title: The 21-aminosteroid 16-desmethyl tirilazad mesylate prevents necroinflammatory changes in experimental alcoholic liver disease.
abstract: We investigated the potential of 16-desmethyl tirilazad mesylate, a member of 21-aminosteroids, to ameliorate alcohol-induced liver injury. Four groups (five rats/group) of male Wistar rats were studied. One group of rats was fed fish oil and ethanol (FE) for 4 weeks, and a second group received isocaloric amounts of dextrose instead of ethanol (FD). The third (FE-LAZ) and fourth (FD-LAZ) groups received the addition of 10 mg/kg/day of 16-desmethyl tirilazad mesylate (U74389) daily via intragastric tube. Liver samples were analyzed for histopathology, nonheme iron, lipid peroxidation and levels of mRNA for tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Concentrations of endotoxin and 8-isoprostane were measured in plasma. Membrane ATPases were measured in isolated membrane red cells. FE rats developed fatty liver, necrosis and inflammation. Treatment with the 21-aminosteroid resulted in prevention of necroinflammatory changes, but the degree of fatty liver was unchanged. The absence of necroinflammatory changes in the FE-LAZ group was accompanied by a decrease in levels of nonheme iron, lipid peroxidation, TNF-alpha mRNA and COX-2 mRNA. Ethanol administration decreased membrane Ca(++)-ATPase and calmodulin-stimulated Ca(++)-ATPase, and the decrease was reversed by 21-aminosteroid treatment. The data indicate that the improvement in the degree of necrosis and inflammation in the rats treated with the 21-aminosteroid may be explained, at least in part, by reduced levels of proinflammatory stimuli such as lipid peroxidation, TNF-alpha and COX-2. Membrane stabilization may also, by reducing lipid peroxidation, play an additional role in preventing liver injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University Medical Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sadrzadeh
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nanji
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D011281:Pregnatrienes / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D007527:Isoenzymes; D011281:Pregnatrienes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C074965:U 74389F; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases