title: [Zinc supplementation effects on alcoholic liver disease and the molecular mechanism].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine dietary zinc supplementation could alleviate the damage of alcoholic liver disease and the relationship with the expression of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha (HNF-4alpha).
  
  
  METHODS
  40 adult C57 BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10): control, zinc, ethanol and zinc plus ethanol, which were sacrificed after fed four different diets for 6 months. Zinc sulfate was added in the drinking water of the Zinc and Zinc Plus Ethanol group and the content was 75 mg/L. Liver regeneration was assessed by immunohistochemical staining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and the expression of HNF-4alpha was determined by RT-PCR and Western blot. And as to assess the status of oxidative stress of the mice, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control group, the expression level of HNF-4alpha decreased significantly in the ethanol group (P < 0.05), and the content of MDA increased significantly in this group, while the content of SOD declined significantly (P < 0.05). Compared with the ethanol group, the number of PCNA-positive hepatocytes increased significantly, and the expression level of HNF-4alpha also increased in the zinc plus ethanol group (P < 0.05), and the content of SOD increased in this group, while MDA decreased significantly (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long term ethanol exposure can lead to oxidoreduction imbalances which can be reversed by zinc supplementation. We suppose that zinc-enhanced liver regeneration is associated with an increase in HNF-4alpha, suggesting that dietary zinc supplementation may have beneficial effects in alcoholic liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Animal Center, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325035, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Chong-Bin
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Miao-Wu
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Guo-Xin
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Jun-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D051557:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D019287:Zinc Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D051557:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4; C496593:Hnf4a protein, mouse; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D019287:Zinc Sulfate; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase