pectins and Liver-Diseases

Topics: Cardiomyopathies; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency; Glucosidases; Glucosyltransferases; Glycogen; Glycogen Storage Disease; Hepatomegaly; Humans; Kidney Diseases; Liver Cirrhosis; Liver Diseases; Liver Glycogen; Muscular Diseases; Pectins; Polysaccharides; Splenomegaly

Galectin-3 protein is critical to the development of liver fibrosis because galectin-3 null mice have attenuated fibrosis after liver injury. Therefore, we examined the ability of novel complex carbohydrate galectin inhibitors to treat toxin-induced fibrosis and cirrhosis. Fibrosis was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injections with thioacetamide (TAA) and groups were treated with vehicle, GR-MD-02 (galactoarabino-rhamnogalaturonan) or GM-CT-01 (galactomannan). In initial experiments, 4 weeks of treatment with GR-MD-02 following completion of 8 weeks of TAA significantly reduced collagen content by almost 50% based on Sirius red staining. Rats were then exposed to more intense and longer TAA treatment, which included either GR-MD-02 or GM-CT-01 during weeks 8 through 11. TAA rats treated with vehicle developed extensive fibrosis and pathological stage 6 Ishak fibrosis, or cirrhosis. Treatment with either GR-MD-02 (90 mg/kg ip) or GM-CT-01 (180 mg/kg ip) given once weekly during weeks 8-11 led to marked reduction in fibrosis with reduction in portal and septal galectin-3 positive macrophages and reduction in portal pressure. Vehicle-treated animals had cirrhosis whereas in the treated animals the fibrosis stage was significantly reduced, with evidence of resolved or resolving cirrhosis and reduced portal inflammation and ballooning. In this model of toxin-induced liver fibrosis, treatment with two galectin protein inhibitors with different chemical compositions significantly reduced fibrosis, reversed cirrhosis, reduced galectin-3 expressing portal and septal macrophages, and reduced portal pressure. These findings suggest a potential role of these drugs in human liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Blotting, Western; Cell Line; Cell Proliferation; Fibrosis; Galactans; Galactose; Galectins; Humans; Liver Cirrhosis; Liver Diseases; Male; Mannans; Pectins; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Thioacetamide

Study of the effects of low-esterified pectin in toxic damage to the liver caused by enteral treatment with lead acetate showed that pectin treatment promoted the decrease in lead content in the liver, reduction of LPO activity, and recovery of parameters of lipid metabolism.

Topics: Animals; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Esters; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Liver Diseases; Male; Pectins; Rats

Topics: Ammonia; Disaccharides; Humans; Lactulose; Liver Diseases; Pectins