiosyncratic events and dominant trends. To begin to understand the patterns and processes of cities, we approach the idiosyncratic and dominant - whether it is physical, biological...

  7. Brief Report: Simulations Suggest Heterogeneous Category Learning and Generalization in Children with Autism Is a Result of Idiosyncratic Perceptual Transformations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mercado, Eduardo, III; Church, Barbara A.

    2016-01-01

    Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) sometimes have difficulties learning categories. Past computational work suggests that such deficits may result from atypical representations in cortical maps. Here we use neural networks to show that idiosyncratic transformations of inputs can result in the formation of feature maps that impair…

  8. The Impact of Precaution and Practice on the Performance of a Risky Motor Task

    PubMed Central

    Keren, Hila; Boyer, Pascal; Mort, Joel; Eilam, David

    2013-01-01

    The association between threat perception and motor execution, mediated by evolved precaution systems, often results in ritual-like behavior, including many idiosyncratic acts that seem irrelevant to the task at hand. This study tested the hypothesis that threat-detection during performance of a risky motor task would result in idiosyncratic activity that is not necessary for task completion. We asked biology students to follow a particular set of instructions in mixing three solutions labeled “bio-hazardous” and then repeat this operation with “non-hazardous” substances (or vice versa). We observed a longer duration of the overall performance, a greater repertoire of acts, longer maximal act duration, and longer mean duration of acts in the “risky” task when it was performed before the “non-risky” task. Some, but not all, of these differences were eliminated when a “non-risky” task preceded the “risky” one. The increased performance of idiosyncratic unnecessary activity is in accordance with the working hypothesis of the present study: ritualized idiosyncratic activities are performed in response to a real or illusionary threat, as a means to alleviate anxiety. PMID:25379241

  9. The cognitive roles of behavioral variability: idiosyncratic acts as the foundation of identity and as transitional, preparatory, and confirmatory phases.

    PubMed

    Eilam, David

    2015-02-01

    Behavior in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), in habitual daily tasks, and in sport and cultural rituals is deconstructed into elemental acts and categorized into common acts, performed by all individuals completing a similar task, and idiosyncratic acts, not performed by all individuals. Never skipped, common acts establish the pragmatic part of motor tasks. Repetitive performance of a few common acts renders rituals a rigid form, whereby common acts may serve as memes for cultural transmission. While idiosyncratic acts are not pragmatically necessary for task completion, they fulfill important cognitive roles. They form a long preparatory phase in tasks that involve high stakes, and a long confirmatory phase in OCD rituals. Idiosyncratic acts also form transitional phases between motor tasks, and are involved in establishing identity and preserving the flexibility necessary for adapting to varying circumstances. Behavioral variability, as manifested in idiosyncrasy, thus does not seem to be a noise or by-product of motor activity, but an essential cognitive component that has been preserved in the evolution of behavioral patterns, similar to the genetic variability in biology. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Cognitive world: Neuropsychology of individual differences.

    PubMed

    Ardila, Alfredo; Rosselli, Monica

    2018-01-01

    It is proposed that depending upon the specific pattern of cognitive abilities, each individual lives in an idiosyncratic "cognitive world." Brain pathology can be associated with some disturbed abilities, and frequently experiential changes (i.e., how the world is understood) are observed. Because these patients often are aware of their intellectual changes, they may represent excellent models to illustrate the diversity of cognitive interpretations an individual can have about the surrounding environmental conditions. Four neuropsychology cases are presented to illustrate this point: (a) prosopagnosia associated with spatial agnosia; (b) Gerstmann's syndrome; (c) dysexecutive syndrome due to a head injury; and, (d) patient with Capgras' syndrome associated with a left temporal cyst. It is further emphasized that non-brain damaged people present an enormous-but usually overlooked-dispersion in different cognitive domains, resulting in specific and idiosyncratic patterns of cognitive abilities. It is concluded that the concept of "cognitive world" in neuropsychology can parallel the concept of "perceptual world" introduced by von Uexküll in biology, which assumes that different animal species live in idiosyncratic perceptual worlds, available and knowable by the differences in their sensory system abilities. That is, different individuals live in idiosyncratic cognitive worlds, owing to their differences in cognitive abilities.

  11. Methoxyflurane enhances allyl alcohol hepatotoxicity in rats. Possible involvement of increased acrolein formation.

    PubMed

    Kershaw, W C; Barsotti, D A; Leonard, T B; Dent, J G; Lage, G L

    1989-01-01

    The effect of methoxyflurane anesthesia on allyl alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity and the metabolism of allyl alcohol was studied in male rats. Hepatotoxicity was assessed by the measurement of serum alanine aminotransferase activity and histopathological examination. Allyl alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity was enhanced when allyl alcohol (32 mg/kg) was administered 4 hr before or up to 8 days after a single 10-min exposure to methoxyflurane vapors. The possibility that methoxyflurane increases alcohol dehydrogenase-dependent oxidation of allyl alcohol to acrolein, the proposed toxic metabolite, was evaluated by measuring the rate of acrolein formation in the presence of allyl alcohol and liver cytosol. The effect of methoxyflurane on alcohol dehydrogenase activity in liver cytosol was also assessed by measuring the rate of NAD+ utilization in the presence of ethyl alcohol or allyl alcohol. Alcohol dehydrogenase activity and rate of acrolein formation were elevated in methoxyflurane-pretreated rats. The results suggest that a modest increase in alcohol dehydrogenase activity and rate of acrolein formation markedly enhances allyl alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity.

  12. Hepatotoxicity associated with choline magnesium trisalicylate: case report and review of salicylate-induced hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Cersosimo, R J; Matthews, S J

    1987-01-01

    A case of a 21-year-old woman who had developed mild hepatotoxicity while receiving choline magnesium trisalicylate therapy is described. She presented with fever and mild hepatic enzyme elevations before salicylate therapy was instituted. Liver function tests (LFT) returned to normal within five days of hospitalization but she continued to develop daily fevers. Blood, urine, and throat cultures were negative. An acute viral illness or reactivation of systemic lupus erythematosus were the suspected diagnoses. Choline magnesium trisalicylate was then administered in an effort to control her fever, and was successful. After three days of salicylate therapy her LFT values began to rise. They continued to rise for five more days before salicylate hepatotoxicity was suspected. Choline magnesium trisalicylate was discontinued after eight days and the patient's LFT quickly returned to normal. The source of fever was never identified, although infection with cytomegalovirus was considered the most likely cause. Salicylate-induced hepatotoxicity is reviewed.

  13. Comparison of the inhibitory effects of tolcapone and entacapone against human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lv, Xia

    2016-06-15

    Tolcapone and entacapone are two potent catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors with a similar skeleton and displaying similar pharmacological activities. However, entacapone is a very safe drug used widely in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, while tolcapone is only in limited use for Parkinson's patients and needs careful monitoring of hepatic functions due to hepatotoxicity. This study aims to investigate and compare the inhibitory effects of entacapone and tolcapone on human UDP-glucosyltransferases (UGTs), as well as to evaluate the potential risks from the view of drug-drug interactions (DDI). The results demonstrated that both tolcapone and entacapone exhibited inhibitory effects on UGT1A1, UGT1A7,more » UGT1A9 and UGT1A10. In contrast to entacapone, tolcapone exhibited more potent inhibitory effects on UGT1A1, UGT1A7, and UGT1A10, while their inhibitory potentials against UGT1A9 were comparable. It is noteworthy that the inhibition constants (K{sub i}) of tolcapone and entacapone against bilirubin-O-glucuronidation in human liver microsomes (HLM) are determined as 0.68 μM and 30.82 μM, respectively, which means that the inhibition potency of tolcapone on UGT1A1 mediated bilirubin-O-glucuronidation in HLM is much higher than that of entacapone. Furthermore, the potential risks of tolcapone or entacapone via inhibition of human UGT1A1 were quantitatively predicted by the ratio of the areas under the plasma drug concentration-time curve (AUC). The results indicate that tolcapone may result in significant increase in AUC of bilirubin or the drugs primarily metabolized by UGT1A1, while entacapone is unlikely to cause a significant DDI through inhibition of UGT1A1. - Highlights: • Tolcapone and entacapone exhibited preferential inhibition against UGT1A enzymes. • In contrast to entacapone, tolcapone exhibited more potent inhibitory effects on human UGT1A1, 1 A7 and 1 A10. • Tolcapone may lead to significant increase in AUC of bilirubin. • This study provided new insights into the underlying mechanisms of tolcapone induced hepatotoxicity.« less

  14. Toxicogenomic analysis identifies the apoptotic pathway as the main cause of hepatotoxicity induced by tributyltin.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Mi; Feng, Mei; Fu, Ling-Ling; Ji, Lin-Dan; Zhao, Jin-Shun; Xu, Jin

    2016-11-01

    Tributyltin (TBT) is one of the most widely used organotin biocides, which has severe endocrine-disrupting effects on marine species and mammals. Given that TBT accumulates at higher levels in the liver than in any other organ, and it acts mainly as a hepatotoxic agent, it is important to clearly delineate the hepatotoxicity of TBT. However, most of the available studies on TBT have focused on observations at the cellular level, while studies at the level of genes and proteins are limited; therefore, the molecular mechanisms of TBT-induced hepatotoxicity remains largely unclear. In the present study, we applied a toxicogenomic approach to investigate the effects of TBT on gene expression in the human normal liver cell line HL7702. Gene expression profiling identified the apoptotic pathway as the major cause of hepatotoxicity induced by TBT. Flow cytometry assays confirmed that medium- and high-dose TBT treatments significantly increased the number of apoptotic cells, and more cells underwent late apoptosis in the high-dose TBT group. The genes encoding heat shock proteins (HSPs), kinases and tumor necrosis factor receptors mediated TBT-induced apoptosis. These findings revealed novel molecular mechanisms of TBT-induced hepatotoxicity, and the current microarray data may also provide clues for future studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Neonicotinoid formaldehyde generators: possible mechanism of mouse-specific hepatotoxicity/hepatocarcinogenicity of thiamethoxam.

    PubMed

    Swenson, Tami L; Casida, John E

    2013-02-04

    Thiamethoxam (TMX), an important insecticide, is hepatotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic in mice but not rats. Studies of Syngenta Central Toxicology Laboratory on species specificity in metabolism established that TMX is a much better substrate for mouse liver microsomal CYPs than the corresponding rat or human enzymes in forming desmethyl-TMX (dm-TMX), which is also hepatotoxic, and clothianidin (CLO), which is not hepatotoxic or hepatocarcinogenic. They proposed that TMX hepatotoxicity/hepatocarcinogencity is due to dm-TMX and a further metabolite desmethyl-CLO (dm-CLO) (structurally analogous to a standard inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) acting synergistically. The present study considers formation of formaldehyde (HCHO) and N-methylol intermediates as an alternative mechanism of TMX hepatotoxicity/hepatocarcinogenicity. Comparison of neonicotinoid metabolism by mouse, rat and human microsomes with NADPH showed two important points. First, TMX and dm-TMX yield more HCHO than any other commercial neonicotinoid. Second, mouse microsomes give much higher conversion than rat or human microsomes. These observations provide an alternative hypothesis of HCHO and N-methylol intermediates from CYP-mediated oxidative oxadiazinane ring cleavage as the bioactivated hepatotoxicants. However, the proposed mono-N-methylol CYP metabolites are not observed, possibly further reacting in situ. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Pervasive influence of idiosyncratic associative biases during facial emotion recognition.

    PubMed

    El Zein, Marwa; Wyart, Valentin; Grèzes, Julie

    2018-06-11

    Facial morphology has been shown to influence perceptual judgments of emotion in a way that is shared across human observers. Here we demonstrate that these shared associations between facial morphology and emotion coexist with strong variations unique to each human observer. Interestingly, a large part of these idiosyncratic associations does not vary on short time scales, emerging from stable inter-individual differences in the way facial morphological features influence emotion recognition. Computational modelling of decision-making and neural recordings of electrical brain activity revealed that both shared and idiosyncratic face-emotion associations operate through a common biasing mechanism rather than an increased sensitivity to face-associated emotions. Together, these findings emphasize the underestimated influence of idiosyncrasies on core social judgments and identify their neuro-computational signatures.

  17. Creating flexible work arrangements through idiosyncratic deals.

    PubMed

    Hornung, Severin; Rousseau, Denise M; Glaser, Jürgen

    2008-05-01

    A survey of 887 employees in a German government agency assessed the antecedents and consequences of idiosyncratic arrangements individual workers negotiated with their supervisors. Work arrangements promoting the individualization of employment conditions, such as part-time work and telecommuting, were positively related to the negotiation of idiosyncratic deals ("i-deals"). Worker personal initiative also had a positive effect on i-deal negotiation. Two types of i-deals were studied: flexibility in hours of work and developmental opportunities. Flexibility i-deals were negatively related and developmental i-deals positively related to work-family conflict and working unpaid overtime. Developmental i-deals were also positively related to increased performance expectations and affective organizational commitment, while flexibility i-deals were unrelated to either. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

  18. Brief Report: Simulations Suggest Heterogeneous Category Learning and Generalization in Children with Autism is a Result of Idiosyncratic Perceptual Transformations.

    PubMed

    Mercado, Eduardo; Church, Barbara A

    2016-08-01

    Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) sometimes have difficulties learning categories. Past computational work suggests that such deficits may result from atypical representations in cortical maps. Here we use neural networks to show that idiosyncratic transformations of inputs can result in the formation of feature maps that impair category learning for some inputs, but not for other closely related inputs. These simulations suggest that large inter- and intra-individual variations in learning capacities shown by children with ASD across similar categorization tasks may similarly result from idiosyncratic perceptual encoding that is resistant to experience-dependent changes. If so, then both feedback- and exposure-based category learning should lead to heterogeneous, stimulus-dependent deficits in children with ASD.

  19. Causal judgment from contingency information: relation between subjective reports and individual tendencies in judgment.

    PubMed

    White, P A

    2000-04-01

    In two experiments, participants made causal judgments from contingency information for problems with different objective contingencies. After the judgment task, the participants reported how their judgments had changed following each type of contingency information. Some reported idiosyncratic tendencies--in other words, tendencies contrary to those expected under associative-learning and normative rule induction models of contingency judgment. These idiosyncratic reports tended to be better predictors of the judgments of those who made them than did the models. The results are consistent with the view that causal judgment from contingency information is made, at least in part, by deliberative use of acquired and sometimes idiosyncratic notions of evidential value, the outcomes of which tend, in aggregate, to be highly correlated with the outcomes of normative procedures.

  20. Early prediction of thiopurine-induced hepatotoxicity in inflammatory bowel disease.

    PubMed

    Wong, D R; Coenen, M J H; Derijks, L J J; Vermeulen, S H; van Marrewijk, C J; Klungel, O H; Scheffer, H; Franke, B; Guchelaar, H-J; de Jong, D J; Engels, L G J B; Verbeek, A L M; Hooymans, P M

    2017-02-01

    Hepatotoxicity, gastrointestinal complaints and general malaise are common limiting adverse reactions of azathioprine and mercaptopurine in IBD patients, often related to high steady-state 6-methylmercaptopurine ribonucleotide (6-MMPR) metabolite concentrations. To determine the predictive value of 6-MMPR concentrations 1 week after treatment initiation (T1) for the development of these adverse reactions, especially hepatotoxicity, during the first 20 weeks of treatment. The cohort study consisted of the first 270 IBD patients starting thiopurine treatment as part of the Dutch randomised-controlled trial evaluating pre-treatment thiopurine S-methyltransferase genotype testing (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00521950). Blood samples for metabolite assessment were collected at T1. Hepatotoxicity was defined by alanine aminotransaminase elevations >2 times the upper normal limit or a ratio of alanine aminotransaminase/alkaline phosphatase ≥5. Forty-seven patients (17%) presented hepatotoxicity during the first 20 weeks of thiopurine treatment. A T1 6-MMPR threshold of 3615 pmol/8 × 10 8 erythrocytes was defined. Analysis of patients on stable thiopurine dose (n = 174) showed that those exceeding the 6-MMPR threshold were at increased risk of hepatotoxicity: OR = 3.8 (95% CI: 1.8-8.0). Age, male gender and BMI were significant determinants. A predictive algorithm was developed based on these determinants and the 6-MMPR threshold to assess hepatotoxicity risk [AUC = 0.83 (95% CI: 0.75-0.91)]. 6-MMPR concentrations above the threshold also correlated with gastrointestinal complaints: OR = 2.4 (95% CI: 1.4-4.3), and general malaise: OR = 2.0 (95% CI: 1.1-3.7). In more than 80% of patients, thiopurine-induced hepatotoxicity could be explained by elevated T1 6-MMPR concentrations and the independent risk factors age, gender and BMI, allowing personalised thiopurine treatment in IBD to prevent early failure. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Pyogranulomatous mural folliculitis in a cat treated with methimazole.

    PubMed

    Castro López, Jorge; Lloret, Albert; Ravera, Ivan; Nadal, Aina; Ferrer, Lluís; Bardagí, Mar

    2014-06-01

    An 11-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat was presented for polydipsia, hyperactivity and bilateral thyroid gland enlargement. Total T4 (TT4) was in the upper interval range; therefore, an early hyperthyroidism was suspected. A treatment trial with methimazole was started, as the owner refused further tests. Six months later the owner stopped the treatment. One year later, clinical signs persisted and TT4 was still in the upper interval range. Methimazole was re-introduced but 48 h later the cat presented non-pruritic alopecia with erythema, scales and perilesional yellowish crusts. Pyogranulomatous mural folliculitis was diagnosed by histopatological examination of the skin biopsies. Methimazole was withdrawn and macroscopic lesions healed and disappeared histologically in 15 days. An idiosyncratic drug reaction to methimazole was suspected. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of feline pyogranulomatous mural folliculitis likely secondary to an adverse drug reaction to methimazole administration. © ISFM and AAFP 2013.

  2. Effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory meloxicam on stomach, kidney, and liver of rats.

    PubMed

    Burukoglu, Dilek; Baycu, Cengiz; Taplamacioglu, Fulya; Sahin, Erhan; Bektur, Ezgi

    2016-06-01

    Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAI) drugs are the most commonly used group of drugs today. Increase in the use of standard NSAI for treating pain and inflammation was restricted by the fact that these drugs were proven to possibly cause gastrointestinal and renal toxicity. Meloxicam is a NSAI that has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic effects. This study aims to investigate the effects of meloxicam on stomach, kidney, and liver of rats under light microscopy level. Based on the light microscopic observations, mononuclear cell infiltration and pseudolobular formation was established in liver samples of animals in the experimental group. Metaplasia in surface and glandular epithelia and atrophy were observed in stomach samples. Glomerular stasis-related hypertrophy and focal interstitial nephritis were found in kidneys. It was concluded in this study that meloxicam might cause hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and gastric metaplasia in rats at a used dose and duration. © The Author(s) 2014.

  3. Evaluation of drug-induced tissue injury by measuring alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity in silkworm hemolymph

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Our previous studies suggest silkworms can be used as model animals instead of mammals in pharmacologic studies to develop novel therapeutic medicines. We examined the usefulness of the silkworm larvae Bombyx mori as an animal model for evaluating tissue injury induced by various cytotoxic drugs. Drugs that induce hepatotoxic effects in mammals were injected into the silkworm hemocoel, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity was measured in the hemolymph 1 day later. Results Injection of CCl4 into the hemocoel led to an increase in ALT activity. The increase in ALT activity was attenuated by pretreatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine. Injection of benzoic acid derivatives, ferric sulfate, sodium valproate, tetracycline, amiodarone hydrochloride, methyldopa, ketoconazole, pemoline (Betanamin), N-nitroso-fenfluramine, and D-galactosamine also increased ALT activity. Conclusions These findings indicate that silkworms are useful for evaluating the effects of chemicals that induce tissue injury in mammals. PMID:23137391

  4. Unraveling cellular pathways contributing to drug-induced liver injury by dynamical modeling.

    PubMed

    Kuijper, Isoude A; Yang, Huan; Van De Water, Bob; Beltman, Joost B

    2017-01-01

    Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a significant threat to human health and a major problem in drug development. It is hard to predict due to its idiosyncratic nature and which does not show up in animal trials. Hepatic adaptive stress response pathway activation is generally observed in drug-induced liver injury. Dynamical pathway modeling has the potential to foresee adverse effects of drugs before they go in trial. Ordinary differential equation modeling can offer mechanistic insight, and allows us to study the dynamical behavior of stress pathways involved in DILI. Areas covered: This review provides an overview on the progress of the dynamical modeling of stress and death pathways pertinent to DILI, i.e. pathways relevant for oxidative stress, inflammatory stress, DNA damage, unfolded proteins, heat shock and apoptosis. We also discuss the required steps for applying such modeling to the liver. Expert opinion: Despite the strong progress made since the turn of the century, models of stress pathways have only rarely been specifically applied to describe pathway dynamics for DILI. We argue that with minor changes, in some cases only to parameter values, many of these models can be repurposed for application in DILI research. Combining both dynamical models with in vitro testing might offer novel screening methods for the harmful side-effects of drugs.

  5. Investigation of the Hepatotoxic and Immunotoxic Effects of the Peroxisome Proliferator Perfluorodecanoic Acid

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-04-30

    np. A #127 6Investigation of the Hepatotoxic and OHIO Immunotoxic Effects of the Peroxisome AJE Proliferator Perfluorodecanoic Acid Donald E. Frazier...Investigation of the Hepatotoxic and Immunotoxic Effects G-AFOSR 90-0371 of the Peroxisome Proliferator Perfluorodecanoic Acid TA - 2312/A5 L AUTMOS) Donald E...involved evaluation of the immunotoxic and toxic effects of perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA). Eight day exposure to PFDA caused thymic atrophy with marked

  6. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Benzochromenopyrimidinones as Cholinesterase Inhibitors and Potent Antioxidant, Non-Hepatotoxic Agents for Alzheimer's Disease.

    PubMed

    Dgachi, Youssef; Bautista-Aguilera, Oscar M; Benchekroun, Mohamed; Martin, Hélène; Bonet, Alexandre; Knez, Damijan; Godyń, Justyna; Malawska, Barbara; Gobec, Stanislav; Chioua, Mourad; Janockova, Jana; Soukup, Ondrej; Chabchoub, Fakher; Marco-Contelles, José; Ismaili, Lhassane

    2016-05-14

    We report herein the straightforward two-step synthesis and biological assessment of novel racemic benzochromenopyrimidinones as non-hepatotoxic, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors with antioxidative properties. Among them, compound 3Bb displayed a mixed-type inhibition of human acetylcholinesterase (IC50 = 1.28 ± 0.03 μM), good antioxidant activity, and also proved to be non-hepatotoxic on human HepG2 cell line.

  7. Propylthiouracil-Induced Acute Liver Failure: Role of Liver Transplantation

    PubMed Central

    Carrion, Andres F.; Czul, Frank; Arosemena, Leopoldo R.; Selvaggi, Gennaro; Garcia, Monica T.; Tekin, Akin; Tzakis, Andreas G.; Martin, Paul; Ghanta, Ravi K.

    2010-01-01

    Propylthiouracil- (PTU-) induced hepatotoxicity is rare but potentially lethal with a spectrum of liver injury ranging from asymptomatic elevation of transaminases to fulminant hepatic failure and death. We describe two cases of acute hepatic failure due to PTU that required liver transplantation. Differences in the clinical presentation, histological characteristics, and posttransplant management are described as well as alternative therapeutic options. Frequent monitoring for PTU-induced hepatic dysfunction is strongly advised because timely discontinuation of this drug and implementation of noninvasive therapeutic interventions may prevent progression to liver failure or even death. PMID:21234410

  8. Estimation of the binding modes with important human cytochrome P450 enzymes, drug interaction potential, pharmacokinetics, and hepatotoxicity of ginger components using molecular docking, computational, and pharmacokinetic modeling studies.

    PubMed

    Qiu, Jia-Xuan; Zhou, Zhi-Wei; He, Zhi-Xu; Zhang, Xueji; Zhou, Shu-Feng; Zhu, Shengrong

    2015-01-01

    Ginger is one of the most commonly used herbal medicines for the treatment of numerous ailments and improvement of body functions. It may be used in combination with prescribed drugs. The coadministration of ginger with therapeutic drugs raises a concern of potential deleterious drug interactions via the modulation of the expression and/or activity of drug-metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters, resulting in unfavorable therapeutic outcomes. This study aimed to determine the molecular interactions between 12 main active ginger components (6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, 10-gingerol, 6-shogaol, 8-shogaol, 10-shogaol, ar-curcumene, β-bisabolene, β-sesquiphelandrene, 6-gingerdione, (-)-zingiberene, and methyl-6-isogingerol) and human cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, and 3A4 and to predict the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) of the 12 ginger components using computational approaches and comprehensive literature search. Docking studies showed that ginger components interacted with a panel of amino acids in the active sites of CYP1A2, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, and 3A4 mainly through hydrogen bond formation, to a lesser extent, via π-π stacking. The pharmacokinetic simulation studies showed that the [I]/[Ki ] value for CYP2C9, 2C19, and 3A4 ranged from 0.0002 to 19.6 and the R value ranged from 1.0002 to 20.6 and that ginger might exhibit a high risk of drug interaction via inhibition of the activity of human CYP2C9 and CYP3A4, but a low risk of drug interaction toward CYP2C19-mediated drug metabolism. Furthermore, it has been evaluated that the 12 ginger components possessed a favorable ADMET profiles with regard to the solubility, absorption, permeability across the blood-brain barrier, interactions with CYP2D6, hepatotoxicity, and plasma protein binding. The validation results showed that there was no remarkable effect of ginger on the metabolism of warfarin in humans, whereas concurrent use of ginger and nifedipine exhibited a synergistic effect on platelet aggregation in humans. Moreover, ginger components showed a rapid half-life and no to low toxicity in humans. Taken together, this study shows that ginger components may regulate the activity and expression of various human CYPs, probably resulting in alterations in drug clearance and response. More studies are warranted to identify and confirm potential ginger-drug interactions and explore possible interactions of ginger with human CYPs and other functionally important proteins, to reduce and avoid side effects induced by unfavorable ginger-drug interactions.

  9. Estimation of the binding modes with important human cytochrome P450 enzymes, drug interaction potential, pharmacokinetics, and hepatotoxicity of ginger components using molecular docking, computational, and pharmacokinetic modeling studies

    PubMed Central

    Qiu, Jia-Xuan; Zhou, Zhi-Wei; He, Zhi-Xu; Zhang, Xueji; Zhou, Shu-Feng; Zhu, Shengrong

    2015-01-01

    Ginger is one of the most commonly used herbal medicines for the treatment of numerous ailments and improvement of body functions. It may be used in combination with prescribed drugs. The coadministration of ginger with therapeutic drugs raises a concern of potential deleterious drug interactions via the modulation of the expression and/or activity of drug-metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters, resulting in unfavorable therapeutic outcomes. This study aimed to determine the molecular interactions between 12 main active ginger components (6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, 10-gingerol, 6-shogaol, 8-shogaol, 10-shogaol, ar-curcumene, β-bisabolene, β-sesquiphelandrene, 6-gingerdione, (−)-zingiberene, and methyl-6-isogingerol) and human cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, and 3A4 and to predict the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) of the 12 ginger components using computational approaches and comprehensive literature search. Docking studies showed that ginger components interacted with a panel of amino acids in the active sites of CYP1A2, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, and 3A4 mainly through hydrogen bond formation, to a lesser extent, via π–π stacking. The pharmacokinetic simulation studies showed that the [I]/[Ki] value for CYP2C9, 2C19, and 3A4 ranged from 0.0002 to 19.6 and the R value ranged from 1.0002 to 20.6 and that ginger might exhibit a high risk of drug interaction via inhibition of the activity of human CYP2C9 and CYP3A4, but a low risk of drug interaction toward CYP2C19-mediated drug metabolism. Furthermore, it has been evaluated that the 12 ginger components possessed a favorable ADMET profiles with regard to the solubility, absorption, permeability across the blood–brain barrier, interactions with CYP2D6, hepatotoxicity, and plasma protein binding. The validation results showed that there was no remarkable effect of ginger on the metabolism of warfarin in humans, whereas concurrent use of ginger and nifedipine exhibited a synergistic effect on platelet aggregation in humans. Moreover, ginger components showed a rapid half-life and no to low toxicity in humans. Taken together, this study shows that ginger components may regulate the activity and expression of various human CYPs, probably resulting in alterations in drug clearance and response. More studies are warranted to identify and confirm potential ginger–drug interactions and explore possible interactions of ginger with human CYPs and other functionally important proteins, to reduce and avoid side effects induced by unfavorable ginger–drug interactions. PMID:25733806

  10. Optimizing 6-mercaptopurine and azathioprine therapy in the management of inflammatory bowel disease

    PubMed Central

    Bradford, Kara; Shih, David Q

    2011-01-01

    The thiopurine drugs, 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and azathioprine, are efficacious in the arsenal of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapy. Previous reports indicate that 6-thioguanine nucleotide (6-TGN) levels correlate with therapeutic efficacy, whereas high 6-methylmercaptopurine (6-MMP) levels are associated with hepatotoxicity and myelotoxicity. Due to their complex metabolism, there is wide individual variation in patient response therein, both in achieving therapeutic drug levels as well as in developing adverse reactions. Several strategies to optimize 6-TGN while minimizing 6-MMP levels have been adopted to administer the thiopurine class of drugs to patients who otherwise would not tolerate these drugs due to side-effects. In this report, we will review different approaches to administer the thiopurine medications, including the administration of 6-mercaptopurine in those unsuccessfully treated with azathioprine; co-administration of thiopurine with allopurinol; co-administration of thiopurine with anti-tumor necrosis factor α; 6-TGN administration; desensitization trials; and split dosing of 6-MP. PMID:22072847

  11. Systems pharmacology modeling of drug‐induced hyperbilirubinemia: Differentiating hepatotoxicity and inhibition of enzymes/transporters

    PubMed Central

    Battista, C; Woodhead, JL; Stahl, SH; Mettetal, JT; Watkins, PB; Siler, SQ; Howell, BA

    2017-01-01

    Elevations in serum bilirubin during drug treatment may indicate global liver dysfunction and a high risk of liver failure. However, drugs also can increase serum bilirubin in the absence of hepatic injury by inhibiting specific enzymes/transporters. We constructed a mechanistic model of bilirubin disposition based on known functional polymorphisms in bilirubin metabolism/transport. Using physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model‐predicted drug exposure and enzyme/transporter inhibition constants determined in vitro, our model correctly predicted indinavir‐mediated hyperbilirubinemia in humans and rats. Nelfinavir was predicted not to cause hyperbilirubinemia, consistent with clinical observations. We next examined a new drug candidate that caused both elevations in serum bilirubin and biochemical evidence of liver injury in rats. Simulations suggest that bilirubin elevation primarily resulted from inhibition of transporters rather than global liver dysfunction. We conclude that mechanistic modeling of bilirubin can help elucidate underlying mechanisms of drug‐induced hyperbilirubinemia, and thereby distinguish benign from clinically important elevations in serum bilirubin. PMID:28074467

  12. Optimizing 6-mercaptopurine and azathioprine therapy in the management of inflammatory bowel disease.

    PubMed

    Bradford, Kara; Shih, David Q

    2011-10-07

    The thiopurine drugs, 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and azathioprine, are efficacious in the arsenal of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapy. Previous reports indicate that 6-thioguanine nucleotide (6-TGN) levels correlate with therapeutic efficacy, whereas high 6-methylmercaptopurine (6-MMP) levels are associated with hepatotoxicity and myelotoxicity. Due to their complex metabolism, there is wide individual variation in patient response therein, both in achieving therapeutic drug levels as well as in developing adverse reactions. Several strategies to optimize 6-TGN while minimizing 6-MMP levels have been adopted to administer the thiopurine class of drugs to patients who otherwise would not tolerate these drugs due to side-effects. In this report, we will review different approaches to administer the thiopurine medications, including the administration of 6-mercaptopurine in those unsuccessfully treated with azathioprine; co-administration of thiopurine with allopurinol; co-administration of thiopurine with anti-tumor necrosis factor α; 6-TGN administration; desensitization trials; and split dosing of 6-MP.

  13. Combining Chimeric Mice with Humanized Liver, Mass Spectrometry, and Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling in Toxicology.

    PubMed

    Yamazaki, Hiroshi; Suemizu, Hiroshi; Mitsui, Marina; Shimizu, Makiko; Guengerich, F Peter

    2016-12-19

    Species differences exist in terms of drug oxidation activities, which are mediated mainly by cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes. To overcome the problem of species extrapolation, transchromosomic mice containing a human P450 3A cluster or chimeric mice transplanted with human hepatocytes have been introduced into the human toxicology research area. In this review, drug metabolism and disposition mediated by humanized livers in chimeric mice are summarized in terms of biliary/urinary excretions of phthalate and bisphenol A and plasma clearances of the human cocktail probe drugs caffeine, warfarin, omeprazole, metoprolol, and midazolam. Simulation of human plasma concentrations of the teratogen thalidomide and its human metabolites is possible with a simplified physiologically based pharmacokinetic model based on data obtained in chimeric mice, in accordance with reported clinical thalidomide concentrations. In addition, in vivo nonspecific hepatic protein binding parameters of metabolically activated 14 C-drug candidate and hepatotoxic medicines in humanized liver mice can be analyzed by accelerator mass spectrometry and are useful for predictions in humans.

  14. The role of Ntcp, Oatp2, Bsep and Mrp2 in liver injury induced by Dioscorea bulbifera L. and Diosbulbin B in mice.

    PubMed

    Qu, Xiao-Yu; Tao, Li-Na; Zhang, Si-Xi; Sun, Jing-Meng; Niu, Jun-Qi; Ding, Yan-Hua; Song, Yan-Qing

    2017-04-01

    Dioscorea bulbifera L. (DB) is a traditional Chinese herb used in thyroid disease and cancer. However, the clinical use of DB remains a challenge due to its hepatotoxicity, which is caused, in part, by the presence of Diosbulbin B (DIOB), a toxin commonly found in DB extracts. As abnormal expression of hepatobiliary transporters plays an important role in drug-induced liver injury, we assessed the hepatotoxicity induced by DB and DIOB, and explored their impacts on hepatobiliary transporter expression levels. Following liquid chromatography-tandem mass analysis of the DIOB content of DB extract, male ICR mice were randomly orally administered DB or DIOB for 14days. Liver injury was assessed by histopathological and biochemical analysis of liver fuction. The levels of transporter protein and mRNA were determined by western blotting and real-time PCR. Liver function and histopathological analysis indicated that both DB and DIOB could induce liver injury in mice, and that DIOB might be the primary toxic compound in DB. Moreover, down-regulation of Mrp2 blocked the excretion of bilirubin, glutathione disulfide, and bile acids, leading to the accumulation of toxic substrates in the liver and a redox imbalance. We identified down-regulated expression of Mrp2 as potential factors linked to increased serum bilirubin levels and decreased levels of glutathione in the liver and increased liver injury severity. In summary, our study indicates that down-regulation of Mrp2 represents the primary mechanism of DB- and DIOB-induced hepatotoxicity, and provides insight into novel therapies that could be used to prevent DB- and DIOB-mediated liver injury. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Phoenix dactylifera protects against oxidative stress and hepatic injury induced by paracetamol intoxication in rats.

    PubMed

    Salem, Gamal A; Shaban, Ahmed; Diab, Hussain A; Elsaghayer, Wesam A; Mjedib, Manal D; Hnesh, Aomassad M; Sahu, Ravi P

    2018-05-16

    The current studies were sought to determine effects of antioxidant potential of aqueous and methanolic extracts of Phoenix dactylifera leaves (PLAE and PLME) against the widely-used analgesic paracetamol (PCM) induced hepatotoxicity. Groups of rats were treated with or without PCM (1500 mg/kg), PLAE and PLME (300 mg/kg) and n-acetylcysteine (NAC, 50 mg/kg) followed by assessments of liver function tests, oxidative stress, antioxidant defenses, and hepatotoxicity. We observed that PCM significantly elevated serum liver markers, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), and bilirubin compared to control (untreated) group. These PCM-induced effects were associated with oxidative stress as demonstrated by increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced levels of hepatic antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Pretreatment of PLME decreased ALT and AST by 78.2% and tissue MDA by 54.1%, and increased hepatic GPx (3.5 folds), CAT (7 folds) and SOD (2.5 folds) compared to PCM group. These PLME-mediated effects were comparable to NAC pretreatment. Histological analysis demonstrates that PLME conserved hepatic tissues against lesions such as inflammation, centrilobular necrosis, and hemorrhages induced by PCM. In contrast, PLAE-mediated effects were less effective in reducing levels of liver function enzymes, oxidative stress, and liver histopathological profiles, and restoring antioxidant defenses against PCM-induced intoxication. These findings indicate that PLME exerts protective effects against PCM-induced hepatotoxicity via scavenging free radicals and restoring hepatic antioxidant enzymes. Thus, PLME and its bioactive components could further be evaluated for their pharmacological properties against drug-induced deleterious effects. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

  16. Oxidative Stress Alleviation by Sage Essential Oil in Co-amoxiclav induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats.

    PubMed

    El-Hosseiny, L S; Alqurashy, N N; Sheweita, S A

    2016-06-01

    Clinical studies have shown that several classes of antibiotics are evidenced in drug induced liver injury. The combination of amoxicillin with clavulanic acid is commonly cited in such cases. Accordingly, the present study investigated the potential hepatoprotective and in vivo antioxidant efficacy of sage essential oil in Co-amoxiclav induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Sage essential oil was hydrodistilled from the aerial parts of Salvia officinalis L. and its compositional analysis was characterized by Gas chromatography-Mass spectroscopy. Rats were treated singly or concomitantly with Co-amoxiclav and sage essential oil for a period of seven days. The major components of sage oil as identified by GC-MS were 1,8-cineole, β-pinene, camphor, β-caryophyllene, α-pinene and α-caryophyllene comprising 26.3%, 14.4%, 10.9%, 7.8%, 6% and 2.5% respectively. The in vivo exposure of rats to Co-amoxiclav resulted in hepatotoxicity biochemically evidenced by the significant elevation of serum AST, ALT, ALP, γ-GT, total bilirubin and histologically conveyed by hydropic, inflammatory and cholestatic changes in rats' liver. Oxidative stress mediated the hepatic injury as indicated by the significant escalation in lipid peroxidation, as well as, the significant depletion of both glutathione level and glutathione dependent enzymes' activities. The concomitant administration of sage essential oil with Co-amoxiclav exerted a hepatoprotective effect via inducing an in vivo antioxidant defense response eventually regressing, to some extent, the hepatoarchitectural changes induced by Co-amoxiclav. Results suggest that sage essential oil is a potential candidate for counteracting hepatic injury associating Co-amoxiclav and this effect is in part related to the complexity of its chemical composition.

  17. Protective effect of Selenium nanoparticle against cyclophosphamide induced hepatotoxicity and genotoxicity in Swiss albino mice.

    PubMed

    Bhattacharjee, Arin; Basu, Abhishek; Ghosh, Prosenjit; Biswas, Jaydip; Bhattacharya, Sudin

    2014-08-01

    Cyclophosphamide (CP) is the most commonly used chemotherapeutic drug for various types of cancer. However, its use causes severe cytotoxicity to normal cells in human. It is well known that the undesirable side effects are caused due to the formation of reactive oxygen species. Selenium is an essential micronutrient for both animals and humans and has antioxidant and membrane stabilizing property, but selenium is also toxic above certain level. Nano selenium has been well proved to be less toxic than inorganic selenium as well as certain organoselenium compounds. The objective of the study is to evaluate the protective role of Nano-Se against CP-induced hepatotoxicity and genotoxicity in Swiss albino mice. CP was administered intraperitoneally (25 mg/kg b.w.) and Nano-Se was given by oral gavages (2 mg Se/kg b.w.) in concomitant and pretreatment scheme. Intraperitoneal administration of CP induced hepatic damage as indicated by the serum marker enzymes aspartate and alanine transaminases and increased the malonaldehyde level, depleted the glutathione content and antioxidant enzyme activity (glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-s-transferase, superoxide dismutase and catalase), and induced DNA damage and chromosomal aberration. Oral administration of Nano-Se caused a significant reduction in malonaldehyde, ROS level and glutathione levels, restoration of antioxidant enzyme activity, reduction in chromosomal aberration in bone marrow, and DNA damage in lymphocytes and also in bone marrow. Moreover, the chemoprotective efficiency of Nano-Se against CP induced toxicity was confirmed by histopathological evaluation. The results support the protective effect of Nano-Se against CP-induced hepatotoxicity and genotoxicity. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  18. Oxidative Stress Alleviation by Sage Essential Oil in Co-amoxiclav induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

    PubMed Central

    El-Hosseiny, L. S.; Alqurashy, N. N.; Sheweita, S. A.

    2016-01-01

    Clinical studies have shown that several classes of antibiotics are evidenced in drug induced liver injury. The combination of amoxicillin with clavulanic acid is commonly cited in such cases. Accordingly, the present study investigated the potential hepatoprotective and in vivo antioxidant efficacy of sage essential oil in Co-amoxiclav induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Sage essential oil was hydrodistilled from the aerial parts of Salvia officinalis L. and its compositional analysis was characterized by Gas chromatography-Mass spectroscopy. Rats were treated singly or concomitantly with Co-amoxiclav and sage essential oil for a period of seven days. The major components of sage oil as identified by GC-MS were 1,8-cineole, β-pinene, camphor, β-caryophyllene, α-pinene and α-caryophyllene comprising 26.3%, 14.4%, 10.9%, 7.8%, 6% and 2.5% respectively. The in vivo exposure of rats to Co-amoxiclav resulted in hepatotoxicity biochemically evidenced by the significant elevation of serum AST, ALT, ALP, γ-GT, total bilirubin and histologically conveyed by hydropic, inflammatory and cholestatic changes in rats’ liver. Oxidative stress mediated the hepatic injury as indicated by the significant escalation in lipid peroxidation, as well as, the significant depletion of both glutathione level and glutathione dependent enzymes’ activities. The concomitant administration of sage essential oil with Co-amoxiclav exerted a hepatoprotective effect via inducing an in vivo antioxidant defense response eventually regressing, to some extent, the hepatoarchitectural changes induced by Co-amoxiclav. Results suggest that sage essential oil is a potential candidate for counteracting hepatic injury associating Co-amoxiclav and this effect is in part related to the complexity of its chemical composition. PMID:27493593

  19. The use of 99mTc-phytate for assessment the protective effect of vitamin E against hepatotoxicity induced by methotrexat in rat.

    PubMed

    Amirfakhrian, Hossein; Abedi, Seyed Mohammad; Sadeghi, Hossein; Azizi, Soheil; Hosseinimehr, Seyed Jalal

    2018-01-01

    In this study, we investigated the protective effect of vitamin E against methotrexate (MTX)-induced hepatotoxicity by quantitative liver 99mTc-phytate uptake and liver imaging and to compare its effect with histopathology in rat. Rats were divided into five groups as control, solvent, Vit E (100 mg/kg), MTX (20 mg/kg), Vit E + MTX and. Vit E was intraperitoneally administrated for 17 days before MTX injection and continued for 4 days. 99mTc-phytate was injected through the tail of rats after the drug administration. The percentage of the injected dose per gram of liver and spleen tissues (%ID/g) was calculated. Liver imaging was obtained with gamma camera. In other experiment, liver of treated rats were assessed for histopathology. 99mTc-phytate uptake per gram tissue of the livers as %ID/g in control, solvent, MTX, Vit E, Vit E + MTX and MTX groups were 8.99% ± 1.37, 8.53% ± 2.91, 8.65% ± 3.84, 3.22% ± 1.09 and 8.38% ± 2.68. Vit E administration with MTX resulted in a significant increasing in the level of %ID/g. Vit E treatment improved the shape of live in planner image. Histophatological examinations showed a protective effect of Vit E against MTX-induced hepatoxicity in rats. The results showed that Vit E significantly attenuates the MTX-induced hepatotoxicity in rats, and 99mTc-phytate uptake in liver as well as liver image to be acceptable techniques for assessment of liver and spleen damages and/or their tissues protective effects in animal model.

  20. Hepatitis B virus enhances cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity via a mechanism involving suppression of glucose-regulated protein of 78 Kda.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiaoxue; Zhang, Rui; Yang, HuiOu; Xiang, Qian; Jiang, Qing; He, Qi; Zhang, Ting; Chen, Chen; Zhu, Huifen; Wang, Qiang; Ning, Qin; Li, Yiwu; Lei, Ping; Shen, Guanxin

    2016-07-25

    Cisplatin is a classical platinum-based chemotherapeutic drug used in the treatment of many cancer types, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The application of cisplatin is significantly limited by its toxicity, which may be affected by various biological factors. Persistence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection leads to HCC development and may be associated with higher incidence of severe hepatitis during chemotherapy. However, whether HBV alters the susceptibility of hepatocytes to cisplatin remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that HBV transfection enhanced cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity via a mechanism involving suppression of glucose-regulated protein of 78 KDa (Grp78), a major stress-induced chaperone that localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum. Silencing Grp78 gene increased the susceptibility of HepG2 to cisplatin by activating caspase-3. Grp78 expression was down-regulated by HBV infection both in vitro and in liver tissues of patients. We compared the cisplatin sensitivity of hepatoma cells either expressing (HepG2.2.15 cells) or not expressing the entire Hepatitis B Virus genome (HepG2). HepG2.2.15 cells showed increased sensitivity to cisplatin and a higher apoptosis rate. Overexpression of Grp78 counteracted the increase of sensitivity of HepG2.215 cells to cisplatin. Furthermore, we found that HBV disrupted Grp78 synthesis in response to cisplatin stimulation, which may trigger severe and prolonged endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress that can induce cellular apoptosis. Our findings provide new information into the effect of HBV in the modulation of Grp78 expression, and, consequently on cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity during viral infection. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  1. Hepatotoxic constituents and toxicological mechanism of Xanthium strumarium L. fruits.

