Astragaloside alleviates alcoholic fatty liver disease by suppressing oxidative stress

The state of astragaloside IV research: A bibliometric and visualized analysis

BACKGROUND

Astragaloside IV has emerged as a pharmaceutical monomer with great medical applications and potential. Astragaloside IV has many effects such as improving myocardial ischemia, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiviral, promoting lymphocyte proliferation, and antitumor effects. However, there are few bibliometric studies on astragaloside IV.

OBJECTIVES

We aim to visualize the hotspots and trends in astragaloside IV research through bibliometric analysis to further understand the future development of basic and clinical research. Methods The articles and reviews on astragaloside IV were screened from the Web of Science Core Collection, and knowledge maps were generated using CiteSpace software. Bibliometric analysis was performed on 971 articles published from 1998 to 2022.

RESULTS

The number of articles on astragaloside IV increased yearly. These publications came from 42 countries/regions, with China being the largest. The primary research institutions were Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Journal of Ethnopharmacology was the most studied journal and co-cited journal. A total of 473 authors were included, among which Hongxin Wang had the highest number of publications and Zhang Wd had the highest total citation frequency. After analysis, the most common keywords are astragaloside IV, expression, and oxidative stress. Cardiovascular disease, cerebral ischemia, cancer, and kidney disease are current and developing research fields.

CONCLUSION

This study used bibliometrics and visualization methods to analyze the research hotspots and trends of astragaloside IV. Astragaloside IV on ischemia-reperfusion injury, cancer, and tumor may become the focus of future research.

Research progress of the effective active ingredients of Astragalus mongholicus in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most prevalent consequences of diabetes, with a high incidence and disability rate. The DPN's pathogenesis is extremely complex and yet to be fully understood. Persistent high glucose metabolism, nerve growth factor deficiency, microvascular disease, oxidative stress, peripheral nerve cell apoptosis, immune factors, and other factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of DPN. Astragalus mongholicus is a commonly used plant used to treat DPN in clinical settings. Its rich chemical components mainly include Astragalus polysaccharide, Astragalus saponins, Astragalus flavones, etc., which play a vital role in the treatment of DPN. This review aimed to summarize the pathogenesis of DPN and the studies on the mechanism of the effective components of Astragalus mongholicus in treating DPN. This is of great significance for the effective use of Chinese herbal medicine and the promotion of its status and influence on the world.

Ozone Exposure Controls Oxidative Stress and the Inflammatory Process of Hepatocytes in Murine Models

(1) Background: Ozone exposure is a promising tool for treating liver damage since it is known to control the release of free radicals and increase the expression of antioxidant enzymes. The objective is to investigate the main intracellular pathways activated after exposure to ozone, considering the dosage of antioxidant enzymes and markers of oxidative stress. (2) Methods: This systematic review was performed based on the PRISMA guidelines and using a structured search in MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, and Web of Science. Bias analysis and methodological quality assessments were examined using the SYRCLE Risk of Bias tool. (3) Results: Nineteen studies were selected. The results showed that the exposure to ozone has a protective effect on liver tissue, promoting a decrease in inflammatory markers and a reduction in oxidative stress in liver tissue. In addition, ozone exposure also promoted an increase in antioxidant enzymes. The morphological consequences of controlling these intracellular pathways were reducing the tissue inflammatory process and reducing areas of degeneration and necrosis. (4) Conclusions: Ozone exposure has a beneficial effect on models of liver injury through the decrease in oxidative stress in tissue and inflammatory markers. In addition, it regulates the Nrf2/ARE antioxidant pathway and blocks the NF-κB inflammatory pathway.

Astragaloside IV ameliorate acute alcohol-induced liver injury in mice via modulating gut microbiota and regulating NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling pathway

PURPOSE

Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is a natural saponin substance extracted from the plant Radix Astragali with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and liver-protecting effects. This study was to evaluate the liver protection effect of AS-IV on mice after acute alcohol stimulation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Mice were orally administrated with AS-IV (50, 150, and 500 mg/kg, respectively), and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC, 50 mg/kg) daily for 7 days, before giving five alcohol-intragastric injections.

