K. Kotake et al., Effects of chronic liver diseases on mitochondrial DNA transcription and replication in human liver, LIFE SCI, 65(5), 1999, pp. 557-563
To evaluate the effects of chronic liver diseases on mitochondrial DNA (mtD
NA) transcription and replication, nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1) mRN
A, mitochondrial transcription factor A (mtTFA) mRNA, a RNA component of ri
bonuclease (RNase) for mitochondrial RNA processing (MRP), mitochondrial cy
tochrome b mRNA, and mtDNA were measured in normal, chronically viral-hepat
itic and cirrhotic human livers. The mRNA levels of the regulatory factors
for mitochondrial gene (NRF-1 and mtTFA) and cytochrome b were significantl
y increased by chronic hepatitis (160, 280, and 175 %, respectively) compar
ed with those in normal livers, but were not different between cirrhotic an
d normal livers. On the other hand, concentrations of mtDNA and RNA compone
nt of RNase MRP were not different among normal, chronically hepatitic, and
cirrhotic livers. These results suggest that either persistent hepatitis v
iral infection or repeated cell necrosis and regeneration in chronically he
patitic liver may be associated with increase in mtDNA transcription.