title: Erythrocyte defects precede the onset of CCl4-induced liver cirrhosis. Protection by silymarin.
abstract: The time-course of some alterations produced in erythrocytes during the onset of CCl4-induced liver cirrhosis was studied in rats. Erythrocyte membranes were isolated to measure Na+, K+ and Ca+2-ATPase activities. Membrane lipid composition was determined to calculate the cholesterol/phospholipid ratio and serum samples were used to measure lipoperoxidation. The results demonstrated that as CCl4 treatment progressed, serum lipoperoxidation and membrane cholesterol/phospholipid ratio increased while ATPase activities decreased. ATPase activities in red blood cells of cirrhotic rats were 50% below normal values but those determined in cells of animals treated simultaneously with CCl4 + silymarin were significantly improved. Silymarin co-treatment also preserved the normal cholesterol/phospholipid ratio in the membranes. Our results suggest that the measure of ATPase activities in erythrocytes membranes could be a simple, safe and useful early marker of liver damage and also valuable to test the effectiveness of a given drug therapy.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México D.F.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mourelle
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Franco
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases / Q000097:blood; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning / Q000097:blood*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000378:metabolism; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012838:Silymarin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D010743:Phospholipids; D012838:Silymarin; D002784:Cholesterol; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase