[Does TNF-alpha contribute to liver disease physiopathology?]. / Contribuye el TNF-alpha a la fisiopatología de las hepatopatías?

The aim of the present paper is to establish the possible role of serum TNF in the pathophysiology of three experimental models of liver injury: paracetamol intoxication, cholestasis followed by paracetamol intoxication and cholestasis. We concluded that under our experimental conditions the serum TNF-alpha levels were not responsible for the inflammatory phenomena described in our previous paper as apoptosis.

Contribuye el TNF-alpha a la fisiopatología de las hepatopatías? / [Does TNF-alpha contribute to liver disease physiopathology?]

Theaim of the present paper is to establish the possible role of serum TNF in the pathophysiology of three experimental models of liver injury: paracetamol intoxication, cholestasis followed by paracetamol intoxication and cholestasis. We concluded that under our experimental conditions the serum TNF-alpha levels were not responsible for the inflammatory phenomena described in our previous paper as apoptosis.

Drug glucuronidation and hepatic lipid microsomal membrane profile in cholestatic rats followed paracetamol intoxication.

The uridin-diphosphoglucuronyl-transferase (UDP-GT) is a membrane-bound enzyme responsible for glucuronidation of endogenous and exogenous compounds. This work established the UDP-GT activity and its lipid membrane microenvironment in two experimental models: acute paracetamol intoxication, and cholestasis followed by acute paracetamol intoxication. Cholestasis was performed by bile duct ligation. After 7 days animals were injected with paracetamol (BDL-APAP group). Sham-operated rats were injected at day 7 with paracetamol (APAP group). Cholestatic and sham-operated rats injected with vehicle (BDL and control groups). UDP-GT activity was measured by a kinetic method for different substrates. Microsomal membrane phospholipid composition, cholesterol content and ultrastructure were determined. BDL-APAP group showed an increment in the UDP-GT activity except for chloramphenicol, morphine and paracetamol if compared to controls and to BDL group. The same increment was observed when BDL-APAP was compared to APAP except for chloramphenicol and lorazepam. Between BDL and APAP groups similar levels of activity were detected except for paracetamol. Microsomal phospholipid profile: phosphatidylcholine showed the lowest content in the BDL group, with a significant recovery in the BDL-APAP and APAP groups. Phosphatidylserine was markedly decreased in the APAP group compared to the rest and phosphatidylinositol was decreased in all the groups if compared to control values. An increment of phosphatidylethanolamine was seen in the APAP and BDL-APAP groups if compared to BDL and control values. A significant increment of microsomal cholesterol content was seen in BDL. Under these conditions, a different lipid microenvironment is produced, resulting in an increment of the enzyme activity for a variety of substrates.

[Benzodiazepines metabolism in various models of experimental liver diseases]. / Metabolismo de benzodiacepinas en distintos modelos de hepatopatías experimentales.

The aim of the present paper is to establish possible disturbances in benzodiazepines glucuronidation in two experimental models of liver injury: paracetamol acute intoxication and cholestasis followed by paracetamol acute intoxication. We concluded that, despite the alterations observed in liver microsomal lipid profile, glucuronidation remained similar to controls in paracetamol intoxicated rats. On the contrary, cholestatic animals followed by paracetamol intoxication showed an increment in the glucuronidation of the utilized substrated.

Metabolismo de benzodiacepinas en distintos modelos de hepatopatías experimentales. / [Benzodiazepines metabolism in various models of experimental liver diseases]

The aim of the present paper is to establish possible disturbances in benzodiazepines glucuronidation in two experimental models of liver injury: paracetamol acute intoxication and cholestasis followed by paracetamol acute intoxication. We concluded that, despite the alterations observed in liver microsomal lipid profile, glucuronidation remained similar to controls in paracetamol intoxicated rats. On the contrary, cholestatic animals followed by paracetamol intoxication showed an increment in the glucuronidation of the utilized substrated.

Lipid changes in hepatic microsomes and its relationship to P-nitrophenol glucuronidation in an experimental model of portal hypertension.

The liver is responsible for the most important metabolic pathway of non polar compounds. The aim of the present work was to study the p-nitrophenol glucuronidation and its relationship with lipidic composition of microsomal membrane in a model of hepatic portal hypertension and hepatocellular damage induced by monocrotaline. A global increment in liver microsomal phospholipids as well as changes in the phospholipid pattern (phosphatidylethanolamine and sphingomyelin increased up to 156 +/- 13 and 195 +/- 14% respectively) were detected in monocrotaline intoxicated rats when it were compared to control rats. The microsomal cholesterol content showed a decrease in monocrotaline intoxicated rats. (4.1 +/- 0.7 against 6.6 +/- 1.5 micrograms/mg of microsomal protein, in control rats). When p-nitrophenol activity was measured, Km from monocrotaline intoxicated rats was 0.137 mM, and Vmax was 2.9 nmol of p-nitrophenol/mg microsomal protein since in control group Km was 0.322 mM, and Vmax was 4.5 nmol of p-nitrophenol/mg microsomal protein. It is concluded that monocrotaline intoxicated rats showed a different behavior in the kinetics of p-nitrophenol UDP-glucuronyltransferase, as well as a different microsomal lipidic profile, when compared to control group.