RESULTS

Results suggested that the levels of serum ALT and AST, liver SOD, GSH-PX, 4-HNE, and MDA, serum and liver TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), diamine oxidase (DAO) and Myeloperoxidase (MPO), the mRNA and protein expression of hepatic NLRP3, Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 were significantly decreased in AS-IV-treated mice compared with the model group. Moreover, the effect of AS-IV on histopathology of liver tissue confirmed its protective function. Furthermore, AS-IV ameliorated the gut microbiota imbalance and adjusted the abundance of the following dysfunctional bacteria closer to the control group: Butyricicoccus, Turicibacter, Akkermansia, Anaerotruncus, and Mucispirillum. A strong correlation between intestinal bacteria and potential biomarkers was found.

CONCLUSION

Together, our findings indicated that AS-IV exert the hepatoprotective effect by modulating the gut microbiota imbalance and regulating NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway.

Assessment of sympathovagal balance by HRV analysis in alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients

BACKGROUND

Heart rate variability (HRV) is the variation in the time intervals between continuous heartbeats also called interbeat intervals to give information related to the heart, blood pressure, gaseous exchange, and sympathetic and parasympathetic balance. Abnormalities in the conduction of the cardiac system alter the measurements of heart rate variability and lead to alteration in autonomic function with a higher risk of mortality. So, our objective includes the assessment of sympathovagal balance in AFLD and NAFLD patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study included 78 alcoholic and 54 nonalcoholic fatty liver patients. A room temperature of 23°C with 25-35% humidity will be maintained in a recording room. Basal supine heart rate and BP will be recorded by the oscillometric method using an automated blood pressure monitor Omron MX3, India. Lead II ECG will be recorded for the next 5 minutes in total resting condition for short-term HRV analysis. Short-term HRV indices including time domain and frequency domain were recorded from each patient. Under time domain, SDNN, RMSSD, and average RR were noted. Under frequency domain, LF, HF, VLF, LF (nu), HF (nu), and LF/HF were calculated. The data were collected by using a 16-bit, power lab 8/30 data acquisition system (New South Wales, Australia) with acknowledge 3.8.2 software. Inferential analyses such as independent t-tests and Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare NAFLD and AFLD patient groups. Carl Pearson correlation analysis was performed to obtain a relationship between variables.

RESULTS

SDNN in (ms) which represents the overall HRV found to be decreased in both alcoholic (32.84 ± 79.08) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (22.04 ± 13.85) compared to the normal range (50 ± 16)) from 27 studies. The value of RMSSD in (ms) was decreased in both alcoholic (17.00 ± 12.48) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients (14.00 ± 9.44) with the normal range of (42 ± 15) from 15 studies. Pearson correlation analysis showed the age of AFLD patients significantly and positively correlated with average RR. Pearson correlation analysis for the age of NAFLD patients was significantly and positively correlated with the average RR, HF, SDNN, RMSSD, and LF.

CONCLUSION

Altered autonomic activity was noted in both alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients. An early prognosis of fatty liver is very necessary to prevent the disease progress into later fatal life-threatening stages.

Antioxidants ameliorate oxidative stress in alcoholic liver injury by modulating lipid metabolism and phospholipid homeostasis

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a significant risk factor in the global disease burden. The antioxidants vitamin C (Vc) and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) have shown hepatoprotective effects in preventing and treating ALD. However, the correlation between the improved effect of antioxidants and lipid metabolism is still unclear. In this study, AML12 cells and C57BL/6 mice stimulated with alcohol were used to investigate the protective effects and potential mechanisms of two antioxidants (Vc and NAC) on alcoholic liver injury. Results showed that Vc and NAC attenuated intracellular lipid accumulation and oxidative damage induced by excessive alcohol exposure in hepatic AML12 cells. The in vivo results indicated that antioxidants ameliorated alcohol-induced changes in histopathology, reducing the levels of alcohol metabolizing factors and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) contents, which demonstrated that antioxidants effectively mitigated liver injury in ALD mice. Further studies showed that antioxidants reversed the disruption of fatty acid (FA) synthesis and lipid transport induced by alcohol exposure, and restored phospholipid levels. Especially, Vc and NAC increased the endogenous antioxidant plasmenyl phosphatidylethanolamine (PlsEtn). Additionally, antioxidants ameliorated the alcohol-impaired mitochondrial function and inhibited excessive oxidative stress. In conclusion, antioxidants can regulate lipid metabolism and phospholipid homeostasis, which in turn inhibit oxidative stress and thereby exert protective effects against ALD.

