title: A critical involvement of oxidative stress in acute alcohol-induced hepatic TNF-alpha production.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production is a critical factor in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver injury. Both oxidative stress and endotoxin have been implicated in the process of alcohol-induced TNF-alpha production. However, a cause-and-effect relationship between these factors has not been fully defined. The present study was undertaken to determine the mediators of acute alcohol-induced TNF-alpha production using a mouse model of acute alcohol hepatotoxicity. Alcohol administration via gavage at a dose of 6 g/kg to 129/Sv mice induced hepatic TNF-alpha production in Kupffer cells as demonstrated by measuring protein levels, immunohistochemical localization, and mRNA expression. Alcohol intoxication caused liver injury in association with increases in plasma endotoxin and hepatic lipid peroxidation. Treatment with an endotoxin neutralizing protein significantly suppressed alcohol-induced elevation of plasma endotoxin, hepatic lipid peroxidation, and inhibited TNF-alpha production. Treatment with antioxidants, N-ACETYL-L-CYSTEINE, or dimethylsulfoxide, failed to attenuate plasma endotoxin elevation, but significantly inhibited alcohol-induced hepatic lipid peroxidation, TNF-alpha production and steatosis. All treatments prevented alcohol-induced necrotic cell death in the liver. This study thus systemically dissected the relationship among plasma endotoxin elevation, hepatic oxidative stress, and TNF-alpha production following acute alcohol administration, and the results demonstrate that oxidative stress mediates endotoxin-induced hepatic TNF-alpha production in acute alcohol intoxication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, 511 South Floyd Street, MDR 525, Louisville, KY, USA. z0zhou01@louisville.edu
authors.forename: Zhanxiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Lipeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhenyuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jason C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: Craig J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: McClain
authors.forename: Y James
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000506:poisoning*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000431:Ethanol