Serum Liver Enzyme Levels Research Articles

Chromium picolinate balances the metabolic and clinical markers in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a complicated disease and is considered as a severe global health problem affecting 30% of adults worldwide. The present study aimed to evaluate changes in oxidative stress, adipokines, liver enzyme, and body composition following treatment with chromium picolinate (CrPic) among patients with NAFLD. The current randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 46 NAFLD patients with the age range of 20-65 years. Patients were randomly classified into two groups, receiving either 400 µg CrPic tablets in two divided doses of 200 µg (23 patients) or placebo (23 patients) daily for 12 weeks. The participants' body composition and biochemical parameters were evaluated at the baseline and after 12 weeks. Serum levels of liver enzymes reduced significantly only in the CrPic group (P < 0.05 for all), but not between the groups after the intervention. Besides, there were significant differences between the study groups regarding body weight and body fat mass, total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, leptin, and adiponectin post-intervention (P = 0.017, P = 0.032, P = 0.003, P = 0.023, P = 0.012, P = 0.003, and P = 0.042, respectively). However, glutathione peroxidase and resistin levels did not differ significantly between groups (P = 0.127 and P = 0.688, respectively). This study showed that consuming 400 µg/day of CrPic for 12 weeks in patients with NAFLD causes a significant change in leptin, adiponectin, oxidative stress (expect glutathione peroxidase), and body weight, compared to baseline. Nevertheless, it does not affect liver enzymes. Therefore, the CrPic supplementation may improve adipokines, some anthropometric indices, and oxidative stress in patients with NAFLD.

Inflammatory and oxidative status in European captive black rhinoceroses: A link with Iron Overload Disorder?

Iron Overload Disorder (IOD) is a syndrome developed by captive browsing rhinoceroses like black rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis), in which hemosiderosis develops in vital organs while free iron accumulates in the body, potentially predisposing to various secondary diseases. Captive grazing species like white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) do not seem to be affected. The authors hypothesized that inflammation and oxidative stress may be implicated in the pathogenesis of IOD in captive black rhinoceroses, making this syndrome a potential common denominator to various diseases described in captivity in this species. In this prospective study, 15 black (BR) and 29 white rhinoceroses (WR) originating from 22 European zoos were blood-sampled and compared for their iron status (serum iron), liver/muscle biochemical parameters (AST, GGT, cholesterol), inflammatory status (total proteins, protein electrophoresis) and oxidative stress markers (SOD, GPX, dROMs). Results showed higher serum iron and liver enzyme levels in black rhinoceroses (P < 0.01), as well as higher dROMs (P < 0.01) and a trend for higher GPX (P = 0.06) levels. The albumin/globulin ratio was lower in black rhinoceroses (P < 0.05) due to higher α2-globulin levels (P < 0.001). The present study suggests a higher inflammatory and oxidative profile in captive BR than in WR, possibly in relation to iron status. This could be either a consequence or a cause of iron accumulation. Further investigations are needed to assess the prognostic value of the inflammatory and oxidative markers in captive black rhinoceroses, particularly for evaluating the impact of reduced-iron and antioxidant-supplemented diets.