Establishment and bioinformatics evaluation of the ethanol combined with palmitic acid-induced mouse hepatocyte AFLD model (the Hu-Qiu Model)

Chronic alcoholic liver disease has brought great harm to human health. Alcoholic fatty liver disease is the first stage in the progression of all chronic alcoholic liver diseases. At present, there is no cell model that fully matches the etiology (high-fat diet + alcohol) of human alcoholic fatty liver disease. We used 100 mM ethanol +6.25 μM PA to establish the ethanol combined with PA-induced mouse hepatocyte AFLD model (EP-AFLD hepatocyte model) and performed the RNA-seq transcriptome sequencing. Through bioinformatics analysis and comparison, we discovered that the EP-AFLD hepatocyte model was more suitable for studying the pathological mechanism of AFLD than the mouse AFLD hepatocyte model induced by ethanol alone. And through bioinformatics analysis, we further discovered that 77 genes from the differential expression gene set of EP-AFLD hepatocyte model were engaged in the pathological process of mouse AFLD and 40 genes were involved in the pathogenesis of both mouse AFLD and human AFLD. In this study, a novel mouse hepatocyte AFLD model was successfully established by combining ethanol and PA, which can be used to study the molecular mechanism of the pathogenesis of AFLD in mice or humans. This study will provide a brand-new in vitro experimental platform for the in-depth study of AFLD pathogenesis and the screening of AFLD therapeutic drugs.

Vitamin C injection improves antioxidant stress capacity through regulating blood metabolism in post-transit yak

Transportation stress is one of the most serious issues in the management of yak. Previous studies have demonstrated that transport stress is caused by a pro-oxidant state in the animal resulting from an imbalance between pro-oxidant and antioxidant status. In this context, vitamin C has the ability to regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) synthesis and alleviate oxidative stress. Although this effect of vitamin C is useful in pigs, goats and cattle, the effect of vitamin C on the mitigation of transport stress in yaks is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to better assess the metabolic changes induced by the action of vitamin C in yaks under transportation stress, and whether these changes can influence antioxidant status. After the yaks arrived at the farm, control or baseline blood samples were collected immediately through the jugular vein (VC_CON). Then, 100 mg/kg VC was injected intramuscularly, and blood samples were collected on the 10th day before feeding in the morning (VC). Relative to the control group, the VC injection group had higher levels of VC. Compared with VC_CON, VC injection significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the blood concentrations of ALT, AST, T-Bil, D-Bil, IDBIL, UREA, CRP and LDH. However, VC injection led to greater (P < 0.05) AST/ALT and CREA-S relative to VC_CON. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in GGT, ALP, TBA, TP, ALBII, GLO, A/G, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, GLU and L-lactate between VC_CON and VC. The injection of VC led to greater (P < 0.05) concentration of MDA, but did not alter (P > 0.05) the serum concentrations of LPO and ROS. The injection of VC led to greater (P < 0.05) serum concentrations of POD, CAT and GSH-PX. In contrast, lower (P < 0.05) serum concentrations of SOD, POD and TPX were observed in VC relative to VC_CON. No difference (P > 0.05) in GSH, GSH-ST and GR was observed between VC_CON and VC. Compared with the control group, metabolomics using liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry identified 156 differential metabolites with P < 0.05 and a variable importance in projection (VIP) score > 1.5 in the VC injection group. The injection of VC resulted in significant changes to the intracellular amino acid metabolism of glutathione, glutamate, cysteine, methionine, glycine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, alanine and aspartate. Overall, our study indicated that VC injections were able to modulate antioxidant levels by affecting metabolism to resist oxidative stress generated during transport.

In vitro, in vivo, and in silico analysis of synbiotics as preventive interventions for lipid metabolism in ethanol-induced adipose tissue injury

The risk of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is increased by excessive ethanol drinking. For the prevention of ALD, the effects of ethanol on the liver, adipose tissue, and gut are crucial. Interestingly, garlic and a few probiotic strains can protect against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. However, the relationship between adipose tissue inflammation, Kyolic aged garlic extract (AGE), and Lactobacillus rhamnosus MTCC1423 in developing ALD is unknown. Therefore, the present study explored the effect of synbiotics (a combination of prebiotics and probiotics) on adipose tissue to prevent ALD. To investigate the efficacy of synbiotics administration on adipose tissue in preventing ALD, in vitro (3T3-L1 cells, N = 3) groups: control, control + LPS (lipopolysaccharide), ethanol, ethanol + LPS, ethanol + synbiotics, ethanol + synbiotics + LPS; in vivo (Wistar male rats, N = 6) groups: control, ethanol, pairfed, ethanol + synbiotics and in silico experiments were conducted. Lactobacillus multiplies in accordance with the growth curve when exposed to AGE. Additionally, Oil red O staining and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated that synbiotics therapy maintained the morphology of adipocytes in the alcoholic model. In support of the morphological changes, quantitative real-time PCR demonstrated overexpression of adiponectin and downregulation of leptin, resistin, PPARγ, CYP2E1, iNOS, IL-6, and TNF-α after administration of synbiotics compared to the ethanol group. In addition, MDA estimation by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) indicated that the synbiotics treatment reduced oxidative stress in rat adipose tissue. Consequently, the in-silico analysis revealed that AGE inhibited the C-D-T networks as PPARγ acting as the main target protein. The current study demonstrates that using synbiotics improves adipose tissue metabolism in ALD.

Effect of Fine Particulate Matter Exposure on Liver Enzymes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Although previous studies have presented that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) regulates liver enzyme levels in the development of liver diseases, the evidence regarding the relationship between PM2.5 exposure and liver enzyme is not robust. We further aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to summarize the recent evidence on the effects of PM2.5 on liver enzyme in humans. In the meta-analysis, we retrieved online databases including PubMed and Web of Science database from 1982 up to 2022. A random-effects model was applied to evaluate the correlation between PM2.5 and liver enzyme level. A total of 10 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria, including five prospective cohort studies, two cross-sectional studies, two longitudinal studies, and one time-series analysis. Each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration was significantly correlated with a 4.45% increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level (95% CI: 0.51-8.38%, p = 0.03), a 3.99% increase in aspartate transferase (AST) level (95% CI: 0.88-7.10%, p = 0.01), and a 2.91% increase in gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) level (95% CI: 1.18-4.64%, p < 0.001), but this significant association was not observed in alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Subgroup analysis revealed that PM2.5 has a significant correlation with ALT (5.07%, 95% CI: 0.81-9.33%), AST (4.11%, 95% CI: 0.74-7.48%), and GGT (2.74%, 95% CI: 1.09-4.38%) in Asia. Our meta-analysis showed that increments in PM2.5 exposure were significantly associated with a higher level of ALT, AST, and GGT. In addition, investigations into liver enzyme subtypes and specific chemical components of PM2.5 are important directions for future research.

Total astragalosides promote oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation and enhance remyelination in cuprizone-induced mice through suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Radix Astragali is a traditional Chinese medicine with various pharmacological effects. Total astragalosides (TA), the main effective ingredients in Radix Astragali, exert properties including anti-oxidative stress, anti-neuroinflammation, and neuroprotection. We previously found that TA alleviated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) progression, a widely used animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS). As a chronic demyelination disease, MS generally manifests myelin loss and fails to myelin regeneration. Regulation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) differentiation and remyelination is the fundamental strategy for MS treatment. However, whether TA could directly promote OPCs differentiation and remyelination is still unknown.

