Reduced brain content of arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid is related to the severity of liver fibrosis.
BACKGROUND
Cognitive deficiency noted post-liver transplantation might be a result of consequential metabolic derangement before liver transplantation. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), affect the development of the central nervous system and its absorption is influenced by obstructive jaundice.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the possible relationship between the brain content of AA and DHA with the severity of obstructive jaundice using a bile duct ligation rat model.


METHODS
Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: Sham (n = 5): rats received sham operation on P17 (17 days after delivery) and were sacrificed on P31; BDL2w (n = 5): rats received bile duct ligation and were sacrificed on P31; BDL4w (n = 7): rats received bile duct ligation and were sacrificed on P45. Liver function test, histopathology, and fatty acid composition of the brain tissues were analyzed.


RESULTS
The Sham group had significantly lowered total/direct bilirubin level (0.6 + 0.1/0.3 + 0.1 mg/dl) as compared to the BDL2w group (3.8 + 1.5/1.6 + 1.0 mg/dl) and the BDL4w group (4.3 + 0.6/3.3 + 0.5 mg/dl) (P = 0.04 and 0.008, respectively). Liver fibrosis and inflammatory changes of hepatocytes increased from the Sham group, the BDL2w group, to the BDL4w group. The Sham group had significantly higher AA and DHA content. The brain content of AA and DHA correlated negatively to the duration of bile duct ligation, the total/direct bilirubin level, and the degree of liver fibrosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrated that reduced AA and DHA content in the brain of rats which received bile duct ligation is closely related to both the severity of liver fibrosis and the impairment of liver function.
Chen
Chih-Cheng
CC
Pediatrics Department, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang-Gung University College of Medicine, Niao Song, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Huang
Li-Tung
LT
Tain
You-Lin
YL
Chaung
Hsio-Chi
HC
Hsieh
Chih-Sung
CS
Eng
Hock-Liew
HL
Wei
Yu-Ching
YC
Yang
Chun-Yu
CY
D000818:Animals; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D001652:Bile Ducts; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D041781:Jaundice, Obstructive / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008026:Ligation; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid