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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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Publication Detail

Title: Acetaminophen-induced liver injury is attenuated in male glutamate-cysteine ligase transgenic mice.

Authors: Botta, Dianne; Shi, Shengli; White, Collin C; Dabrowski, Michael J; Keener, Cassie L; Srinouanprachanh, Sengkeo L; Farin, Federico M; Ware, Carol B; Ladiges, Warren C; Pierce, Robert H; Fausto, Nelson; Kavanagh, Terrance J

Published In J Biol Chem, (2006 Sep 29)

Abstract: Acetaminophen overdose is a leading cause of drug-related acute liver failure in the United States. Glutathione, a tripeptide antioxidant protects cells against oxidative damage from reactive oxygen species and plays a crucial role in the detoxification of xenobiotics, including acetaminophen. Glutathione is synthesized in a two-step enzymatic reaction. Glutamate-cysteine ligase carries out the rate-limiting and first step in glutathione synthesis. We have generated C57Bl/6 mice that conditionally overexpress glutamate-cysteine ligase, and report here their resistance to acetaminophen-induced liver injury. Indices of liver injury included histopathology and serum alanine aminotransferase activity. Male transgenic mice induced to overexpress glutamate-cysteine ligase exhibited resistance to acetaminophen-induced liver injury when compared with acetaminophen-treated male mice carrying, but not expressing glutamate-cysteine ligase transgenes, or to female glutamate-cysteine ligase transgenic mice. We conclude that glutamate-cysteine ligase activity is an important factor in determining acetaminophen-induced liver injury in C57Bl/6 male mice. Because people are known to vary in their glutamate-cysteine ligase activity, this enzyme may also be an important determinant of sensitivity to acetaminophen-induced liver injury in humans.

PubMed ID: 16840778 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: No MeSH terms associated with this publication

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