scholarly journals Novel Therapeutic Approaches Against Acetaminophen-induced Liver Injury and Acute Liver Failure

2020 ◽  
Vol 174 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hartmut Jaeschke ◽  
Jephte Y Akakpo ◽  
David S Umbaugh ◽  
Anup Ramachandran

Abstract Liver injury and acute liver failure caused by acetaminophen (APAP, N-acetyl-p-aminophenol, paracetamol) overdose is a significant clinical problem in most western countries. The only clinically approved antidote is N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which promotes the recovery of hepatic GSH. If administered during the metabolism phase, GSH scavenges the reactive metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine. More recently, it was shown that NAC can also reconstitute mitochondrial GSH levels and scavenge reactive oxygen/peroxynitrite and can support mitochondrial bioenergetics. However, NAC has side effects and may not be efficacious after high overdoses. Repurposing of additional drugs based on their alternate mechanisms of action could be a promising approach. 4-Methylpyrazole (4MP) was shown to be highly effective against APAP toxicity by inhibiting cytochrome P450 enzymes in mice and humans. In addition, 4MP is a potent c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor expanding its therapeutic window. Calmangafodipir (CMFP) is a SOD mimetic, which is well tolerated in patients and has the potential to be effective after severe overdoses. Other drugs approved for humans such as metformin and methylene blue were shown to be protective in mice at high doses or at human therapeutic doses, respectively. Additional protective strategies such as enhancing antioxidant activities, Nrf2-dependent gene induction and autophagy activation by herbal medicine components are being evaluated. However, at this point, their mechanistic insight is limited, and the doses used are high. More rigorous mechanistic studies are needed to advance these herbal compounds. Nevertheless, based on recent studies, 4-methylpyrazole and calmangafodipir have realistic prospects to become complimentary or even alternative antidotes to NAC for APAP overdose.

2021 ◽  
pp. 17-21
Author(s):  
Anum Aqsa ◽  
Sami Droubi ◽  
Shivantha Amarnath ◽  
Hassan Al-Moussawi ◽  
Jeffrey Abergel

Drug-induced liver injury is an uncommon but life-threatening entity. Sunitinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used for advanced and imatinib-refractory gastrointestinal stromal tumors. It causes transient elevation in liver enzymes. The incidence of fatal acute liver failure is rare. Five cases of sunitinib-induced acute liver injury have been reported in the literature thus far. We present a case of fatal acute liver failure and cardiomyopathy within 2 weeks of sunitinib therapy initiation for advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma. We believe our case is unique due to the rarity of its presentation. It highlights hepatotoxicity as a potentially fatal side effect of sunitinib therapy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1667-1674
Author(s):  
T. Siva ◽  
Girija Sivakumar ◽  
Sankaran PK ◽  
Yuvaraj Maria Francis ◽  
Gayathri T ◽  
...  

Drug induced liver injury possesses a major clinical problem and has become leading cause of acute liver failure and transplantation. Overstressed liver compromises its detoxification role which may expose it to a variety of diseases and disorders. The present study was to determine whether pre- administration of various doses of vitamin E would have protective effect against diclofenac induced hepatotoxicity in wistar male rats. Twenty-four albino male rats weighing 180-200g were divided equally into four groups. In control group rats were administrated with physiological saline 2ml/kg b.wt /intramuscularly. Another group with 50mg/kg b.wt/ intramuscularly/seven days diclofenac was used for inducing toxicity. In experimental groups rats were administrated with different doses of vitamin E along with diclofenac sodium [200 and 400 IU orally and 50mg/kg b.wt/ intramuscularly/seven days]. Showed that there was a rapid increase in the levels of liver function test in diclofenac treated group, which was significantly decreased after pre-treatment with high dose than low dose of vitamin E. The liver acinus showed Centro acinar necrosis of hepatocytes after 7 days of diclofenac treatment, which was prevented by administration of Vitamin E. Drug-induced liver injury possesses a major clinical problem and has become a leading cause of acute liver failure and transplantation. Overstressed liver compromises its detoxification role which may expose it to a variety of diseases and disorders. Diclofenac sodium is a phenylacetic acid derivative, a widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for the treatment of inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, dental pain, spondyloarthritis, acute migraine, gout attacks and pain management in gall and renal stones. Although the exact mechanism by with diclofenac injuries liver is not understood, some studies explain the toxicity by affecting cytochrome P 450 leading to the production of active metabolites. Administration of different dose of diclofenac sodium induces severe adverse effects in liver and kidney.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuji Suzuki ◽  
Keisuke Kakisaka ◽  
Takuro Sato ◽  
Ryouichi Mikami ◽  
Hiroaki Abe ◽  
...  

AbstractPatients with severe acute liver injury (SLI) usually recover spontaneously. However, some SLI patients progress to acute liver failure with varying degrees of hepatic encephalopathy. Acute liver failure is associated with high mortality and can be substantially reduced by liver transplantation. Therefore, distinguishing SLI patients who might progress to acute liver failure and are at a risk of death is important when evaluating patients needing liver transplantation. The present study aimed to determine whether technetium-99m-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid galactosyl human serum albumin (Tc-99m GSA) scintigraphy can predict the prognosis of patients with SLI. This prospective observational study included 69 SLI patients. The accuracy of Tc-99m GSA for predicting death or liver transplantation for 6 months was assessed. Between the two groups of patients stratified based on the cut-off values from the receiver operating characteristic curves, 6-month transplant-free survival was compared. Sixteen (23.2%) patients died or underwent liver transplantation from admission (poor outcome). The hepatic accumulation index was calculated by dividing the radioactivity of the liver region of interest by that of the liver-plus-heart region of interest at 15 min (i.e., LHL15). The LHL15 in the 16 patients (0.686) was significantly lower than that in survivors (0.836; P < 0.0001). The optimal LHL15 cut-off for distinguishing poor outcome and survival was 0.737 with a sensitivity of 81.3%, specificity of 88.7%, and area under the curve of 0.907 (95% CI, 0.832–0.981). When patients were divided into two groups based on the LHL15 cut-off value, the 6-month transplant-free survival was significantly lower in patients with an LHL15 level ≤ 0.737. Tc-99m GSA scintigraphy may help predict the prognosis of patients with SLI.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linlin Qu ◽  
Rongzhan Fu ◽  
xiaoxuan Ma ◽  
Daidi Fan

Acetaminophen (APAP)-induced acute liver injury (AIALI) is one of the most common causes of acute liver failure. Owing to the limitations of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which is the only antidote currently...


2000 ◽  
Vol 124 (12) ◽  
pp. 1800-1803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius J-M. Ilario ◽  
Jose E. Ruiz ◽  
Constantine A. Axiotis

Abstract Massive hepatic necrosis following exposure to phenytoin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is a rare occurrence and to the best of our knowledge has not been reported previously. Acute hepatic failure following administration of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole has rarely been seen, and only 4 cases have been well documented pathologically. We report a case of acute liver failure in a 60-year-old woman following ingestion of phenytoin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole concomitantly over a 9-day period. Autopsy findings revealed acute fulminant hepatic failure. This case demonstrates the effects of chemical-chemical interactions in the potentiation of hepatotoxicity of single agents and specifically illustrates the need for discontinuing trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in the presence of early liver injury.


2020 ◽  
Vol 175 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luqi Duan ◽  
Benjamin L Woolbright ◽  
Hartmut Jaeschke ◽  
Anup Ramachandran

Abstract Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose-induced acute liver failure is an important clinical problem in the United States and the current antidote N-acetylcysteine, has a short early therapeutic window. Since most patients present late to the clinic, there is need for novel late-acting therapeutic options. Though the neuronal guidance cue netrin-1, has been shown to promote hepatic repair and regeneration during liver ischemia/reperfusion injury, its effect in APAP-induced hepatotoxicity is unknown. In the quest for a late-acting therapeutic intervention in APAP-induced liver injury, we examined the role of netrin-1 in a mouse model of APAP overdose. Male C57BL/6J mice were cotreated with exogenous netrin-1 or vehicle control, along with 300 mg/kg APAP and euthanized at 6, 12, and 24 h. Significant elevations in alanine aminotransferase indicative of liver injury were seen in control mice at 6 h and this was not affected by netrin-1 administration. Also, netrin-1 treatment did not influence mitochondrial translocation of phospho-JNK, or peroxynitrite formation indicating that there was no interference with APAP-induced injury processes. Interestingly however, netrin-1 administration attenuated liver injury at 24 h, as seen by alanine aminotransferase levels and histology, at which time significant elevations in the netrin-1 receptor, adenosine A2B receptor (A2BAR) as well as macrophage infiltration was evident. Removal of resident macrophages with clodronate liposomes or treatment with the A2BAR antagonist PSB1115 blocked the protective effects of netrin-1. Thus, our data indicate a previously unrecognized role for netrin-1 in attenuation of APAP hepatotoxicity by enhancing recovery and regeneration, which is mediated through the A2BAR and involves resident liver macrophages.


2020 ◽  
pp. 3089-3100
Author(s):  
Jane Macnaughtan ◽  
Rajiv Jalan

Liver failure occurs when loss of hepatic parenchymal function exceeds the capacity of hepatocytes to regenerate or repair liver injury. Acute liver failure is characterized by jaundice and prolongation of the prothrombin time in the context of recent acute liver injury, with hepatic encephalopathy occurring within 8 weeks of the first onset of liver disease. Acute-on-chronic liver failure is characterized by hepatic and/or extrahepatic organ failure in patients with cirrhosis associated with an identified or unidentified precipitating event. The commonest causes of acute liver failure are acute viral hepatitis and drugs. Acute-on-chronic liver failure is most commonly precipitated by infection, alcohol abuse, and superimposed viral infection. The main clinical manifestations are hepatic encephalopathy, coagulopathy, jaundice, renal dysfunction, and haemodynamic instability. Infection and systemic inflammation contribute to pathogenesis and critically contribute to prognosis. Specific therapy for the underlying liver disease is administered when available, but this is not possible for most causes of liver failure. Treatment is predominantly supportive, with particular emphasis on (1) correction or removal of precipitating factors; (2) if encephalopathy is present, using phosphate enemata, nonhydrolysed disaccharide laxatives, and/or rifaximin; (3) early detection and prompt treatment of complications such as hypoglycaemia, hypokalaemia, cerebral oedema, infection, and bleeding. The onset of organ failure should prompt discussion with a liver transplantation centre. The mortality of acute liver failure (without liver transplantation) is about 40%. Patients with acute liver failure who do not develop encephalopathy can be expected to recover completely. Those who recover from an episode of acute-on-chronic liver failure should be considered for liver transplantation because otherwise their subsequent mortality remains high.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document