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B R Bacon

Publications and source records attributed to B R Bacon.

153 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Hepatic mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in rats with chronic dietary iron overload.

We examined the effects of chronic dietary iron overload on hepatic mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. Experimental iron overload was produced by feeding rats a chow diet supplemented with carbonyl iron over a 7-week period. Biochemical and histologic evaluations of liver tissue confirmed moderate degrees of hepatic parenchymal iron overload. Electron microscopy showed no abnormalities in hepatic mitochondrial ultrastructure in blocks of tissue or in mitochondrial fractions from iron-loaded liver. Studies of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism revealed a consistent and progressive decrease in state 3 (ADP-stimulated) respiration and in respiratory control ratios at hepatic iron concentrations above 1,000 micrograms per gm for all three substrates studied, glutamate, beta-hydroxybutyrate and succinate. Changes in state 4 (ADP-limited) respiration and ADP/O ratios were not progressive with increasing hepatic iron concentrations. At hepatic iron concentrations at which there were decreases in state 3 respiration and respiratory control ratios, there was also evidence of lipid-conjugated diene formation, indicative of mitochondrial lipid peroxidation. There were no changes in mitochondrial function when iron as either ferritin or hemosiderin or as a combination of ferritin, hemosiderin and ferric nitrilotriacetate was added in vitro to normal liver homogenates. Use of density gradient centrifugation to reduce iron and lysosomal contamination of mitochondrial fractions failed to prevent the reduction in mitochondrial function. We conclude that moderate degrees of chronic hepatic iron overload in vivo result in an inhibitory defect in the mitochondrial electron transport chain as evidenced by a decrease in state 3 respiration and respiratory control ratios.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hepatic heme synthesis in a new model of experimental hemochromatosis: studies in rats fed finely divided elemental iron.

Rats fed chow containing finely divided elemental iron (from carbonyl-iron) develop hepatic iron overload resembling human hereditary hemochromatosis in that deposition of iron is primarily in periportal hepatocytes and with hepatic iron concentrations sufficiently high to be associated in the human disease with hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis. In recent studies using this model, we reported changes in hepatic hemoproteins and heme oxygenase, the rate-controlling enzyme of heme breakdown. We now report effects of iron-loading on three enzymes of heme synthesis: 5-aminolevulinate synthase; the first and rate-controlling enzyme of the pathway, 5-aminolevulinate dehydrase (or porphobilinogen synthase), and uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase, the activity of which is decreased in porphyria cutanea tarda, a liver disease in which iron is known to play an important but still poorly understood role. Of the three enzymes, only activity of the dehydrase was altered by iron-loading: it was decreased significantly as early as 1 week after starting iron feeding, and with marked iron overload was 30 to 32% of control values. The degree of decrease was inversely related (r = -0.77 to -0.88) to the degree of iron overload and was partially reversed within 1 to 3 days when feeding of the iron-supplemented diet was stopped. The decrease in dehydrase activity was not attributable to lack of reduced glutathione or other disulfide-reducing agents or to zinc deficiency; nor was evidence found for inhibition by iron compounds or other possible inhibitors present in iron-loaded livers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The discovery of HFE.

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DNA Mutational Analysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lipid peroxidation and associated hepatic organelle dysfunction in iron overload.

Iron overload can have serious health consequences. Since humans lack an effective means to excrete excess iron, overload can result from an increased absorption of dietary iron or from parenteral administration of iron. When the iron burden exceeds the body's capacity for safe storage, the result is widespread damage to the liver, heart and joints, and the pancreas and other endocrine organs. Clear evidence is now available that iron overload leads to lipid peroxidation in experimental animals, if sufficiently high levels of iron are achieved. In contrast, there is a paucity of data regarding lipid peroxidation in patients with iron overload. Data from experiments using an animal model of dietary iron overload support the concept that iron overload results in an increase in an hepatic cytosolic pool of low molecular weight iron which is catalytically active in stimulating lipid peroxidation. Lipid peroxidation is associated with hepatic mitochondrial and microsomal dysfunction in experimental iron overload, and lipid peroxidation may underlie the increased lysosomal fragility that has been detected in homogenates of liver samples from both iron-loaded human subjects and experimental animals. Some current hypotheses focus on the possibility that the demonstrated functional abnormalities in organelles of the iron-loaded liver may play a pathogenic role in hepatocellular injury and eventual fibrosis. The recent demonstration that hepatic fibrosis is produced in animals with long-term dietary iron overload will allow this model to be used to further investigate the relationship between lipid peroxidation and hepatic injury in iron overload.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Liver transplantation for hereditary hemochromatosis.

Although the experience of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for hereditary hemochromatosis (HHC) is limited, the existing data indicate that it carries a higher mortality when compared to transplantation for other causes of end-stage liver disease. Posttransplantation deaths are usually related to infectious or cardiac complications. HHC is often not diagnosed prior to OLT and one series has shown a high incidence of primary liver cancer diagnosed incidentally only at the time of transplantation. Factors that may account for the increase in postoperative mortality for HHC are the extent of iron deposition in extrahepatic sites in patients undiagnosed and thus untreated prior to transplantation. A high index of suspicion in subjects with end-stage liver disease should lead to improved diagnosis and allow for the prompt institution of either phlebotomy therapy or iron chelation therapy prior to transplantation. It is expected that these changes would reduce postoperative complications as well as improve long-term survival.

Female↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hepatic alpha-smooth muscle actin expression in hepatitis C patients before and after interferon therapy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The mechanism of hepatic fibrogenesis with chronic viral hepatitis is not well understood. Persistent activation of hepatic stellate cells is felt to play a role in the development of fibrogenesis and progression to cirrhosis. METHODOLOGY: We determined the expression of hepatic alpha-smooth muscle actin, a marker of hepatic stellate cell activation, in 29 patients with chronic hepatitis C and varying degrees of liver injury and fibrosis. In addition to a baseline evaluation, we assessed the effect of interferon therapy on alpha-smooth muscle actin expression in 11 patients, including 6 with a sustained response to therapy. Specimens were evaluated by light microscopy for grade of inflammation and stage of fibrosis. Expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin was assessed semiquantitatively by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: At baseline, all patients had alpha-smooth muscle actin expressed within the liver without an obvious correlation with the severity of liver injury. However, among sustained responders, a reduction in hepatic necroinflammatory activity was associated with a trend towards a decrease in alpha-smooth muscle actin expression. This however did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic alpha-smooth muscle actin expression, as a marker of hepatic stellate cell activation appears reversible and tends to correlate with necroinflammatory activity.

Actins↗