EVALUATION OF THYROID FUNCTION STATUS IN SONOGRAPHICALLY SUGGESTED FATTY LIVER SUBJECTS

Objectives: The liver metabolizes thyroid hormones and thereby influences the regulation of their systematic endocrine effects. On the other hand, thyroid hormones play an important role in hepatic lipid homeostasis. Several studies addressed the association between thyroid function tests and non alcoholic fatty liver disease. The results of those studies indicate that hypothyroidism might be related to non alcoholic fatty liver disease. The recognized link between hypothyroidism and elements of metabolic syndrome may explain this relation. The present study was performed to evaluate the thyroid function status with the severity of sonographically suggested fatty liver subjects. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out at the Department of Medicine of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College &amp; Hospital, Bhagalpur, Bihar during the period of June 2019 to May 2020. A total number of 155 consecutive patients having sonographically detected fatty liver from the above mentioned hospitals were included in this study and they were divided into three grades depending on the sonographic criteria. Data were analyzed between these three grades in respect of age, sex, BMI, thyroid hormone levels (FT3, FT4 and TSH), fasting lipid profile and serum liver enzyme levels. Results: 82 (52.9%) patients had grade 1, 50 (32.3%) had grade 2 and 23 (14.8%) had grade 3 fatty liver. The mean age was found 39±10.9 years in Grade 1, 39.5±10.4 years in Grade 2 and 41.4±7.1 years in Grade 3. The difference was not statistically significant (p&gt;0.05) among three groups. Male to female ratio was almost 2:3 in the whole study subjects. The mean BMI was significantly higher in grade 3 (p&lt;0.05) followed by grade 2 and grade 1. 128 (82.6%) patients were euthyroid, 23 (14.8%) were subclinical hypothyroid and 4 (2.6%) were hypothyroid. In Anova test, the mean FT3 and FT4 were significantly declined (p&lt;0.05) with increased grade but the mean TSH level was significantly increased (p=0.001) with increased grade of fatty liver. The Spearman’s rank correlation test shows that no significant but a negative correlation (r= -0.101; p=0.175) was found between FT3 and fatty liver of the study patients, but a significant negative correlation (r=-0.277; p=0.001) was observed between FT4 and fatty liver of the study patients. On the other hand a significant positive correlation (r=0.325; p=0.001) was observed between TSH and fatty liver of the study patients. Conclusion: In this study it has been found that thyroid hormone levels are significantly decreased with increasing grades of fatty liver detected by ultrasound. The underlying pathophysiology for this association is still not clear, however several mechanisms have been proposed. So the findings of this study will inspire other researchers to evaluate the thyroid function status with the severity of sonographically suggested fatty liver in larger scale.

A novel bile acid analog, A17, ameliorated non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in high-fat diet-fed hamsters

Being endocrine signaling molecules that regulate lipid metabolism and affect energy balance, bile acids are potential drug candidates for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Obeticholic acid (OCA) could improve NASH accompanied by significant side effects. Therefore, it is worthwhile to develop safer and more effective bile acid analogs. In this study, a new bile acid analog A17 was synthesized and its potential anti-NASH effects were assessed in vitro and in vivo. The impact of A17 on steatosis was investigated in the rat primary hepatocytes challenged with oleic acid. It was found that A17 alleviated lipid accumulation by reducing fatty acid (FA) uptake and promoting FA oxidation. The reduction of FA uptake came from inhibiting fatty acid translocase (Cd36) expression. The promotion of FA oxidation came from stimulating the phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase alpha (AMPKα). In addition, A17 reduced lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in Raw264.7 cells by activating Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5). In in vivo study, male Golden Syrian hamsters were fed with high fat (HF) diet and then treated with 50 mg/kg/d A17 for 6 weeks. A17 lowered the lipid profiles and liver enzyme levels in serum and improved liver pathological conditions with less side effects compared with OCA. Further studies confirmed that the molecular mechanisms of A17 in vivo were similar to those in vitro. In conclusion, a novel bile acid analog A17 was identified to ameliorate NASH in HF-fed hamsters. The potential mechanisms could be contributed to reducing FA uptake, stimulating FA oxidation and relieving inflammation.

Antioxidant and Cardiac Enzyme Marker Studies of Thevetia peruviana Seed Hydro-Methanol Extract in Wistar Male Albino Rats

Thevetia peruviana seed kernels are used for suicide attempts in many countries centuries back. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the level of toxicity exposure of seed kernels by acute and subacute studies on male wistar rats taking antioxidant enzyme levels in the vital organs like liver, kidney, heart and brain tissues myocardial marker enzyme levels in serum. Results revealed that antioxidant enzyme (SOD, GPX, GSH) levels was normal in the lower groups (25, 50 mg/kg), but drastic hike was observed in CKMB and LDH cardiac biomarker enzyme levels in 100 mg/ kg groups. In the liver tissues of group IV animals a significant dose dependent increase was observed in the activities of SOD (3.15 ± 0.58), GPx (46.55 ± 4.79) and GSH activity (18.20 ± 0.56). In kidney homogenates SOD and GSH level showed a statistically insignificant (p &gt; 0.05) elevation, but the increase in GPx level shown by group IV animals (41.50 ± 7.04) was significant (p &lt; 0.05) The activities of SOD in brain homogenates were increased significantly in group III (2.17 ± 0.24) and group IV (2.51 ± 0.27) animals. The GPx enzyme level also increased dose dependently (p &lt; 0.01), but the level of GSH was found an insignificant hike. The heart, supposed to be the most adversely affected organ on cardiac glycoside administration, showed undisturbed values of enzyme levels. A noticeable elevation was observed in the serum CKMB and LDH enzyme levels in a dose dependent manner, but the extract did affect only the higher dosed animals (100 mg/kg) significantly (p &lt; 0.05), In contrary to that, tissue homogenates of subacute animals under study showed a markedly significant hike in both CKMB and LDH levels. In conclusion, the level of toxicity and safety margin is very narrow, and the seeds really take lives of organisms, whose intake is accidentally or deliberately.

