title: Alcoholic Liver Disease: A Mouse Model Reveals Protection by Lactobacillus fermentum.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alcoholism is one of the most devastating diseases with high incidence, but knowledge of its pathology and treatment is still plagued with gaps mostly because of the inherent limitations of research with patients. We developed an animal model for studying liver histopathology, Hsp (heat-shock protein)-chaperones involvement, and response to treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The system was standardized using mice to which ethanol was orally administered alone or in combination with Lactobacillus fermentum following a precise schedule over time and applying, at predetermined intervals, a battery of techniques (histology, immunohistochemistry, western blotting, real-time PCR, immunoprecipitation, 3-nitrotyrosine labeling) to assess liver pathology (e.g., steatosis, fibrosis), and Hsp60 and iNOS (inducible form of nitric oxide synthase) gene expression and protein levels, and post-translational modifications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Typical ethanol-induced liver pathology occurred and the effect of the probiotic could be reliably monitored. Steatosis score, iNOS levels, and nitrated proteins (e.g., Hsp60) decreased after probiotic intake.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We describe a mouse model useful for studying liver disease induced by chronic ethanol intake and for testing pertinent therapeutic agents, e.g., probiotics. We tested L. fermentum, which reduced considerably ethanol-induced tissue damage and deleterious post-translational modifications of the chaperone Hsp60. The model is available to test other agents and probiotics with therapeutic potential in alcoholic liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Human Anatomy Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.|Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barone
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Human Anatomy Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.|Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology, Palermo, Italy.|Department of Legal Science, Society and Sports, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rappa
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Human Anatomy Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.|Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Macaluso
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Human Anatomy Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.|Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Celeste
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caruso Bavisotto
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Human Anatomy Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sangiorgi
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Human Anatomy Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Paola
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Human Anatomy Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.|Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tomasello
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Human Anatomy Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.|Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Felice
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Parasitology and Virology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria (AOUP), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marcianò
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Human Anatomy Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Felicia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Farina
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Human Anatomy Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zummo
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland at Baltimore; and IMET, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Everly
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Conway de Macario
authors.affiliation: Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology, Palermo, Italy.|Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland at Baltimore; and IMET, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Alberto J L
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Macario
authors.affiliation: Institute Paolo Sotgiu Quantitative and Evolutionary Psychiatry and Cardiology, L.U.De.S. University, Lugano, Switzerland.|Department of Medical Veterinary Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cocchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Human Anatomy Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.|Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cappello
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Human Anatomy Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.|Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marino Gammazza