Diverse liver morphology in two cases of visceral leishmaniasis: Same face, different expressions

Two cases of visceral leishmaniasis are presented; one patient was from an endemic region and visceral leishmaniasis was suspected clinically, while the other was from a non-endemic region and it was not suspected clinically. Bone marrow examination was negative in both cases and both showed different morphological pictures in the liver biopsies. These are discussed. Importance of travel history is also highlighted even if it is in distant past.

Effect on Mouse Liver Morphology of CeO2, TiO2 and Carbon Black Nanoparticles Translocated from Lungs or Deposited Intravenously

Exposure to nanoparticles by various routes results in size-dependent translocation of nanoparticles to the systemic circulation and subsequent accumulation in the liver. The purpose of this study was to determine possible adverse effects in the liver of long-lasting nanoparticle presence in the organ. Mice exposed to a single dose (162 µg/animal equivalent to 9 mg/kg body weight) of TiO2, CeO2 or carbon black nanoparticles by intratracheal instillation or intravenous injection, resulting in relatively low or high liver burdens, were followed for 1, 28 or 180 days. Clinical appearance, feed intake, body and liver weights, hematological indices, and transaminases and alkaline phosphatase activities were unaffected by exposure. Exposure-related foreign material persisted in the liver up to 180 days after intratracheal and intravenous exposure, mainly in sinusoids, near Kupffer cells, or around blood vessels. Increased incidences of histological findings after intratracheal or intravenous exposure included: initially, prominent nuclei of Kupffer cells, the apparent increase in binucleate hepatocytes (TiO2 and carbon black) and inflammatory infiltrations (CeO2); later, cytoplasmic vacuolation, pyknosis and necrosis, especially for CeO2. Thus, neither low nor high nanoparticle burden in the liver affected enzymatic markers of liver injury, but indications of exposure-related necrotic changes, particularly for CeO2 nanoparticles, were noted.

The Obscure Effect of Tribulus terrestris Saponins Plus Inulin on Liver Morphology, Liver Fatty Acids, Plasma Glucose, and Lipid Profile in SD Rats with and without Induced Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes is a predictor of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). There are data suggesting that Tribulus terrestris (TT) saponins act as antidiabetic agents and protect against NAFLD. The effect of saponins may be increased by fermentable fibers such as inulin. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of TT saponins and TT saponins plus inulin on the plasma lipid profile and liver fatty acids of rats with induced diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM). The study was performed on 36 male Sprague–Dawley rats divided into two main groups: control and diabetic. Animals of the diabetic (DM) group were fed a high-fat diet and injected with streptozotocin (low doses). Animals of the control group (nDM) were on a regular diet and were injected with buffer. After the injections, the animals were split into subgroups: three non-diabetic (nDM): (i) control (c-C); (ii) saponin-treated rats (C-Sap); (iii) rats treated with saponins + inulin (C-Sap + IN), and three diabetic subgroups (DM): (iv) control (c-DM); (v) saponin-treated rats (DM-Sap); (vi) rats treated with saponins + inulin (DM-Sap + IN). Liver fatty acids were extracted and analyzed by gas chromatography, and plasma glucose and lipids were measured. The study showed significant changes in liver morphology, liver fatty acids, plasma lipid profile, and plasma glucose. In summary, supplementation with TT saponins or saponins with inulin for one month decreased the level of steatosis in rats with induced type 2 diabetes. Moreover, there were favorable effects on the plasma lipid profile in the rats. However, additional supplementation with inulin had a negative effect on liver morphology (with a microvesicular type of steatosis) in the non-diabetes group. Moreover, supplementation with inulin had a negative effect on plasma glucose in both diabetic and non-diabetic rats. These data show that a diet enriched with fermentable fibers reveals different effects in different organisms, and not all sources and forms of fiber are beneficial to health.

Effects of Tyrosine and Tryptophan Supplements on the Vital Indicators in Mice Differently Prone to Diet-Induced Obesity

We studied the effects of the addition of large neutral amino acids, such as tyrosine (Tyr) and tryptophan (Trp), in mice DBA/2J and tetrahybrid mice DBCB receiving a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet (HFCD) for 65 days. The locomotor activity, anxiety, muscle tone, mass of internal organs, liver morphology, adipokines, cytokines, and biochemical indices of animals were assessed. The Tyr supplementation potentiated increased anxiety in EPM and contributed to a muscle tone increase, a decrease in the AST/ALT ratio, and an increase in protein anabolism in both mice strains. Tyr contributed to a decrease in liver fatty degeneration and ALT reduction only in DBCB that were sensitive to the development of obesity. The addition of Trp caused an increase in muscle tone and potentiated an increase in anxiety with age in animals of both genotypes. Trp had toxic effects on the livers of mice, which was manifested in increased fatty degeneration in DBCB, edema, and the appearance of micronuclei in DBA/2J. The main identified effects of Tyr on mice are considered in the light of its modulating effect on the dopamine neurotransmitter metabolism, while for the Trp supplement, effects were presumably associated with the synthesis of its toxic metabolites by representatives of the intestinal microflora.

Efek Hepatotoksisitas Tanaman Obat

The utilization of medicinal plants in Indonesia has been going on for generations even before modern medicine began to be marketed. Although its properties are widely known, but certain medicinal plants can give toxic effects to the liver. This study was aimed to re-evaluate the hepatotoxic effects of medicinal plants and changes in liver morphology. This was a literature review study using databases of Pubmed, ClinicalKey, and Google Scholar. The results obtained five medicinal plants that had hepatotoxic effects. Areca catechu showed morphological changes in the form of hemorrhagic, sinusoid dilation, lobular inflammation, lobular disarray, necrosis, interface hepatitis, microsteatosis, hepatocellular cholestasis, and steatosis. Myrmecodia pendans showed the presence of fat degeneration, necrosis, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Annona muricata indicated the presence of hepatocyte swelling. Gynura divaricata showed increases of SGOT and SGPT levels. Vernonia amygdalina Del showed the presence of cellular degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes. In conclusion, the most diverse morphological changes of liver are caused by Areca catechu along with large dose consumption meanwhile the most minimal morphological changes of the liver are caused by Annona muricata.Keywords: herbal medicine; hepatotoxic effect Abstrak: Pemanfaatan tanaman obat di Indonesia telah berlangsung selama turun-temurun bahkan sebelum obat modern mulai dipasarkan. Meskipun khasiatnya telah banyak diketahui, namun tanaman obat tertentu dapat memberikan efek toksik pada hati. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi kembali efek hepatotoksik tanaman obat dan perubahan morfologik hati. Jenis penelitian ialah literature review, menggunakan database Pubmed, ClinicalKey, dan Google Scholar. Hasil penelitian ini mendapatkan lima jenis tanaman obat yang bersifat hepatotoksik. Areca catechu menunjukkan adanya perubahan morfologik berupa perdarahan, dilatasi sinusoid, inflamasi lobular, lobular disarray, nekrosis, interface hepatitis, mikrosteatosis, kolestasis hepatoseluler, dan steatosis. Myrmecodia pendans menunjukkan adanya degenerasi lemak, nekrosis, dan infiltrasi sel radang. Annona muricata menunjukkan adanya pembengkakan hepatosit. Gynura divaricata menunjukkan adanya peningkatan kadar SGOT dan SGPT. Vernonia amygdalina Del menunjukkan adanya degenerasi dan nekrosis hepatosit. Simpulan penelitian ini ialah perubahan morfologik hati yang paling beragam disebabkan oleh Areca catechu seiring dengan besar dosis yang dikonsumsi sedangkan perubahan morfologik hati yang paling minimal disebabkan oleh Annona muricata.Kata kunci: tanaman obat; efek hepatotoksik

Alterations in Small Intestine and Liver Morphology, Immunolocalization of Leptin, Ghrelin and Nesfatin-1 as Well as Immunoexpression of Tight Junction Proteins in Intestinal Mucosa after Gastrectomy in Rat Model

The stomach is responsible for the processing of nutrients as well as for the secretion of various hormones which are involved in many activities throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Experimental adult male Wistar rats (n = 6) underwent a modified gastrectomy, while control rats (n = 6) were sham-operated. After six weeks, changes in small intestine (including histomorphometrical parameters of the enteric nervous plexuses) and liver morphology, immunolocalization of leptin, ghrelin and nesfatin-1 as well as proteins forming adherens and tight junctions (E-cadherin, zonula occludens-1, occludin, marvelD3) in intestinal mucosa were evaluated. A number of effects on small intestine morphology, enteric nervous system ganglia, hormones and proteins expression were found, showing intestinal enteroplasticity and neuroplasticity associated with changes in gastrointestinal tract condition. The functional changes in intestinal mucosa and the enteric nervous system could be responsible for the altered intestinal barrier and hormonal responses following gastrectomy. The results suggest that more complicated regulatory mechanisms than that of compensatory mucosal hypertrophy alone are involved.