Cross-Sectional Study on the Association between Dietary Non-Enzymatic Antioxidant Capacity and Serum Liver Enzymes: The Furukawa Nutrition and Health Study.

We examined the association of dietary non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (NEAC) in overall diet, and separately from foods and beverages, with serum liver enzymes in a Japanese working population. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1791 employees aged 18–69 years, who underwent a comprehensive health checkup in 2012–2013. A brief validated self-administered diet-history questionnaire was used for dietary assessment, and dietary NEAC intake was determined from databases of NEAC values, obtained using ferric reducing-antioxidant power (FRAP) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays. The dietary NEAC intake was calculated by multiplying the estimated NEAC values by the amounts consumed and summing the resulting values. A multiple-regression analysis was performed to explore the association between dietary NEAC intake and the serum levels of liver enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT)), after adjustment for confounding factors. No significant associations were found between overall dietary NEAC intake and AST (FRAP, p for trend = 0.97; ORAC, p = 0.72), ALT (FRAP, p = 0.73; ORAC, p = 0.92), and GGT (FRAP, p = 0.96; ORAC, p = 0.19) levels. Food-derived, but not beverage-derived, NEAC intake was inversely associated with serum GGT levels (FRAP, p for trend = 0.001; ORAC, p = 0.02), particularly among older participants and those with high serum ferritin concentrations. The results imply that overall dietary NEAC intake is not associated with liver dysfunction, and that the NEAC values from foods may be inversely associated with serum GGT levels.

Pathological Aspects of COVID-19 as a Conformational Disease and the Use of Pharmacological Chaperones as a Potential Therapeutic Strategy.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the seventh human coronavirus infectious disease, was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, followed by its rapid spread globally (251,059 deaths, on May 5, 2020, by Johns Hopkins University). An early clinical report showed that fever, cough, fatigue, sputum production, and myalgia were initial symptoms, with the development of pneumonia as the disease progressed. Increases in the level of serum liver enzymes, D-dimer, cardiac troponin I, and creatinine have been observed in severely ill patients, indicating that multiple organ failure had occurred in these cases. Lymphopenia and an increase in interleukin-6 (IL-6) were also observed. Although COVID-19 patients are administered glucocorticoid therapy to treat the excessive immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the efficacy of this form of therapy is unclear. Viremia is observed in severe cases, suggesting that in addition to type II alveolar epithelial cells, many cell types, such as vascular endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes, renal tubular cells, neuronal cells, and lymphocytes, may be damaged. The improvement of survival rates requires elucidation of the mechanism by which cellular damage occurs during viral infection. Cellular therapy, along with organ support systems such as oxygen therapy, artificial ventilation, extra corporeal membrane oxygenation and dialysis, as well as antiviral therapy, are required. Viral replication in infected host cells may perturb protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), causing ER stress. Although an adaptive cellular response, i.e. the unfolded protein response, can compensate for the misfolded protein burden to some extent, continued viral proliferation may induce inflammation and cell death. Therefore, we propose that proteostasis dysfunction may cause conformational disorders in COVID-19. The application of pharmacological chaperone therapy to treat COVID-19 patients is additionally discussed.