    PubMed

    Xue, Li-Ming; Zhang, Qiao-Yan; Han, Ping; Jiang, Yi-Ping; Yan, Rong-Di; Wang, Yang; Rahman, Khalid; Jia, Min; Han, Ting; Qin, Lu-Ping

    2014-03-14

    In the recent years, the international community has attached increasing importance to possible toxicity associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). And hepatotoxicity is one of the major concerns, a fundamental pathological process induced by toxicant. This paper is in an attempt to identify the hepatotoxic components in Xanthium strumarium L. fruits (XSF) and interpret the toxicological mechanism induced by XSF. XSF extract was prepared and seven characteristic components were isolated and identified in XSF water extracts. We evaluated their hepatotoxicity effect on cell proliferation and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in L-02 and BRL liver cell line. An integrated metabonomics study using high-resolution (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR) spectroscopy combined with multivariate statistical analysis was undertake to elucidate the hepatotoxicity mechanism induced in rats by XSF. The urine and serum metabolites were measured after treatment of rats with XSF (7.5, 15.0 and 30.0 g/kg/day) for 5 days. The results showed that atractyloside, carboxyatractyloside, 4'-desulphate-atractyloside and XSF induced significant cytotoxic effects in both L-02 and BRL liver cell lines, indicating that atractyloside, carboxyatractyloside, and 4'-desulphate-atractyloside were the toxic components of XSF. When rats were treated with XSF at 30.0 g/kg the hepatotoxicity was reflected in the changes observed in serum biochemical profiles and by the histopathological examination of the liver. The levels of VLDL/LDL, 3-HB, lactate, acetate, acetone and glutamate in serum were increased in this group, while d-glucose, choline and valine were decreased. The elevation in the levels of succinate, citrate, 2-oxo-glutamate, glycine, 3-HB, acetate, lactate, hippurate, dimethylglycine, methylamine, dimethylamine, phenylalanine and tryptophan was observed in urine, in contrast a reduction in the intensities of taurine, d-glucose, N-acetyl-glucoprotein and trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) was observed. The results demonstrate that the major hepatotoxicity constituents are atractyloside, carboxyatractyloside and 4'-desulphate-atractyloside, and the hepatotoxicity of XSF involves mitochondrial inability, fatty acid metabolism, and some amino acids metabolism. This integrated (1)H NMR -based metabolic profiling approach has been able to capture and probe the metabolic alterations associated with the onset and progression of hepatotoxicity induced by XSF, and permits a comprehensive understanding of systemic toxicity for phytochemicals and other types of xenobiotic agents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. First evidence of pyrrolizidine alkaloid N-oxide-induced hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome in humans.

    PubMed

    Yang, Mengbi; Ruan, Jianqing; Gao, Hong; Li, Na; Ma, Jiang; Xue, Junyi; Ye, Yang; Fu, Peter Pi-Cheng; Wang, Jiyao; Lin, Ge

    2017-12-01

    Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are among the most potent phytotoxins widely distributed in plant species around the world. PA is one of the major causes responsible for the development of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) and exerts hepatotoxicity via metabolic activation to form the reactive metabolites, which bind with cellular proteins to generate pyrrole-protein adducts, leading to hepatotoxicity. PA N-oxides coexist with their corresponding PAs in plants with varied quantities, sometimes even higher than that of PAs, but the toxicity of PA N-oxides remains unclear. The current study unequivocally identified PA N-oxides as the sole or predominant form of PAs in 18 Gynura segetum herbal samples ingested by patients with liver damage. For the first time, PA N-oxides were recorded to induce HSOS in human. PA N-oxide-induced hepatotoxicity was further confirmed on mice orally dosed of herbal extract containing 170 μmol PA N-oxides/kg/day, with its hepatotoxicity similar to but potency much lower than the corresponding PAs. Furthermore, toxicokinetic study after a single oral dose of senecionine N-oxide (55 μmol/kg) on rats revealed the toxic mechanism that PA N-oxides induced hepatotoxicity via their biotransformation to the corresponding PAs followed by the metabolic activation to form pyrrole-protein adducts. The remarkable differences in toxicokinetic profiles of PAs and PA N-oxides were found and attributed to their significantly different hepatotoxic potency. The findings of PA N-oxide-induced hepatotoxicity in humans and rodents suggested that the contents of both PAs and PA N-oxides present in herbs and foods should be regulated and controlled in use.

  3. Accuracy of the paracetamol-aminotransferase product to predict hepatotoxicity in paracetamol overdose treated with a 2-bag acetylcysteine regimen.

    PubMed

    Wong, Anselm; Sivilotti, Marco L A; Gunja, Naren; McNulty, Richard; Graudins, Andis

    2018-03-01

    Paracetamol concentration is a highly accurate risk predictor for hepatotoxicity following overdose with known time of ingestion. However, the paracetamol-aminotransferase multiplication product can be used as a risk predictor independent of timing or ingestion type. Validated in patients treated with the traditional, "three-bag" intravenous acetylcysteine regimen, we evaluated the accuracy of the multiplication product in paracetamol overdose treated with a two-bag acetylcysteine regimen. We examined consecutive patients treated with the two-bag regimen from five emergency departments over a two-year period. We assessed the predictive accuracy of initial multiplication product for the primary outcome of hepatotoxicity (peak alanine aminotransferase ≥1000IU/L), as well as for acute liver injury (ALI), defined peak alanine aminotransferase ≥2× baseline and above 50IU/L). Of 447 paracetamol overdoses treated with the two-bag acetylcysteine regimen, 32 (7%) developed hepatotoxicity and 73 (16%) ALI. The pre-specified cut-off points of 1500 mg/L × IU/L (sensitivity 100% [95% CI 82%, 100%], specificity 62% [56%, 67%]) and 10,000 mg/L × IU/L (sensitivity 70% [47%, 87%], specificity of 97% [95%, 99%]) were highly accurate for predicting hepatotoxicity. There were few cases of hepatotoxicity irrespective of the product when acetylcysteine was administered within eight hours of overdose, when the product was largely determined by a high paracetamol concentration but normal aminotransferase. The multiplication product accurately predicts hepatotoxicity when using a two-bag acetylcysteine regimen, especially in patients treated more than eight hours post-overdose. Further studies are needed to assess the product as a method to adjust for exposure severity when testing efficacy of modified acetylcysteine regimens.

  4. Alcohol effects on drug-nutrient interactions.

    PubMed

    Seitz, H K

    1985-01-01

    The interaction of ethanol with drugs and xenobiotics is complex because ethanol can affect any of the following steps; absorption, plasma protein binding, hepatic blood flow, distribution, hepatic uptake of drugs, and phase I and II hepatic metabolism. The ingestion of ethanol can lead to malabsorption of a variety of nutrients and can modify the absorption of various drugs. High concentrations of ethanol in conjunction with aspirin causes gastric mucosal damage. The principal effect of acute ethanol ingestion on drug metabolism is inhibition of microsomal drug metabolism. The synergistic effects of ethanol on central nervous system depressants can be explained by this mechanism. In contrast, chronic ethanol consumption increases mixed function oxidation and drug metabolism. The cross tolerance between ethanol and sedatives in chronic alcoholics may be due to this effect of alcohol. In addition, enhanced production of hepatotoxic products from certain drugs and xenobiotics and an increased activation of procarcinogens to carcinogens can result from this microsomal induction. The increased susceptibility to hepatotoxins and the enhanced carcinogenesis in the alcoholic may be explained by this fact. Other effects of the interaction between drugs and ethanol are the result of changes in organ susceptibility, best demonstrated for the central nervous system. Subsequently, the presence of liver disease has a great effect on drug metabolism in alcoholics.

  5. Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Efficiency of Selenium Nanoparticles Against Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatic Damage.

    PubMed

    Amin, Kamal Adel; Hashem, Khalid Shaban; Alshehri, Fawziah Saleh; Awad, Said T; Hassan, Mohammed S

    2017-01-01

    Overdoses of acetaminophen (APAP), a famous and widely used drug, may have hepatotoxic effects. Nanoscience is a novel scientific discipline that provides specific tools for medical science problems including using nano trace elements in hepatic diseases. Our study aimed to assess the hepatoprotective role of selenium nanoparticles (Nano-Se) against APAP-induced hepatic injury. Twenty-four male rats were classified into three equal groups: a control group that received 0.9 % NaCl, an APAP-treated group (oral administration), and a group treated with Nano-Se (10-20 nm, intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection) and APAP (oral administration). APAP overdose induced significant elevations in liver function biomarkers, hepatic lipid peroxidation, hepatic catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD), decreased the reduced glutathione (GSH) content and glutathione reductase (GR) activity, and stimulated significant DNA damage in hepatocytes, compared to control rats. Nano-Se administration improved the hepatic antioxidant protection mechanism and decreased cellular sensitivity to DNA fragmentation. Nano-Se exhibits a protective effect against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity through improved liver function and oxidative stress mediated by catalase, SOD, and GSH and decreases hepatic DNA fragmentation, a hepatic biomarker of cell death. Nano-Se could be a novel hepatoprotective strategy to inhibit oxidative stress.

  6. Characterization and evaluation of an oral microemulsion containing the antitumor diterpenoid compound ent-11alpha-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic-acid

    PubMed Central

    Lu, Yingnian; Wu, Kefeng; Li, Li; He, Yuhui; Cui, Liao; Liang, Nianci; Mu, Bozhong

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this study was to develop an oral microemulsion formulation of the antitumor diterpenoid agent, ent-11α-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic-acid (henceforth referred to as 5F), to enhance its bioavailability and evaluate its hepatotoxicity. Pseudoternary phase diagrams showed that the optimal microemulsion formulation contained 45% water, 10% castor oil as the oil phase, 15% Cremophor EL as the surfactant, and 30% as a cosurfactant mixture of 1,2-propanediol and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-400 (2:1, w/w). The microemulsion preparation was characterized and its droplet diameter was within 50 nm. Release of 5F in vitro from the microemulsion was slightly increased compared with a suspension containing the same amount of active drug. Pharmacokinetic parameters in vivo indicated that bioavailability was markedly improved, with the relative bioavailability being 616.15% higher for the microemulsion than for the suspension. Toxicity tests showed that the microemulsion had no hepatotoxicity in mice. These results suggest the potential for 5F microemulsion to be administered by the oral route. PMID:23690685

  7. Severe hepatotoxic reaction with progression to cirrhosis after use of a novel retinoid (acitretin).

    PubMed

    van Ditzhuijsen, T J; van Haelst, U J; van Dooren-Greebe, R J; van de Kerkhof, P C; Yap, S H

    1990-09-01

    We report the case of a 50-year-old female who suffered from severe palmar and plantar pustulosis. During treatment with acitretin, a novel oral retinoid, which is the main derivative of etretinate, the patient developed a severe hepatotoxic reaction. Subsequent histological studies strongly suggested the development of liver cirrhosis. Reversible elevation of serum aminotransferase values during treatment with acitretin has been reported. However, the present observation indicates that severe hepatotoxic injury may also follow treatment with this agent.

  8. Biomonitoring Human Albumin Adducts: The Past, the Present, and the Future

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Serum albumin (Alb) is the most abundant protein in blood plasma. Alb reacts with many carcinogens and/or their electrophilic metabolites. Studies conducted over 20 years ago showed that Alb forms adducts with the human carcinogens aflatoxin B1 and benzene, which were successfully used as biomarkers in molecular epidemiology studies designed to address the role of these chemicals in cancer risk. Alb forms adducts with many therapeutic drugs or their reactive metabolites such as β-lactam antibiotics, acetylsalicylic acid, acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, chemotherapeutic agents, and antiretroviral therapy drugs. The identification and characterization of the adduct structures formed with Alb have served to understand the generation of reactive metabolites and to predict idiosyncratic drug reactions and toxicities. The reaction of candidate drugs with Alb is now exploited as part of the battery of screening tools to assess the potential toxicities of drugs. The use of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography, or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) enabled the identification and quantification of multiple types of Alb xenobiotic adducts in animals and humans during the past three decades. In this perspective, we highlight the history of Alb as a target protein for adduction to environmental and dietary genotoxicants, pesticides, and herbicides, common classes of medicinal drugs, and endogenous electrophiles, and the emerging analytical mass spectrometry technologies to identify Alb-toxicant adducts in humans. PMID:27989119

  9. Bone marrow hypoplasia associated with fenbendazole administration in a dog.

    PubMed

    Gary, Anthony T; Kerl, Marie E; Wiedmeyer, Charles E; Turnquist, Susan E; Cohn, Leah A

    2004-01-01

    A 1.5-year-old Doberman pinscher was presented with sudden-onset of fever and malaise. Twelve days prior to presentation, fenbendazole therapy was initiated for a suspected lungworm infection. Results of a complete blood count on presentation showed pancytopenia, while histopathological evaluation of a bone marrow core sample revealed bone marrow hypoplasia of undetermined etiology. Bactericidal antibiotics and fluid therapy, as well as discontinuation of fenbendazole administration, led to a complete resolution of clinical and hematological abnormalities within 15 days. An idiosyncratic reaction to fenbendazole was suspected based on the absence of infectious, neoplastic, autoimmune, and toxic etiologies, as well as resolution of clinical signs and pancytopenia upon drug withdrawal.

  10. Antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of polysaccharides from Anoectochilus roxburghii.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Biyu; Su, Minghua; Chen, Qingxi; Chang, Qiang; Wang, Wei; Li, Huihua

    2016-11-20

    The physicochemical properties (molecular weights and monosaccharide compositions), antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of polysaccharides (ARPPs: ARPP30, ARPP60 and ARPP80) isolated from Anoectochilus roxburghii were investigated. ARPP80 exhibited relatively strong antioxidant activities in a concentration-dependent manner. In mice subjected to carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity, ARPP80 pretreatment significantly (p<0.01) reduced the levels of aspartate and alanine amino transferases and malonyldialdehyde, prominently (p<0.01) restored the levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and reduced glutathione in serum or liver homogenate. These hepatoprotective effects were comparable to those of the standard drug silymarin at the same dose (200mg/kg). The study clearly demonstrated that ARPPs, especially ARPP80, might be suitable as functional foods or hepatoprotective drugs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Potential of amphiphilic graft copolymer α-tocopherol succinate-g-carboxymethyl chitosan in modulating the permeability and anticancer efficacy of tamoxifen.

    PubMed

    Jena, Sunil K; Samal, Sanjaya K; Kaur, Shamandeep; Chand, Mahesh; Sangamwar, Abhay T

    2017-04-01

    Recent studies showed an enhanced oral bioavailability of tamoxifen (TMX) by hydrophobically modified α-tocopherol succinate-g-carboxymethyl chitosan (Cmc-TS) micelles. As a continued effort, here we evaluated TMX-loaded polymeric micelles (TMX-PMs) for its enhanced permeability with increased anticancer efficacy and decreased hepatotoxicity. We employed co-solvent evaporation technique to encapsulate TMX into Cmc-TS. Apparent permeability assay of TMX-PMs was performed on Caco-2 cell line. The absorptive transport of TMX increased significantly about 3.8-fold when incorporated into Cmc-TS PMs. Cytotoxicity of Cmc-TS PMs was studied on MCF-7 cell line by MTT and; confocal microscopy was used for cellular uptake. Confocal microscopy revealed that Cmc-TS PMs could effectively accumulate in the cytosol of MCF-7 cell lines. In vitro data was further validated using N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced mammary carcinogenesis model in Sprague-Dawley rats. Hepatotoxicity profiles of TMX-PMs at three different doses were also evaluated against the free drug TMX. TMX-PMs were more effective in suppressing breast tumor in MNU-induced mammary carcinoma model than free TMX with better safety profile. In addition, histological data shows that tumors are "benign" in TMX-PMs treated group compared with "malignant" tumors in free TMX treated and control groups. Overall, the results implicate that our Cmc-TS PMs may serve as a promising carrier for the intracellular delivery of anticancer drug molecules via oral route. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  12. Hepatoprotective effects of a self-micro emulsifying drug delivery system containing Silybum marianum native seed oil against experimentally induced liver injury.

    PubMed

    Fehér, P; Ujhelyi, Z; Vecsernyés, M; Fenyvesi, F; Damache, G; Ardelean, A; Costache, M; Dinischiotu, A; Hermenean, A; Bácskay, I

    2015-04-01

    The main purpose of this study was to certify the effect of native silymarin oil (SM-oil) formulated in a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS). The optimal formulation was 25% of SM-oil, 33.3 % of Cremophor RH40, 20% of Transcutol HP, 16.6% of Labrasol and 5% of Capryol 90. In this novel formulation the SM-oil was the active substance and the lipid part. The in vivo study examined the preventive effects of SMEDDS containing SM native seeds oil against carbon tetrachloride (CC14) induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Determination of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and also liver histology investigations have been done. The liver antioxidant status was determined with the concentrations of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione (GSH) hepatic lipid peroxidation was examined and expressed in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA) content. The plasma levels of AST and ALT significantly diminished by pre-treatment with 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg SMEDDS. The pre-treatment with 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg SMEDDS increased GSH level by about 6% respectively 24% compared to the CC14 group. Due to preventive administration of 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg of SMEDDS in the intoxicated animals, MDA levels were reduced by 22% respectively 58%. Also, an insignificant rise by almost 17% and 19% in the animals treated with the both doses of SMEDDS could be noticed. It can be concluded that hepatotoxicity may be avoided by the oral application of our formulation.

  13. Effect of hydroalcoholic extract of ginger on the liver of epileptic female rats treated with lamotrigine

    PubMed Central

    Poorrostami, Ameneh; Farokhi, Farah; Heidari, Reza

    2014-01-01

    Objective: Lamotrigine is an antiepileptic drug, widely used in the treatment of epilepsy; long-term use of this drug can cause hepatotoxicity. Zingiber officinale Roscoe (ginger) possesses antioxidant properties. In present research, the effect ofhydroalcoholic extract of ginger (HEG) on the liver of lamotrigine-treated epileptic rats was investigated Material and Methods: Forty-eight female Wistar rats were selected and allocated to 8 groups of 6 each. Group 1: Negative controls were treated with normal saline. Group 2: Positive controls were treated with lamotrigine (LTG) (10 mg/kg) daily by gavages for 4 consecutive weeks. Epilepsy was induced in treatment groups by i.p. injection of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) (40 mg/kg). Group 3: Epileptic group received normal saline (10 ml/kg). Group 4: Epileptic group was treated with LTG (10 mg/kg). Groups 5 and 6: Epileptic groups received HEG (50 and 100 mg/kg). Groups 7 and 8: Epileptic groups received LTG and HEG (50 and 100 mg/kg). At the end of 28 days, blood samples were drawn and their livers were processed for light microscopy. Results: The mean values of TG, CHOL, AST, and ALT activity significantly rose (p<0.01) in groups 2, 3, and 4, while in rats treated with HEG (groups 5, 6, 7, and 8), the levels of liver enzymes significantly decreased (p<0.05) compared with epileptic group treated with lamotrigine (group 4). Histopathological changes of liver samples were comparable with respective control. Conclusion: These results suggest that hydroalcoholic extract of ginger improves liver function in lamotrigine-induced hepatotoxicity. PMID:25068142

  14. Towards non-invasive 3D hepatotoxicity assays with optical coherence phase microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nelson, Leonard J.; Koulovasilopoulos, Andreas; Treskes, Philipp; Hayes, Peter C.; Plevris, John N.; Bagnaninchi, Pierre O.

    2015-03-01

    Three-dimensional tissue-engineered models are increasingly recognised as more physiologically-relevant than standard 2D cell culture for pre-clinical drug toxicity testing. However, many types of conventional toxicity assays are incompatible with dense 3D tissues. This study investigated the use of optical coherence phase microscopy (OCPM) as a novel approach to assess cell death in 3D tissue culture. For 3D micro-spheroid formation Human hepatic C3A cells were encapsulated in hyaluronic acid gels and cultured in 100μl MEME/10%FBS in 96-well plates. After spheroid formation the 3D liver constructs were exposed to acetaminophen on culture day 8. Acetaminophen hepatotoxicity in 3D cultures was evaluated using standard biochemical assays. An inverted OCPM in common path configuration was developed with a Callisto OCT engine (Thorlabs), centred at 930nm and a custom scanning head. Intensity data were used to perform in-depth microstructural imaging. In addition, phase fluctuations were measured by collecting several successive B scans at the same location, and statistics on the first time derivative of the phase, i.e. time fluctuations, were analysed over the acquisition time interval to retrieve overall cell viability. OCPM intensity (cell cluster size) and phase fluctuation statistics were directly compared with biochemical assays. In this study, we investigated optical coherence phase tomography to assess cell death in a 3d liver model after exposure to a prototypical hepatotoxin, acetaminophen. We showed that OCPM has the potential to assess noninvasively and label-free drug toxicity in 3D tissue models.

  15. Sildenafil-associated hepatoxicity: a review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Graziano, S; Montana, A; Zaami, S; Rotolo, M C; Minutillo, A; Busardò, F P; Marinelli, E

    2017-03-01

    Sildenafil citrate (Viagra®) is a vasoactive agent available worldwide since 1998 for the treatment of male erectile dysfunction. It is a selective phosphodiesterase type 5-enzyme inhibitor able to potentiate the downstream effects of nitric oxide on smooth muscle relaxation and vasodilation through its effects on the cyclic guanosine monophosphate (c-GMP) pathway in the erectile tissue of the penis. When sildenafil is orally administered, it is rapidly absorbed with a maximum plasma concentration achieved within 1 h and has a terminal half-life of between 3 to 6 h. The drug is extensively and rapidly metabolized by the liver, primarily by the CYP3A4 enzyme. Although the drug is well tolerated, specific adverse events have been observed, like flushing, headaches, dyspepsia, and visual disturbances. Liver toxicity related to sildenafil consumption has been considered a very rare event. However, in the last decade, some cases of sildenafil-associated hepatotoxicity have been reported. Furthermore, some hepatic intoxications have been reported after the intake of "natural" or "herbal" aphrodisiac supplements sold through Internet, sex shops, social media, and by word-of-mouth found to contain sildenafil and other phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors. Studies investigating a possible link between sildenafil use and liver damage are limited, and the underlying mechanism responsible for hepatotoxicity is still missing. Studies in animals evidence that the hematopoietic function of the liver may have severely been affected as a result of a probable toxic effect of sildenafil. Here, the studies reporting liver toxicity by sildenafil in humans and in animals are reported and discussed.

