Cs. Lieber et al., POLYENYLPHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE DECREASES ALCOHOL-INDUCED OXIDATIVE STRESS IN THE BABOON, Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 21(2), 1997, pp. 375-379
Diets supplemented with polyunsaturated fatty acids or triglycerides e
xacerbate alcohol-induced liver injury in rats, whereas, in baboons, p
olyenylphosphatidylcholine (PPC) protects against alcohol-induced fibr
osis and cirrhosis. Because the aggravation in rats was attributed to
enhanced lipid peroxidation, the present study was undertaken to asses
s parameters of oxidative stress in percutaneous liver biopsies of bab
oons fed alcohol, with or without PPC (2.8 g per 1000 calories). F-2-i
soprostanes and 4-hydroxynonenal, breakdown products of lipid peroxida
tion, were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and alp
ha-tocopherol was measured by HPLC with electrochemical detection. Hep
atic 4-hydroxynonenal was significantly increased in animals fed alcoh
ol, but this was fully prevented by PPC. F-2-isoprostanes were also si
gnificantly lower after PPC and ethanol than after ethanol alone, and
the alcohol-induced glutathione decrease was attenuated, All of these
parameters were normal in the animals withdrawn from alcohol, even wit
h persistence of significant liver disease. Because peroxidation produ
cts are fibrogenic, their decrease could contribute to the antifibroge
nic property of the phospholipids, In conclusion, PPC significantly at
tenuates ethanol-induced oxidative stress, which may explain, at least
in part, its protective effect against alcoholic liver injury.