Associations of linoleic acid with markers of glucose metabolism and liver function in South African adults

BackgroundThe relation between dietary and circulating linoleic acid (18:2 n-6, LA), glucose metabolism and liver function is not yet clear. Associations of dietary and circulating LA with glucose metabolism and liver function markers were investigated.MethodsCross-sectional analyses in 633 black South Africans (aged > 30 years, 62% female, 51% urban) without type 2 diabetes at baseline of the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology study. A cultural-sensitive 145-item food-frequency questionnaire was used to collect dietary data, including LA (percentage of energy; en%). Blood samples were collected to measure circulating LA (% total fatty acids (FA); plasma phospholipids), plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alanine (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Associations per 1 standard deviation (SD) and in tertiles were analyzed using multivariable regression.ResultsMean (±SD) dietary and circulating LA was 6.8 (±3.1) en% and 16.0 (±3.5) % total FA, respectively. Dietary and circulating LA were not associated with plasma glucose or HbA1c (β per 1 SD: − 0.005 to 0.010, P > 0.20). Higher dietary LA was generally associated with lower serum liver enzymes levels. One SD higher circulating LA was associated with 22% lower serum GGT (β (95% confidence interval): − 0.25 (− 0.31, − 0.18), P < 0.001), but only ≤9% lower for ALT and AST. Circulating LA and serum GGT associations differed by alcohol use and locality.ConclusionDietary and circulating LA were inversely associated with markers of impaired liver function, but not with glucose metabolism. Alcohol use may play a role in the association between LA and liver function.Trial registrationPURE North-West Province South Africa study described in this manuscript is part of the PURE study. The PURE study is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT03225586; URL).

Comparative Hematological and Biochemical Studies on the Effect of Some Hepatoprotective Agents in Rats

This work was conducted to investigate the hepato-protective effect of chamomile extract, grape seed extract and Silymarin against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic toxicity in rats. A total of 80 normal male albino rats, were divided into 8 groups, the first group (group I): rats served as the control group and received commercial balanced diet all over the experimental period (3 weeks), group II: chamomile orally treated group (200mg/kg,) for the whole experimental period, group III: grape seed orally treated group (100mg/kg), for the whole experimental period, group IV: silymarin orally treated group (100mg/kg) for the whole experimental period, group V: served as hepatotoxicated group, treated with an intraperitoneal injection of 2mg /kg b. w. of carbon tetrachloride(CCl4) dissolved into corn oil 1:1 at 11 and 12 days of an experiment to induce hepato-toxicity and groupVI: chamomile orally pretreated group (200mg/kg) for the whole experimental period with i/p injection of CCl4 in days 11 and 12 of the experiment, group VII: grape seed orally pretreated group (100mg/kg) for the whole experimental period, with i/p injection of CCl4 in days 11 and 12 of the experiment and group VIII: silymarin orally pretreated group (100mg/kg) for the whole experimental period, with i/p injection of CCl4 in days 11 and 12 of the experiment. Objective: The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of oral administration of ethanol extract of chamomile capitula extract, grape seed and silymarin for 3 weeks on hepatotoxicity induced to rats by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). These effects were explored by measuring erythrogram and serum levels of liver enzymes; aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP); albumin, globulin, total protein, cholesterol, bilirubin, albumin. Results: The results showed that the oral administration of chamomile extract, a grape seed extract, and silymarin to hepato-injured rats for 21 days improved anemia and significantly decreased the elevated serum levels of liver enzymes (AST, ALT, and ALP), total bilirubin and increased serum total protein, albumin, when compared to the corresponding control, positive groups. Conclusion: The results suggest that the chamomile extract, grape seed extract, and silymarin induce potent hepato-protective effects in CCl4 induced hepato-injury in rats. This study recommends that intake of chamomile and grape seed extracts as an herbal may be beneficial for patients who suffer from liver diseases.

Nigella sativa's protective effect in acetaminophen induced liver toxicity in mice

Acetaminophen has contributed to acute liver failure disease in more than half of the USA and Britain but as an analgesic and antipyretic it is very effective. For many decades in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Nigella sativa has been used for various medical purposes, it is part of the botanical family Ranunculaceae of&#x0D; &#x0D; Gently sloping plants, and is called black cumin seed., Nigella sativa conjugated sterols could be used as precursors to many hydrosoluble steroids for hemisynthesis. The aim of the Study is to examine the promising hepatoprotective effects of Nigella sativa against Acetaminopheninduce hepatotoxicity in mice in this experiment Forty adult male albino mice, incorporated in the experiment and Acetaminophenwas used to induce hepatotoxicity in a dose of 1 gm /kg by the oral route.&#x0D; A number of biochemical and histopathological tests have been used to evaluate liver damage and Nigella sativa protective effects. The result showed a significant protective effect of Nigella sativa against acetaminophenhepatotoxic effect as Nigella sativa in this study tended to normalize the serum levels of liver enzymes, and the protective effects observed clearly by the histopathological evaluation confirming that it effectively protected mouse livers against severe damage caused by acetaminophen. Conclusion in our study it shows that Nigella sativa have a very significant protective effects against acetaminophen induced liver toxicity which is recommended to be fully investigation on human especially to people on risk of acetaminophen liver toxicity

Interaction Effect of Combined Exercise and Supplementation With Portulaca Oleracea on Liver Enzymes in Obese Postmenopausal Women With Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Objective: Regular physical activity and the use of portulaca oleracea may be effective in treating liver disease. The purpose of this study was to assess the response of liver enzymes to both exercise and supplementation with Portulaca oleracea in obese postmenopausal women with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Methods: Forty obese women with NAFLD were randomly divided into four groups of supplementation (n=10), combined exercise (n=10), placebo (n=10), and supplementation + exercise (n=10) after signing an informed consent form. Portulaca oleracea supplementation was taken as a 500 mg capsule daily before lunch and dinner. Combined exercise was performed for 12 weeks, 3 sessions per week each for 90 minutes. Liver enzymes were measured before and after the intervention. For statistical analysis, paired t-test and ANCOVA were used with a significance level set at P&lt;0.05. Results: Combined exercise and portulaca oleracea supplementation significantly reduced the levels of Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) enzymes in the groups exercise + supplement, exercise, and supplement. There was a significant difference between the exercise + supplement and placebo groups and between placebo and exercise groups (P&lt;0.05). Conclusion: Consumption of portulaca oleracea and combined exercise can decrease the serum levels of liver enzymes in women with NAFLD, which can be effective in treatment of patients with this disease.

1815-P: Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitor Improves Steatohepatitis by Targeting Trail Receptor-Mediated Apoptosis Under Modulation of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Expression

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) are useful antidiabetic medications that prevent cleavage of incretin hormones by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4). As DPP-4 targets diverse substrates besides incretin, DPP-4i may exert nonglycemic pleiotropic effects. Recent studies have reported that hepatic DPP-4 expression is upregulated under nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) condition in animals and humans. We investigated whether DPP-4i could ameliorate the pathological phenotype of NASH and evaluated the underlying mechanisms in a mouse model. Mice were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group 1, chow-fed mice with vehicle treatment for 20 weeks; group 2, high-fat, high-fructose, and high-cholesterol AMLN diet-fed mice with vehicle treatment for 20 weeks; group 3, AMLN diet-fed mice with vehicle treatment for 10 weeks followed by DPP-4i (teneligliptin 20 mg/kg/day by oral gavage) treatment for 10 weeks. Serum and liver tissues were analyzed. Administration of DPP-4i significantly reduced the body weight, liver to body weight ratio, and serum liver enzyme levels in AMLN diet-induced NASH model. DPP-4i-treated AMMN diet-fed mice revealed a marked alleviation in liver steatosis and fibrosis compared with vehicle-treated AMLN-fed mice. NASH alleviation in vivo significantly correlated with the suppression of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptor-mediated apoptosis and decreased DPP-4 expression in the liver. In vitro assay of palmitate-treated hepatocytes, treatment with DPP-4i significantly attenuated the hallmarks of TRAIL receptor-mediated lipoapoptosis, suppressing DPP-4 expression. DPP-4i may efficiently attenuate the pathogenesis of AMLN diet-induced NASH in mice by suppressing lipotoxicity-induced apoptosis, possibly through the modulation of hepatic DPP-4 expression. Disclosure S. Lee: None. M. Lee: None. E. Shin: None. Y. Kim: None. E. Kang: None. B. Cha: None. Funding Handok Inc. (2017-31-0006)

N-acetylcysteine alleviates liver injury by suppressing macrophage-mediated inflammatory response post microwave ablation

