hydroxylysine and Liver-Cirrhosis

Topics: Adult; Animals; Arginine; Chick Embryo; Child; Collagen; Female; Humans; Hydroxylysine; Infant; Liver; Liver Cirrhosis; Liver Diseases; Male; Microbial Collagenase; Middle Aged; Mixed Function Oxygenases; Proline; Rats; RNA, Messenger; RNA, Transfer

This paper reviews some of the biochemical modifications involved in fibrous tissue formation and discusses possible ways of controlling fibrosis in clinical conditions. The lathyritic agents, beta-aminoproprionitrile (BAPN) and penicillamine, appear in certain situations to be able to control fibrosis by blocking the biosynthesis of collagen. There are no compounds that are yet known which are capable of reversing pre-existing fibrosis and future research may perhaps be more profitably directed towards the stimulation of collagen catabolism rather than the inhibition of its synthesis.

Topics: Aminopropionitrile; Animals; Cicatrix; Collagen; Cortisone; Humans; Hydroxylysine; Hydroxyproline; Liver Cirrhosis; Penicillamine; Procollagen; Rats; Wound Healing

In patients with or without various chronic liver diseases, the total urinary excretion of hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine and the hepatic content of hydroxyproline were examined. In 7 patients without liver disease, the urinary excretion of hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine were 10.3 +/- 1.5 and 1.31 +/- 0.21 mmol/mol creatinine, respectively, and the hepatic content of hydroxyproline was 4.9 +/- 0.6 mumol/g of wet liver. In 33 patients with liver disease, the urinary excretion of hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine and the hepatic content of hydroxyproline were increased in proportion to the severity of liver disease. The hepatic content of hydroxyproline showed a significant correlation with the urinary excretion of hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine (r = +0.406 and r = +0.531, respectively). These results suggest that the study of urinary hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine excretion may yield useful information on the metabolism of hepatic collagen in chronic liver disease. Moreover, urinary hydroxylysine excretion seemed to be a better index of hepatic collagen metabolism than urinary hydroxyproline excretion; perhaps urinary hydroxylysine excretion is not much affected by dietary collagen intake.

Topics: Adult; Chronic Disease; Female; Hepatitis; Hepatitis, Chronic; Humans; Hydroxylysine; Hydroxyproline; Liver Cirrhosis; Male; Middle Aged

In the liver, total collagen accumulation during the fibrotic or cirrhotic process was measured using a methodology based on the determination of collagen amino acids in liver biopsies from adults with alcoholic liver diseases or children with biliary atresia. The results obtained with this methodology were compared to histopathological findings. Thus, it was shown that generally the severity of hepatic injury was dependent on collagen accumulation. In biliary atresia, collagen accumulation increased with the children's age despite reconstructive surgery and restoration of biliary flow.

Topics: Adult; Alanine; Amino Acids; Bile Ducts; Biopsy; Child; Child, Preschool; Chromatography, Gas; Collagen; Glycine; Humans; Hydroxylysine; Hydroxyproline; Infant; Liver; Liver Cirrhosis; Proline

L-Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (AZC), an analogue of proline, has been shown to partially ameliorate hepatic cirrhosis induced in rats by CCl(4). AZC caused a diminution in formation of collagen in the liver accompanied by a relative decrease in the pool of free proline. The synthesis of noncollagenous proteins in the livers of treated rats did not appear to be affected.

Topics: Amino Acids; Animals; Carbon Isotopes; Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning; Collagen; Hydroxylation; Hydroxylysine; Hydroxyproline; Liver; Liver Cirrhosis; Male; Proline; Rats; Time Factors