Week 3 Flashcards
What factors are important in determining the risk of alcoholic liver disease?
Amount
Type
Frequency
What are the main pathological features of hepatitis?
Liver cell necrosis
Inflammation
Mallory bodies
Fatty changes
What are the main pathological features of cirrhosis?
Fibrosis
Hyperplastic nodules
What are the main pathological features of liver steatosis?
Fatty changes
Perivenular fibrosis
What is the likelihood of heavy alcohol abusers developing hepatitis, cirrhosis and steatosis?
Hepatitis - 10-35%
Cirrhosis - 8-20%
Steatosis - 90-100%
What is the preferred route of alcohol metabolism in the liver?
Cytosolic pathway
Outline the cytosolic pathway of alcohol metabolism in the liver
Alcohol is oxidised by alcohol dehydrogenase to acetaldehyde which enters mitochondria and is oxidised by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase to acetate
What 3 pathways are involved in alcohol metabolism in the liver?
Microsomal ethanol oxidising system (MEOS)
Cytosolic
Peroxisomal
What enzyme is key in the MEOS pathway?
CYP2E1 (cytochrome P450 family)
What is the product of the MEOS pathway?
Reactive oxygen species
What enzyme is key in the peroxisomal pathway?
Catalase
What is the product of the peroxisomal pathway?
Reactive oxygen species
What is the difference between metabolism of acute and chronic alcohol consumption?
Acute - cytosolic pathway predominates
Chronic - cytosolic pathway flooded; MEOS and peroxisomal pathways used which produce ROS
How is the catalase enzyme affected by fasting alcohol intake?
More active
What is the consequence of too much acetaldehyde?
Immunogenic - binds to surface membrane proteins and labels them as foreign so they become attacked by immune system which causes collagen production by stellate cell activation
What are stellate cells?
Collagen fibre producing cells
What is the consequence of too much acetate?
Increased acetyl-CoA promotes inflammation by histone acetylation
What is the consequence of increased NADH/NAD ratio?
Increased fatty acid synthesis
Decreased fatty acid production
Overall promotion of steatosis
What is the consequence of non-oxidative metabolism of alcohol?
Fatty acid ethyl ester production which promotes steatosis
What is the consequence of production of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide in the liver?
Activate redox-sensitive transcription factors (e.g. NF-κB) → increased TNF-α production → promotion of lipid peroxidation → inflammation and damage to mitochondrial membranes → apoptosis
What is the role of TNF-α production in alcoholic liver disease?
Promotes apoptosis and necrosis
Activates stellate cells to produce collagen leading to fibrosis
Increases intestinal permeability
What is the consequence of increased intestinal permeability in alcoholic liver disease?
Portal circulation endotoxaemia
Explain how portal circulation endotoxaemia leads to Kupffer cell activation in alcoholic hepatitis
Translocation of gut bacteria and products (e.g. endotoxin) into portal venous system → blood from intestine towards the liver → liver exposed to chronic low grade infection/endotoxaemia → activation of Kupffer cells → promotion of liver injury by release of TNF-α
What are Kupffer cells?
Specialised stellate macrophages in the liver which line the walls of sinusoids
What does endotoxamemia target on Kupffer cells?
CD14
What are the effects of TNF-α and neutrophil activation on hepatocytes in alcoholic hepatitis?
TNF-α - interacts with ceramide, producing ROS
Neurophil activation - by IL-8 released from hepatocytes, contribute to ROS formation
What is apoptosis?
Controlled cell death
Outline the intrinsic apoptosis pathway
Initiated by oxidative stress and regulated by Bcl-2 proteins
Leak of proapoptotic factors from mitochondria (e.g. cytochrome-c) activates capsases which degrade the cell
By what 2 pathways is apoptosis mediated?
Intrinsic
Extrinsic
Outline the extrinsic apoptosis pathway
Initiated by TNF-α
TNF receptor binding activates caspases via FADD (fas-associated death domain) and TRADD (TNF receptor-associated death domain) proteins
What type of vesicle are cell components broken down into for degradation?
Apoptotic bodies
What is the difference between apoptosis and necrosis?
Apoptosis – natural cell death stimulated by cell signals, beneficial, produces cell fragments which are able to send signals that facilitate phagocytosis
Necrosis – traumatic cell damage stimulated by factors external to the cells, fatal, cannot send signals which leads to build up of dead tissue and cell debris
How is malnutrition associated with excessive alcohol consumption?
Drinking instead of eating causes deficiencies of:
Zinc - exacerbates ROS production and apoptosis
Vitamins - impaired methionine metabolism, reduced glutathione
Give 3 examples of mitochondrial survival factors
MnSOD
Bfl-1
Bcl-XL
Give 2 examples of anti-oxidants
Glutathione
α-tocopherol
Outline the metabolism of methionine
Methionine is metabolised to homocysteine → cysteine → glutathione
This process needs vitamins (folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, betaine)
What is the consequence of chronic alcohol consumption on methionine metabolism?
Loss of vitamins required for the process leads to accumulation of homocysteine which cannot be metabolised to methionine - high levels of S-adenosyl-homocysteine
What is the consequence of a reduced SAM:SAH ratio in methionine metabolism?