AIMS OF THE STUDY

This study was aimed to investigate pro-differentiation and myelin regeneration effects of TA on OPCs and Cuprizone (CPZ)-induced demyelination mice, an animal model of MS, and to explore mechanism underlying from regulation of OPCs differentiation and maturation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Mice were orally given CPZ (400 mg/kg) daily for 4 weeks to induce myelin loss, and then treated with TA (25 and 50 mg/kg) daily for 1 week. Cell proliferation assay, Western blot, RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry were performed to explore the mechanisms. The role of TA in oligodendrocyte differentiation and maturation was evaluated using MO3.13, a human oligodendrocytic hybrid cell line.

RESULTS

TA was shown to mitigate behavioral impairment in CPZ-induced mice. It markedly ameliorated myelin loss and enhanced remyelination in the corpus callosum of mice, evidenced by increased expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) and the number of CC1⁺ newly generated oligodendrocytes (OLs). TA also enhanced the expression of MBP at both mRNA and protein levels in MO3.13 cells. In CPZ-induced mice and MO3.13 cells, TA remarkably promoted the activation of GSK3β, repressed the phosphorylation of β-catenin, reduced the expression of transcription factor 4 and inhibitor of DNA binding 2. The agonist of β-catenin, SKL2001, partially abolished the pro-differentiation effect of TA in MO3.13 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, we clarified that TA could effectively enhance the differentiation and maturation of OPCs and accelerate remyelination in CPZ-induced mice through inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. This study provides new insight into the beneficial effect of TA in the treatment of MS.

Protective effect of traditional Chinese medicine on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver cancer by targeting ferroptosis

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease with high incidence and is closely related to metabolic syndrome. If not controlled, it may eventually become hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Ferroptosis, a non-apoptotic form of programmed cell death (PCD), is closely related to NAFLD and HCC, and the mechanisms of action involved are more complex. Some studies have demonstrated that many drugs inhibit ferroptosis and protect liver steatosis or carcinogenesis. The role of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), especially herbs or herbal extracts, has received increasing attention. However, there are relatively few review articles on the regulation of NAFLD by TCM through ferroptosis pathway. Here, we summarize the TCM intervention mechanism and application affecting NAFLD/NAFLD-HCC via regulation of ferroptosis. This article focuses on the relationship between ferroptosis and NAFLD or NAFLD-HCC and the protective effect of TCM on both by targeting ferroptosis. It not only summarizes the mechanism of early prevention and treatment of NAFLD, but also provides reference ideas for the development of TCM for the treatment of metabolic diseases and liver diseases.

The Associations of Iron Related Biomarkers with Risk, Clinical Severity and Mortality in SARS-CoV-2 Patients: A Meta-Analysis

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is spreading rapidly around the world and has led to millions of infections and deaths. Growing evidence indicates that iron metabolism is associated with COVID-19 progression, and iron-related biomarkers have great potential for detecting these diseases. However, the results of previous studies are conflicting, and there is not consistent numerical magnitude relationship between those biomarkers and COVID-19. Thereby, we aimed to integrate the results of current studies and to further explore their relationships through a meta-analysis. We searched peer-reviewed literature in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science up to 31 May 2022. A random effects model was used for pooling standard mean difference (SMD) and the calculation of the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). I2 was used to evaluate heterogeneity among studies. A total of 72 eligible articles were included in the meta-analysis. It was found that the ferritin levels of patients increased with the severity of the disease, whereas their serum iron levels and hemoglobin levels showed opposite trends. In addition, non-survivors had higher ferritin levels (SMD (95%CI): 1.121 (0.854, 1.388); Z = 8.22 p for Z < 0.001; I2 = 95.7%, p for I2 < 0.001), lower serum iron levels (SMD (95%CI): −0.483 (−0.597, −0.368), Z = 8.27, p for Z < 0.001; I2 = 0.9%, p for I2 =0.423) and significantly lower TIBC levels (SMD (95%CI): −0.612 (−0.900, −0.324), Z = 4.16, p for Z < 0.001; I2 = 71%, p for I2 = 0.016) than survivors. This meta-analysis demonstrates that ferritin, serum iron, hemoglobin and total iron banding capacity (TIBC) levels are strongly associated with the risk, severity and mortality of COVID-19, providing strong evidence for their potential in predicting disease occurrence and progression.

Protective effect of flavonoids extract of Hippophae rhamnoides L. on alcoholic fatty liver disease through regulating intestinal flora and inhibiting TAK1/p38MAPK/p65NF-κB pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The therapeutic properties of Hippophae rhamnoides L. were already known in ancient Greece as well as in Tibetan and Mongolian medicine. Modern studies have indicated that Hippophae rhamnoides L. fermentation liquid protected against alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD). However, the underlying mechanism of Hippophae rhamnoides L. flavonoids extract (HLF) treating AFLD remains elusive.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of HLF in mice with AFLD and the interaction between AFLD and gut microbiota.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Chemical constituents of HLF were analyzed by Liquid Chromatography-Ion Trap-ESI-Mass Spectrometry. The Hepatoprotective effect of HLF was evaluated in mice with AFLD induced by alcohol (six groups, n = 10) daily at doses of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 g/kg for 30 consecutive days. At the end of experiment, mice were sacrificed and the liver, serum and feces were harvested for analysis. The liver histological changes were observed by H&E staining and oil red O staining. Moreover, the alterations of fecal microflora were detected by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The inflammatory related genes were determined by qRT-PCR and western blotting respectively.

RESULTS

The results showed that the oral administration of HLF remarkably alleviated hepatic lipid accumulation by decreasing the levels of ALT, AST, TG and TC. The levels of TNF-α, TGF-β, and IL-6 were also reduced after treatment with HLF. Meanwhile, the protein and mRNA expression of NF-kB p65, MAPK p38 and TAK-1 in the liver of mice with AFLD were all reduced by HLF compared with model group. Furthermore, the 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis demonstrated that HLF treatment can help restore the imbalance of intestinal microbial ecosystem and reverse the changes in Fimicutes/Bacterodietes, Clostridiales, Lachnospiraceae, S24-7, and Prevotella in mice with AFLD.

CONCLUSION

HLF can effectively ameliorate liver injury in mice with AFLD, and regulate the composition of gut microbiota. Its regulatory mechanism may be related to TAK1/p38MAPK/p65NF-κB pathway. This study may provide novel insights into the mechanism of HLF on AFLD and a basis for promising clinical usage.

Markers of Neuroinflammation in the Serum of Prepubertal Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

BACKGROUND

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are the manifestation of the damage caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), the extreme FASD manifestation, show both facial dysmorphology and mental retardation. Alcohol consumed during gestational age prejudices brain development by reducing, among others, the synthesis and release of neurotrophic factors and neuroinflammatory markers. Alcohol drinking also induces oxidative stress.

HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to investigate the potential association between neurotrophins, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress in 12 prepubertal male and female FASD children diagnosed as FAS or partial FAS (pFAS).

METHODS

Accordingly, we analyzed, in the serum, the level of BDNF and NGF and the oxidative stress, as Free Oxygen Radicals Test (FORT) and Free Oxygen Radicals Defense (FORD). Moreover, serum levels of inflammatory mediators (IL-1α, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, MCP-1, TGF-β, and TNF-α) involved in neuroinflammatory and oxidative processes have been investigated.

RESULTS

We demonstrated low serum levels of NGF and BDNF in pre-pubertal FASD children with respect to healthy controls. These changes were associated with higher serum presence of TNF- α and IL-1α. Quite interestingly, an elevation in the FORD was also found despite normal FORT levels. Moreover, we found a potentiation of IL-1α, IL-2, IL-10, and IL-1α1 in the analyzed female compared to male children.

CONCLUSION

The present investigation shows an imbalance in the peripheral neuroimmune pathways that could be used in children as early biomarkers of the deficits observed in FASD.