ObjectTo investigate N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) would able to alleviate liver injury and systemic inflammatory response caused by microwave ablation (MWA) in rats. Materials and methodsMale Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 150–200 g were randomly divided into sham group (only anesthesia and laparotomy except MWA but with intraperitoneal PBS or NAC solution injection according to different situations), control group (intraperitoneal PBS injection for comparation 2 h prior to MWA), and NAC-treated group (intraperitoneal N-acetyl-cysteine (300 mg/kg) injection 2 h prior to MWA). Experimental rats were sacrificed at 4 h following operation in line with the liver injury severity curve. Liver tissue and serum samples were collected for determination of pathology, apoptosis, macrophages contents and protein expression. ResultsThe elevated serum level of liver enzymes, Myeloperoxidase (MPO) and inflammatory factors (TNF-α and CXCL1) in MWA-treated rats revealed injurious and pro- inflammatory effect of MVA. Macrophages aggregation was detected in MWA exposure rats similarly. and NAC pre-conditioning mitigate liver damage and hepatocyte apoptosis, besides macrophages accumulation and following inflammatory response in liver tissue. ConclusionOur results demonstrated that N-acetyl-cysteine application alleviate macrophages aggregation and inflammatory response in liver suffering microwave ablation, and mitigating liver injury and cell apoptosis.

The Association Between Liver Function Tests and Some Metabolic Outcomes: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study

Objectives: Regarding the inconsistent reports on the potential relationship between cardiometabolic disorders, including metabolic syndrome (MetS), diabetes, hypertension (HTN) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), and elevated serum levels of liver enzymes, we conducted this study to test this hypothesis. Methods: Men and women aged ≥ 19 years participated in the sixth examination of Tehran Lipid and Glucose study (TLGS) were recruited. Anthropometric and demographic measurements, as well as biochemical tests, were done for all participants. The odds ratio of cardiometabolic disorders in each tertile category of liver function tests (LFTs), including alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), ALT/AST ratio, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were estimated using the multivariable logistic regression models. Results: The mean age (± SD) of participants was 48.2 (± 17.1) years, and 42.3% of the participants were men. After adjustment for confounding variables, elevated serum concentrations of ALT, AST, ALT/AST ratio, GGT, and ALP were positively associated with increased chance of develop MetS (OR = 3.80, 95% CI = 2.46 - 5.87 for ALT, OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.04-2.23 for AST, OR = 3.08, 95% CI = 2.05 - 4.63 for ALT/AST ratio, OR = 2.71, 95% CI = 1.80 - 4.09 for GGT, OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.12 - 2.38 for ALP). Elevated serum concentrations of ALT, ALT/AST ratio, GGT and ALP were also positively associated with risk of diabetes (OR = 4.32, 95% CI = 2.40 - 7.79 for ALT, OR = 3.28, 95% CI = 1.92 - 5.61 for ALT/AST ratio, OR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.46 - 4.34 for GGT, OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.05 - 2.88 for ALP). Also, increased levels of ALT, GGT and ALP were positively associated with HTN (OR = 2.63, 95% CI = 1.66 - 4.17 for ALT, OR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.30 - 3.13 for GGT, and OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.26 - 2.87 for ALP). Moreover, the elevated level of LDH was positively associated with CKD (OR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.09 - 5.43). Conclusions: Based on the results of the present study, LFT could be helpful for the early detection of cardiometabolic disorders.

The Effects of New Selective PPARα Agonist CP775146 on Systematic Lipid Metabolism in Obese Mice and Its Potential Mechanism.

Purpose Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) plays a crucial role in the control of lipid homeostasis. Here, we investigated the effects of CP775146, a new selective PPARα agonist, on lipid metabolism in diet-induced obese mice and its possible mechanism. Methods C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks to induce obesity and then received CP775146 via intraperitoneal injection for 3 days. The content/morphology of the liver, serum lipid, and liver function was measured. The expression of genes related to lipolysis and synthesis in liver was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Results The safe dose of CP775146 was <0.3 mg/kg. CP775146 reduced the serum levels of liver enzymes, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (AST) and lipid metabolism-related biomarkers, including triglycerides (TGs) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-c), and hepatic TG content, at a dosage of 0.1 mg/kg. HFD-induced pathological liver changes improved after CP775146 treatment. The expression of genes involved in liver fatty acid oxidation (acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase, long chain (Acadl), acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (Acox-1), carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1), and enoyl-CoA, hydratase/3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase (Ehhadh)) was upregulated in CP775146-treated mice. Furthermore, CP775146 induced the expression of thermogenesis genes (cell death-inducing DFFA-like effector a (Cidea), uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1)) and lipolysis genes (hormone-sensitive lipase (Hsl), adipose tissue triglyceride lipase (Atgl)) in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT), activating browning and thermogenesis. Conclusion CP775146 efficiently alleviates obesity-induced liver damage, prevents lipid accumulation by activating the liver fatty acid β-oxidation pathway, and regulates the expression of genes that control brown fat-like pathway in eWAT.

