Enhanced urinary excretion of cysteinyl leukotrienes in patients with acute alcohol intoxication

Alcohol-induced respiratory symptoms are common in patients with aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease

BACKGROUND

A large percentage of patients with aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) report the development of alcohol-induced respiratory reactions, but the true prevalence of respiratory reactions caused by alcoholic beverages in these patients was not known.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to evaluate the incidence and characteristics of alcohol-induced respiratory reactions in patients with AERD.

METHODS

A questionnaire designed to assess alcohol-induced respiratory symptoms was administered to patients at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Scripps Clinic. At least 50 patients were recruited into each of 4 clinical groups: (1) patients with aspirin challenge-confirmed AERD, (2) patients with aspirin-tolerant asthma (ATA), (3) patients with aspirin tolerance and with chronic rhinosinusitis, and (4) healthy controls. Two-tailed Fisher exact tests with Bonferroni corrections were used to compare the prevalence of respiratory symptoms among AERD and other groups, with P ≤ .017 considered significant.

RESULTS

The prevalence of alcohol-induced upper (rhinorrhea and/or nasal congestion) respiratory reactions in patients with AERD was 75% compared with 33% with aspirin-tolerant asthma, 30% with chronic rhinosinusitis, and 14% with healthy controls (P < .001 for all comparisons). The prevalence of alcohol-induced lower (wheezing and/or dyspnea) respiratory reactions in AERD was 51% compared with 20% in aspirin-tolerant asthma and with 0% in both chronic rhinosinusitis and healthy controls (P < .001 for all comparisons). These reactions were generally not specific to one type of alcohol and often occurred after ingestion of only a few sips of alcohol.

CONCLUSION

Alcohol ingestion causes respiratory reactions in the majority of patients with AERD, and clinicians should be aware that these alcohol-induced reactions are significantly more common in AERD than in controls who are aspirin tolerant.

The protective effect of montelukast sodium on carbon tetrachloride induced hepatopathy in rat

AIM

This study investigates the effects of montelukast sodium (MK) (CysLTLT1 receptor antagonist) on CCl(4)induced hepatopathy on rat.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We worked on 4 groups of 10 Wistar male rats each. The groups received as follows: group I (control group) - saline, group II - MK 5mg/kg/day i.p. for 5 days, group III - MK 5mg/kg/day i.p., 1 day prior to and 4 days concomitantly with CCl(4) p.o., 0.3ml/Kg/day and group IV - CCl(4), p.o., 0.3ml/Kg/day for 4 days. One day after the last administration, samples of blood were taken and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin (TB), direct bilirubin (DB), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT) as well as total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were determined. The histopathological exam was performed. We also determined superoxide dismutase (SOD), MDA, CAT and GSH in liver homogenate.

RESULTS

Compared to group IV, group III exhibited statistically significant lower levels of ALT (318+/-15.75 versus 203.14+/-10.28 UI, p<0.0001), TB (3.16+/-0.30 versus 1.99+/-0.08mg/dl, p<0.0001), MDA in blood and in liver homogenate (4.98+/-1.71 versus 2.15+/-1.18nmol/ml, p=0.0004) and higher levels of SOD and CAT. Histopathologically, group IV presented important macro- and micro-vesicular hepatic steatosis and group III preserved lobular histoarchitecture and had less severe cellular lesions.

CONCLUSION

MK exhibits a partial hepatoprotective effect on rats treated with CCl(4).

Cysteinyl-leukotrienes and the liver

Leukotrienes are potent biological mediators implicated in an increasing number of disease processes. This review outlines the basic biology of leukotrienes and discusses recent developments in our understanding of the specific role of cysteinyl-leukotrienes (cLTs) in cholestasis, hepatic inflammation, portal hypertension, and the pathogenesis of the hepatorenal syndrome (HRS).

Effect of arachidonic acid-rich oil on lipids and arachidonate metabolites in ethanol- treated rats

The effects of dietary arachidonic acid-rich oil (AAoil) on lipids and arachidonate metabolites in the liver and plasma were evaluated in ethanol-treated rats. Rats were fed a purified diet containing 10% weight of lard or AAoil for 14 days. Ethanol was administered by gavage at a single daily dose of 3 g/kg body weight. Comparing with the lard group, a decrease was observed in liver fatty vacuoles in the AAoil group. Plasma 6-keto-prostaglandin (PG) F1 alpha and thromboxane (TX) B(2)levels and the 6-keto-PGF1 alpha/TXB(2)ratio increased significantly in the AAoil group. Liver 6-keto-PGF1 alpha also increased but not leukotriene B(4)in the AAoil group. In the phospholipid fraction of liver tissue, plasma and red blood cells, arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) and docosatetraenoic acid (22:4n-6) increased and oleic acid (18:1n-9) and linoleic acid (18:2n-6) decreased significantly in the AAoil group compared with the lard group. These observations suggest that AAoil supplementation reduces liver injury of ethanol-treated rats, although longer observation will be necessary for confirmation.