title: Effects of lactitol [correction of lactilol] on hepatic encephalopathy and plasma amino-acid imbalance.
abstract: Hepatic encephalopathy in liver cirrhosis is due to several factors, including amino acid imbalance and hyperammonemia. Lactitol [correction of lactilol], a non adsorbable disaccharide, improves hepatic encephalopathy increasing bowel movements, modifying colonic bacteria and pH, and reducing blood ammonium. Ten patients with liver cirrhosis and longstanding stable hepatic encephalopathy were treated, after a period of drugs wash-out, with lactitol. A significant improvement of hepatic encephalopathy was observed, with a significant decrease of blood ammonium, related with the increase of stool frequency/day. Atrial natriuretic peptide decreased as well. Moreover, an increase of the ratio of plasma aliphatic amino acids (valine, leucine and isoleucine)/aromatic amino acid (tyrosine and phenylalanine) was observed. Lactitol is an effective drug in the treatment of chronic hepatic encephalopathy; its mechanism of action involves not only a decrease of blood ammonium but also modifications of the degree of plasma amino acid imbalance, and fluid and circulatory adjustments.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Medica, Università, Catania.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Trovato
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carpinteri
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Runcio
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mazzone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000097:blood; D013402:Sugar Alcohols / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D013402:Sugar Alcohols; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; C014635:lactitol