Nigella sativa's protective effect in acetaminophen induced liver toxicity in mice

Acetaminophen has contributed to acute liver failure disease in more than half of the USA and Britain but as an analgesic and antipyretic it is very effective. For many decades in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Nigella sativa has been used for various medical purposes, it is part of the botanical family Ranunculaceae of Gently sloping plants, and is called black cumin seed., Nigella sativa conjugated sterols could be used as precursors to many hydrosoluble steroids for hemisynthesis. The aim of the Study is to examine the promising hepatoprotective effects of Nigella sativa against Acetaminopheninduce hepatotoxicity in mice in this experiment Forty adult male albino mice, incorporated in the experiment and Acetaminophenwas used to induce hepatotoxicity in a dose of 1 gm /kg by the oral route. A number of biochemical and histopathological tests have been used to evaluate liver damage and Nigella sativa protective effects. The result showed a significant protective effect of Nigella sativa against acetaminophenhepatotoxic effect as Nigella sativa in this study tended to normalize the serum levels of liver enzymes, and the protective effects observed clearly by the histopathological evaluation confirming that it effectively protected mouse livers against severe damage caused by acetaminophen. Conclusion in our study it shows that Nigella sativa have a very significant protective effects against acetaminophen induced liver toxicity which is recommended to be fully investigation on human especially to people on risk of acetaminophen liver toxicity

Effects of ginger along with exercise training on serum levels of ALT and AST liver enzymes and malondialdehyde and the activity of liver tissue superoxide dismutase in male Wistar rats

Background and aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of 2 months of endurance training (ET) along with ginger consumption on the serum levels of liver enzymes (ALT and AST), enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver tissue in male Wistar rats. Material and Methods: 40 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups according to the weight as follows: control (n=8), sham (n=8), ET (n=8), ginger (n=8), and ET + ginger (n=8). The training protocol was an ET program on a treadmill for two months (5 days a week). Besides standard water and food, in groups using the supplement, 100 mg of ginger solution per kg body weight of the rats was injected three days a week. Then, 48 hours after the last training session and after 8 hours of fasting, blood and tissue samples were collected over night and the serum levels of liver enzymes (ALT and AST), MDA level of the liver tissue, and activity of the liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured. One-way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc test were used for data analysis. Results: The results showed that after 8 weeks, the activity of liver SOD in ET group (131.7±18.6, P=0.001) and ET + Ginger group (130.2±31.3, P=0.001) significantly increased in comparison with the control group (83.8±14.9). Moreover, liver MDA levels in the ET group (0.38±0.08, P=0.008) and ET + Ginger group (0.37±0.09, P=0.013) significantly increased in comparison with the control group (0.25.0±03). However, 8 weeks of ET coupled with ginger consumption had no effects on the serum levels of AST and ALT (P&gt;0.05). Furthermore, ginger had no effect on MDA level and enzymatic activity of SOD (P&gt;0.05). Conclusion: This study does not support the protective effects of ginger on the reduction of liver enzymes levels and improvement of the antioxidant status

Prevalence and time course of elevated serum levels of liver enzymes in otherwise healthy Thai infants with breast milk jaundice: a cohort study

