Hepatoprotective effect of vitamin B12 on dimethylnitrosamine-induced liver injury.
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.
Isoda
Katsuhiro
K
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
Kagaya
Noritaka
N
Akamatsu
Soichiro
S
Hayashi
Shinji
S
Tamesada
Makoto
M
Watanabe
Aiko
A
Kobayashi
Masakazu
M
Tagawa
Yoh-ichi
Y
Kondoh
Masuo
M
Kawase
Masaya
M
Yagi
Kiyohito
K
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*
D000477:Alkylating Agents; D014815:Vitamins; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine; D014805:Vitamin B 12