  16. Extraction, identification, fractionation and isolation of phenolic compounds in plants with hepatoprotective effects.

    PubMed

    Pereira, Carla; Barros, Lillian; Ferreira, Isabel C F R

    2016-03-15

    The liver is one of the most important organs of human body, being involved in several vital functions and regulation of physiological processes. Given its pivotal role in the excretion of waste metabolites and drugs detoxification, the liver is often subjected to oxidative stress that leads to lipid peroxidation and severe cellular damage. The conventional treatments of liver diseases such as cirrhosis, fatty liver and chronic hepatitis are frequently inadequate due to side effects caused by hepatotoxic chemical drugs. To overcome this problematic paradox, medicinal plants, owing to their natural richness in phenolic compounds, have been intensively exploited concerning their extracts and fraction composition in order to find bioactive compounds that could be isolated and applied in the treatment of liver ailments. The present review aimed to collect the main results of recent studies carried out in this field and systematize the information for a better understanding of the hepatoprotective capacity of medicinal plants in in vitro and in vivo systems. Generally, the assessed plant extracts revealed good hepatoprotective properties, justifying the fractionation and further isolation of phenolic compounds from different parts of the plant. Twenty-five phenolic compounds, including flavonoids, lignan compounds, phenolic acids and other phenolic compounds, have been isolated and identified, and proved to be effective in the prevention and/or treatment of chemically induced liver damage. In this perspective, the use of medicinal plant extracts, fractions and phenolic compounds seems to be a promising strategy to avoid side effects caused by hepatotoxic chemicals. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

  17. Test systems in drug discovery for hazard identification and risk assessment of human drug-induced liver injury.

    PubMed

    Weaver, Richard J; Betts, Catherine; Blomme, Eric A G; Gerets, Helga H J; Gjervig Jensen, Klaus; Hewitt, Philip G; Juhila, Satu; Labbe, Gilles; Liguori, Michael J; Mesens, Natalie; Ogese, Monday O; Persson, Mikael; Snoeys, Jan; Stevens, James L; Walker, Tracy; Park, B Kevin

    2017-07-01

    The liver is an important target for drug-induced toxicities. Early detection of hepatotoxic drugs requires use of well-characterized test systems, yet current knowledge, gaps and limitations of tests employed remains an important issue for drug development. Areas Covered: The current state of the science, understanding and application of test systems in use for the detection of drug-induced cytotoxicity, mitochondrial toxicity, cholestasis and inflammation is summarized. The test systems highlighted herein cover mostly in vitro and some in vivo models and endpoint measurements used in the assessment of small molecule toxic liabilities. Opportunities for research efforts in areas necessitating the development of specific tests and improved mechanistic understanding are highlighted. Expert Opinion: Use of in vitro test systems for safety optimization will remain a core activity in drug discovery. Substantial inroads have been made with a number of assays established for human Drug-induced Liver Injury. There nevertheless remain significant gaps with a need for improved in vitro tools and novel tests to address specific mechanisms of human Drug-Induced Liver Injury. Progress in these areas will necessitate not only models fit for application, but also mechanistic understanding of how chemical insult on the liver occurs in order to identify translational and quantifiable readouts for decision-making.

  18. Idiosyncratic Gesture Use in Atypical Language Development, and Its Interaction with Speech Rhythm, Word Juncture, Syntax, Pragmatics and Discourse: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howard, Sara J.; Perkins, Michael R.; Sowden, Hannah

    2012-01-01

    Very little is known about the use of gesture by children with developmental language disorders (DLDs). This case study of "Lucy", a child aged 4;10 with a DLD, expands on what is known and in particular focuses on a type of idiosyncratic "rhythmic gesture" (RG) not previously reported. A fine-grained qualitative analysis was carried out of video…

  19. Lipidomic profiling reveals protective function of fatty acid oxidation in cocaine-induced hepatotoxicity[S

    PubMed Central

    Shi, Xiaolei; Yao, Dan; Gosnell, Blake A.; Chen, Chi

    2012-01-01

    During cocaine-induced hepatotoxicity, lipid accumulation occurs prior to necrotic cell death in the liver. However, the exact influences of cocaine on the homeostasis of lipid metabolism remain largely unknown. In this study, the progression of subacute hepatotoxicity, including centrilobular necrosis in the liver and elevation of transaminase activity in serum, was observed in a three-day cocaine treatment, accompanying the disruption of triacylglycerol (TAG) turnover. Serum TAG level increased on day 1 of cocaine treatment but remained unchanged afterwards. In contrast, hepatic TAG level was elevated continuously during three days of cocaine treatment and was better correlated with the development of hepatotoxicity. Lipidomic analyses of serum and liver samples revealed time-dependent separation of the control and cocaine-treated mice in multivariate models, which was due to the accumulation of long-chain acylcarnitines together with the disturbances of many bioactive phospholipid species in the cocaine-treated mice. An in vitro function assay confirmed the progressive inhibition of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation after the cocaine treatment. Cotreatment of fenofibrate significantly increased the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα)-targeted genes and the mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation activity in the cocaine-treated mice, resulting in the inhibition of cocaine-induced acylcarnitine accumulation and other hepatotoxic effects. Overall, the results from this lipidomics-guided study revealed that the inhibition of fatty acid oxidation plays an important role in cocaine-induced liver injury. PMID:22904346

  20. Hepatobiliary manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease: the gut, the drugs and the liver.

    PubMed

    Rojas-Feria, María; Castro, Manuel; Suárez, Emilio; Ampuero, Javier; Romero-Gómez, Manuel

    2013-11-14

    Abnormal liver biochemical tests are present in up to 30% of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and therefore become a diagnostic challenge. Liver and biliary tract diseases are common extraintestinal manifestations for both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC), and typically do not correlate with intestinal activity. Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is the most common hepatobiliary manifestation of IBD, and is more prevalent in UC. Approximately 5% of patients with UC develop PSC, with the prevalence reaching up to 90%. Cholangiocarcinoma and colon cancer risks are increased in these patients. Less common disorders include autoimmune hepatitis/PSC overlap syndrome, IgG4-associated cholangiopathy, primary biliary cirrhosis, hepatic amyloidosis, granulomatous hepatitis, cholelithiasis, portal vein thrombosis, liver abscess, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Hepatitis B reactivation during immunosuppressive therapy is a major concern, with screening and vaccination being recommended in serologically negative cases for patients with IBD. Reactivation prophylaxis with entecavir or tenofovir for 6 to 12 mo after the end of immunosuppressive therapy is mandatory in patients showing as hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive, independently from viral load. HBsAg negative and anti-HBc positive patients, with or without anti-HBs, should be closely monitored, measuring alanine aminotransferase and hepatitis B virus DNA within 12 mo after the end of therapy, and should be treated if the viral load increases. On the other hand, immunosuppressive therapy does not seem to promote reactivation of hepatitis C, and hepatitis C antiviral treatment does not influence IBD natural history either. Most of the drugs used for IBD treatment may induce hepatotoxicity, although the incidence of serious adverse events is low. Abnormalities in liver biochemical tests associated with aminosalicylates are uncommon and are usually not clinically relevant. Methotrexate-related hepatotoxicity has been described in 14% of patients with IBD, in a dose-dependent manner. Liver biopsy is not routinely recommended. Biologics-related hepatotoxicity is rare, but has been shown most frequently in patients treated with infliximab. Thiopurines have been associated with veno-occlusive disease, regenerative nodular hyperplasia, and liver peliosis. Routine liver biochemical tests are recommended, especially during the first month of treatment. All these conditions should be considered in IBD patients with clinical or biochemical features suggestive of hepatobiliary involvement. Diagnosis and management of these disorders usually involve hepatologists and gastroenterologists due to its complexity.

  1. Adverse interaction between colchicine and ketoconazole in a Chinese shar pei.

    PubMed

    McAlister, Amber; Center, Sharon A; Bender, Hannah; McDonough, Sean P

    2014-01-01

    A Chinese shar pei with a 2 yr history of episodic fever, lethargy, and shifting lameness was presumptively diagnosed with familial shar pei fever but had never been treated for the syndrome. After being presented for a superficial pyoderma with possible dermatophyte coinfection, treatment with a cephalosporin and ketoconazole were prescribed. One wk later, colchicine was initiated for familial shar pei fever using cautious dose escalation. Nevertheless, gastrointestinal toxicity, skeletal muscle myopathy, and hepatotoxicity developed within 2 wk. Abrupt resolution of gastrointestinal toxicity and myopathy followed drug withdrawal. However, escalating liver enzyme activity and hyperbilirubinemia led to liver biopsy to rule out an antecedent hepatopathy. Biopsy characterized canalicular cholestasis and colchicine-associated metaphase arrest and ring mitoses reflecting repression of mitotic spindle formation. Signs of illness completely resolved 3 mo after drug discontinuation. Although avoidable adverse interactions between ketoconazole and drugs reliant on cytochrome oxidase biotransformation and/or drug efflux mediated by multiple drug-resistant transporters are well documented in humans, these are rarely reported in veterinary patients. This case exemplifies an important and avoidable ketoconazole/colchicine drug interaction from which the patient completely recovered. The dog tested negative for the canine MDR1 loss of function mutation that also might potentiate colchicine toxicity.

  2. The protective role of quercetin and arginine on gold nanoparticles induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

    PubMed

    Abdelhalim, Mohamed Anwar K; Moussa, Sherif A Abdelmottaleb; Qaid, Huda Abdo Yahya

    2018-01-01

    The aim of the study was to confirm the hepatotoxicity induced by small-sized gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and evaluate the role of quercetin (Qur) and arginine (Arg) against hepatotoxicity caused by GNPs. Twenty-five healthy male Wistar-Kyoto rats were used. GNPs were administered intraperitoneally to these rats at the dose of 50 μL for seven consecutive days. The role of Qur and Arg antioxidants against toxicity induced by GNPs was detected through the measurement of serum liver function and oxidative stress biomarkers in the liver tissues. Coadministration of Qur and Arg along with GNPs significantly induced dramatic alterations in the biochemical parameters. Levels of malondialdehyde, gamma-glutamyl transferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and total protein increased significantly in the GNPs injected group than in the control group, while reduced glutathione was greatly reduced in the GNPs group than in the control group. It also significantly decreased liver enzymes and the oxidative stress, therefore improving the liver damage and hepatotoxicity induced by GNPs. This study demonstrated that Qur and Arg antioxidants effectively improved the hepatic oxidative damage induced by GNPs. It also substantiates the application of Qur and Arg as protecting stand-in against GNPs' hepatotoxicity.

  3. Using aggregated, de-identified electronic health record data for multivariate pharmacosurveillance: a case study of azathioprine.

    PubMed

    Patel, Vishal N; Kaelber, David C

    2014-12-01

    To demonstrate the use of aggregated and de-identified electronic health record (EHR) data for multivariate post-marketing pharmacosurveillance in a case study of azathioprine (AZA). Using aggregated, standardized, normalized, and de-identified, population-level data from the Explore platform (Explorys, Inc.) we searched over 10 million individuals, of which 14,580 were prescribed AZA based on RxNorm drug orders. Based on logical observation identifiers names and codes (LOINC) and vital sign data, we examined the following side effects: anemia, cell lysis, fever, hepatotoxicity, hypertension, nephrotoxicity, neutropenia, and neutrophilia. Patients prescribed AZA were compared to patients prescribed one of 11 other anti-rheumatologic drugs to determine the relative risk of side effect pairs. Compared to AZA case report trends, hepatotoxicity (marked by elevated transaminases or elevated bilirubin) did not occur as an isolated event more frequently in patients prescribed AZA than other anti-rheumatic agents. While neutropenia occurred in 24% of patients (RR 1.15, 95% CI 1.07-1.23), neutrophilia was also frequent (45%) and increased in patients prescribed AZA (RR 1.28, 95% CI 1.22-1.34). After constructing a pairwise side effect network, neutropenia had no dependencies. A reduced risk of neutropenia was found in patients with co-existing elevations in total bilirubin or liver transaminases, supporting classic clinical knowledge that agranulocytosis is a largely unpredictable phenomenon. Rounding errors propagated in the statistically de-identified datasets for cohorts as small as 40 patients only contributed marginally to the calculated risk. Our work demonstrates that aggregated, standardized, normalized and de-identified population level EHR data can provide both sufficient insight and statistical power to detect potential patterns of medication side effect associations, serving as a multivariate and generalizable approach to post-marketing drug surveillance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Donor-Dependent and Other Nondefined Factors Have Greater Influence on the Hepatic Phenotype Than the Starting Cell Type in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Hepatocyte-Like Cells.

    PubMed

    Heslop, James A; Kia, Richard; Pridgeon, Christopher S; Sison-Young, Rowena L; Liloglou, Triantafillos; Elmasry, Mohamed; Fenwick, Stephen W; Mills, John S; Kitteringham, Neil R; Goldring, Chris E; Park, Bong K

    2017-05-01

    Drug-induced liver injury is the greatest cause of post-marketing drug withdrawal; therefore, substantial resources are directed toward triaging potentially dangerous new compounds at all stages of drug development. One of the major factors preventing effective screening of new compounds is the lack of a predictive in vitro model of hepatotoxicity. Primary human hepatocytes offer a metabolically relevant model for which the molecular initiating events of hepatotoxicity can be examined; however, these cells vary greatly between donors and dedifferentiate rapidly in culture. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) offer a reproducible, physiologically relevant and genotypically normal model cell; however, current differentiation protocols produce HLCs with a relatively immature phenotype. During the reprogramming of somatic cells, the epigenome undergoes dramatic changes; however, this "resetting" is a gradual process, resulting in an altered differentiation propensity, skewed toward the lineage of origin, particularly in early passage cultures. We, therefore, performed a comparison of human hepatocyte- and dermal fibroblast-derived iPSCs, assessing the impact of epigenetic memory at all stages of HLC differentiation. These results provide the first isogenic assessment of the starting cell type in human iPSC-derived HLCs. Despite a trend toward improvement in hepatic phenotype in albumin secretion and gene expression, few significant differences in hepatic differentiation capacity were found between hepatocyte and fibroblast-derived iPSCs. We conclude that the donor and inter-clonal differences have a greater influence on the hepatocyte phenotypic maturity than the starting cell type. Therefore, it is not necessary to use human hepatocytes for generating iPSC-derived HLCs. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2017;6:1321-1331. © 2017 The Authors Stem Cells Translational Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of AlphaMed Press.

  5. Idiosyncratic Patterns of Representational Similarity in Prefrontal Cortex Predict Attentional Performance.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jeongmi; Geng, Joy J

    2017-02-01

    The efficiency of finding an object in a crowded environment depends largely on the similarity of nontargets to the search target. Models of attention theorize that the similarity is determined by representations stored within an "attentional template" held in working memory. However, the degree to which the contents of the attentional template are individually unique and where those idiosyncratic representations are encoded in the brain are unknown. We investigated this problem using representational similarity analysis of human fMRI data to measure the common and idiosyncratic representations of famous face morphs during an identity categorization task; data from the categorization task were then used to predict performance on a separate identity search task. We hypothesized that the idiosyncratic categorical representations of the continuous face morphs would predict their distractability when searching for each target identity. The results identified that patterns of activation in the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) as well as in face-selective areas in the ventral temporal cortex were highly correlated with the patterns of behavioral categorization of face morphs and search performance that were common across subjects. However, the individually unique components of the categorization behavior were reliably decoded only in right LPFC. Moreover, the neural pattern in right LPFC successfully predicted idiosyncratic variability in search performance, such that reaction times were longer when distractors had a higher probability of being categorized as the target identity. These results suggest that the prefrontal cortex encodes individually unique components of categorical representations that are also present in attentional templates for target search. Everyone's perception of the world is uniquely shaped by personal experiences and preferences. Using functional MRI, we show that individual differences in the categorization of face morphs between two identities could be decoded from the prefrontal cortex and the ventral temporal cortex. Moreover, the individually unique representations in prefrontal cortex predicted idiosyncratic variability in attentional performance when looking for each identity in the "crowd" of another morphed face in a separate search task. Our results reveal that the representation of task-related information in prefrontal cortex is individually unique and preserved across categorization and search performance. This demonstrates the possibility of predicting individual behaviors across tasks with patterns of brain activity. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/371257-12$15.00/0.

  6. Germacranolide-type sesquiterpene lactones from Smallanthus sonchifolius with promising activity against Leishmania mexicana and Trypanosoma cruzi.

    PubMed

    Ulloa, Jerónimo L; Spina, Renata; Casasco, Agustina; Petray, Patricia B; Martino, Virginia; Sosa, Miguel A; Frank, Fernanda M; Muschietti, Liliana V

    2017-11-13

    Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease are life-threatening illnesses caused by the protozoan parasites Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi, respectively. They are known as "neglected diseases" due to the lack of effective drug treatments and the scarcity of research work devoted to them. Therefore, the development of novel and effective drugs is an important and urgent need. Natural products are an important source of bioactive molecules for the development of new drugs. In this study, we evaluated the activity of enhydrin, uvedalin and polymatin B, three sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) isolated from Smallanthus sonchifolius, on Leishmania mexicana (MNYC/BZ/62/M) and Trypanosoma cruzi (Dm28c). In addition, the in vivo trypanocidal activity of enhydrin and uvedalin and the effects of these STLs on parasites' ultrastructure were evaluated. The inhibitory effect of the three STLs on the growth of L. mexicana amastigotes and promastigotes as well as T. cruzi epimastigotes was evaluated in vitro. The changes produced by the STLs on the ultrastructure of parasites were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Enhydrin and uvedalin were also studied in a murine model of acute T. cruzi infection (RA strain). Serum activities of the hepatic enzymes alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase were used as biochemical markers of hepatotoxicity. The three compounds exhibited leishmanicidal activity on both parasite forms with IC 50 values of 0.42-0.54 μg/ml for promastigotes and 0.85-1.64 μg/ml for intracellular amastigotes. Similar results were observed on T. cruzi epimastigotes (IC 50 0.35-0.60 μg/ml). The TEM evaluation showed marked ultrastructural alterations, such as an intense vacuolization and mitochondrial swelling in both L. mexicana promastigotes and T. cruzi epimastigotes exposed to the STLs. In the in vivo study, enhydrin and uvedalin displayed a significant decrease in circulating parasites (50-71%) and no signs of hepatotoxicity were detected. Enhydrin, uvedalin and polymatin B possess significant leishmanicidal and trypanocidal activity on different parasite stages. These results show that these compounds may provide valuable leads for the development of new drugs against these neglected parasitic diseases.

  7. Glucuronidation of Drugs and Drug-Induced Toxicity in Humanized UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase 1 Mice

    PubMed Central

    Kutsuno, Yuki; Itoh, Tomoo; Tukey, Robert H.

    2014-01-01

    UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes that catalyze glucuronidation of various drugs. Although experimental rodents are used in preclinical studies to predict glucuronidation and toxicity of drugs in humans, species differences in glucuronidation and drug-induced toxicity have been reported. Humanized UGT1 mice in which the original Ugt1 locus was disrupted and replaced with the human UGT1 locus (hUGT1 mice) were recently developed. In this study, acyl-glucuronidations of etodolac, diclofenac, and ibuprofen in liver microsomes of hUGT1 mice were examined and compared with those of humans and regular mice. The kinetics of etodolac, diclofenac, and ibuprofen acyl-glucuronidation in hUGT1 mice were almost comparable to those in humans, rather than in mice. We further investigated the hepatotoxicity of ibuprofen in hUGT1 mice and regular mice by measuring serum alanine amino transferase (ALT) levels. Because ALT levels were increased at 6 hours after dosing in hUGT1 mice and at 24 hours after dosing in regular mice, the onset pattern of ibuprofen-induced liver toxicity in hUGT1 mice was different from that in regular mice. These data suggest that hUGT1 mice can be valuable tools for understanding glucuronidations of drugs and drug-induced toxicity in humans. PMID:24764149

  8. Acetaminophen hepatotoxicity and sterile inflammation: The mechanism of protection of Chlorogenic acid.

    PubMed

    Jaeschke, Hartmut

    2016-01-05

    Acetaminophen hepatotoxicity is characterized by extensive necrotic cell death and a sterile inflammatory response. A recent report suggested that a therapeutic intervention with chlorogenic acid, a dietary polyphenolic compound, protects against acetaminophen-induced liver injury by inhibiting the inflammatory injury. The purpose of this letter is to discuss a number of reasons why the protective mechanism of chlorogenic acid against acetaminophen hepatotoxicity does not involve an anti-inflammatory effect and provides an alternative explanation for the observed protection. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Botanicals and Hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Roytman, Marina M; Poerzgen, Peter; Navarro, Victor

    2018-06-19

    The use of botanicals, often in the form of multi-ingredient herbal dietary supplements (HDS), has grown tremendously in the past three decades despite their unproven efficacy. This is paralleled by an increase in dietary supplement-related health complications, notably hepatotoxicity. This article reviews the demographics and motivations of dietary supplement (DS) consumers and the regulatory framework for DS in the US and other developed countries. It examines in detail three groups of multi-ingredient HDS associated with hepatotoxicity: OxyElite Pro (two formulations), green tea extract-based DS, and "designer anabolic steroids." These examples illustrate the difficulties in identifying and adjudicating causality of suspect compound(s) of multi-ingredient HDS-associated liver injury in the clinical setting. The article outlines future directions for further study of HDS-associated hepatotoxicity as well as measures to safeguard the consumer against it. © 2018, The American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

  10. The enhanced atorvastatin hepatotoxicity in diabetic rats was partly attributed to the upregulated hepatic Cyp3a and SLCO1B1

    PubMed Central

    Shu, Nan; Hu, Mengyue; Ling, Zhaoli; Liu, Peihua; Wang, Fan; Xu, Ping; Zhong, Zeyu; Sun, Binbin; Zhang, Mian; Li, Feng; Xie, Qiushi; Liu, Xiaodong; Liu, Li

    2016-01-01

    Liver injury is a common adverse effect of atorvastatin. This study aimed to investigate atorvastatin-induced hepatotoxicity in diabetic rats induced by high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin. The results showed that 40 mg/kg atorvastatin was lethal to diabetic rats, whose mean survival time was 6.2 days. Severe liver injury also occurred in diabetic rats treated with 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg atorvastatin. The in vitro results indicated that atorvastatin cytotoxicity in hepatocytes of diabetic rats was more severe than normal and high-fat diet feeding rats. Expressions and activities of hepatic Cyp3a and SLCO1B1 were increased in diabetic rats, which were highly correlated with hepatotoxicity. Antioxidants (glutathione and N-Acetylcysteine), Cyp3a inhibitor ketoconazole and SLCO1B1 inhibitor gemfibrozil suppressed cytotoxicity and ROS formation in primary hepatocytes of diabetic rats. In HepG2 cells, up-regulations of CYP3A4 and SLCO1B1 potentiated hepatotoxicity and ROS generation, whereas knockdowns of CYP3A4 and SLCO1B1 as well as CYP3A4/SLCO1B1 inhibitions showed the opposite effects. Phenobarbital pretreatment was used to induce hepatic Cyp3a and SLCO1B1 in rats. Phenobarbital aggravated atorvastatin-induced hepatotoxicity, while decreased plasma exposure of atorvastatin. All these findings demonstrated that the upregulations of hepatic Cyp3a and SLCO1B1 in diabetic rats potentiated atorvastatin-induced hepatotoxicity via increasing ROS formation. PMID:27624558

  11. ANTAGONISM OF CHLOROBENZENE-INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY BY LINDANE

    EPA Science Inventory

    In a 2x2 factorial designed experiment involving chlorobenzene and gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (lindane), the hepatotoxicity induced by a challenge dose of chlorobenzene was altered by the pretreatments due to selective changes in various metabolic pathways. These changes resulte...

