Hepatic fibrosis is characterized by an increase in type I collagen deposition which alters the normal architecture of the liver leading to liver dysfunction. Many etiologies have been associated with hepatic fibrosis with chronic alcohol consumption being the leading cause of liver fibrosis in the United States. The hepatic stellate cell (HSC) is the primary cell type in the liver responsible for excess synthesis of collagen during fibrosis. Following exposure to alcohol, the HSC undergoes a transformation from a quiescent, vitamin A storing cell to that of an activated, collagen producing myofibroblast-like cell. The effects of alcohol on the activation of HSCs have been implicated to alcohol-induced oxidative stress. The metabolism of ethanol leads to the production of free radicals that have been linked to the development of alcohol-induced liver injury. Thus, diminishing oxidative damage by the use of antioxidants may serve as successful therapeutic treatments for liver diseases caused by numerous agents including alcohol. S-adenosyI-L-methionine (SAMe), the precursor of glutathione, has potential usefulness as an antioxidant. SAMe has been shown to improve hepatic fibrosis; however, the molecular mechanisms of SAMe in liver fibrosis is not understood. The role of SAMe as an antioxidant implicates the redox-sensitive transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB) and the pathway(s) that regulates its activity as being a key player which may mediate the antioxidant effects of SAMe. SAMe's attenuation of liver fibrosis may occur through the regulation of certain transcription factors that modulate collagen expression in the HSC. Thus, this proposal hypothesizes that the antioxidant SAMe inhibits alcohol-induced collagen expression by modulating NFkB activity in the HSC. The results of these studies will aid in the development of novel therapeutics aimed at preventing the progression of oxidative-induced hepatic fibrosis. ? ? ? ? ?
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