Interaction of alcohol and hepatitis viral proteins: implication in synergistic effect of alcohol drinking and viral hepatitis on liver injury.
Alcohol drinking and viral hepatitis are both recognized as major causes of liver disease worldwide, and they frequently coexist and synergistically cause liver injury in patients with chronic liver disease. Several mechanisms have been implicated in exacerbation of liver injury in patients with alcohol drinking and viral hepatitis. These include impairment of host defense and liver regeneration by alcohol consumption. The findings obtained from my laboratory have demonstrated that alcohol potentiates cooperatively several signals activated by hepatitis B virus X protein (HBX) or hepatitis C virus core protein, and HBX sensitizes hepatocytes to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)- and ethanol-induced apoptosis by a caspase-3-dependent mechanism, which may also contribute to the synergistic effect of alcohol drinking and viral hepatitis on liver injury.
Gao
Bin
B
Section on Liver Biology, Laboratory of Physiologic Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Park Building Room 120, 12420 Parklawn Drive, MSC 8115, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. bgao@mail.nih.gov
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018963:Hepatitis Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology
D018963:Hepatitis Antigens; D000431:Ethanol