  12. Predicting drug-induced liver injury using ensemble learning methods and molecular fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Ai, Haixin; Chen, Wen; Zhang, Li; Huang, Liangchao; Yin, Zimo; Hu, Huan; Zhao, Qi; Zhao, Jian; Liu, Hongsheng

    2018-05-21

    Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a major safety concern in the drug-development process, and various methods have been proposed to predict the hepatotoxicity of compounds during the early stages of drug trials. In this study, we developed an ensemble model using three machine learning algorithms and 12 molecular fingerprints from a dataset containing 1,241 diverse compounds. The ensemble model achieved an average accuracy of 71.1±2.6%, sensitivity of 79.9±3.6%, specificity of 60.3±4.8%, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.764±0.026 in five-fold cross-validation and an accuracy of 84.3%, sensitivity of 86.9%, specificity of 75.4%, and AUC of 0.904 in an external validation dataset of 286 compounds collected from the Liver Toxicity Knowledge Base (LTKB). Compared with previous methods, the ensemble model achieved relatively high accuracy and sensitivity. We also identified several substructures related to DILI. In addition, we provide a web server offering access to our models (http://ccsipb.lnu.edu.cn/toxicity/HepatoPred-EL/).

  13. On Idiosyncratic Systems. Part I. Idiosyncratic Systems. Part II. On Being Creative with Computer Aided Design.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1977-03-31

    the machine properly infer his graphical intentions. The graphics are presumed to be a mixture of projective geometry ( the inter- H section of planes ...conditions lecture to the Societe de Psychologie in Paris most conducive ; nor for the psychological explana— (quoted in Ghiselin [17]) Henri Poincare ...information pro- more wit h frustration than accomplishment. His air vided , the individual will attempt to fi;;d a new planes , submar ines and d i v e r t

  14. First use of halothane in the United States, C. Ronald Stephen, M.D. (1916-2006).

    PubMed

    Giesecke, Adolph H

    2008-01-01

    Anesthesia is one of the most valued discoveries in all of history. Almost immediately after the first public demonstration of ether anesthesia, a search for a better drug began. Ether, despite its flammability, persisted as the primary inhalation agent for over a hundred years. The breakthrough came with the introduction of a non-flammable volatile anesthetic called halothane in 1955. The drug was approved by the FDA in 1958 and quickly became the most commonly used agent in the United States. It was a quantum leap forward in the safety of anesthetic drugs. It became obsolete in 1988 because of hepatotoxicity. Three eminent anesthesiologists: Drs. Abajian of Vermont, Siker of Pittsburgh and Stephen of Duke could have been the first to use halothane in the USA. My review of the documents and writings of the three confirm that Dr. C. Ronald Stephen of Duke University was indeed the first to use and publish on halothane anesthesia in the USA.

  15. Diabetes Insipidus: A Challenging Diagnosis with New Drug Therapies

    PubMed Central

    Saifan, Chadi; Nasr, Rabih; Mehta, Suchita; Sharma Acharya, Pranab; Perrera, Isera; Faddoul, Giovanni; Nalluri, Nikhil; Kesavan, Mayurakhan; Azzi, Yorg; El-Sayegh, Suzanne

    2013-01-01

    Diabetes Insipidus (DI) is either due to deficient secretion of arginine vasopressin (central) or to tubular unresponsiveness (nephrogenic). Drug induced DI is a well-known entity with an extensive list of medications. Polyuria is generally defined as urine output exceeding 3 liters per day in adults. It is crucial to identify the cause of diabetes insipidus and to implement therapy as early as possible to prevent the electrolyte disturbances and the associated mortality and morbidity. It is very rare to have an idiosyncratic effect after a short use of a medication, and physicians should be aware of such a complication to avoid volume depletion. The diagnosis of diabetes insipidus is very challenging because it relies on laboratory values, urine output, and the physical examination of the patient. A high clinical suspicion of diabetes insipidus should be enough to initiate treatment. The complications related to DI are mostly related to the electrolyte imbalance that can affect the normal physiology of different organ systems. PMID:24977135

  16. Monitoring abacavir bioactivation in humans: screening for an aldehyde metabolite.

    PubMed

    Grilo, Nádia M; Antunes, Alexandra M M; Caixas, Umbelina; Marinho, Aline T; Charneira, Catarina; Conceição Oliveira, M; Monteiro, Emília C; Matilde Marques, M; Pereira, Sofia A

    2013-05-10

    The anti-HIV drug abacavir is associated with idiosyncratic hypersensitivity reactions and cardiotoxicity. Although the mechanism underlying abacavir-toxicity is not fully understood, drug bioactivation to reactive metabolites may be involved. This work was aimed at identifying abacavir-protein adducts in the hemoglobin of HIV patients as biomarkers of abacavir bioactivation and protein modification. The protocol received prior approval from the Hospital Ethics Committee, patients gave their written informed consent and adherence was controlled through a questionnaire. Abacavir-derived Edman adducts with the N-terminal valine of hemoglobin were analyzed by an established liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method. Abacavir-valine adducts were detected in three out of ten patients. This work represents the first evidence of abacavir-protein adduct formation in humans. The data confirm the ability of abacavir to modify self-proteins and suggest that the molecular mechanism(s) of some abacavir-induced adverse reactions may require bioactivation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Side Effects of HIV Medicines: HIV and Hepatotoxicity

    MedlinePlus

    ... provider tells you to. How is hepatotoxicity detected? Liver function tests (LFTs) are a group of blood tests ... Laboratory Testing From the Department of Veterans Affairs: Primary Care of Veterans with HIV: Liver Disease and Cirrhosis From the National Institutes of ...

  18. [Hepatotoxicity of emodin based on UGT1A1 enzyme-mediated bilirubin in liver microsomes].

    PubMed

    Wang, Qi; Dai, Zhong; Zhang, Yu-Jie; Ma, Shuang-Cheng

    2016-12-01

    To study the hepatotoxicity of emodin based on bilirubin metabolism mediated by glucuronidation of UGT1A1 enzyme. In this study, three different incubation systems were established by using RLM, HLM, and rUGT1A1, with bilirubin as the substrate. Different concentrations of bilirubin and emodin were added in the incubation systems. The double reciprocal Michaelis equation was drawn based on the total amount of bilirubin glucuronidation. The apparent inhibition constant Ki was then calculated with the slope curve to predict the hepatotoxicity. The results indicated that emodin had a significant inhibition to the UGT1A1 enzyme in all of the three systems, with Ki=5.400±0.956(P<0.05) in HLM system, Ki =10.020±0.611(P<0.05) in RLM system, Ki=4.850±0.528(P<0.05) in rUGT1A1 system. Meanwhile, emodin had no significant difference between rat and human in terms of inhibition of UGT1A1 enzyme. Emodin had a potential risk of the hepatotoxicity by inhibiting the UGT1A1 enzyme activity. And the method established in this study provides a new thought and new method to evaluate hepatotoxicity and safety of traditional Chinese medicines. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  19. Burden of illness and research investments in translational sciences for pharmaceuticals in metastatic cancers.

    PubMed

    Wang, Wei-Jhih; Robertson, Justin C; Basu, Anirban

    2017-01-01

    To explore whether investments in translational sciences for six metastatic cancers follow idiosyncratic returns to those investments rather than levels of burden of illness (BI). Associate the number of translational clinical trials in the USA involving oncolytic drugs approved during 2008-2013 and the level (in 2008) and changes (2002-2008 and 2008-2014) in cancer-specific years of life lost. Investments in trials were positively associated only with contemporary changes in BI (2008-2014). The relationship was stronger for government-sponsored comparative-effectiveness trials than for industry. Translational research investments follow anticipated changes to BI levels. Systematic quantification of these expected returns from specific investments can help guide investment decisions in translational health sciences and generate productive dialogue across stakeholders.

  20. [Toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with acute infection by Mycoplasma pneumoniae].

    PubMed

    Calvano, Roberta Amelia; Scacchi, María Florencia; Sojo, Magdalena María; Díaz, Silvia Marta; Volonteri, Victoria Inés; Giachetti, Ana Claudia

    2013-01-01

    Erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis represent different manifestations of the same spectrum of severe idiosyncratic cutaneous reactions to drugs and to a lesser extent are associated with infectous agents. Among these, Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of the most frequent. We report the case of a female patient aged 5 years, with a toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, which begins with a fever accompanied by a generalized rash with involvement of the mucous membranes. IgM serology for Mycoplasma pneumoniae was positive and initial biopsy was compatible with erythema multiforme major. The patient was treated with corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, plasmapheresis and strict care to prevent superinfection and sequels. After 31 days of hospitalization the patient was discharged from hospital.

  1. Implementation of TPMT testing

    PubMed Central

    Lennard, Lynne

    2014-01-01

    The activity of the enzyme thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) is regulated by a common genetic polymorphism. One in 300 individuals lack enzyme activity and 11% are heterozygous for a variant low activity allele and have an intermediate activity. The thiopurine drugs azathioprine, mercaptopurine and thioguanine are substrates for TPMT; these drugs exhibit well documented myelosuppressive effects on haematopoietic cells and have a track record of idiosyncratic drug reactions. The development of severe bone marrow toxicity, in patients taking standard doses of thiopurine drugs, is associated with TPMT deficiency whilst the TPMT heterozygote is at an increased risk of developing myelosuppression. Factors influencing TPMT enzyme activity, as measured in the surrogate red blood cell, are discussed in this review to enable an appreciation of why concordance between TPMT genotype and phenotype is not 100%. This is particularly important for lower/intermediate TPMT activities to avoid misclassification of TPMT status. TPMT testing is now widely available in routine service laboratories. The British National Formulary suggests TPMT testing before starting thiopurine drugs. Dermatologists were quick to adopt routine TPMT testing whilst gastroenterologists do not specifically recommend TPMT screening. TPMT testing is mandatory prior to the use of mercaptopurine in childhood leukaemia. Thiopurine drug dose and other treatment related influences on cell counts explain some of the differing recommendations between clinical specialities. TPMT testing is cost-effective and the major role is in the identification of the TPMT deficient individual prior to the start of thiopurine drugs. PMID:23962279

  2. Calcium channel blockers: spectrum of side effects and drug interactions.

    PubMed

    Hedner, T

    1986-01-01

    Calcium antagonists are a chemically heterogenous group of agents with potent cardiovascular effects which are beneficial in the treatment of angina pectoris, arterial hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias. The main side effects for the group are dose-dependent and the result of the main action or actions of the calcium antagonists, i.e. vasodilatation, negative inotropic effects and antiarrhythmic effects. Pronounced hypotension is reported for the main calcium antagonist drugs; verapamil, diltiazem and nifedipine. While conduction disturbances and bradycardia are seen more often after verapamil and diltiazem, tachycardia, headache and flush are more frequent after nifedipine. Constipation is relatively frequent after verapamil while nifedipine is reported to induce diarrhea in som patients. Idiosyncratic side effects are rare but have been reported from the skin, mouth, musculoskeletal system, the liver and the central nervous system. These side effects include urticarial rashes, gingival hyperplasia, arthralgia, hepathotoxicity and transistory mental confusion or akathisia. Verapamil, diltiazem and possibly also nifedipine have been reported to increase serum digoxin concentrations but the clinical relevance of these drug interactions are not clear. Furthermore, verapamil and diltiazem may potentiate the effects of beta-adrenergic blocking drugs and verapamil may also potentiate the effects of neuromuscular blocking drugs. It is concluded that side effects after calcium antagonist drugs are mostly trivial and transient although they may sometimes be relatively common. Clinically relevant drug interactions are few. Judged from the point of efficacy and safety, calcium antagonists will have a major place in the future pharmacotherapy of several cardiovascular disorders.

  3. Prevalence of hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus in a group of patients newly diagnosed with active tuberculosis in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Costi, Cintia; Grandi, Tarciana; Halon, Maria Laura; Silva, Márcia Susana Nunes; Silva, Cláudia Maria Dornelles da; Gregianini, Tatiana Schäffer; Possuelo, Lia Gonçalves; Jarczewski, Carla Adriane; Niel, Christian; Rossetti, Maria Lucia Rosa

    2017-04-01

    Porto Alegre is the Brazilian state capital with second highest incidence of tuberculosis (TB) and the highest proportion of people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among patients with TB. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection increases the risk of anti-TB drug-induced hepatotoxicity, which may result in discontinuation of the therapy. The aim of this study was (i) to estimate prevalence of HCV and HIV in a group of patients newly diagnosed with active TB in a public reference hospital in Porto Alegre and (ii) to compare demographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics of patients in relation to their HCV infection status. One hundred and thirty-eight patients with TB were tested for anti-HCV antibody, HCV RNA, and anti-HIV1/2 antibody markers. HCV RNA from real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive samples was submitted to reverse transcription and PCR amplification. The 5' non-coding region of the HCV genome was sequenced, and genotypes of HCV isolates were determined. Anti-HCV antibody, HCV RNA, and anti-HIV antibodies were detected in 27 [20%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 13-26%], 17 (12%; 95% CI, 7-18%), and 34 (25%; 95% CI, 17-32%) patients, respectively. HCV isolates belonged to genotypes 1 (n = 12) and 3 (n = 4). Some characteristics were significantly more frequent in patients infected with HCV. Among them, non-white individuals, alcoholics, users of illicit drugs, imprisoned individuals, and those with history of previous TB episode were more commonly infected with HCV (p < 0.05). HCV screening, including detection of anti-HCV antibody and HCV RNA, will be important to improving the management of co-infected patients, given their increased risk of developing TB treatment-related hepatotoxicity.

  4. Silymarin liposomes improves oral bioavailability of silybin besides targeting hepatocytes, and immune cells.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Nitesh; Rai, Amita; Reddy, Neetinkumar D; Raj, P Vasanth; Jain, Prateek; Deshpande, Praful; Mathew, Geetha; Kutty, N Gopalan; Udupa, Nayanabhirama; Rao, C Mallikarjuna

    2014-10-01

    Silymarin, a hepatoprotective agent, has poor oral bioavailability. However, the current dosage form of the drug does not target the liver and inflammatory cells selectively. The aim of the present study was to develop lecithin-based carrier system of silymarin by incorporating phytosomal-liposomal approach to increase its oral bioavailability and to make it target-specific to the liver for enhanced hepatoprotection. The formulation was prepared by film hydration method. Release of drug was assessed at pH 1.2 and 7.4. Formulation was assessed for in vitro hepatoprotection on Chang liver cells, lipopolysaccharide-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by RAW 267.4 (murine macrophages), in vivo efficacy against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity and pharmacokinetic study by oral route in Wistar rat. The formulation showed maximum entrapment (55%) for a lecithin-cholesterol ratio of 6:1. Comparative release profile of formulation was better than silymarin at pH 1.2 and pH 7.4. In vitro studies showed a better hepatoprotection efficacy for formulation (one and half times) and better prevention of ROS production (ten times) compared to silymarin. In in vivo model, paracetamol showed significant hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats assessed through LFT, antioxidant markers and inflammatory markers. The formulation was found more efficacious than silymarin suspension in protecting the liver against paracetamol toxicity and the associated inflammatory conditions. The liposomal formulation yielded a three and half fold higher bioavailability of silymarin as compared with silymarin suspension. Incorporating the phytosomal form of silymarin in liposomal carrier system increased the oral bioavailability and showed better hepatoprotection and better anti-inflammatory effects compared with silymarin suspension. Copyright © 2014 Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

  5. Hepaprotective Effect of Standardized Ecklonia stolonifera Formulation on CCl4-Induced Liver Injury in Sprague-Dawley Rats.

    PubMed

    Byun, Jae-Hyuk; Kim, Jun; Choung, Se-Young

    2018-03-01

    The liver is an essential organ for the detoxification of exogenous xenobiotics, drugs and toxic substances. The incidence rate of non-alcoholic liver injury increases due to dietary habit change and drug use increase. Our previous study demonstrated that Ecklonia stolonifera (ES) formulation has hepatoprotective effect against alcohol-induced liver injury in rat and tacrine-induced hepatotoxicity in HepG2 cells. This present study was designated to elucidate hepatoprotective effects of ES formulation against carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )-induced liver injury in Sprague Dawley rat. Sixty rats were randomly divided into six groups. The rats were treated orally with ES formulation and silymarin (served as positive control, only 100 mg/kg/day) at a dose of 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg/day for 21 days. Seven days after treatment, liver injury was induced by intraperitoneal injection of CCl 4 (1.5 ml/kg, twice a week for 14 days). The administration of CCl 4 exhibited significant elevation of hepatic enzymes (like AST and ALT), and decrease of antioxidant related enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase) and glutathione. Then, it leaded to DNA damages (8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine) and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde). Administration of ES formulation inhibited imbalance of above factors compared to CCl 4 induced rat in a dose dependent manner. Real time PCR analysis indicates that CYP2E1 was upregulated in CCl 4 induced rat. However, increased gene expression was compromised by ES formulation treatment. These findings suggests that ES formulation could protect hepatotoxicity caused by CCl 4 via two pathways: elevation of antioxidant enzymes and normalization of CYP2E1 enzyme.

  6. Challenge of liver disease in systemic lupus erythematosus: Clues for diagnosis and hints for pathogenesis

    PubMed Central

    Bessone, Fernando; Poles, Natalia; Roma, Marcelo G

    2014-01-01

    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) encompass a broad spectrum of liver diseases. We propose here to classify them as follows: (1) immunological comorbilities (overlap syndromes); (2) non-immunological comorbilities associated to SLE; and (3) a putative liver damage induced by SLE itself, referred to as “lupus hepatitis”. In the first group, liver injury can be ascribed to overlapping hepatopathies triggered by autoimmune mechanisms other than SLE occurring with higher incidence in the context of lupus (e.g., autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis). The second group includes non-autoimmune liver diseases, such as esteatosis, hepatitis C, hypercoagulation state-related liver lesions, hyperplasic parenchymal and vascular lesions, porphyria cutanea tarda, and drug-induced hepatotoxicity. Finally, the data in the literature to support the existence of a hepatic disease produced by SLE itself, or the occurrence of a SLE-associated prone condition that increases susceptibility to acquire other liver diseases, is critically discussed. The pathological mechanisms underlying each of these liver disorders are also reviewed. Despite the high heterogeneity in the literature regarding the prevalence of SLE-associated liver diseases and, in most cases, lack of histopathological evidence or clinical studies large enough to support their existence, it is becoming increasingly apparent that liver is an important target of SLE. Consequently, biochemical liver tests should be routinely carried out in SLE patients to discard liver disorders, particularly in those patients chronically exposed to potentially hepatotoxic drugs. Diagnosing liver disease in SLE patients is always challenging, and the systematization of the current information carried out in this review is expected to be of help both to attain a better understanding of pathogenesis and to build an appropriate work-up for diagnosis. PMID:25018850

  7. Donor‐Dependent and Other Nondefined Factors Have Greater Influence on the Hepatic Phenotype Than the Starting Cell Type in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Hepatocyte‐Like Cells

    PubMed Central

    Heslop, James A.; Kia, Richard; Pridgeon, Christopher S.; Sison‐Young, Rowena L.; Liloglou, Triantafillos; Elmasry, Mohamed; Fenwick, Stephen W.; Mills, John S.; Kitteringham, Neil R.; Park, Bong K.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Drug‐induced liver injury is the greatest cause of post‐marketing drug withdrawal; therefore, substantial resources are directed toward triaging potentially dangerous new compounds at all stages of drug development. One of the major factors preventing effective screening of new compounds is the lack of a predictive in vitro model of hepatotoxicity. Primary human hepatocytes offer a metabolically relevant model for which the molecular initiating events of hepatotoxicity can be examined; however, these cells vary greatly between donors and dedifferentiate rapidly in culture. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)‐derived hepatocyte‐like cells (HLCs) offer a reproducible, physiologically relevant and genotypically normal model cell; however, current differentiation protocols produce HLCs with a relatively immature phenotype. During the reprogramming of somatic cells, the epigenome undergoes dramatic changes; however, this “resetting” is a gradual process, resulting in an altered differentiation propensity, skewed toward the lineage of origin, particularly in early passage cultures. We, therefore, performed a comparison of human hepatocyte‐ and dermal fibroblast‐derived iPSCs, assessing the impact of epigenetic memory at all stages of HLC differentiation. These results provide the first isogenic assessment of the starting cell type in human iPSC‐derived HLCs. Despite a trend toward improvement in hepatic phenotype in albumin secretion and gene expression, few significant differences in hepatic differentiation capacity were found between hepatocyte and fibroblast‐derived iPSCs. We conclude that the donor and inter‐clonal differences have a greater influence on the hepatocyte phenotypic maturity than the starting cell type. Therefore, it is not necessary to use human hepatocytes for generating iPSC‐derived HLCs. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2017;6:1321–1331 PMID:28456008

  8. Emerging In Vitro Liver Technologies for Drug Metabolism and Inter-Organ Interactions

    PubMed Central

    Bale, Shyam Sundhar; Moore, Laura

    2016-01-01

    In vitro liver models provide essential information for evaluating drug metabolism, metabolite formation, and hepatotoxicity. Interfacing liver models with other organ models could provide insights into the desirable as well as unintended systemic side effects of therapeutic agents and their metabolites. Such information is invaluable for drug screening processes particularly in the context of secondary organ toxicity. While interfacing of liver models with other organ models has been achieved, platforms that effectively provide human-relevant precise information are needed. In this concise review, we discuss the current state-of-the-art of liver-based multiorgan cell culture platforms primarily from a drug and metabolite perspective, and highlight the importance of media-to-cell ratio in interfacing liver models with other organ models. In addition, we briefly discuss issues related to development of optimal liver models that include recent advances in hepatic cell lines, stem cells, and challenges associated with primary hepatocyte-based liver models. Liver-based multiorgan models that achieve physiologically relevant coupling of different organ models can have a broad impact in evaluating drug efficacy and toxicity, as well as mechanistic investigation of human-relevant disease conditions. PMID:27049038

  9. The generic danger and the idiosyncratic support

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Temme, Arnaud; Nijp, Jelmer; van der Meij, Marijn; Samia, Jalal; Masselink, Rens

    2016-04-01

    This contribution argues two main points. First, that generic landscapes used in some modelling studies sometimes have properties or cause simulation results that are unrealistic. Such initially flat or straight-sloped landscapes, sometimes with minor random perturbations, e.g. form the backdrop for ecological simulations of vegetation growth and competition that predict catastrophic shifts. Exploratory results for semi-arid systems suggest that the results based on these generic landscapes are end-members from a distribution of results, rather than an unbiased, typical outcome. Apparently, the desire to avoid idiosyncrasy has unintended consequences. Second, we argue and illustrate that in fact new insights often come from close inspection of idiosyncratic case studies. Our examples from landslide systems, connectivity and soil formation show how a central role for the case study - either in empirical work or to provide model targets - has advanced our understanding. Both points contribute to the conclusion that it is dangerous to forget about annoying, small-scale, idiosyncratic and, indeed, perhaps bad-ass case studies in Earth Sciences.

  10. Prospective drug safety monitoring using the UK primary-care General Practice Research Database: theoretical framework, feasibility analysis and extrapolation to future scenarios.

    PubMed

    Johansson, Saga; Wallander, Mari-Ann; de Abajo, Francisco J; García Rodríguez, Luis Alberto

    2010-03-01

    Post-launch drug safety monitoring is essential for the detection of adverse drug signals that may be missed during preclinical trials. Traditional methods of postmarketing surveillance such as spontaneous reporting have intrinsic limitations, many of which can be overcome by the additional application of structured pharmacoepidemiological approaches. However, further improvement in drug safety monitoring requires a shift towards more proactive pharmacoepidemiological methods that can detect adverse drug signals as they occur in the population. To assess the feasibility of using proactive monitoring of an electronic medical record system, in combination with an independent endpoint adjudication committee, to detect adverse events among users of selected drugs. UK General Practice Research Database (GPRD) information was used to detect acute liver disorder associated with the use of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (hepatotoxic) or low-dose aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid [non-hepatotoxic]). Individuals newly prescribed these drugs between 1 October 2005 and 31 March 2006 were identified. Acute liver disorder cases were assessed using GPRD computer records in combination with case validation by an independent endpoint adjudication committee. Signal generation thresholds were based on the background rate of acute liver disorder in the general population. Over a 6-month period, 8148 patients newly prescribed amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and 5577 patients newly prescribed low-dose aspirin were identified. Within this cohort, searches identified 11 potential liver disorder cases from computerized records: six for amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and five for low-dose aspirin. The independent endpoint adjudication committee refined this to four potential acute liver disorder cases for whom paper-based information was requested for final case assessment. Final case assessments confirmed no cases of acute liver disorder. The time taken for this study was 18 months (6 months for recruitment and 12 months for data management and case validation). To reach the estimated target exposure necessary to raise or rule out a signal of concern to public health, we determined that a recruitment period 2-3 times longer than that used in this study would be required. Based on the real market uptake of six commonly used medicinal products launched between 2001 and 2006 in the UK (budesonide/eformoterol [fixed-dose combination], duloxetine, ezetimibe, metformin/rosiglitazone [fixed-dose combination], tiotropium bromide and tadalafil) the target exposure would not have been reached until the fifth year of marketing using a single database. It is feasible to set up a system that actively monitors drug safety using a healthcare database and an independent endpoint adjudication committee. However, future successful implementation will require multiple databases to be queried so that larger study populations are included. This requires further development and harmonization of international healthcare databases.

  11. Herbal does not mean innocuous: ten cases of severe hepatotoxicity associated with dietary supplements from Herbalife products.

    PubMed

    Schoepfer, Alain M; Engel, Antoinette; Fattinger, Karin; Marbet, Urs A; Criblez, Dominique; Reichen, Juerg; Zimmermann, Arthur; Oneta, Carl M

    2007-10-01

    Herbal agents are popular and perceived as safe because they are supposedly 'natural'. We report 10 cases of toxic hepatitis implicating Herbalife products. To determine the prevalence and outcome of hepatotoxicity due to Herbalife products. A questionnaire was sent to all public Swiss hospitals. Reported cases were subjected to causality assessment using the CIOMS criteria. Twelve cases of toxic hepatitis implicating Herbalife preparations (1998-2004) were retrieved, 10 sufficiently documented to permit causality analysis. Median age of patients was 51 years (range 30-69) and latency to onset was 5 months (0.5-144). Liver biopsy (7/10) showed hepatic necrosis, marked lymphocytic/eosinophilic infiltration and cholestasis in five patients. One patient with fulminant liver failure was successfully transplanted; the explant showed giant cell hepatitis. Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome was observed in one case. Three patients without liver biopsy presented with hepatocellular (2) or mixed (1) liver injury. Causality assessment of adverse drug reaction was classified as certain in two, probable in seven and possible in one case(s), respectively. We present a case series of toxic hepatitis implicating Herbalife products. Liver toxicity may be severe. A more detailed declaration of components and pro-active role of regulatory agencies would be desirable.

  12. Dietary agents in the prevention of alcohol-induced hepatotoxicty: preclinical observations.

    PubMed

    Shivashankara, Arnadi Ramachandrayya; Azmidah, Aysha; Haniadka, Raghavendra; Rai, Manoj Ponadka; Arora, Rajesh; Baliga, Manjeshwar Shrinath

    2012-02-01

    Long term alcohol consumption is one of the important causes for liver failure and death. To complicate the existing problem there are no dependable hepatoprotective drugs and a large number of patients prefer using complementary and alternative medicines for treating and managing hepatic complications. Almost 25 centuries ago, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, proclaimed "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." Exploring the association between diet and health continues even today. Preclinical studies carried out in the recent past have shown that the commonly used dietary agents like Allium sativum (garlic), Camellia sinensis (tea), Curcuma longa (turmeric), Emblica officinalis (Indian gooseberry), Ferula asafoetida (asafoetida), Garcinia cambogia (Malabar tamarind), Glycine max (soyabean), Murraya koenigii (curry leaves), Piper betle (beetle leaf), Prunus armeniaca (apricot), Ocimum gratissimum (wild basil), Theobroma cacao (cocoa), Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) and Vitis vinifera (grapes) protect against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. Mechanistic studies have shown that the beneficial effects of these phytochemicals in preventing the ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity are mediated by the antioxidant, free radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects. The present review for the first time collates the hepatoprotective effects of these agents and also emphasizes on aspects that need future research to establish their utility in humans.

  13. PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF MORINGA PEREGRINA LEAVES EXTRACT ON ACETAMINOPHEN -INDUCED LIVER TOXICITY IN ALBINO RATS.

    PubMed

    Azim, Samy Abdelfatah Abdel; Abdelrahem, Mohamed Taha; Said, Mostafa Mohamed; Khattab, Alshaimaa

    2017-01-01

    Acetaminophen is a common antipyretic drug but at overdose can cause severe hepatotoxicity that may further develop into liver failure and hepatic centrilobular necrosis in experimental animals and humans. This study was undertaken to assess the ameliorative role of Moringa peregrina leaves extract against acetaminophen toxicity in rats. Induction of hepatotoxicity was done by chronic oral administration of acetaminophen (750 mg/kg bwt) for 4 weeks. To study the possible hepatoprotective effect, Moringa peregrina leaves extract (200 mg/kg bwt) or Silymarin (50 mg/kg bwt) was administered orally, for 4 weeks, along with acetaminophen. acetaminophen significantly increased serum liver enzymes and caused oxidative stress, evidenced by significantly increased tissue malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, hepatic DNA fragmentation, and significant decrease of glutathione and antioxidant enzymes in liver, blood and brain. On the other hand, administration of Moringa peregrina leaves extract reversed acetaminophen-related toxic effects through: powerful malondialdehyde suppression, glutathione peroxidase normalization and stimulation of the cellular antioxidants synthesis represented by significant increase of glutathione, catalase and superoxide dismutase in liver, blood and brain, besides, DNA fragmentation was significantly decreased in the liver tissue. acetaminophen induced oxidative damage can be improved by Moringa peregrina leaves extract-treatment, due to its antioxidant potential.

  14. Age-related effect of aerobic exercise training on antioxidant and oxidative markers in the liver challenged by doxorubicin in rats.

    PubMed

    Ahmadian, Mehdi; Dabidi Roshan, Valiollah; Leicht, Anthony S

    2018-05-16

    The aims of the current study were to investigate the oxidant and antioxidant status of liver tissue challenged by doxorubicin and to examine the possible protective effects of aerobic exercise on doxorubicin-induced oxidative stress. Seventy-two rats were divided into three age groups (Young, Adult, and Elderly) with three treatment subgroups consisting of eight rats per age group: doxorubicin, aerobic exercise + doxorubicin, and aerobic exercise + saline. The experimental groups performed regular treadmill running for 3 weeks. Doxorubicin was administered by i.p. injection at a dosage of 20 mg kg -1 while the aerobic exercise + saline group received saline of a comparable volume. Heat shock protein 70, malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, and protein carbonyl were determined from the liver homogenates following the intervention period. Treatment with doxorubicin induced hepatotoxicity in all groups with lower values of oxidative stress in young compared with the older groups. The inclusion of aerobic exercise training significantly increased heat shock protein 70 and antioxidant enzyme levels (glutathione peroxidase) whereas it decreased oxidative stress biomarkers (malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl) for all age groups. These results suggest that aerobic exercise training may be a potential, non-drug strategy to modulate doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity through its positive impact on antioxidant levels and oxidative stress biomarkers.

  15. The effect of N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) on liver toxicity and clinical outcome after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

    PubMed

    El-Serafi, Ibrahim; Remberger, Mats; El-Serafi, Ahmed; Benkessou, Fadwa; Zheng, Wenyi; Martell, Eva; Ljungman, Per; Mattsson, Jonas; Hassan, Moustapha

    2018-05-29

    Busulphan (Bu) is a myeloablative drug used for conditioning prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Bu is predominantly metabolized through glutathione conjugation, a reaction that consumes the hepatic glutathione. N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) is a glutathione precursor used in the treatment of acetaminophen hepatotoxicity. NAC does not interfere with the busulphan myeloablative effect. We investigated the effect of NAC concomitant treatment during busulphan conditioning on the liver enzymes as well as the clinical outcome. Prophylactic NAC treatment was given to 54 patients upon the start of busulphan conditioning. These patients were compared with 54 historical matched controls who did not receive NAC treatment. In patients treated with NAC, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased after conditioning compared to their start values. Within the NAC-group, liver enzymes were normalized in those patients (30%) who had significantly high start values. No significant decrease in enzyme levels was observed in the control group. Furthermore, NAC affected neither Bu kinetics nor clinical outcome (sinusoidal obstruction syndrome incidence, graft-versus-host disease and/or graft failure). NAC is a potential prophylactic treatment for hepatotoxicity during busulphan conditioning. NAC therapy did not alter busulphan kinetics or affect clinical outcome.

  16. Hepatoprotective influence of quercetin and ellagic acid on thioacetamide-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

    PubMed

    Afifi, Nehal A; Ibrahim, Marwa A; Galal, Mona K

    2018-06-01

    Despite all the studies performed to date, therapy choices for liver injuries are very few. Therefore, the search for a new treatment that could safely and effectively block or reverse liver injuries remains a challenge. Quercetin (QR) and ellagic acid (EA) had potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The current study aimed at evaluating the potential hepatoprotective influence of QR and EA against thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver toxicity in rats and the underlying mechanism using silymarin as a reference drug. Fifty mature male rats were orally treated daily with EA and QR in separate groups for 45 consecutive days, and then were injected with TAA twice with 24 h intervals in the last 2 days of the experiment. Administration of TAA resulted in marked elevation of liver indices, alteration in oxidative stress parameters, and significant elevation in expression level of fibrosis-related genes (MMP9 and MMP2). Administration of QR and EA significantly attenuated the hepatic toxicity through reduction of liver biomarkers, improving the redox status of the tissue, as well as hampering the expression level of fibrosis-related genes. In this study, QR and EA were proved to attenuate the hepatotoxicity through their antioxidant, metal-chelating capacity, and anti-inflammatory effects.

  17. PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF MORINGA PEREGRINA LEAVES EXTRACT ON ACETAMINOPHEN -INDUCED LIVER TOXICITY IN ALBINO RATS

    PubMed Central

    Azim, Samy Abdelfatah Abdel; Abdelrahem, Mohamed Taha; Said, Mostafa Mohamed; khattab, Alshaimaa

    2017-01-01

    Background: Acetaminophen is a common antipyretic drug but at overdose can cause severe hepatotoxicity that may further develop into liver failure and hepatic centrilobular necrosis in experimental animals and humans. This study was undertaken to assess the ameliorative role of Moringa peregrina leaves extract against acetaminophen toxicity in rats. Materials and methods: Induction of hepatotoxicity was done by chronic oral administration of acetaminophen (750 mg/kg bwt) for 4 weeks. To study the possible hepatoprotective effect, Moringa peregrina leaves extract (200 mg/kg bwt) or Silymarin (50 mg/kg bwt) was administered orally, for 4 weeks, along with acetaminophen. Results: acetaminophen significantly increased serum liver enzymes and caused oxidative stress, evidenced by significantly increased tissue malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, hepatic DNA fragmentation, and significant decrease of glutathione and antioxidant enzymes in liver, blood and brain. On the other hand, administration of Moringa peregrina leaves extract reversed acetaminophen-related toxic effects through: powerful malondialdehyde suppression, glutathione peroxidase normalization and stimulation of the cellular antioxidants synthesis represented by significant increase of glutathione, catalase and superoxide dismutase in liver, blood and brain, besides, DNA fragmentation was significantly decreased in the liver tissue. Conclusion: acetaminophen induced oxidative damage can be improved by Moringa peregrina leaves extract-treatment, due to its antioxidant potential. PMID:28573237

  18. Spondias mombin L. (Anacardiaceae) enhances detoxification of hepatic and macromolecular oxidants in acetaminophen-intoxicated rats.

    PubMed

    Saheed, Sabiu; Taofik, Sunmonu Olatunde; Oladipo, Ajani Emmanuel; Tom, Ashafa Anofi Omotayo

    2017-11-01

    Oxidative stress is a common pathological condition associated with drug-induced hepatotoxicity. This study investigated Spondias mombin L. aqueous leaf extract on reactive oxygen species and acetaminophen-mediated oxidative onslaught in rats' hepatocytes. Hepatotoxic rats were orally administered with the extract and vitamin C for 4 weeks. The extract dose-dependently scavenged DPPH, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals, with IC 50 values of 0.13, 0.66, and 0.64 mg/mL, and corresponding % inhibitions of 89, 80, and 90%, respectively at 1.0 mg/mL. Ferric ion was also significantly reduced. The marked (p<0.05) increases in the activities of alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were reduced following treatment with the extract. The extract also significantly (p<0.05) induced the activities of antioxidant enzymes. These inductions reversed the acetaminophen-enhanced reduction in the specific activities of these enzymes as well as attenuated the observed elevated concentrations of autooxidized products and rived DNA in the acetaminophen-intoxicated animals. The observed effects competed with those of vitamin C and are suggestive of hepatoprotective and antioxidative attributes of the extract. Overall, the data from the present findings suggest that S. Mombin aqueous leaf extract is capable of ameliorating acetaminophen-mediated oxidative hepatic damage via enhancement of antioxidant defense systems.

  19. NMR-based metabonomic analysis of the hepatotoxicity induced by combined exposure to PCBs and TCDD in rats

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lu Chunfeng; Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical College, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154007; Wang Yimei

    2010-11-01

    A metabonomic approach using {sup 1}H NMR spectroscopy was adopted to investigate the metabonomic pattern of rat urine after oral administration of environmental endocrine disruptors (EDs) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p-dioxin (TCDD) alone or in combination and to explore the possible hepatotoxic mechanisms of combined exposure to PCBs and TCDD. {sup 1}H NMR spectra of urines collected 24 h before and after exposure were analyzed via pattern recognition by using principal component analysis (PCA). Serum biochemistry and liver histopathology indicated significant hepatotoxicity in the rats of the combined group. The PCA scores plots of urinary {sup 1}H NMR datamore » showed that all the treatment groups could be easily distinguished from the control group, so could the PCBs or TCDD group and the combined group. The loadings plots of the PCA revealed remarkable increases in the levels of lactate, glucose, taurine, creatine, and 2-hydroxy-isovaleric acid and reductions in the levels of 2-oxoglutarate, citrate, succinate, hippurate, and trimethylamine-N-oxide in rat urine after exposure. These changes were more striking in the combined group. The changed metabolites may be considered possible biomarker for the hepatotoxicity. The present study demonstrates that combined exposure to PCBs and TCDD induced significant hepatotoxicity in rats, and mitochondrial dysfunction and fatty acid metabolism perturbations might contribute to the hepatotoxicity. There was good conformity between changes in the urine metabonomic pattern and those in serum biochemistry and liver histopathology. These results showed that the NMR-based metabonomic approach may provide a promising technique for the evaluation of the combined toxicity of EDs.« less

  20. Hepatotoxicity induced by acute and chronic paracetamol overdose in children: Where do we stand?

    PubMed

    Tong, Hoi Yan; Medrano, Nicolás; Borobia, Alberto Manuel; Ruiz, José Antonio; Martínez, Ana María; Martín, Julia; Quintana, Manuel; García, Santos; Carcas, Antonio José; Ramírez, Elena

    2017-02-01

    There are few data on hepatotoxicity induced by acute or chronic paracetamol poisoning in the pediatric population. Paracetamol poisoning data can reveal the weaknesses of paracetamol poisoning management guidelines. We retrospectively studied the patients of less than 18 years old with measurable paracetamol levels, who were brought to the emergency department (ED) of La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, for suspected paracetamol overdoses between 2005 and 2010. Ninety-two patients with suspected paracetamol poisoning were identified. In 2007, the incidence of paracetamol poisoning in the pediatric population was 0.8 [Poisson-95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03-3.69] per 10 000 inhabitants aged less than 18 years. The incidence in the same year was 1.53 (Poisson-95% CI: 0.24-5.57) per 10 000 patients in the pediatric ED. The most common cause of poisoning was attempted suicide (47.8%) in teenagers with a median age of 15 years, followed by accidental poisoning (42.2%) in babies with a median age of 2.65 years. Difference was seen in the frequency of hepatotoxicity between acute and chronic poisoning cases. Only 1 of 49 patients with acute poisoning showed hepatotoxicity [acute liver failure (ALF)], whereas 7 of 8 patients with chronic poisoning showed hepatotoxicity (3 cases of ALF). The average time to medical care was 6.83 hours for acute poisoning and 52.3 hours for chronic poisoning (P<0.001). Chronic paracetamol poisoning is a potential risk factor for hepatotoxicity and acute liver failure. Delays in seeking medical help might be a contributing factor. Clinicians should have a higher index of clinical suspicion for this entity.

  1. Quercetin attenuates toosendanin-induced hepatotoxicity through inducing the Nrf2/GCL/GSH antioxidant signaling pathway.

    PubMed

    Jin, Yao; Huang, Zhen-Lin; Li, Li; Yang, Yang; Wang, Chang-Hong; Wang, Zheng-Tao; Ji, Li-Li

    2018-06-19

    Toosendanin (TSN) is the main active compound in Toosendan Fructus and Meliae Cortex, two commonly used traditional Chinese medicines. TSN has been reported to induce hepatotoxicity, but its mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated the critical role of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in protecting against TSN-induced hepatotoxicity in mice and human normal liver L-02 cells. In mice, administration of TSN (10 mg/kg)-induced acute liver injury evidenced by increased serum alanine/aspartate aminotransferase (ALT/AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities, and total bilirubin (TBiL) content as well as the histological changes. Furthermore, TSN markedly increased liver reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and decreased liver glutathione (GSH) content and Nrf2 expression. In L-02 cells, TSN (2 μM) time-dependently reduced glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL) activity and cellular expression of the catalytic/modify subunit of GCL (GCLC/GCLM). Moreover, TSN reduced cellular GSH content and the increased ROS formation, and time-dependently decreased Nrf2 expression and increased the expression of the Nrf2 inhibitor protein kelch-like ECH-associated protein-1 (Keap1). Pre-administration of quercetin (40, 80 mg/kg) effectively inhibited TSN-induced liver oxidative injury and reversed the decreased expression of Nrf2 and GCLC/GCLM in vivo and in vitro. In addition, the quercetin-provided protection against TSN-induced hepatotoxicity was diminished in Nrf2 knock-out mice. In conclusion, TSN decreases cellular GSH content by reducing Nrf2-mediated GCLC/GCLM expression via decreasing Nrf2 expression. Quercetin attenuates TSN-induced hepatotoxicity by inducing the Nrf2/GCL/GSH antioxidant signaling pathway. This study implies that inducing Nrf2 activation may be an effective strategy to prevent TSN-induced hepatotoxicity.

  2. Protective effect of ALDH2 against cyclophosphamide-induced acute hepatotoxicity via attenuating oxidative stress and reactive aldehydes.

    PubMed

    Zhai, Xiaoxuan; Zhang, Zhenxiao; Liu, Wenwen; Liu, Baoshan; Zhang, Rui; Wang, Wenjun; Zheng, Wen; Xu, Feng; Wang, Jiali; Chen, Yuguo

    2018-04-30

    Cyclophosphamide (CY) is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent that is associated with severe side effects, such as hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. However, the extent, mechanisms and potential prevention and treatment strategies of CY-induced acute hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity are largely unknown. In this study, we determined the existence and extent of CY-induced acute hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity, and demonstrated the effect of ALDH2 on CY-induced acute tissue toxicity and related mechanisms. Adult male C57BL/6J (wide-type, WT) and ALDH2 -/- (KO) mice were divided into four groups: WT, WT + CY, KO + CY and WT + CY + Alda-1. Biochemical analysis showed that plasma ALT was increased by 35.8% in KO + CY group and decreased by 21.1% in WT + CY + Alda-1 group compared to WT + CY group (P < 0.05, respectively). However, there was no significant difference among WT, WT + CY and KO + CY groups regarding plasma renal marker enzymes, including blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine and cystatin C (CysC). Levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and toxic aldehydes (acrolein, 4-hydroxynonenol and malondialdehyde) were increased significantly in KO + CY group and decreased significantly in WT + CY + Alda-1 group compared to WT + CY group (P < 0.05, respectively). These findings demonstrate that CY could induce acute hepatotoxicity without nephrotoxicity, and ALDH2 plays a protective role in CY-induced acute hepatotoxicity. The underlying mechanisms are associated with attenuating oxidative stress and detoxifying reactive aldehydes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Drug-induced liver injury: present and future

    PubMed Central

    Suk, Ki Tae

    2012-01-01

    Liver injury due to prescription and nonprescription medications is a growing medical, scientific, and public health problem. Worldwide, the estimated annual incidence rate of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is 13.9-24.0 per 100,000 inhabitants. DILI is one of the leading causes of acute liver failure in the US. In Korea, the annual extrapolated incidence of cases hospitalized at university hospital is 12/100,000 persons/year. Most cases of DILI are the result of idiosyncratic metabolic responses or unexpected reactions to medication. There is marked geographic variation in relevant agents; antibiotics, anticonvulsants, and psychotropic drugs are the most common offending agents in the West, whereas in Asia, 'herbs' and 'health foods or dietary supplements' are more common. Different medical circumstances also cause discrepancy in definition and classification of DILI between West and Asia. In the concern of causality assessment, the application of the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) scale frequently undercounts the cases caused by 'herbs' due to a lack of previous information and incompatible time criteria. Therefore, a more objective and reproducible tool that could be used for the diagnosis of DILI caused by 'herbs' is needed in Asia. In addition, a reporting system similar to the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN) in the US should be established as soon as possible in Asia. PMID:23091804

  4. COMPARISON OF GENE EXPRESSION PROFILES FROM RATS FED THREE TOXICOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT CONAZOLES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Conazoles arc a class of fungicides used as pharmaceutical and agricultural products. In chronic bioassays, triadimefon was hepatotoxic and induced transitional cell adenomas in the thyroid gland. Both propiconazole and myclobutanil were hepatotoxic but had no effect on the thyro...

  5. Hepatotoxicity of NONI juice: Report of two cases

    PubMed Central

    Stadlbauer, Vanessa; Fickert, Peter; Lackner, Carolin; Schmerlaib, Jutta; Krisper, Peter; Trauner, Michael; Stauber, Rudolf E

    2005-01-01

    AIM: NONI juice (Morinda citrifolia) is an increasingly popular wellness drink claimed to be beneficial for many illnesses. No overt toxicity has been reported to date. We present two cases of novel hepatotoxicity of NONI juice. Causality of liver injury by NONI juice was asses-sed. Routine laboratory tests and transjugular or percutaneous liver biopsy were performed. The first patient underwent successful liver transplantation while the second patient recovered spontaneously after cessation of NONI juice. A 29-year-old man with previous toxic hepatitis associated with small doses of paracetamol developed sub-acute hepatic failure following consumption of 1.5 L NONI juice over 3 wk necessitating urgent liver transplantation. A 62-year-old woman without evidence of previous liver disease developed an episode of self-limited acute hepatitis following consumption of 2 L NONI juice for over 3 mo. The most likely hepatotoxic components of Morinda citrifolia were anthraquinones. Physicians should be aware of potential hepatotoxicity of NONI juice. PMID:16094725

  6. A single acute hepatotoxic dose of CCl4 causes oxidative stress in the rat brain.

    PubMed

    Ritesh, K R; Suganya, A; Dileepkumar, H V; Rajashekar, Y; Shivanandappa, T

    2015-01-01

    Carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ), a hepatotoxic agent is widely used to study the toxic mechanisms in experimental animals. We have investigated whether oxidative stress is induced in the brain at a single hepatotoxic dosage (1 ml/kg bw) of CCl 4 . Increased lipid peroxidation (LPO), protein carbonyls (PC) content and glutathione (GSH) depletion were observed in the brain regions of rats treated with CCl 4 which was higher than that of liver. A drastic reduction in the activity of glutathione- S -transferase (GST) was seen in the brain regions which was higher than that of liver. Similarly, activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), NADH- and NADPH-dehydrogenase were reduced in the brain regions similar to that of liver. Higher induction of oxidative stress in the brain compared to that of liver implies vulnerability of the brain for CCl 4 neurotoxicity. Our study shows that a single hepatotoxic dose of CCl 4 is equally neurotoxic to rats.

  7. Drug- and herb-induced liver injury: Progress, current challenges and emerging signals of post-marketing risk

    PubMed Central

    Raschi, Emanuel; De Ponti, Fabrizio

    2015-01-01

    Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) and herb-induced liver injury is a hot topic for clinicians, academia, drug companies and regulators, as shown by the steadily increasing number of publications in the past 15 years. This review will first provide clues for clinicians to suspect idiosyncratic (unpredictable) DILI and succeed in diagnosis. Causality assessment remains challenging and requires careful medical history as well as awareness of multifaceted aspects, especially for herbs. Drug discontinuation and therapy reconciliation remain the mainstay in patent’s management to minimize occurrence of acute liver failure. The second section will address novel agents associated with liver injury in 2014 (referred to as “signals”), especially in terms of clinical, research and drug development implications. Insights will be provided into recent trends by highlighting the contribution of different post-marketing data, especially registries and spontaneous reporting systems. This literature scrutiny suggests: (1) the importance of post-marketing databases as tools of clinical evidence to detect signals of DILI risk; and (2) the need for joining efforts in improving predictivity of pre-clinical assays, continuing post-marketing surveillance and design ad hoc post-authorization safety studies. In this context, ongoing European/United States research consortia and novel pharmaco-epidemiological tools (e.g., specialist prescription event monitoring) will support innovation in this field. Direct oral anticoagulants and herbal/dietary supplements appear as key research priorities. PMID:26167249

  8. Adverse drug reaction (ADR) occurrence and evaluation in elderly inpatients.

    PubMed

    Bowman, L; Carlstedt, B C; Hancock, E F; Black, C D

    1996-01-01

    Determine elderly inpatient's risk ADRs and characterize the events. This is a post-hoc analysis of a comprehensive inpatient ADR survey. Charts were reviewed every four days on all internal medicine service inpatients (1024 patients over four months). Chart review were enhanced by potential indicators such as nurses' and pharmacists' reports; targeted drug orders; 'now', 'stat', and 'hold' orders; off-service physician consults; incident reports; transfers-to-ICU; and abnormal serum drug concentrations. Potential ADRs were classified according to organ system affected, pharmacological type, severity, and Naranjo causality scale. Internal medicine wards of a 350-bed county general hospital. Of 1024 inpatients, 301 were elderly. Overall, 237 patients had an ADR (23%). Elderly patients accounted for 89 (37.5%) of the 237 patients experiencing an ADR. The ADRs experienced by the elderly tended to be more severe (p <0.05) and less idiosyncratic (p <0.05). However, no preferences for organ system (p >0.1) or differences in causality rating (p = 0.25) were detected. When statistically controlled for female gender, renal function and number of drugs, age was no longer a risk factor for ADR occurrence. The elderly experience more ADRs. However, female gender, decline in renal function and polymedicine are the independent factors that account for the elderly's risk. Furthermore, the elderly's ADRs tend to be more severe and an extension of the drug's pharmacology. Therefore, ADR prevention is both important and possible.

  9. Drug- and herb-induced liver injury: Progress, current challenges and emerging signals of post-marketing risk.

    PubMed

    Raschi, Emanuel; De Ponti, Fabrizio

    2015-07-08

    Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) and herb-induced liver injury is a hot topic for clinicians, academia, drug companies and regulators, as shown by the steadily increasing number of publications in the past 15 years. This review will first provide clues for clinicians to suspect idiosyncratic (unpredictable) DILI and succeed in diagnosis. Causality assessment remains challenging and requires careful medical history as well as awareness of multifaceted aspects, especially for herbs. Drug discontinuation and therapy reconciliation remain the mainstay in patent's management to minimize occurrence of acute liver failure. The second section will address novel agents associated with liver injury in 2014 (referred to as "signals"), especially in terms of clinical, research and drug development implications. Insights will be provided into recent trends by highlighting the contribution of different post-marketing data, especially registries and spontaneous reporting systems. This literature scrutiny suggests: (1) the importance of post-marketing databases as tools of clinical evidence to detect signals of DILI risk; and (2) the need for joining efforts in improving predictivity of pre-clinical assays, continuing post-marketing surveillance and design ad hoc post-authorization safety studies. In this context, ongoing European/United States research consortia and novel pharmaco-epidemiological tools (e.g., specialist prescription event monitoring) will support innovation in this field. Direct oral anticoagulants and herbal/dietary supplements appear as key research priorities.

  10. In vivo assessment of the hepatotoxicity of a new Nostoc isolate from the Nile River: Nostoc sp. strain NRI.

    PubMed

    Abu-Serie, Marwa M; Nasser, Nermine; Abd El-Wahab, Abeer; Shehawy, Rehab; Pienaar, Harrison; Baddour, Nahed; Amer, Ranya

    2018-03-01

    Nostoc sp. is one of the most widely distributed cyanobacterial genera that produce potentially protein phosphatase (PP) inhibitor; microcystins (MCs). MCs have posed a worldwide concern due to predominant hepatotoxicity to human health. We have previously isolated a Nostoc strain (NR1) from the Nile River (the main water supply in Egypt) and this strain exerted production of rare and highly toxic MC; demethylated microcystin-LR. There is no data concerning risk factors of liver diseases for human and animal exposure to NR1-contaminated drinking water yet. It is thus important to evaluate acute (LD 50 dose), subacute (0.01% and 10% of LD 50 dose) and subchronic (0.01% and 10% of LD 50 dose) hepatotoxicity's NR1 extract using experimental mice. Mice groups, who orally received 0.01% LD 50 , represented a permissible concentration of the World Health Organization (WHO) for MC in drinking water. Several parameters were detected, including hepatotoxicity (i.e. PP activity, liver function, oxidative stress markers and DNA fragmentation), pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α) and liver histopathology. Our results demonstrated LD 50 of NR1 extract was at 15,350 mg/kg body weight and caused hepatotoxicity that attributed to PP inhibition and a significant increase of hepatic damage biomarkers with lipid accumulation. Moreover, NR1 extract induced hepatic oxidative damage that may have led to DNA fragmentation and production of TNF-α. As demonstrated from the histopathological study, NR1 extract caused a severe collapse of cytoskeleton with subsequent focal degeneration of hepatocytes, necroinflammation and steatosis. The grade of hepatotoxicity in subacute (10% of LD 50 ) group was higher than that in the subchronic (10% of LD 50 and 0.01% of LD 50 , WHOch, respectively) groups. No significant hepatotoxicity was detectable for subacute (0.01% of LD 50 , WHOac) group. NR1 is therefore considered as one of the harmful and life-threatening cyanobacteria for Egyptian people being exposed to dose above WHO guideline. Thus, biological indicators and thresholds for water treatment are extremely needed. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  11. Multiple microRNAs function as self-protective modules in acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in humans.

    PubMed

    Yu, Dianke; Wu, Leihong; Gill, Pritmohinder; Tolleson, William H; Chen, Si; Sun, Jinchun; Knox, Bridgett; Jin, Yaqiong; Xiao, Wenming; Hong, Huixiao; Wang, Yong; Ren, Zhen; Guo, Lei; Mei, Nan; Guo, Yongli; Yang, Xi; Shi, Leming; Chen, Yinting; Zeng, Linjuan; Dreval, Kostiantyn; Tryndyak, Volodymyr; Pogribny, Igor; Fang, Hong; Shi, Tieliu; McCullough, Sandra; Bhattacharyya, Sudeepa; Schnackenberg, Laura; Mattes, William; Beger, Richard D; James, Laura; Tong, Weida; Ning, Baitang

    2018-02-01

    Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is the leading cause of acute liver failure. Yet the mechanisms underlying adaptive tolerance toward APAP-induced liver injury are not fully understood. To better understand molecular mechanisms contributing to adaptive tolerance to APAP is an underpinning foundation for APAP-related precision medicine. In the current study, the mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles derived from next generation sequencing data for APAP-treated (5 and 10 mM) HepaRG cells and controls were analyzed systematically. Putative miRNAs targeting key dysregulated genes involved in APAP hepatotoxicity were selected using in silico prediction algorithms, un-biased gene ontology, and network analyses. Luciferase reporter assays, RNA electrophoresis mobility shift assays, and miRNA pull-down assays were performed to investigate the role of miRNAs affecting the expression of dysregulated genes. Levels of selected miRNAs were measured in serum samples obtained from children with APAP overdose (58.6-559.4 mg/kg) and from healthy controls. As results, 2758 differentially expressed genes and 47 miRNAs were identified. Four of these miRNAs (hsa-miR-224-5p, hsa-miR-320a, hsa-miR-449a, and hsa-miR-877-5p) suppressed drug metabolizing enzyme (DME) levels involved in APAP-induced liver injury by downregulating HNF1A, HNF4A and NR1I2 expression. Exogenous transfection of these miRNAs into HepaRG cells effectively rescued them from APAP toxicity, as indicated by decreased alanine aminotransferase levels. Importantly, hsa-miR-320a and hsa-miR-877-5p levels were significantly elevated in serum samples obtained from children with APAP overdose compared to health controls. Collectively, these data indicate that hsa-miR-224-5p, hsa-miR-320a, hsa-miR-449a, and hsa-miR-877-5p suppress DME expression involved in APAP-induced hepatotoxicity and they contribute to an adaptive response in hepatocytes.

  12. HLA alleles influence the clinical signature of amoxicillin-clavulanate hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Stephens, Camilla; López-Nevot, Miguel-Ángel; Ruiz-Cabello, Francisco; Ulzurrun, Eugenia; Soriano, Germán; Romero-Gómez, Manuel; Moreno-Casares, Antonia; Lucena, M Isabel; Andrade, Raúl J

    2013-01-01

    The genotype-phenotype interaction in drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a subject of growing interest. Previous studies have linked amoxicillin-clavulanate (AC) hepatotoxicity susceptibility to specific HLA alleles. In this study we aimed to examine potential associations between HLA class I and II alleles and AC DILI with regards to phenotypic characteristics, severity and time to onset in Spanish AC hepatotoxicity cases. High resolution genotyping of HLA loci A, B, C, DRB1 and DQB1 was performed in 75 AC DILI cases and 885 controls. The distributions of class I alleles A*3002 (P/Pc = 2.6E-6/5E-5, OR 6.7) and B*1801 (P/Pc = 0.008/0.22, OR 2.9) were more frequently found in hepatocellular injury cases compared to controls. In addition, the presence of the class II allele combination DRB1*1501-DQB1*0602 (P/Pc = 5.1E-4/0.014, OR 3.0) was significantly increased in cholestatic/mixed cases. The A*3002 and/or B*1801 carriers were found to be younger (54 vs 65 years, P = 0.019) and were more frequently hospitalized than the DRB1*1501-DQB1*0602 carriers. No additional alleles outside those associated with liver injury patterns were found to affect potential severity as measured by Hy's Law criteria. The phenotype frequencies of B*1801 (P/Pc = 0.015/0.42, OR 5.2) and DRB1*0301-DQB1*0201 (P/Pc = 0.0026/0.07, OR 15) were increased in AC DILI cases with delayed onset compared to those corresponding to patients without delayed onset, while the opposite applied to DRB1*1302-DQB1*0604 (P/Pc = 0.005/0.13, OR 0.07). HLA class I and II alleles influence the AC DILI signature with regards to phenotypic expression, latency presentation and severity in Spanish patients.

  13. HLA Alleles Influence the Clinical Signature of Amoxicillin-Clavulanate Hepatotoxicity

    PubMed Central

    Stephens, Camilla; López-Nevot, Miguel-Ángel; Ruiz-Cabello, Francisco; Ulzurrun, Eugenia; Soriano, Germán; Romero-Gómez, Manuel; Moreno-Casares, Antonia; Lucena, M. Isabel; Andrade, Raúl J.

    2013-01-01

    Background and Aim The genotype-phenotype interaction in drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a subject of growing interest. Previous studies have linked amoxicillin-clavulanate (AC) hepatotoxicity susceptibility to specific HLA alleles. In this study we aimed to examine potential associations between HLA class I and II alleles and AC DILI with regards to phenotypic characteristics, severity and time to onset in Spanish AC hepatotoxicity cases. Methods High resolution genotyping of HLA loci A, B, C, DRB1 and DQB1 was performed in 75 AC DILI cases and 885 controls. Results The distributions of class I alleles A*3002 (P/Pc = 2.6E-6/5E-5, OR 6.7) and B*1801 (P/Pc = 0.008/0.22, OR 2.9) were more frequently found in hepatocellular injury cases compared to controls. In addition, the presence of the class II allele combination DRB1*1501-DQB1*0602 (P/Pc = 5.1E-4/0.014, OR 3.0) was significantly increased in cholestatic/mixed cases. The A*3002 and/or B*1801 carriers were found to be younger (54 vs 65 years, P = 0.019) and were more frequently hospitalized than the DRB1*1501-DQB1*0602 carriers. No additional alleles outside those associated with liver injury patterns were found to affect potential severity as measured by Hy’s Law criteria. The phenotype frequencies of B*1801 (P/Pc = 0.015/0.42, OR 5.2) and DRB1*0301-DQB1*0201 (P/Pc = 0.0026/0.07, OR 15) were increased in AC DILI cases with delayed onset compared to those corresponding to patients without delayed onset, while the opposite applied to DRB1*1302-DQB1*0604 (P/Pc = 0.005/0.13, OR 0.07). Conclusions HLA class I and II alleles influence the AC DILI signature with regards to phenotypic expression, latency presentation and severity in Spanish patients. PMID:23874514

  14. Recent advances in biomarkers and therapeutic interventions for hepatic drug safety - false dawn or new horizon?

    PubMed

    Clarke, Joanna I; Dear, James W; Antoine, Daniel J

    2016-05-01

    Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) represents a serious medical challenge and a potentially fatal adverse event. Currently, DILI is a diagnosis of exclusion, and whilst the electronic evaluation of serious drug-induced hepatotoxicity (eDISH) have revolutionised the early assessment of DILI, this model is dependent upon clinical chemistry parameters that lack sensitivity and specificity. DILI management usually consists of initial withdrawal of the suspected drug and, in the case of acetaminophen, administration of specific therapy. We summarise recent advances and knowledge gaps in the development and qualification of novel DILI biomarkers and therapeutic interventions. Promising biomarkers have been identified that provide increased hepatic specificity (miR-122), mechanistic insight (Keratin-18), and prognostic information (HMGB1, KIM-1, CSF-1). Pharmacogenomics holds potential to preselect susceptible populations and tailor drug therapy. Biomarkers can uncover new mechanisms of drug-induced pathophysiology which, for HMGB1 and CSF-1, have led to promising mechanism-based therapeutic interventions. However, these biomarkers have not been formally qualified and are not in routine clinical use. With the development of inventive clinical trials and by maximising DILI data registries, these novel biomarkers could add substantial value to the current armoury, change the management of DILI in the near future and improve patient safety.

  15. GENE EXPRESSION PROFILING IN THE LIVER OF CD-1 MICE TO CHARACTERIZE THE HEPATOTOXICITY OF TRIAZOLE FUNGICIDES.

    EPA Science Inventory

    Four triazole fungicides used in agricultural or pharmaceutical applications were examined for hepatotoxic effects in mouse liver. Besides organ weight, histopathology, and cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme induction, DNA microarrays were used to generate gene expression profiles and ...

  16. GENE EXPRESSION PROFILING IN THE LIVER OF CD-1 MICE TO CHARACTERIZE THE HEPATOTOXICITY OF TRIAZOLE FUNGICIDES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Four triazole fungicides used in agricultural or pharmaceutical applications were examined for hepatotoxic effects in mouse liver. Besides organ weight, histopathology, and cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme induction, DNA microarrays were used to generate gene expression profiles and ...

  17. High-throughput identification of off-targets for the mechanistic study of severe adverse drug reactions induced by analgesics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pan, Jian-Bo; Ji, Nan; Pan, Wen

    2014-01-01

    Drugs may induce adverse drug reactions (ADRs) when they unexpectedly bind to proteins other than their therapeutic targets. Identification of these undesired protein binding partners, called off-targets, can facilitate toxicity assessment in the early stages of drug development. In this study, a computational framework was introduced for the exploration of idiosyncratic mechanisms underlying analgesic-induced severe adverse drug reactions (SADRs). The putative analgesic-target interactions were predicted by performing reverse docking of analgesics or their active metabolites against human/mammal protein structures in a high-throughput manner. Subsequently, bioinformatics analyses were undertaken to identify ADR-associated proteins (ADRAPs) and pathways. Using the pathways and ADRAPsmore » that this analysis identified, the mechanisms of SADRs such as cardiac disorders were explored. For instance, 53 putative ADRAPs and 24 pathways were linked with cardiac disorders, of which 10 ADRAPs were confirmed by previous experiments. Moreover, it was inferred that pathways such as base excision repair, glycolysis/glyconeogenesis, ErbB signaling, calcium signaling, and phosphatidyl inositol signaling likely play pivotal roles in drug-induced cardiac disorders. In conclusion, our framework offers an opportunity to globally understand SADRs at the molecular level, which has been difficult to realize through experiments. It also provides some valuable clues for drug repurposing. - Highlights: • A novel computational framework was developed for mechanistic study of SADRs. • Off-targets of drugs were identified in large scale and in a high-throughput manner. • SADRs like cardiac disorders were systematically explored in molecular networks. • A number of ADR-associated proteins were identified.« less

  18. Modulatory effects of dietary inclusion of garlic (Allium sativum) on gentamycin-induced hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress in rats.

    PubMed

    Ademiluyi, Adedayo O; Oboh, Ganiyu; Owoloye, Tosin R; Agbebi, Oluwaseun J

    2013-06-01

    To investigate the ameliorative effect of dietary inclusion of garlic (Allium sativum) on gentamycin-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Adult male rats were randomly divided into four groups with six animals in each group. Groups 1 and 2 were fed basal diet while Groups 3 and 4 were fed diets containing 2% and 4% garlic respectively for 27 d prior to gentamycin administration. Hepatotoxicity was induced by the intraperitoneal administration of gentamycin (100 mg/kg body weight) for 3 d. The liver and plasma were studied for hepatotoxicity and antioxidant indices. Gentamycin induces hepatic damage as revealed by significant (P<0.05) elevation of liver damage marker enzymes (aspartate transaminase and alanine aminotransferase) and reduction in plasma albumin level. Gentamycin also caused a significant (P<0.05) alteration in plasma and liver enzymatic (catalase, glutathione and super oxygen dehydrogenises) and non-enzymatic (glutathione and vitamin C) antioxidant indices with concomitant increase in the malondialdehyde content; however, there was a significant (P<0.05) restoration of the antioxidant status coupled with significant (P<0.05) decrease in the tissues' malondialdehyde content, following consumption of diets containing garlic. These results suggest that dietary inclusion of garlic powder could protect against gentamycin-induced hepatotoxicity, improve antioxidant status and modulate oxidative stress; a function attributed to their phenolic constituents.

  19. p-Aminophenol-induced liver toxicity: tentative evidence of a role for acetaminophen.

    PubMed

    Song, H; Chen, T S

    2001-01-01

    p-Aminophenol (PAP) is a widely used industrial chemical and a metabolite of analgesics, such as acetaminophen (APAP). It was found recently that PAP, a known nephrotoxicant, could cause acute hepatotoxicity in mice but not in rats. The mechanism of hepatotoxicity is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of N-acetylation of PAP to APAP in PAP-induced toxicity. Male C57BL/6 mice injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with various doses of PAP were sacrificed at 12 hours for measurement of serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) levels and determination of the extent of hepatic nonprotein sulfhydryl (NPSH) and glutathione (GSH) depletion. Plasma levels of APAP and its metabolites were measured by HPLC after PAP administration. p-Aminophenol depleted NPSH in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Depletion of NPSH in mouse liver occurred at PAP doses above 400 mg/kg. Buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), an inhibitor of GSH synthesis, potentiated the PAP-induced hepatotoxicity. Ascorbate, a reducing agent, did not affect PAP-induced hepatotoxicity and NPSH depletion. After PAP treatment, APAP and its sulfate and glucuronide conjugates as well as GSH conjugates (APAP-cysteine and APAP-mercapturate) were detected in the plasma. The results suggest the roles of GSH and N-acetylation of PAP to APAP in PAP-induced hepatotoxicity.

  20. Qianliguang (Senecio scandens) safety dilemma: dose is the key?

    PubMed

    Lin, Ge; Li, Song-Lin; Li, Mi; Li, Na; Sun-Kin Chan, Sunny; Chan, Wood-Yee; Zhao, Zhong-Zhen

    2009-08-01

    Qianliguang ( SENECIO SCANDENS) is a common Chinese medicinal herb. Qianliguang-containing herbal proprietary products are registered as over-the-counter remedies in China and exported to Western countries. The safety of using Qianliguang and its products has raised general concerns because of a potential risk of the presence of hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). A systematic toxicological study is thus required to verify this public concern. In the present article, we report, for the first time, that S. SCANDENS contains nine hepatotoxic PAs with a content of 6.95-7.19 microg/g. At a dose equivalent to the daily intake recommended by the Pharmacopoeia of China, the total content of toxic PAs in Qianliguang was determined to be 3.48 microg/kg/day, which is far below the lowest dose to cause hepatotoxicity (15 microg/kg/day) suggested by the International Program on Chemical Safety. No significant hepatotoxic effects were observed in rats fed with the extract at this human-equivalent dose for 14 consecutive days. However, a single overdose of the herbal water extract (6 g/kg), which was about 8-fold higher than the recommended dose, produced typical PA-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Therefore, appropriate dosage guidelines should be implemented for the herbal industry, for export/import retailers, and for herbal medicine practitioners to ensure the safe and beneficial use of these herbal medicines. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart.New York.

  1. Protective effects of phenolics rich extract of ginger against Aflatoxin B1-induced oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    A V, Vipin; K, Raksha Rao; Kurrey, Nawneet Kumar; K A, Anu Appaiah; G, Venkateswaran

    2017-07-01

    Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) is one of the predominant mycotoxin contaminant in food and feed, causing oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity. Ginger phenolics have been reported for its antioxidant potential and hepatoprotective activity. The present study investigated the protective effects of phenolics rich ginger extract (GE) against AFB 1 induced oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity, in vitro and in vivo. The phenolic acid profiles of GE showed 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol as predominant components. Pretreatment of HepG2 cells with GE significantly inhibited the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA strand break, and cytotoxicity induced by AFB 1 . A comparable effect was observed in in vivo. Male Wistar rats were orally treated with GE (100 and 250mg/kg) daily, with the administration of AFB 1 (200μg/kg) every alternative day for 28days. Treatment with GE significantly reduced AFB 1 induced toxicity on the serum markers of liver damage. In addition, GE also showed significant hepatoprotective effect by reducing the lipid peroxidation and by enhancing the antioxidant enzymes activities. These results combined with liver histopathological observations indicated that GE has potential protective effect against AFB 1 induced hepatotoxicity. Additionally, administration of GE up-regulated Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, which further proved the efficiency of GE to inhibit AFB 1 induced hepatotoxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  2. Protective effect of rutin in comparison to silymarin against induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

    PubMed

    Reddy, M Kasi; Reddy, A Gopala; Kumar, B Kala; Madhuri, D; Boobalan, G; Reddy, M Anudeep

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study is to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of rutin (RTN) in comparison to silymarin (SLM) against acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Male Wistar albino rats (n=24) of 3 months age were equally divided into four groups. Group 1 served as normal control. Hepatotoxicity was induced in the remaining three groups with administration of 500 mg/kg po APAP from day 1-3. Groups 2, 3, and 4 were subsequently administered orally with distilled water, 25 mg/kg of SLM, and 20 mg/kg of RTN, respectively, for 11 days. The mean body weights and biomarkers of hepatotoxicity were estimated on day 0, 4 (confirmation of toxicity), and 15 (at the end of treatment). Hematological parameters were evaluated on day 4 and 15. Antioxidant profile and adenosine triphosphatases (ATPases) were assessed at the end of the experiment. Liver tissues were subjected to histopathology and transmission electron microscopy after the sacrifice on day 15. Antioxidant profile, ATPases, and hematological and sero-biochemical parameters were significantly altered, and histopathological changes were noticed in the liver of toxic control group. These changes were reversed in groups 3 and 4 that were administered with SLM and RTN, respectively. The results of the present investigation enunciated that SLM has potent hepatoprotective activity though the RTN was found superior in restoring the pathological alterations in paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar albino rats.

  3. Establishment of a methodology for investigating protectants against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Ruan, Xueqing; Shen, Chong; Meng, Qin

    2010-05-01

    Ethanol-induced liver injury has been extensively reported in clinic, but still lacks an efficient in vitro platform for investigating its hepatotoxicity and protectants. This study aimed to establish a methodology on the culture conditions regarding the sealability against evaporation of ethanol, culture medium and 2D/3D culture of hepatocytes. Based on the experimental findings, it was indicated that the ethanol evaporation from culture plates was a severe problem reducing its toxicity in hepatocyte. According to the detected ethanol toxic response marked by reduced cell viability, 3D cultured hepatocytes in gel entrapment were suggested to be better than 2D hepatocyte in monolayer, but the cultures in either William's Medium E or DMEM exhibited comparable sensitivity to ethanol toxicity. Subsequently, 3D cultured hepatocytes with Parafilm sealing were systematically illustrated to well reflect the ethanol-induced lipid accumulation, reactive oxygen species/malondialdehyde generation, glutathione depletion and cytochrome 2E1 induction. Finally, such hepatocyte models were proposed as a platform for screening of herbal component against ethanol hepatotoxicity. Nano-silibinin, for the first time, found to perform significant protection against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity while silibinin in normal particles could not inhibit such toxicity. This protection of nano-silibinin might relate to its improved bioavailability compared to normal insoluble silibinin and could act as an anti-oxidative and anti-steatosis agent against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. Copyright (c) 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Hepatotoxicity Induced by Sophora flavescens and Hepatic Accumulation of Kurarinone, a Major Hepatotoxic Constituent of Sophora flavescens in Rats.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Peng; Zhang, Xiuwen; Huang, Yutong; Cheng, Nengneng; Ma, Yueming

    2017-10-25

    Our previous study showed that kurarinone was the main hepatotoxic ingredient of Sophora flavescens , accumulating in the liver. This study characterized the mechanism of Sophora flavescens extract (ESF) hepatotoxicity and hepatic accumulation of kurarinone. ESF impaired hepatic function and caused fat accumulation in the liver after oral administration (1.25 and 2.5 g/kg for 14 days in rats). Serum metabolomics evaluation based on high-resolution mass spectrometry was conducted and real-time PCR was used to determine the expression levels of CPT-1, CPT-2, PPAR-α, and LCAD genes. Effects of kurarinone on triglyceride levels were evaluated in HL-7702 cells. Tissue distribution of kurarinone and kurarinone glucuronides was analyzed in rats receiving ESF (2.5 g/kg). Active uptake of kurarinone and kurarinone glucuronides was studied in OAT2-, OATP1B1-, OATP2B1-, and OATP1B3-transfected HEK293 cells. Our results revealed that after oral administration of ESF in rats, kurarinone glucuronides were actively transported into hepatocytes by OATP1B3 and hydrolyzed into kurarinone, which inhibited fatty acid β-oxidation through the reduction of l-carnitine and the inhibition of PPAR-α pathway, ultimately leading to lipid accumulation and liver injury. These findings contribute to understanding hepatotoxicity of kurarinone after oral administration of ESF.

  5. Histological and immunohistochemical effects of Curcuma longa on activation of rat hepatic stellate cells after cadmium induced hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    El-Mansy, A A; Mazroa, S A; Hamed, W S; Yaseen, A H; El-Mohandes, E A

    2016-01-01

    The liver is a target for toxic chemicals such as cadmium (Cd). When the liver is damaged, hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are activated and transformed into myofibroblast-like cells, which are responsible for liver fibrosis. Curcuma longa has been reported to exert a hepato-protective effect under various pathological conditions. We investigated the effects of C. longa administration on HSC activation in response to Cd induced hepatotoxicity. Forty adult male albino rats were divided into: group 1 (control), group 2 (Cd treated), group 3 (C. longa treated) and group 4 (Cd and C. longa treated). After 6 weeks, liver specimens were prepared for light and electron microscopy examination of histological changes and immunohistochemical localization of alpha smooth muscle actin (αSMA) as a specific marker for activated HSC. Activated HSC with a positive αSMA immune reaction were not detected in groups 1 and 3. Large numbers of activated HSC with αSMA immune reactions were observed in group 2 in addition to Cd induced hepatotoxic changes including excess collagen deposition in thickened portal triads, interlobular septa with hepatic lobulation, inflammatory cell infiltration, a significant increase in Kupffer cells and degenerated hepatocytes. In group 4, we observed a significant decrease in HSC that expressed αSMA with amelioration of the hepatotoxic changes. C. longa administration decreased HSC activation and ameliorated hepatotoxic changes caused by Cd in adult rats.

  6. Anthropology and affect: a consideration of the idiosyncratic dimension of human behaviour.

    PubMed

    Izmirlian, H

    1977-01-01

    In this paper a theoretical perspective is presented in which affect occupies a central position and behaviour is viewed in terms of different degrees of affective expression. Such behaviour is conceptualized in terms of three models: a structural model, a rational model and a psychological model. While the first two models are frequently encountered in the literature, the psychological model has not received explicit formulation, although, as shown here, it is crucial in understanding certain forms of idiosyncratic behaviour that have political and social relevance.

  7. Cancer and liver cirrhosis: implications on prognosis and management

    PubMed Central

    Pinter, Matthias; Trauner, Michael; Peck-Radosavljevic, Markus; Sieghart, Wolfgang

    2016-01-01

    Liver cirrhosis, the end-stage of every chronic liver disease, is not only the major risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma but also a limiting factor for anticancer therapy of liver and non-hepatic malignancies. Liver cirrhosis may limit surgical and interventional approaches to cancer treatment, influence pharmacokinetics of anticancer drugs, increase side effects of chemotherapy, render patients susceptible for hepatotoxicity, and ultimately result in a competitive risk for morbidity and mortality. In this review, we provide a concise overview about the impact of liver cirrhosis on the management and prognosis of patients with primary liver cancer or non-hepatic malignancies. PMID:27843598

  8. Autoimmune-like hepatitis during masitinib therapy in an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient

    PubMed Central

    Salvado, Maria; Vargas, Victor; Vidal, Marta; Simon-Talero, Macarena; Camacho, Jessica; Gamez, Josep

    2015-01-01

    We report a case of acute severe hepatitis resulting from masitinib in a young amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient. Hepatotoxicity induced by masitinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is usually transient with mild elevation of transaminases, although acute hepatitis has been not reported to date. The hepatitis was resolved after masitinib was discontinued and a combination of prednisone and azathioprine was started. The transaminases returned to baseline normal values five months later. This is the first case in the hepatitis literature associated with masitinib. The autoimmune role of this drug-induced liver injury is discussed. Physicians should be aware of this potential complication. PMID:26420975

  9. Advances in Predictive Toxicology for Discovery Safety through High Content Screening.

    PubMed

    Persson, Mikael; Hornberg, Jorrit J

    2016-12-19

    High content screening enables parallel acquisition of multiple molecular and cellular readouts. In particular the predictive toxicology field has progressed from the advances in high content screening, as more refined end points that report on cellular health can be studied in combination, at the single cell level, and in relatively high throughput. Here, we discuss how high content screening has become an essential tool for Discovery Safety, the discipline that integrates safety and toxicology in the drug discovery process to identify and mitigate safety concerns with the aim to design drug candidates with a superior safety profile. In addition to customized mechanistic assays to evaluate target safety, routine screening assays can be applied to identify risk factors for frequently occurring organ toxicities. We discuss the current state of high content screening assays for hepatotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and genotoxicity, including recent developments and current advances.

  10. VIRTUAL LIVER: AN IN SILICO FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYZING CHEMICAL-INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY

    EPA Science Inventory

    The US EPA Virtual Liver (v-LiverTM) is an in silico framework for the dose-dependent perturbation of normal hepatic functions by chemicals using in vitro data. The framework consists of a computable knowledge-base (KB) to infer putative pathways in hepatotoxicity and a cellular...

  11. Purpose-driven biomaterials research in liver-tissue engineering.

    PubMed

    Ananthanarayanan, Abhishek; Narmada, Balakrishnan Chakrapani; Mo, Xuejun; McMillian, Michael; Yu, Hanry

    2011-03-01

    Bottom-up engineering of microscale tissue ("microtissue") constructs to recapitulate partially the complex structure-function relationships of liver parenchyma has been realized through the development of sophisticated biomaterial scaffolds, liver-cell sources, and in vitro culture techniques. With regard to in vivo applications, the long-lived stem/progenitor cell constructs can improve cell engraftment, whereas the short-lived, but highly functional hepatocyte constructs stimulate host liver regeneration. With regard to in vitro applications, microtissue constructs are being adapted or custom-engineered into cell-based assays for testing acute, chronic and idiosyncratic toxicities of drugs or pathogens. Systems-level methods and computational models that represent quantitative relationships between biomaterial scaffolds, cells and microtissue constructs will further enable their rational design for optimal integration into specific biomedical applications. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Animal-to-Animal Variation in Odor Preference and Neural Representation of Odors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Honegger, Kyle; Smith, Matthew; Turner, Glenn; de Bivort, Benjamin

    Across any population of animals, individuals exhibit diverse behaviors and reactions to sensory stimuli like tastes and odors. While idiosyncratic behavior is ubiquitous, its biological basis is poorly understood. In this talk, I will present evidence that individual fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) display idiosyncratic olfactory behaviors and discuss our ongoing efforts to map these behavioral differences to variation in neural circuits. Using a high-throughput, single-fly assay for odor preference, we have demonstrated that highly inbred flies display substantial animal-to-animal variability, beyond that expected from experimental error, and that these preferences persist over days. Using in vivo two-photon calcium imaging, we are beginning to examine the idiosyncrasy of neural coding in the fly olfactory pathway and find that the odor responses of individual processing channels in the antennal lobe can vary substantially from fly to fly. These results imply that individual differences in neural coding may be used to predict the idiosyncratic behavior of an individual - a hypothesis we are currently testing by imaging neural activity from flies after measuring their odor preferences.

  13. Idiosyncratic Brain Activation Patterns Are Associated with Poor Social Comprehension in Autism

    PubMed Central

    Tyszka, J. Michael; Adolphs, Ralph; Kennedy, Daniel P.

    2015-01-01

    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) features profound social deficits but neuroimaging studies have failed to find any consistent neural signature. Here we connect these two facts by showing that idiosyncratic patterns of brain activation are associated with social comprehension deficits. Human participants with ASD (N = 17) and controls (N = 20) freely watched a television situation comedy (sitcom) depicting seminaturalistic social interactions (“The Office”, NBC Universal) in the scanner. Intersubject correlations in the pattern of evoked brain activation were reduced in the ASD group—but this effect was driven entirely by five ASD subjects whose idiosyncratic responses were also internally unreliable. The idiosyncrasy of these five ASD subjects was not explained by detailed neuropsychological profile, eye movements, or data quality; however, they were specifically impaired in understanding the social motivations of characters in the sitcom. Brain activation patterns in the remaining ASD subjects were indistinguishable from those of control subjects using multiple multivariate approaches. Our findings link neurofunctional abnormalities evoked by seminaturalistic stimuli with a specific impairment in social comprehension, and highlight the need to conceive of ASD as a heterogeneous classification. PMID:25855192

  14. POTENTIATION OF CARBON TETRACHLORIDE HEPATOTOXICITY BY INHALED METHANOL:TIME COURSE INJURY AND RECOVERY

    EPA Science Inventory

    Increases in the use of methanol (MeOH) as a transportation fuel would result in greater potential for inhalation exposure. ecause oral exposure to MeOH potentates the hepatotoxicity of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), we examined the ability of inhaled MeOH to potentiate CCl4 hepato...

  15. Hepatotoxicity of Microcystin-LR in Fed and Fasted Rats

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-04-20

    a free radical scavenger, silymarin , prot’cted mice against MCYST-LR (MEREISH et al., 1989). One of the more dramatic changes in liver after exposure...Microcystin-LR hepatotoxicity by silymarin in mice and rats. The FASEB J. 3, A1190. MERILUOTO, J. A. 0., SANDSTROM, A., ERIKSSON, J. E., REMAUD, G

  16. Use of the HepaRG Cell Line to Assess Potential Human Hepatotoxicity of ToxCast™ Chemicals

    EPA Science Inventory

    The HepaRG cell line is a promising model system for predicting human hepatotoxicity in part because of the greater capacity to metabolize chemicals than other cell models. We hypothesized that this cell line would be a relevant model for toxicity testing of industrial chemicals....

  17. HEPATOTOXIC EVALUATION OF THE BINARY INTERACTIONS OF BROMODICHLOROMETHANE WITH CHLOROFORM, CHLORODIBROMOMETHANE AND BROMOFORM

    EPA Science Inventory

    HEPATOTOXIC EVALUATION OF THE BINARY INTERACTIONS OF BROMODICHLOROMETHANE (BDCM) WITH CHLOROFORM (CHC13), CHLORODIBROMOMETHANE (CDBM) AND BROMOFORM (CHBr3). Y M Se'', C Gennings2, A McDonald', L K Teuschler3, A Hamm2and J E Simmons .'NHEERL, ORD, U.S. EPA, RTP, NC; 2MCV, VCU, Ric...

  18. TRANSCRIPTIONAL PROFILES IN LIVER FROM RATS TREATED WITH TUMORIGENIC AND NON-TUMORIGENIC TRIAZOLE CONAZOLE FUNGICIDES: PROPICONAZOLE, TRIADIMEFON, AND MYCLOBUTANIL

    EPA Science Inventory

    Conazoles are a class of fungicides used as pharmaceutical and agricultural agents. In chronic bioassays in rats, triadimefon was hepatotoxic and induced follicular cell adenomas in the thyroid gland, whereas, propiconazole and myclobutanil were hepatotoxic but had no effect on t...

  19. Effects of ebselen on radiocontrast media-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

    PubMed

    Basarslan, Fatmagul; Yilmaz, Nigar; Davarci, Isil; Akin, Mustafa; Ozgur, Mustafa; Yilmaz, Cahide; Ulutas, Kemal Turker

    2013-09-01

    Oxidative stress is accepted as a potential responsible mechanism in the pathogenesis of radiocontrast media (RCM)-induced hepatotoxicity. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of ebselen against RCM-induced hepatotoxicity by measuring tissue oxidant/antioxidant parameters and histological changes in rats. Wistar albino rats were randomly separated into four groups consisting of eight rats per group. Normal saline was given to the rats in control group (group 1). RCM was given to the rats in group 2, and both RCM and ebselen were given to the rats in group 3. Only ebselen was given to the rats in group 4. Liver sections of the killed animals were analyzed to measure the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), as well as histopathological changes. In RCM group, SOD and CAT levels were found increased. In RCM-ebselen group, MDA, SOD and CAT levels were found decreased. In RCM-ebselen group, however, GSH-Px activities of liver tissue increased. All these results indicated that ebselen produced a protective mechanism against RCM-induced hepatotoxicity and took part in oxidative stress.

  20. Hepatotoxicity induced by methimazole in a previously healthy patient.

    PubMed

    Gallelli, Luca; Staltari, Orietta; Palleria, Caterina; De Sarro, Giovambattista; Ferraro, Maria

    2009-09-01

    We report a case of hepatotoxicity induced by methimazole treatment in a patient affected by hyperthyroidism. A 54-year-old man, presented to our observation for palpitations, excessive sweating, weakness, heat intolerance and weight loss. On physical examination, his blood pressure was 140/90 mmHg and heart beat was 100/min regular. He had mild tremors and left exophthalmos. Laboratory test revealed a significant increase in serum thyroid hormone levels with a decrease in thyroid stimulating hormone levels. A diagnosis of hyperthyroidism was made and he began treatment with methimazole (30 mg/day). Fourteen days later, he returned for the development of scleral icterus, followed by dark urine, and abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant. Laboratory examinations and liver biopsy performed a diagnosis of cholestatic hepatitis, secondary to methimazole usage. Methimazole was promptly withdrawn and cholestyramine, ursodeoxycholic acid, and chlorpheniramine were given. After five days, abdominal pain resolved and laboratory parameters returned to normal. Naranjo probability scale indicated a probable relationship between hepatotoxicity and methimazole therapy. In conclusion physicians should be aware the risk of hepatotoxicity related with methimazole.

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