Decreased transmethylation (impaired gene expression)
Increased caspase 3/8 expression (apoptosis)
Increased TNF production (reduced IL-10 - inflammation)
Decreased cystathionine β-synthase activity
How is oxidative stress caused by dysfunctional methionine metabolism?
Decreased trans-sulfuration caused decreased glutathione which results in oxidative stress
What is lipodystrophy?
Group of genetic or acquired disorders in which the body is unable to produce and maintain healthy fat tissue - characterised by abnormal or degenerative conditions of the body’s adipose tissue
How does alcohol induce lipodystrophy?
Reduction in peripheral fat and increase in visceral fat
Induction of CYP2E1 by increased free fatty acids, insulin resistance and alcohol – increased ROS and further insulin resistance; metabolism of FFAs to ω-hydroxylated fatty acids
Which LFTs are cytosolic and mitochondrial?
Cytosolic - ALT
Mitochondrial - AST
What are the effects of alcohol on the liver exacerbated by?
Malnutrition
Obesity
What is the normal progression of alcoholic liver disease?
Normal → steatosis → steatohepatitis → fibrosis → cirrhosis → hepatocellular carcinoma
What are the histological features of steatosis?
Macrosteatosis in zone 2 and 3
‘Swiss cheese’ appearance
(Enlarged yellow liver)
What are the histological features of alcoholic hepatitis?
Swollen hepatocytes Giant mitochondria Steatosis Mallory's hyaline Collagen in zone 3 Inflammatory infiltrate of neutrophils
What are the histological features of cirrhosis?
Degenerating micronodules with fibrotic tissue
May have evidence of hepatitis
(Deformed liver)
What zone of the liver is the predominant site of early disease and why?
Zone 3
Relatively ischaemic which renders it more susceptible to damage
How can the liver be assessed non-invasively?
FibroScan - transient elastography; stiffness measurement via sound pulse speed of return
Soft and spongy - slow return
Hard and firm - fast return
How is transient elastography used currently?
Offered to diagnose cirrhosis for men who drink over 50 units of alcohol per week and women who drink over 35 units of alcohol per week and have done so for several months
What are the clinical symptoms of alcoholic liver disease?
Malaise, nausea, hepatomegaly, fever, jaundice, susceptible to infection, sepsis, encephalopathy, ascites, renal failure, death
May be asymptomatic/non-specific
What would ALT and AST show in alcoholic liver disease?
Raised AST:ALT ratio - elevation of AST
What clinical symptoms may be seen in a newly jaundiced alcoholic liver disease patient?
Hepatomegaly, fever, leukocytosis, hepatic bruit
What are the essential features of newly jaundiced alcoholic liver disease?
Recent excess alcohol Bilirubin >80μmol/l Exclusion of other liver disease AST < 500 AST:ALT ratio >1.5
What is the GAHS and how is it used?
Glasgow alcoholic hepatitis score
Score between 5 and 12; more than or equal to 9 is indicative of high mortality risk despite supportive medical care
Includes age, WCC, urea, PT ratio, bilirubin
What are the signs of chronic liver disease/portal hypertension?
Ascites Spider naevi Foetor hepaticus Encephalopathy Prothrombin time dysfunction Caput medusae Splenomegaly
What is foetor hepaticus?
Also known as breath of the dead; condition seen in portal hypertension where portal-systemic shunting allows thiols to pass directly into the lungs (rich tea biscuit dipped in tea smell)
How is the severity of chronic liver disease assessed?
Childs-Turcotte-Pugh score - encephalopathy, ascites, bilirubin, albumin, prothrombin prolongation Grade A (5-6) - mild, compensatory Grade B (7-9) - moderate Grade C (10-15) - severe, decompensation
What is MELD?
Model for end-stage liver disease
Used in USA for liver donation allocation
Mild <10, moderate 10-15, severe >15
What are the effects of portal hypertension?
Resistance to flow of portal venous blood due to fibrosis
Blood passes through collaterals (shunting) which allows translocation of endotoxins etc.
Peripheral and splanchnic vasodilation spends more blood towards the intestine and therefore the portal system - vicious cycle which escalates over weeks/months)
Vasodilation causes circulating volume to decrease – body reacts by vasoconstricting and filling up (compensatory activation of RAAS and catecholamines) renal circulation potently vasoconsticted which causes kidneys to shut down - retention of salt and water causes ascites
What drug is used to treat ascites?
Spironolactone
What direct factors may influence adverse effects with recreational drugs?
High dose Speed of entry Individual sensitivity Chronic/repeated use Interaction with other compounds in the drug/other drugs/pre-existing pathologies
What indirect factors may influence adverse effects with recreational drugs?
Effects from coma/fits
Infection risk
Lifestyle changes (e.g. alcoholism, homelessness)
What are the neurological effects of using recreational drugs?
Neuropathy Botulism Guillain-Barre Anterior cord syndrome Encephalopathy Meningitis Stroke Intracerebral haemorrhage Seizures
What recreational drugs work on the dopamine reward system?
Heroin Cocaine Methamphetamine Alcohol Phencyclidine
What recreational drugs work on the noradrenaline readiness system?
Cocaine
Methamphetamine
What recreational drugs work on the serotonin/acetylcholine/dopamine/tetrahydrocannabinol perception/association system?
Cannabis
LSD
Phencyclidine