title: Corn oligopeptides protect against early alcoholic liver injury in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study aimed to investigate the effects of corn oligopeptides (COPs) on early alcoholic liver injury in rats. A total of 70 Wistar rats were randomly assigned to 7 groups, including a normal control group, 3 alcohol control groups (2.0, 4.0 and 6.0 g/kg/BW ethanol), and 3 COP intervention groups (2.0, 4.0 and 6.0 g/kg/BW ethanol, with 900 mg/kg/BW COPs). The study duration lasted for 4 weeks. Serum markers were assayed, and a histopathological examination was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the COP treatment prevented the elevation of serum aminotransferase and alleviated the hepatic histological damage that was induced by alcohol. In addition, the COPs counteracted the changes in the SOD activity and the MDA content in serum. Furthermore, the COPs ameliorated the abnormal lipid metabolism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that COPs have a significant protective effect on early alcoholic liver injury in rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, Xueyuan Road 38, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, PR China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiali
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D008055:Lipids; D009842:Oligopeptides; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002784:Cholesterol; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase