Inhibitory effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on the progression of chronic hepatic disorders with special reference to increases in blood flow.
Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), which is commonly used as a cholesterol-gallstone-dissolving agent, is now expected to be effective not only for primary biliary cirrhosis but for chronic active hepatitis as well. In this study, we administered 0.1% ethionine-added, choline-deficient diet for 8 weeks to male Sprague-Dawley rats to prepare an animal model of chronic hepatic disorders. At the same time, UDCA (50 mg/kg/day) was administered orally to these animals, and its effects on the liver, including effects on hepatic blood flow determined with a laser Doppler blood flow meter, were evaluated. Hepatic blood flow increased significantly in the UDCA group compared with the untreated groups. Transaminase levels decreased significantly in the UDCA group compared with the untreated group. Histologic differences were noted between the UDCA and untreated groups in histopathologic examinations of the liver, with liver cirrhosis or early liver cirrhosis being present in the untreated group, compared with only chronic active hepatitis in the UDCA group. These findings suggest that UDCA is able to prevent or inhibit the progression of chronic hepatic disorders, an effect that may be due in part to increases in hepatic blood flow.
Kurihara
T
T
Department of Gastroenterology, Aoyama Hospital, Tokyo Women's Medical College, Japan.
Akimoto
M
M
Abe
K
K
Hashimoto
H
H
Ishiguro
H
H
Niimi
A
A
Maeda
A
A
Shigemoto
M
M
Yamashita
K
K
Yokoyama
I
I
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002796:Choline Deficiency; D008102:Liver Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D014580:Ursodeoxycholic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
D014580:Ursodeoxycholic Acid; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase