title: Hepatoprotective effect of vitamin B12 on dimethylnitrosamine-induced liver injury.
abstract: Vitamin B(12) contains a cobalt complex and accumulates at high levels in the liver. Vitamin B(12) was examined for its hepatoprotective effect on dimethylnitrosamine-induced liver injury in mice. Vitamin B(12) decreased the blood levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, and clearly inhibited the overaccumulation of collagen fibrils. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of the liver showed that the gene expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin and heat-shock protein 47, which are markers of fibrosis, were suppressed by vitamin B(12) administration. Our findings indicate that vitamin B(12) could be an effective hepatoprotective agent.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Isoda
authors.forename: Noritaka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kagaya
authors.forename: Soichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akamatsu
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamesada
authors.forename: Aiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Yoh-ichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tagawa
authors.forename: Masuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kondoh
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawase
authors.forename: Kiyohito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yagi
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000477:Alkylating Agents / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000477:Alkylating Agents; D014815:Vitamins; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine; D014805:Vitamin B 12