title: The limiting effect of dichloroacetate on endotoxin-induced liver damage in starved rats.
abstract: Dichloroacetate has been shown to have therapeutic effects on sepsis and endotoxin shock and to reduce liver damage in rats intoxicated with ethanol or carbon tetrachloride. In this study, the effect of dichloroacetate on endotoxin hepatitis was investigated. Endotoxin hepatitis was induced by an intraperitoneal coadministration of 50 micrograms/kg lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli, and 200 mg/kg D-galactosamine in starved, male Wistar rats. This treatment induced the following changes within 24 hr: an increase in the serum aminotransferase activity, histological alterations of the liver including focal necrosis of liver cells and inflammatory infiltrates, an increase in blood pyruvate and alanine concentrations, and inhibition of starvation ketosis. The intraperitoneal administration of 250 mg/kg dichloroacetate 30 min after the administration of the toxins partially counteracted all of these changes. The administration of dichloroacetate might be useful in coping with hepatic damage as well as lacticemia and cardiovascular depression induced by endotoxins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Irita
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okabe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamakawa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yoshitake
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003999:Dichloroacetic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013217:Starvation
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D003999:Dichloroacetic Acid; D000410:Alanine Transaminase