Abstract Background Neonatal jaundice and elevated levels of liver enzymes are found in infants with breast milk jaundice (BMJ). Objectives To determine the prevalence and duration of elevated serum levels of liver enzymes in Thai infants with BMJ. Methods We conducted a prospective study of Thai infants with BMJ, excluding those with pathological causes of jaundice. We measured the serum levels of total bilirubin (TB), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT); followed infants with elevated levels; and estimated the time for levels to become normal using Kaplan–Meier analysis. Results We included 42 infants (median age: 17.5 days) with BMJ, and elevated serum levels of at least 1 enzyme were found in 27 (64%) infants. We excluded 4 (10%) infants because they did not continue to be exclusively breastfed, 17 (40%) were lost to follow-up, and 21 (50%) completed the study. We found that 19 (45%) of the 42 infants had elevated GGT, 11 (26%) had elevated ALT, and 9 (21%) each had elevated AST and ALP levels. The median time for enzyme levels to normalize was 291 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 109.8 to 472.2) for ALT, 240 days (95% CI, 139.0 to 340.9) for AST, 184 days (95% CI, 4.4 to 363.6) for ALP, 120 days (95% CI, 74.6 to 164.5) for TB, and 63 days (95% CI, 61.44 to 64.6) for GGT. Infants were otherwise healthy during the follow-up. Conclusion The prevalence of elevated serum levels of liver enzymes in Thai infants was unexpectedly high, but the levels became normal spontaneously despite continued breastfeeding, which endorses a “watchful waiting” strategy in managing asymptomatic infants with BMJ.

Thyme oxymel by improving of inflammation, oxidative stress, dyslipidemia and homeostasis of some trace elements ameliorates obesity induced by high-fructose/fat diet in male rat

ObjectiveThyme oxymel is a mixture of vinegar, sugar and thyme which is traditionally used in many folk medicines as syrup to treat metabolic disorders. The molecular mechanisms of anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of thyme oxymel or oxymel and its role on homeostasis of trace elements are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti- hyperlipidemic effects of different doses of thyme oxymel and oxymel on obesity induced by high-fat/-fructose diet (HFFD) in male rat. MethodsEighty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into eleven groups and treated daily for 24 weeks. At the end of the study, serum levels of liver enzymes, lipid profiles, blood glucose, insulin, antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation and TNF-α were measured. The hepatic oxidative biomarkers and the genes expression of SREBP-1c, CPT-1, Nrf-2 and NF-κB were also studied to determine the molecular mechanism involved in this disease. ResultsThe results showed that HFFD could significantly change the level of oxidative biomarkers, lipid profiles, TNF-α, liver enzymes, leptin, insulin and the levels of some trace elements in obese rats compared to control group (p < 0.05), while pretreatment and treatment with thyme oxymel and oxymel in obese rats could significantly ameliorate them and bring some of them back to normal (p < 0.05).The molecular results also showed that HFFD significantly up-regulated the expression of SREBP-1c and NF-κB and down-regulated CPT-1 and Nrf-2 expression(p < 0.05). While, pretreatment and treatment with thyme oxymel or oxymel in obese rats could significantly ameliorate them (p < 0.05). ConclusionsIt can be concluded that thyme oxymel or oxymel can alleviate HFFD-induced obesity through improving oxidative stress, inflammation, lipid metabolism, homeostasis of some trace elements, and weight-regulating hormones.

Dapagliflozin plus saxagliptin add-on to metformin reduces liver fat and adipose tissue volume in patients with type 2 diabetes.

AimTo assess the effects of dapagliflozin plus saxagliptin plus metformin versus glimepiride plus metformin on liver fat (proton density fat fraction) and visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue volumes over 52 weeks of treatment.Materials and methodsThis was a magnetic resonance imaging substudy of a 52‐week, multicentre, randomized, double‐blind, parallel‐group trial that evaluated the efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin 10 mg/day plus saxagliptin 5 mg/day versus titrated glimepiride 1–6 mg (1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 mg) in 82 patients with type 2 diabetes (HbA1c 7.5%–10.5%) on metformin ≥1500 mg/day background. Analyses were exploratory and not controlled for multiplicity; P‐values are nominal.ResultsMagnetic resonance imaging was performed on 59 patients; liver fat and adipose tissue volumes were analysed for 59 and 57 patients, respectively. There was a significant >30% reduction from baseline in liver fat (P = 0.007) and >10% reduction in adipose tissue volumes (P < 0.01) with dapagliflozin plus saxagliptin plus metformin at week 52 versus glimepiride plus metformin. In the full‐study population, dapagliflozin plus saxagliptin plus metformin decreased body weight and serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels over 52 weeks.ConclusionsDapagliflozin plus saxagliptin significantly decreased liver fat and adipose tissue volume versus glimepiride, and reduced serum liver enzyme levels, indicating a favourable metabolic profile of dapagliflozin plus saxagliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes on metformin therapy.