title: Beneficial effects of histidine and carnosine on ethanol-induced chronic liver injury.
abstract: Alleviative effects of histidine and carnosine in mice against ethanol-induced oxidative and inflammatory was examined. After chronic alcoholic liver injury was induced, histidine and carnosine at 0.5, 1, 2g/L were added to the drinking water for 3 weeks. Results showed that the post-intake of histidine or carnosine markedly decreased alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities (P<0.05). Ethanol treatment increased malondialdehyde (MDA) level, decreased glutathione (GSH) content and catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities, and increased cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) activity in liver (P<0.05). The post-intake of histidine and carnosine significantly decreased MDA formations, increased GSH content, enhanced catalase and GPX activities, and suppressed CYP2E1 activity (P<0.05), in which the effects on catalase and CYP2E1 activities were dose-dependent (P<0.05). Ethanol treatment elevated hepatic levels of c-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) (P<0.05), the post-intake of histidine and carnosine significantly and dose-dependently diminished the release of CRP, IL-6, and TNF-alpha (P<0.05). Ethanol treatment caused down-regulation in both catalase and GPX mRNA expression, and up-regulated both IL-6 and TNF-alpha mRNA expression (P<0.05). Histidine and carnosine post-treatments significantly and dose-dependently upregulated catalase mRNA, and down-regulated mRNA expression of IL-6 and TNF-alpha (P<0.05). Based on the observed anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, the supplement of histidine or carnosine might be helpful for the treatment of chronic alcoholic liver injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Science, Chung Shan Medical University, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Wen-hu
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Te-chung
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Mei-chin
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000975:Antioxidants; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002336:Carnosine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006639:Histidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000975:Antioxidants; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000431:Ethanol; D006639:Histidine; D002336:Carnosine; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D005978:Glutathione