Liver disease toxin-induced

Bcl-2 B cell lymphoma protein 2 (Bcl-2) is a family of proteins that regulate apoptosis (programmed cell death). Apoptosis is a necessary process whereby aged or damaged cells are replaced by new cells. Dysfunction of the apoptosis process results in disease inhibition of apoptosis results in cancer, autoimmune disorder, and viral infection, whereas increased apoptosis gives rise to neurodegenerative disorders, myelodysplastic syndromes, ischemic injury, and toxin-induced liver disease. 

Milk thistle has been used to treat acute and chronic viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and toxin-induced liver injury in human patients. Milk thistle has most often been studied in the treatment of alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. In both of these disorders, outcomes have been mixed and reports include significant reductions in markers of liver dysfunction and in mortality, as well as no effect. In acute viral hepatitis, studies have generally involved small sample sizes and have shown mixed outcomes of improved liver function (eg, aminotransferase values, bilirubin, prothrombin time) or no effect. Studies in chronic viral hepatitis and toxin-induced injury have also been of small size but have reported mostly favorable results. Parenteral silybin is marketed and used in Europe as an antidote in Amanitaphalloides mushroom poisoning, based on favorable outcomes reported in case-control studies. 

C. Reperfusion injury Toxin-induced liver disease Aplastic anemia... 

False-normal GPT values are often found - despite the presence of liver damage - in (7.) haemochroma-tosis, (2.) ileo-jejunal bypass, (2.) marked (e. g. alcohol-induced) deficiency of pyridoxal phosphate (Bg), 4.) severe loss of liver parenchyma, and (5.) during the terminal stages of liver disease with exhaustion and/or blockage of hepatocellular enzyme synthesis caused by toxins. (31) In healthy persons, slightly elevated GPT values were detected in 0.5% of cases. 

A number of studies have demonstrated the value of the aminopyrine test. There is a close correlation with histology and prognosis of current liver diseases as well as with the estimation of the operative risk in patients suffering from cirrhosis. Accelerated aminopyrine dissimilation due to toxin-induced microsomal enzyme activation may reveal alcohol or drug abuse even without recognizable liver damage. (51,60,71,75,76,83,86)... 

The most commonly used indicators of hepatotoxicity (i.e., liver injury) are increased levels of the liver transaminases, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (88,89). Drug-induced hepatotoxicity can develop rapidly, often before abnormal laboratory tests are noticed, which are characterized by rapid elevations in ALT and AST of 8 to 500 times the upper normal limit, with variable elevations in bilirubin. Drugs causing acute liver injury (hepatocellular necrosis) exhibit elevations in hepatic transaminases ranging from 50 to 100 times higher than the normal level. On the other hand, the elevations of ALT and AST in alcoholic liver disease are two- to three times higher than normal. Some hepatotoxins, however, do not elevate transaminases, whereas nonhepatic toxins can elevate ALT. 

Liver transplants are the desired therapy for a number of conditions wherein the liver tissue has been damaged by disease, infections, toxins, medications, drags or metabolic (inborn or induced) defects. 

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