title: Experimental models of hepatotoxicity related to acute liver failure.
abstract: Acute liver failure can be the consequence of various etiologies, with most cases arising from drug-induced hepatotoxicity in Western countries. Despite advances in this field, the management of acute liver failure continues to be one of the most challenging problems in clinical medicine. The availability of adequate experimental models is of crucial importance to provide a better understanding of this condition and to allow identification of novel drug targets, testing the efficacy of new therapeutic interventions and acting as models for assessing mechanisms of toxicity. Experimental models of hepatotoxicity related to acute liver failure rely on surgical procedures, chemical exposure or viral infection. Each of these models has a number of strengths and weaknesses. This paper specifically reviews commonly used chemical in vivo and in vitro models of hepatotoxicity associated with acute liver failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Michaël
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: mvinken@vub.ac.be.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vinken
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, United States.
authors.forename: Hartmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jaeschke
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000633:toxicity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005688:Galactosamine / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D003208:Concanavalin A; D000082:Acetaminophen; D005688:Galactosamine
keywords: Acetaminophen; Acute liver failure; Concanavalin A; D-galactosamine; Fas ligand; Hepatotoxicity