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S-nitroso-N-acetylcysteine attenuates liver fibrosis in experimental nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Authors Mazo DF, de Oliveira MG , Pereira IVA, Cogliati B, Stefano JT, de Souza G, Rabelo F, Lima FR, Alves VAF, Carrilho FJ, de Oliveira CPMS 

Received 12 February 2013

Accepted for publication 1 May 2013

Published 28 June 2013 Volume 2013:7 Pages 553—563

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S43930

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 3



Daniel FC Mazo,1 Marcelo G de Oliveira,2 Isabel VA Pereira,1 Bruno Cogliati,3 José T Stefano,1 Gabriela FP de Souza,2 Fabíola Rabelo,1 Fabiana R Lima,4 Venâncio A Ferreira Alves,4 Flair J Carrilho,1 Claudia PMS de Oliveira1

1University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, Clinical Division, Hepatology Branch (LIM-07), Sao Paulo, Brazil; 2Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 3University of Sao Paulo School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Department of Pathology, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 4University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Department of Pathology (LIM14), São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract: S-Nitroso-N-acetylcysteine (SNAC) is a water soluble primary S-nitrosothiol capable of transferring and releasing nitric oxide and inducing several biochemical activities, including modulation of hepatic stellate cell activation. In this study, we evaluated the antifibrotic activity of SNAC in an animal model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) induced in Sprague-Dawley rats fed with a choline-deficient, high trans fat diet and exposed to diethylnitrosamine for 8 weeks. The rats were divided into three groups: SNAC, which received oral SNAC solution daily; NASH, which received the vehicle; and control, which received standard diet and vehicle. Genes related to fibrosis (matrix metalloproteinases [MMP]-13, -9, and -2), transforming growth factor ß-1 [TGFß-1], collagen-1a, and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase [TIMP-1 and -2] and oxidative stress (heat-shock proteins [HSP]-60 and -90) were evaluated. SNAC led to a 34.4% reduction in the collagen occupied area associated with upregulation of MMP-13 and -9 and downregulation of HSP-60, TIMP-2, TGFß-1, and collagen-1α. These results indicate that oral SNAC administration may represent a potential antifibrotic treatment for NASH.

Keywords: nitric oxide, S-nitroso-N-acetylcysteine, fibrogenesis, NASH, diethylnitrosamine

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