title: Role of the ¹³C-methacetin breath test in the assessment of acute liver injury in a rat model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of the (13)C-methacetin breath test ((13)C-MBT) in the assessment of acute liver injury in a rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acute liver injury in rats was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of D-galactosamine (D-GalN). Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 8) and five model groups (each n = 8), and acute liver injury was assessed at different time points (6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h) after D-GalN injection. The (13)C-MBT, biochemical tests, 15-min retention rate of indocyanine green (ICGR15), and liver biopsy were performed and compared between the control and model groups. Correlations between parameters of the (13)C-MBT (Tmax, MVmax, CUM₁₂₀ and DOBmax), biochemical tests, ICGR15 and liver necrosis score were also analyzed using Spearman's correlation analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tmax, MVmax, CUM₁₂₀ and DOBmax, as well as most of the traditional methods, correlated with the liver necrosis score (r = 0.493, P < 0.05; r = -0.731, P < 0.01; r = -0.618, P < 0.01; r = -0.592, P < 0.01, respectively). MVmax, CUM₁₂₀ and DOBmax rapidly decreased and were lower than those in the controls as early as 6 h after D-GalN injection (3.84 ± 0.84 vs 5.06 ± 0.78, P < 0.01; 3.35 ± 0.72 vs 4.21 ± 1.44, P < 0.05; 52.3 ± 20.58 vs 75.1 ± 9.57, P < 0.05, respectively) and reached the lowest point 24 h after D-GalN injection. MVmax, CUM₁₂₀ and DOBmax returned to normal levels 72 h after D-GalN injection and preceded most of the traditional methods, including liver biopsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The (13)C-MBT is a sensitive tool for the timely detection of acute liver injury and early prediction of recovery in a rat model. Further clinical studies are warranted to validate its role in patients with acute liver injury.
authors.affiliation: Dong Zhu, Hui Zhang, Hong-Yan Wang, Xin Li, You-Qing Xu, Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Dong Zhu, Hui Zhang, Hong-Yan Wang, Xin Li, You-Qing Xu, Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Dong Zhu, Hui Zhang, Hong-Yan Wang, Xin Li, You-Qing Xu, Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Jing-Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Dong Zhu, Hui Zhang, Hong-Yan Wang, Xin Li, You-Qing Xu, Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Dong Zhu, Hui Zhang, Hong-Yan Wang, Xin Li, You-Qing Xu, Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Dong Zhu, Hui Zhang, Hong-Yan Wang, Xin Li, You-Qing Xu, Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: You-Qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D005688:Galactosamine; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010115:Oxyphenonium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D005688:Galactosamine; D010115:Oxyphenonium; D007208:Indocyanine Green
keywords: 13C-methacetin breath test; Acute liver injury; Animal model; Liver function